Bruce Wayne gets batty this week on Trailer Tracker, with the funny spoof that pits Bane against Batman and '60s-era Robin. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence also get a little crazy in the first look at Silver Linings Playbook about two mentally unhinged individuals who find a connection with one another.
Rival studios then duke it out with trailers for two upcoming animated films which interestingly could both be used to describe The Dark Knight Rises. First is Fox’s adventure fantasy Epic starring the voice talents of Amanda Seyfried and Josh Hutcherson, and next is the first full trailer for DreamWorks’ revisionist take on Santa and The Easter Bunny, Rise of the Guardians.
The Dark Knight and '60s Robin
Any time a movie gets enough attention, people out there are going to poke fun, and in the case of The Dark Knight Rises you could watch spoofs and parodies all day every day until the movie debuts and still not have made a dent. Well, from Above Average Productions (aptly named) here is one worth checking out. It’s common knowledge that Christopher Nolan was avidly against including Robin in his films and this battle of Bane and Batman gives a pretty good idea of why that was the case.
In addition to being hilarious, the production values, editing and costumes are above reproach. If you told me Nolan had leant these folks the actual props from the film I would be inclined to believe you – they’re that good. See for yourself.
Silver Linings Playbook
Adapted from the debut novel of Matthew Quick, Silver Linings Playbook finds a recently institutionalized teacher (Bradley Cooper) looking to reconcile with his ex-wife. Instead, he finds a soul mate in an equally troubled young woman (Jennifer Lawrence) who just may help him find the sanity he needs to move on. David O. Russell (The Fighter) directs and also snags the acting talents of Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles and Chris Tucker (of all people). All of these noteworthy elements combine into a fresh-looking mix of comedy and angst.
This will be Lawrence’s first dramatic performance since she scored her Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone, and it will interesting to see if she still has her spark after being absorbed into the blockbuster world. Cooper, on the other hand, has never really had his talent tested, and playing a crazy man is going to be an excellent judge of how he can do outside of playing a hung-over ladies man. Silver Linings Playbook is set for a release on Nov. 21.
Epic
Little do we know, a battle between good and evil is waging right outside our front door. Yes, the trees are alive with more than just birds and squirrels. Nymphs riding humming birds (one of who looks suspiciously like Flynn Rider from Tangled) and talking slugs are a common sight in the world of Epic, the latest from the studio behind the “Ice Age” films. Looking at how stagnant the “Ice Age” films have become and how bland Rio was last year, it appears as if Blue Sky Studios is at least attempting something more ambitious and mature. The trailer itself is essentially wordless, just relying on the visuals and Snow Patrol’s song "What if the Storm Ends" to convey its epicness. I want to see more story-wise before I sign on to check this one out, but I am at the very least curious.
Rise of the Guardians
The first full-length trailer (which was still essentially just an extended teaser) for DreamWorks’ Rise of the Guardians essentially had me rolling my eyes and grimacing in near-agony at its over-reaching, bombastic antics. The prospect of watching a Russian Santa and Australian Easter Bunny battling the Boogeyman would normally be something that should tickle my fancy, but the overblown approach taken had the exact opposite effect. Thankfully with this fresh look (which actually reveals some plot this time round) it has made me a little less antagonistic towards this animated endeavour, though it still has a long way to go before convincing me to head to the theater.
