Please do not misread the above title. This is not a list of my most anticipated movies of the year. If I were making that kind of list, the one that you are about to read below would be very, very different. This list is dealing with movie trailers only and for many of the films I am looking forward to the most this year, trailers for them have yet to be released. Therefore, this list will not contain Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, or Rian Johnson’s Looper, among others. This list contains only films that have viewable trailers and are ranked according to the merits of their trailers alone. Now then, here are my Top 10 Movie Trailers of 2012 (so far).
(*Note: To qualify for this list, the film cannot be released within the next month, therefore the trailer for The Avengers, regardless of how awesome it is, is not listed here)
10. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Author Seth Graham-Smith’s inventive novel gets a big screen treatment thanks to producer Tim Burton and director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted). The story follows the 16th President of the United States who, as a young man, discovers that vampires are attempting to take over the union, therefore Lincoln makes it his mission to vanquish them once and for all. The trailer is heavy with some glorious CGI, as it should be, and with Bekmambetov at the helm we can hope that Vampire Hunter will be a bloody and gory summer flick. Little known actor, Benjamin Walker, will play Lincoln while Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alan Tudyk, Dominic Cooper and Anthony Mackie round out the supporting cast. Of the two short trailers, this second one (below) really amps up the action and the excitement of Graham-Smith’s novel that has now been translated to screen via Bekmambetov. Having never read the book, I’m not sure how seriously the literature takes itself, but I’m hoping for a self-aware action extravaganza with tongue placed firmly in cheek.
Released date for U.S.: June 22, 2012
9. Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson’s new fable surrounds a young boy who flees his summer camp to head into the wilderness with the young girl he loves which causes the formation of a massive search party to seek them out. This wonderfully bizarre trailer has all the markings of an Anderson production including quirky dialogue, odd character traits, bright colors, quick wit, Billy Murray and Jason Schwartzmann. The trailer features 1962′s “Le Temps De L’amour” by French pop singer, Françoise Hardy, which supports the Anderson motif of a retro soundtrack settling in the background of his films. Moonrise Kingdom surely has a lot of potential and it’s nice to see Anderson return to form after branching out into stop motion with 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. For Anderson fans, like myself, this trailer did not have to do much to sell the film, but for more cautious types, the excellent cast (Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Murray and Schwartzmann) should surely be enough to wet their appetite
Released date for U.S.: May 25, 2012
8. Take This Waltz
Actress Sarah Polley (Go, Dawn of the Dead) made her writing and directing debut in 2006 with the wonderful, yet emotional, drama, Away From Her which garnered her and lead actress Julie Christie with Academy Award nominations. Now, six years later, Polley returns to the director’s chair with Take This Waltz which stars Michelle Williams as a married woman who falls in love with an artist (Luke Kirby) that lives across the street from her and her husband (Seth Rogen). The trailer includes some moments of expected ‘indie’ film fare, but shows lighthearted and saddening parts of Polley’s film as well. Rebounding off his fantastic performance in last year’s cancer comedy, 50/50, Seth Rogen actually looks superb from the trailer which is highly complimentary for the comic actor as he must hold his own with three time Oscar-nominated actress, Michelle Williams, who looks incredible as well. I would not be surprised if this film nabs her a fourth nomination. The film looks sweet and delicate, but it will definitely have some rough patches. Away From Her was just as tragic as it was heartwarming so there is no reason to believe Take This Waltz will be any different.
