 Hello, fellow moviegoers! In case you haven’t heard, the first official trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiered this weekend at Star Wars Celebration. For those of you who don’t know, Star Wars Celebration is a yearly convention in the vein of Comic-Con, except it is entirely Star Wars-centric. The convention is actually run by Disney and Lucasfilm, so there are often many major panels and announcements to be had. This year alone, there were panels about The Last Jedi (obviously), the show Star Wars: Rebels, the Star Wars: Battlefront video games, as well as individual events with Mark Hamill, Ray Park (Darth Maul), Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, and many more. The largest piece of news to come out of Celebration this weekend was the release of the first official trailer for the eighth episode of the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi, and spoiler alert, Luke talks! Yes, Luke Skywalker has more lines in this trailer than he did in the entirety of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It was a no-brainer that Lucasfilm would have Luke talk in this trailer because fans probably would’ve rioted if he didn’t at least have one line, especially since he was teased so heavily in Episode VII. Not only having Luke talk but narrate the entire trailer was a very smart play on Lucasfilm’s part. The elephant in the room with this trailer was Carrie Fisher’s once Princess now General Leia. After the unfortunate passing of Fisher in December, many were curious as to how her character would be handled in the film’s proceeding. Aside from one shot of her looking at a map, we don’t see her almost at all in this trailer. However, it was revealed this weekend that despite some earlier reports from the Fisher family, she will not be appearing in 2019’s Episode IX. There are many ways that Lucasfilm could move forward with the iconic Princess. They have already said that digitally recreating her à la what they did in Rogue One is off the table. So there are two options here, either they write the character out or they recast. Both of which are obviously not their first choice, but they’ll have to figure it out somehow. If it were up to me, I would have the character written out, because the idea of recasting Leia is something I’d rather not think about. Plus, imagine having to fill the shoes of Carrie Fisher, that’d be an enormously stressing task to any actress out there. Getting back to this trailer though, it was definitely a teaser. We didn’t see a whole lot of the film (Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro’s new characters were both missing), but what we did see was very intriguing. We saw several shots of Rey training with Luke on the island from the end of The Force Awakens, and we once again got to see the new characters that we all fell in love with in Episode VII. Poe Dameron and BB-8 can both be seen in what appears to be an assault on a Resistance base, and we see the ex-Stormtrooper Finn noticeably still in a comatose state after his injuries he received courtesy of Kylo Ren, though this is probably temporarily at the beginning considering we have seen him up-and-about in other released images. It’s great to see all of these returning characters, and I’m extremely excited to see what direction they’ll go in. Hopefully, we’ll finally have an answer to that Rey Kenobi vs Rey Skywalker debate, and after the immense speculation from fans about an LGBT relationship between Finn and Poe, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Disney will explore that or not. Now for what everyone has been talking about, the last spoken line of the trailer right before it cuts to the logo. We hear Luke say “I only know one truth. It’s time for the Jedi to end.” Fans have been speculating non-stop over the past couple days as to what this might mean. Has Luke given up? Has he turned to the dark side? Or is it something else? One theory that has gained some momentum is that Luke has turned into what is known as a Grey Jedi. A Grey Jedi is someone that taps into both the Light and the Dark Side of the Force in an attempt to achieve balance. This is an idea that has been explored upon in the show Star Wars: Rebels, and it’s a very likely possibility considering “balance” is something that is heavily featured earlier in the trailer and in the rest of the series as a whole. Frequently people in this galaxy say they need to “bring balance to the force” which means a balance of the Light and the Dark. The philosophy of a Grey Jedi is a very interesting way to go about this, and I’m personally hoping that is the route they decide to take it.  So, what did you think of the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi? What you do think Luke means by “It’s time for the Jedi to End,”? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Jacqueline Kennedy, Talking Apes, and 90's Franchises! The latest movie trailers you need to see!10/12/2016 Hello, fellow moviegoers! New York Comic-Con was this past week and with it came a lot of different trailers for movies and TV shows. Many of which have fans talking about their most anticipated films of next year. There were several trailers that really stood out to me, so here are some recent trailers that I think you definitely need to check out!  