Between Thursday and Friday, the film world was given several teasingly savory treats. Two mega-franchises, one a sci-fi odyssey and the other a superhero showdown of immense proportions, as well as the next film in the library of a modern-day auteur, received trailers that had everyone talking, either in real life or online. To cap off the weekend, another superhero reboot revealed new footage.
1. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Dec. 18, 2015) — The first trailer on Thursday started things off with a bang the size of an exploding Death Star. The premiere full-length trailer for the new “Star Wars” film arrived in the morning, and set the film world abuzz and ablaze.
A slow pan tracks a far-off vehicle that speeds against a backdrop of massive sand dunes. In the foreground is a Rebel X-Wing, half-capsized in sand. As the camera moves from left to right, one of the ridges of the sand dunes is revealed to be a colossal, crashed Imperial Star Destroyer. The old guard of the series, both the good and the bad, has given way to time and to something new.
What follows the shot of the downed ships in the sand is the caved-in, charred helmet of Darth Vader, almost unrecognizable compared to its characteristic imposing black sheen. There were plenty of throwbacks to the previous films, which culminated in the final nostalgia-gasm: Chewbacca and, by his side, a gray-haired Harrison Ford as Han Solo.
“Chewie, we’re home.”
Of course, the trailer did not solely rely on throwback value. First seen in the teaser trailer, stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and ace pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), the main heroes in the film, are given more screen time.
That’s not to say that the villains were shirked screentime, either. The masked face of Kylo Ren, the Sith owner of the blood red lightsaber outfitted with the crossguard that sent many Internet denizens into a tizzy when it was first revealed in the teaser trailer, was finally revealed, as was the new, sleeker design of the Stormtroopers.
After only five days, the trailer has over 40 million views on YouTube.
2. “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (March 25, 2016) — As if one hugely awaited trailer wasn’t enough for one Thursday, the last 20 seconds of a trailer, which saw Batman and Superman facing each other down, surfaced online in the form of shaky cellphone video. Then, further into the day, the whole bootlegged trailer was up online for the world to see. Virtually faced with no other choice, Warner Bros. Pictures officially uploaded the trailer the next day.
Multiple cryptic voice-overs speak to the effect of what happens when a God-like being (Superman) descends to Earth and interacts with humanity. One of the most notable lines came from Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor, who says, “We know better now, don’t we? Devils don’t come from hell beneath us; they come from the sky.”
There was also the first glimpse of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, whose iteration of the Caped Crusader looks quite a bit buffer than Christian Bale’s.
The climax of the trailer showcased the moment that the title revolves around: Batman against Superman. Superman hovers above Batman, who asks the Man of Steel, “Do you bleed? You will.”
Unfortunately, the earlier release of the trailer undercut the studio’s plans, as it was originally meant to premiere at special IMAX screenings yesterday. To make it up to fans, those who showed up were promised new footage and a poster.
3. “The Hateful Eight” (Fall 2015) — It’s a testament to the prestige of the other two previews that new information regarding Quentin Tarantino’s latest film was buried. Although not earth-shattering, the high-definition version of the teaser trailer of the auteur’s latest Western was released. The trailer previously surfaced online last summer in the form of a low quality bootleg.
There is no actual footage of the film in the trailer, but it is nevertheless just as highly stylized, and bloody, as one would expect from Tarantino.
The graphics create a white, windswept blizzard that gives way to blood. “On the edge of the American frontier, sometime after the Civil War, eight strangers were stranded by a blizzard. They soon discovered they shared a deadly connection.”
4. “Fantastic Four” (July 30, 2015) — This trailer was released on Sunday after the hubbub of Thursday and Friday died down. The reboot, starring Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara as The Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch and Jamie Bell as The Thing finally gave more insight into the science-fiction-y origins of their superpowers. Not only were the flaming powers of the Human Torch and the rock exterior of The Thing on display, but the first glimpse green-hooded arch-nemesis Dr. Doom was revealed. Another sight that drew attention was that of actor Reg E. Cathey, who plays Dr. Storm in the film, but who viewers will recognize as Freddy from “House of Cards.”
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