This film’s newer trailer is not on youtube yet so please check it out here
Release date for U.S.: June 29, 2012
7. Snow White and the Huntsman
This Robin Hood-like twist on the classic fairy tale stars Twilight’s Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Thor’s Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, who decides to become Snow White’s protector and mentor after being ordered by the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) to take her in to the woods and kill her. The trailer for this film is absolutely captivating. As compared to other fairy tale adaptations being released this year (Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer and Tarsem Singh’s Mirror Mirror, which is the silly, kiddie version of this film), Snow White and the Huntsman looks action packed, dark, and very brutal. Though it will undoubtedly get a PG-13 rating, the trailer shows the potential of first time director Rupert Sanders. Its talented cast can’t help and some of the visual effects look truly terrific. For instance, the shot of Charlize Theron emerging from a viscous white liquid, the magic mirror oozing down the steps and constructing itself as a physical being, a la T-1000, and Theron’s Queen dissaperating into a flock of black crows are visual marvels that I hope will only barely showcase the quality of this actioner. I believe this film will be a huge surprise and for those completely over the Twilight craze, this film may finally catapult Kristen Stewart out of that empty tween soap image.
Release date in U.S.: June 1, 2012
6. Total Recall
Len Wiseman’s remake of Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 classic had been long rumored as depicting the storyline in a much different way than the original. This trailer, which debuted just a few days ago, makes that rumor a fact as Wiseman’s film looks far more slick and stylized than Verhoeven’s, which was 100%, Grade-A camp. While Verhoeven specializes in awesome, campy entertainment (also see Starship Troopers), the original Recall also featured a great performance from Arnold Schwarzenegger and a deliciously evil one from Sharon Stone, while the remake replaces them with Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale. Like #7 on this list, this film’s visuals look supremely awesome. Wiseman’s take of the future is polished but still contains the bleakness of the original while the action sequences look absolutely stellar. The final shot of Farrell and Jessica Beal falling from the sky in the futuristic sports car is breathtaking, plus the inclusion of a blond-haired John Cho and Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston is surely a positive. Though none of Wiseman’s previous films have resonated with me, I think his Total Recall will make a splash among this summer’s surplus of blockbusters.
Release date for U.S.: August 3, 2012
5. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Lorene Scafaria, the writer of 2008’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, is making her directing debut with her sophomore writing project about a man (Steve Carrel) and a woman (Keria Knightly) who discover each other during the last three weeks of Earth’s existence. With full knowledge that the world’s end is less than a month away, the two engage is a fully blossomed friendship and decide to spend their last few days together. The trailer has a bright and hilarious tone all over it despite its darkly comedic premise, but I think this film looks absolutely delightful. Carrel’s forays into dramatic territory have always been welcomed and well-received and while pairing him with Knightly is undoubtedly odd, the trailer shows that there is definitely potential chemistry. This trailer falls rather high on this list because I find it to be sorely passed over. I have watched it numerous times myself (the trailer’s first line, “the 70-mile-wide asteroid known as Matilda is set to collide with Earth in exactly three weeks time and we’ll be bringing you our countdown to the end of days along with all your classic rock favorites,” has me laughing every time) but I have yet to see it play before any film in theaters. Whether I attend a multiplex or an arthouse theater, this film’s trailer never plays which is disappointing because I think this film has the potential to be a critical favorite and another sleeper, indie hit, much like Carrel’s Little Miss Sunshine. What do you think? Check out the trailer below.
Release date for U.S.: June 22, 2012
4. The Dark Knight Rises
Alright, everybody calm down, just because The Dark Knight Rises is fourth on this list does not mean that it’s been bumped out of my top three most anticipated movies of the year. If I were making that list, it would reside happily at either spot number one or two (neck-and-neck with Django Unchained). I just believe that the three trailers ranked above this one are superior, mostly because this film has yet to have a true theatrical trailer. We were granted a teaser during the summer right before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 2 which showed barely any footage and contained some hardly audible dialogue from Gary Oldman and Christian Bale. The second trailer (below) was spectacular, but still contained very little. However, this technique of showing quick cuts of seemingly unimportant and incoherent footage is smart on director Christopher Nolan’s part because he knows just how massive this film is. The Dark Knight is currently the third highest grossing film of all time and when it was released Warner Brothers had no idea it would become that huge, as a result, Nolan’s finale to his Batman Trilogy comes with sky-high expectations and he is doing fantastically with the marketing. If the teaser didn’t grab you and if most of the footage in the second trailer was relatively tame, the imploding football field at 1:22 definitely had multiple viewers’ jaws dropping (including my own). The Dark Knight Rises is going to be the cinematic event of the year, but right now I’m just looking forward to the final trailer which is said to debut sometime in May.