John Wick Chapter 2 The first John Wick is one of those movies that I wanted to see, but for whatever reason, I never got around to it. After seeing this trailer, I know that it’s a film that I absolutely have to see! John Wick: Chapter 2 looks so incredibly ridiculous, but it looks to be so much fun at the same time! Casting Ian McShane as the villain in this film was an absolutely brilliant move. He always brings a sense of unease to his characters, which will work wonderfully in this film. This has become one of my most anticipated films of next year already, and I need to watch the first one ASAP!  Iron Fist If you read my recent review of the first season of Luke Cage, then you’ll know that I believe Marvel has yet to have an uninteresting series on Netflix. Iron Fist looks to be no different. They are advertising this show as “The Final Defender”, which builds hype not only for Iron Fist but for The Defenders as well, which will be released next year. This trailer for Iron Fist did a great job giving the audience just a small taste of what this series will be. It didn’t spoil anything, or really give any plot, but it did give you the general tone of the show and show you some of Danny Rand’s powers (those visual effects look fantastic by the way). I have no reason not to be excited about this show, so I’m looking forward to binge-watching it all the way throughout the week following March 17th.  Jackie First of all, this trailer wasn’t from NYCC. It was, however, released recently and I felt that it was one that I needed to talk about. I had no idea that this movie was even being made until this trailer was released. Now? I am stoked about it. Jackie looks like it could be one of the best films of the year! If this film lives up to this trailer, I have no doubt that it will be nominated for some Oscars. Two things really stood out to me in this trailer. Firstly, it almost immediately felt like an older film. Something about the way this film was shot makes it feel like a film that came out a while ago. This direction is sure to separate Jackie out from the rest of the pack. Secondly, Natalie Portman seems to be giving an absolutely magnificent performance. I’m sure that she’ll get some awards for this film, and I can’t wait to see her earn them on screen!  War for the Planet of the Apes This first trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes is the definition of a teaser trailer. It doesn’t show any footage, it doesn’t give you plot details, but it does manage to convey what the film is. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of the best films of the past five years; it’s an absolutely amazing movie. Seeing this very brief trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes sucked me right back into that world, and I cannot wait to see this film! The actual trailer didn’t show much of anything. It featured a snow-covered Caesar, and it has a voiceover of a line from the last film. There wasn’t actually anything to it, but it worked so well! I got goosebumps when watching this trailer! This teaser trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes did its job magnificently, and if you haven’t seen Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, you should definitely do that.  Power Rangers When they announced that this movie was going to be made, many people online immediately started scrutinizing it. The Power Rangers movies that came out twenty years ago were not the most popular, or very well received. That being said, I’ve been really excited for this movie since they announced it was coming. I even wrote an article in its defense, which you can read here. With all that out of the way, I though this trailer was...ok. As many people have pointed out, it has a sort of Breakfast Club meets Chronicle vibe to it. Both of which are very good movies, and I’m excited to see that, but this trailer didn’t really do much for me. I’m not totally sold on the acting in the trailer, and it never really got me more excited than I already was. It is important to note that this is a teaser trailer, and it didn’t show a lot of iconic Power Rangers material. We barely got a glimpse of the rangers in their suits, there was a short scene with Rita Repulsa, we didn’t see the Zords, and we didn’t see Bryan Cranston as Zordon. So, there wasn’t actually a lot shown in the trailer. This trailer wasn’t made for me, though. This trailer was for the people that had no idea that this movie was coming, and in that regard, I thought it was pretty good. This was a safe first trailer, but they’ll definitely need to up their game in the future if they want to get audiences extremely excited for this.  So, have you seen these trailers? Which of them was your favorite? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter! It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Hello, fellow moviegoers! San Diego Comic-Con 2016 has officially come to a close, and it gave us some pretty good looks at some of the most talked about movies of next year. Whether is was with casting news, official images, or even a trailer, fans came out buzzing about all of their favorite franchises. So, I've decided to break down what I believe are the four biggest trailers shown at San Diego Comic-Con. Keep in mind, these are only the trailers they released online, so obviously I haven't seen the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 or Spider-Man: Homecoming trailers. However, there were some pretty impressive trailers that surfaced online last weekend. So let's discuss them.  