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.