Yes No Maybe So: 'Nope', 'Deep Water', and 'Multiverse of Madness'
Monday, February 14, 2022 at 12:07PM by Nathaniel R
No sooner did we get caught up on trailers with Jurassic World and such than the Superbowl hits which brings with it a new wave of teasers and trailers, not all of them airing during the game (that's expensive!) but here are the latest via our Yes No Maybe So™ habit. Join in the trifurcated breakdwon in the comments...
DR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
YES - You have to hand it to this trailer. It definitely teases a BIGGEST SCREEN YOU CAN FIND type of experience and looks like a sure-fire contender for next year's Best Visual Effects Oscar. Even though we're kind of exhausted by Marvel's ever multiplying franchises (so many hours to keep up now between multiple films and tv series a year!) this promises two things we can't possibly pass up: First, the return of Sam Raimi to the superhero genre (he made the very best one of all time Spider-Man 2). He has always been such a deliriously fun director with his athletic camerawork and understanding of horror and camp and how to make broad strokes characters pop. Second, the return of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) after the very satisfying complications of WandaVision. This trailer has two minutes of "scary" visuals but the most chiling thing by far is her line reading of "That hardly seems fair". We'll also get to see the introduction of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) in this movie.
NO - Dr Strange, despite gloriously trippy visuals, was one of the weaker overall entires in the MCU. And Cumberbatch's performance in No Way Home left us wanting more depth or a more idiosyncratic take on this character. Is it just us or is Cumberbatch a little dull in this role which technically shouldn't be dull.
MAYBE SO - It looks... "busy". The MCU films were already complicated and serialized enough. Lately there's more and more fanservice and "teases" to future films. Will this be satisfying all on its own? Or will it feel like its primary goal is to set up two or three other films or launch another sub-franchise instead? Also, though the fans are excited to hear Patrick Stewart's voice in the trailer, assuming he's reprising his role as Charles Xavier (and setting up the introduction of the X-Men), we hope that it's just a multiverse thing. We had hoped that Marvel would start with a clean slate for the X-Men and not borrow from the deeply unsatisfying Fox version of that franchise.
DEEP WATER
YESNOMAYBESO - This is just a tiny sliver of a scene (love this kind of tease!) so there's not much to say as this could go either way. Nevertheless we're thrilled that Adrian Lyne, king of the erotic thriller, finally made another movie. It's been a full twenty years since he put Diane Lane through the ringer all the way to an Oscar nomination in Unfaithful (2002). And even if this is terrible, it could still be camp enjoyable with all the heavy breathing and this dialogue "There's something wrong with me, too" and the opportunity to see the sometimes wooden Ben Affleck and his girlfriend-at-the-time Ana de Armas go at it in surely kinky and probably murderous ways.
NOPE
YUP - Jordan Peele has earned everyone's attention and ticket purchases with one instant horror classic (Get Out) and one very good horror film (Us). His third film looks to be about an alien invasion so perhaps more sci-fi than horror? So many reasons to look forward to this one which might be great summer fun including that cast including Peele's reunion with Kaluuya and Steven Yeun plus an actress we adore Keke Palmer, who gets to show a lot of fun physicality in the trailer -- dancing, freaking out, nonconsensual flying/flailing and we think she's one of those actresses who benefits from being able to use her whole body in a frame. Such a talent and we're eager to wipe Alice (her Sundance feature) out of our memories banks as soon as possible! The opening bit about the silent film reel gives this one an interestingly specific kick.
NO - "yeah, nah nah nah nah nah" but no one says "Nope" in the trailer? Denied!
MAYBE SO - Alien invasions have been done so many times. What can Peele do that's fresh here? Even some of the visual beats in the trailer feel very familiar due to how well worn this particular genre is.
LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER
YESNOMAYBESO - Your mileage will probably vary but I lost interest in this franchise once it went super digital including that truly ugly high frame rate. I couldn't even it make it through the first of the Hobbit trilogy. Just too ugly to look at and it was outright depressing after that glorious Oscar-winning trilogy. Neverthless we might give this a chance. Perhaps the characters will be great and since all franchises really want to be tv series anyway, maybe that's the way to go now?
DC HEROES
YESNOMAYBESO -Plays more like a shareholders corporate sizzle reel than anything else. This is not for me though the prospect of seeing Ezra Miller finally do The Flash might get me in a theater.
Reader Comments (7)
Dr. Strange 2: YESSSSS
Nope: YESSSS
New LotR thing: No - maybe so
Deep Water - Maybe So
DC Heroes - Yes to Flash, rest, maybe so.
To clarify on Patrick Stewart on Dr. Strange 2. Yes, he's playing Professor X. Yes, it's a multiverse thing and no, he's not going to be Professor X in the main franchise (it's rumored, that we'll see Tom Cruise playing Iron Man and Ioan Gruffud playing Mr. Fantastic, among others, in the MCU first version of the Illuminati - this time, an inter-universal tribunal, rather than the comic book counerpart). This also confirms that Evan Peters wasn't playing "Ralph Boner" in WandaVision but the REAL Pietro Maximoff from the Fox Universe, and that probably he'll be returning in the upcoming Agatha Harkness series. Those who didn't pay attention didn't notice that the letter and parafernalia that said "Ralph Boner" were still under Wanda's spell that has given new identities and roles to the WestView citizens, and also, that Agatha wasn't powerful enough to give powers to anyone... therefore Pietro, somehow, was taken from the "Fox" Universe into the MCU, and I guess that either Dr. Strange 2 or Agatha Harkness series will explain how it happened - but we can assume that Loki's ending provoked it...
Dr. Strange in the MCU is a bit of a bore, and I don't think Cumberbatch has really brought anything special to him. The first film was dull but effective, and he's been effective in all of his outings, but unlike other MCU mainplayers, Cumberbatch doesn't bring the charisma/movie stardom that would help the film exciting. Maybe that's because he knows people will show up regardless, so it doesn't matter? Maybe the material just isn't fun for him?
I'm very excited about Raimi and Olsen, who seems to both get her character and really gives it her all in these films. This feels like the biggest MCU offering this year, and the one that can't be missed.
The Nope teaser is perfect. I can't wait to live in whatever world Peele builds.
I'm curious about how Deep Water will turn out. That trailer looks thrilling, but the Highsmith novel doesn't have the most thrilling material, especially for De Armas.
Dr Strange 2: OH FUCK YEAH!!!!!!
Deep Water: Interesting (and are they giving each other hand jobs?)
Nope: YES!!!!
Lord of the Rings: Looks good
DC: I'm definitely intrigued though I'm sick of the Crock.
Dr Strange 2: OH FUCK YEAH!!!!!!
Deep Water: Interesting (and are they giving each other hand jobs?)
Nope: YES!!!!
Lord of the Rings: Looks good
DC: I'm definitely intrigued though I'm sick of the Crock.
YES!! for Nope I love the trailer and I'll follow Peele anywhere. Meh on the rest but I'm definitely intrigued (aroused?) by an Affleck/de Armas exotic thriller
dr strange: nope
lord of the rings: nope
deep water: nope
dc heroes: nope
nope: yep
oops