The Film Experience

Chris here, still nursing our holiday hangover. To go with the massive amount of films descending upon the multiplexes at the holiday season, there is always an equally large amount of trailers to catch up to. Let's revisit the gluttony by reheating some trailer leftovers we've yet to discuss here, including Goldie Hawn's comeback vehicle Snatched, the hyperviolent & NSFW first look at Alien: Covenant, and the next installment of those damn dirty Apes!

Snatched

What a buzzkill. We were so hyped for a Goldie Hawn revival and this trailer mostly hides her - surely they could spare even a moment for hosannas of her return?
There's an unfortunately air of tasteless cliche here, with South America presented as inherently dangerous and white ladies' cluelessness as charming. Are they really going to make human trafficking jokes?
This is pretty much all broad jokes for Schumer, and not nearly all of her jokes land. But the Trainwreck trailers didn't show her more interesting, subdued moments. Hopefully, Snatched has some of that.
But the screenplay was written by Katie Dippold of The Heat and Ghostbusters. If we don't get character nuance, at least we know she delivers on belly laughs.

Alien: Covenant

Ouch. This isn't so much of a teaser for the film as it is for the kills. We barely even get typically stoic Ridley Scott visuals.
Remember that divide between the Prometheus trailers and Prometheus itself? Maybe this can do the opposite with bad trailers and a solid movie.
The film has an intriguing ensemble (Danny McBride, huh?), but Noomi Rapace seems purposefully absent. Place your bets now that her Shaw only returns via some plot device like video diaries or the like.
Does the use of "Nature Boy" hint that Covenant will turn by the motivations Michael Fassbender's new bot Walter just as Prometheus did for David? I'd also watch for Walter to be the connective tissue bridging Prometheus to the larger Alien universe.

War for the Planet of the Apes

Now that's how you do a franchise teaser. Captivating visuals, sell the main conflict without giving away the full arc. I'm there.
Can you believe that neither of the previous instalments were Oscar awarded for their visual effects? They may not be the most revolutionary films to utilize motion capture, but they are perhaps the most impressive for audience buy-in.
Such a relief to see Woody Harrelson do an about face to his recent rascals and go full evil! The Hunger Games did a lot to dampen one of our most unpredicatble actors for a few years there.
Cue the "timely thinkpieces" now. And the reemergence of honorary Oscar talk for Andy Serkis.

What do you think of these trailer leftovers? Which film are you most excited to see this summer?