Kong: Skull Island I really had no idea what to expect from the first trailer for Kong: Skull Island. I was interested in the film already due to the stellar cast and the fact that it is in the same universe as 2014's Godzilla. But this trailer blew me away. Kong: Skull Island looks fantastic! The first thing I noticed in the trailer was the cinematography. This was an extremely well-shot trailer. There were so many individual shots that would be the type you set as your desktop wallpaper. In addition to that, the tone built throughout the trailer is one that really stresses feelings of interest and fear simultaneously. The best thing this trailer did was hide Kong. I know that sounds a little weird, to hide Kong in your trailer for a King Kong movie, but hear me out. You don't want to fully show Kong this early on because then the aura of mystery is gone. It's very similar to the trailers for 2014's Godzilla. They didn't really show Godzilla, but they showed enough to get you excited. As I mentioned earlier, this film has a stellar cast. This trailer primarily put the spotlight on Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman. But you also saw glimpses of Tom Hiddleston and recently-announced Captain Marvel, Brie Larson. The cast alone would've gotten me to see this film. The fact that it looks breathtaking? That makes Kong: Skull Island one of my most anticipated movies of next year!  Wonder Woman The first official trailer for the new Wonder Woman movie really does a good job getting people excited for this film. Wonder Woman is the first film in this new age of comic-book films to focus on a female superhero, so there is a lot riding on this film. Based on this trailer, it looks to deliver on all expectations. There were three things that stood out the most to me in this trailer. The first was the action sequences. The fight scenes in this trailer were brilliantly crafted by director Patty Jenkins. They really show how powerful a character Wonder Woman is, and I'm really excited to see these scenes in context. The second standout was Chris Pine and the tad bit of humor he brought. Putting Chris Pine in anything really is enough to get me excited, but casting him as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman was an awesome idea. It was nice to see them bring some humor into the DC Universe as well, compared to the extremely serious trailers DC had with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. Finally, the use of the fantastic score that Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL made for her in Batman v Superman really capped off this awesome trailer in an amazing way. Not only did it get you pumped up with a really well-done score, but it also reminds you that this is the same Wonder Woman that we saw in BvS. So at the end of the day, I would say that this first trailer for Wonder Woman really did its job. It gave fans a taste of what to expect from this film without spoiling anything. The action sequences were excellent, Chris Pine was a great addition, and her score was used to its maximum potential at the end. You can expect to see me in line opening night to see this film.  Doctor Strange The second trailer for Doctor Strange did exactly what a second trailer should do. It gave us enough of the plot to get an idea of what the film is. They showed new footage but resisted the urge to show us too much. They kept it mysterious, as Doctor Strange should be. The choice to bring in Benedict Cumberbatch to play the Sorcerer Supreme was nothing less than brilliant. Cumberbatch is one of the best actors out there right now when it comes to acting and popularity. He looks fantastic as Doctor Strange, and I can't wait to see what he does with the role. The visuals in this trailer were oddly mesmerizing. They really separated Doctor Strange from anything else Marvel has done before. The distinction between each of Marvel's films is truly one of their greatest strengths. Every film Marvel does brings something new to the table while staying within the confines of their universe. With Doctor Strange, Kevin Feige is taking this franchise in new directions that not only are expanding the comic-book movie genre but filmmaking as a whole.  Justice League The new trailer for Justice League was by far the biggest surprise coming out of Comic-Con. Justice League doesn't hit theaters until November of 2017, so nobody expected to see a trailer this early. That being said, showing this was a home run from the Warner Bros marketing department. After Batman v Superman, people were a little weary about the DC Cinematic Universe going forward. Warner Bros and DC needed to get people back on board if they wanted to get them in the theater. This trailer was a magnificent step forward for the DCCU. The most notable difference between this trailer and the DC Universe so far is the tone. Justice League seems like it is just a fun movie. It is still obvious that this is the same world, but it has a different sort of feel to it. They seem to be taking the DC Cinematic Universe in a new, more exciting, direction, and it's one I can't wait to see. Each individual member of the Justice League (except for maybe Cyborg) stood out in this trailer in their own way. Ezra Miller's Flash looks to be great comic relief. Jason Momoa's Aquaman looks like he is going to demolish the belief that Aquaman is lame. Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot both look great, as they did in BvS. Needless to say, this Justice League trailer was fantastic! It was exactly what DC needed to get people back on board, now let's just hope they stay there.  So what'd you think of all the trailers that came out of Comic-Con this year? Which one was your favorite? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don't forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Hello, fellow moviegoers! As the summer movie season draws closer and closer, we’re starting to get trailers for the rest of the films coming out later this year. This year’s film slate seems to get more exciting with each new trailer, so here are the latest movie trailers you need to check out!  The Founder Three weeks ago, I’d heard nothing about The Founder, besides the name and the fact that it was about McDonald’s. Then we received the poster for it at the movie theater I work at, and I noticed it had the name Michael Keaton on it. My excitement level skyrocketed. Then the trailer dropped, and let’s just say if I could go back in time and add this film to my 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2016, I would. This trailer is awesome! It starts off great with a Ray Kroc (Keaton) breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience. From that point on, it gets even better. It starts feeling like a lighter-toned film that might be a fun time, but slowly throughout the trailer it becomes more serious. By the end, you’re wondering if you even like the guy that this movie is about, which is fantastic. The story is written the way it should be, it shows the dark side of this man. He wasn’t a nice guy, he was a businessman. Michael Keaton looks like he gives another amazing performance in this film. In the past few years, Michael Keaton has become one of my favorite actors. I’ll go see whatever film he is in just because he’s been hitting home-runs so much lately. Think about it, the past two films to win Best Picture at the Oscars have starred Michael Keaton in a leading role. That’s not a coincidence. If this film is as good as it looks, who knows? Maybe it’ll be three…  Doctor Strange This first official trailer for Doctor Strange is the definition of a teaser trailer. It doesn’t give you too much of the story, yet it gives you just enough to catch the audience’s attention and get people excited. This movie looks nothing like anything Marvel has done before. In fact, it doesn’t even feel like a Marvel film, it simply feels like a sci-fi/fantasy movie. While we didn’t get a lot in this trailer, what we did see though looked great! Everybody online has been saying that this film looks like the Inception of the Marvel Universe, and deservedly so. The visual style shown in this trailer is very much that of Inception. Which isn’t a bad thing, as long as they aren’t blatantly copying it. While I can’t say that this trailer has me jumping up and down with excitement, it did its job. It was a good teaser, and I can’t wait to see more.  The Magnificent Seven When this trailer for the new Magnificent Seven film dropped online, it seemed like everyone was freaking out about how brilliant it was. Personally, I thought it was a good trailer. Not terrible, not fantastic. Just like the Doctor Strange trailer, it was a good teaser. They gave you the very nitty-gritty of the plot and showed some cool action sequences. That was about it. I do have one hesitation about this film, and it’s one that I never expected to have. I wasn’t a big fan of Chris Pratt in this trailer. I thought he really stood out, and not in a good way. It seemed like the entire trailer was building one tone, and then Chris Pratt was off on his own little planet being Chris Pratt. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chris Pratt, and I’m a huge fan. However, I didn’t think he worked in this trailer, and I hope that he fits the tone of the movie. At this point, it is a little concerning.  Jason Bourne I guess these past few weeks have just been the perfect time to release a teaser trailer. Because surprise, surprise, here’s another one. Confession time. I’ve only seen one of the Bourne films, and that is the first one. After seeing this trailer, I really feel the need to watch the rest of them so I’ll be completely caught up when this film comes out. Jason Bourne looks like it could be one of the standouts of the summer, similarly to the way that Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation was last year. They gave almost no plot in this trailer, so there isn’t much to talk about there. However, all of the action sequences look amazing! Let’s just hope that there's a good plot and writing to go along with them. I think adding Tommy Lee Jones was a great idea, because you can never go wrong by adding a good actor to your cast. Tommy Lee Jones is one of those actors that gives a great performance in almost (I’m looking at you Batman Forever) every movie he’s in. I’m sure that Jason Bourne will be no exception.  What did you think of all of these movie trailers? Which one are you most excited for? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
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Kyle Kruse
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