Release date for U.S.: July 20, 2012
3. Prometheus
Easily the most secretive movie of the year, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi film has been making viral splashes sinusoidally. About a month ago, we were getting new viral videos, trailers, and TV spots daily after barely anything had leaked about the film, but as of now the Prometheus overload has slowed down. Maybe something bigger is on the way, or maybe 20th Century Fox realizes just how close the film’s release date is and decided to put the lid on the viral campaign. With Prometheus, Scott returns to the genre he helped define with a film that may or may not be loosely connected to his breakthrough film, Alien. Regardless of what it’s supposed to be or turns out to be, the trailer for this film is absolutely insane. The day it debuted, I think I watched it five times and when it played before my screening of The Hunger Games, it was one of the most intense trailers I have ever seen in the darkness of a movie theater. The trailer’s final act contains quick cuts sewn together while a wailing soundtrack plays over it. The intensity and horror that is found in the early installments of the Alien franchise seems to definitely be present here and the talented cast (Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron) seems to be spot on. The visuals and cinematography are also noteworthy as well; simply put, this trailer has it all, which is why it’s one of the years best so far. If it is as good as the trailer makes it out to be, Prometheus may be Ridley Scott’s much needed comeback.
Release for the U.S.: June 8, 2012
2. Ted
Within the last few days, the Red Band trailer (posted below) for this comedy has become an Internet sensation, meanwhile, this film has managed to jump up a number of places on my list of highly anticipated films for 2012. Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane, writes, directs and co-stars in Ted which follows John (Mark Wahlberg) who was granted the childhood wish of having his teddy bear come to life. Jump thirty years into the future and we find John still living in Boston with his stuffed animal, who now goes by Ted (voiced and mo-capped by MacFarlane) and the two of them swear constantly, smoke tons of marijuana, and are deathly afraid of thunder. John is preparing to marry his girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis), but Ted seems to be getting in the way. To marry the love of his life, will John have to get rid of his longtime best friend? The issue at hand is not the center point of the trailer mainly because MacFarlane’s Ted is so damn hysterical. Not only is the motion capture absolutely amazing, but the voice of Peter Griffin from Family Guy is being produced by a stuffed animal. Plus, the punch lines are gutbusters, I honestly have not laughed this hard at a trailer in a long time. I think that Ted is going to be a comedy classic, for sure.
Release date for U.S.: July 13, 2012
1. The Bourne Legacy
Instead of giving a short plot synopsis here, I’m going to urge readers just to scroll down and watch the trailer themselves. Out of all the trailers that have debuted so far this year, this one is still easily my favorite. In ranks as #1 mostly because it took a movie I really had no desire to see, except for a feeling of loyalty to the franchise, and marketed it in such a way that made me completely reconsider and now I’m unbelievably excited. The cast, the writer and director, the footage in the trailer, everything seems to be in line for this movie to not only be a great addition to the Bourne franchise, but for the film to also be an exceptional action film. The shutter effect utilized in the trailer, a la Psycho, gives the first half of the trailer a heart-stopping feeling of intensity before transitioning into a literally explosive second half. When I first sat down to the watch the trailer, I was expecting to watch a teaser which normally shows very little if any footage (think the trailer for The Dark Knight or The Dark Knight Rises that debuted a full year before the films’ release dates), however I ended up getting far more than I bargained for and was literally blown away. One of the most finely tuned and cleverly orchestrated movie trailers in awhile and, so far, this year. Also, during the shutter half of the trailer, when the shutters unfold to reveal a particular actor’s face, every single person I’ve watched the trailer with gets staggeringly more excited when they see this actor’s face. I won’t specify what actor it is here, just scroll down and watch for yourself.
Release for U.S.: August 3, 2012
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