Trailer Tracker: Man on a Ledge, The Grey and More

Following a successful post-Avatar string of films, Aussie Sam Worthington plays the titular Man on a Ledge in our featured trailer this week, where a man dangles from a building, but perhaps with ulterior motives. Liam Neeson also portrays a man in peril as one of a group of plane crash survivors struggling to survive in the arctic while being pursued by a pack of starving wolves. Then, Katherine Heigl returns to the genre that apparently serves her (wallet) best with One for the Money, an adaptation of the best-selling novel about a newly unemployed woman who becomes a bounty hunter. Last off is the Chinese epic 1911, directed by and starring Jackie Chan in a rare, strictly dramatic role about the Xinhai revolution. Speaking of a revolution, how about a revelation – it’s Trailer Tracker.

New clips this week:

Man on a Ledge
The Grey
One for the Money
1911

Man on a Ledge

The hostage negotiation film and heist thriller are both individually strong templates for an action movie and occasionally overlap successfully in cases such as Inside Man. The crossover is made once again with Man on a Ledge, about a wrongfully convicted/escaped felon (Sam Worthington) who “threatens” to jump from a high rise until the man who set him up is brought to justice. In actuality, just across the road his brother (Jamie Bell) is pulling off a jewel hest against that slimy manipulator (Ed Harris), stealing the very diamond he reportedly absconded with years prior. A cool premise to be certain and the addition of Elizabeth Banks and Anthony Mackie make for a strong ensemble cast to boot. Though there is proven talent in front of the camera, we have young blood under the hood with director Asger Leth and screenwriter Pablo Fenjves. With this duo we shall see if they can infuse some freshness into the proceedings.

With these apparently spoiler-filled trailers, we can hope that there is more to the story than just one twist or that the revelation that his predicament is not of the normal intent is revealed early on anyways. The Phone Booth-style thriller is not for everyone (I know of a few people who became frustrated with the limited setting and equally hindered plot progression), so the robbery element should add a flavor everyone can like. Worthington is quickly becoming a staple in action films with the triple shot that was Avatar, Terminator: Salvation and Clash of the Titans and with The Debt in theaters and Texas Killing Fields still to come in 2011, he is certainly not slowing. As for Man on a Ledge, look for it in theaters early January.

The Grey

First his daughter was taken, then he was wrongfully accused, next he lost his memory and now his plane has crashed ... Liam Neeson — or at least his characters — is having a bad couple of years. From director Joe Carnahan (Smokin` Aces, The A-Team) comes The Grey, a hypothermia-inducing but heart-pounding chase thriller of sorts which finds an oil-drilling team tested by not only the elements but also the local wildlife after their plane crashes. Also set for an aptly chilly January release, the trailer for The Grey is one of my favorites in a long time, showcasing beautiful but ultimately menacing scenery, what looks like an excellent blend of CGI and real animals when it comes to the wolves and a melange of action and suspense (all capped off with a badass Liam Neeson voiceover). There can be trouble with making an animal (or the plural) a faceless, unstoppable villain of sorts, but if anyone can make it all click it's Neeson.

One for the Money

Now who’s The Bounty Hunter? After Jennifer Aniston ran from the roguish Gerard Butler in that 2010 atrocity, Katherine Heigl switches it up as the chick with authority in One for the Money, based on the first novel in the series by Janet Evanovich, a series that currently numbers 18 installments. Heigl stars as Stephanie Plum, a down-on-her-luck-ex-lingerie buyer who secures a job hunting down bail jumpers from her sister. Opposite the past Grey’s Anatomy cast member is another TV star Jason O’Mara as the man-on-the-run. Heigl showed incredible potential in Knocked Up, but since has graced nothing but lame by-the-books rom-coms and despite the upside-down premise, the streak will continue indefinitely. The addition of three screenwriters does not bode well for a movie that already bends genres. Like our first two trailers, One for the Money debuts on cinema screens January 2012. 

1911

Proclaimed as Jackie Chan’s 100th film in an incredible long running career, 1911 lands on the not-coincidental 100th anniversary of the Xinhai revolution where members of the Qing Dynasty fought against rebel force, tired of the corruption of the monarchy. Although known almost exclusively for his wireless stunts and quirky use of impromptu weapons, Chan has been leaning to more sophisticated roles as of late as his physical skills understandable dwindle. His astonishingly heartfelt role in The Karate Kid remake and now this epic which he also directs could represent an interesting phase in the action icon's career.