Trailer Round-Up – 4 March, 2017

Alien: Covenant Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created with Alien: Covenant, a new chapter in his groundbreaking Alien franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape. Alien: Covenant definitely looks like the Prometheus movie that should have been, with a much more substantial connection to the Alien franchise. The titular xenomorphs are back and... it looks okay. It's difficult to get overly excited about characters having to learn everything about the aliens from scratch, even if the trailer promises some new and possibly interesting variations on the familiar. Also, the sight of a xenomorph headbutting the window of a spaceship is incredibly silly. It's not a bad trailer, but I'm yet to be convinced this will be a good movie. Alien: Covenant is set for a 19 May, 2017 release. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will once again feature the adventures of the ragtag group of losers and misfits, who banded together to protect the galaxy. Writer and director James Gunn returns for the sequel of the 2014 Marvel hit, as do original cast members Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Karen Gillan. They are joined by newcomers Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 looks better and better with every new bit of footage released. The jokes, the energy, the soundtrack, the incredible visuals and lovable goofball characters - it's all there. Writer and director James Gunn has promised that most of the new trailer is footage from the first 15 minutes or so, which is good, cause some were worried the marketing is giving too much away. This is another great trailer for what looks to be one of the best movies all year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set for a 28 April, 2017 (UK) and 4 May, 2017 (USA) release. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Directed by the Norwegian duo Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will once again see Johnny Depp reprise his role as swashbuckling hero Jack Sparrow. When deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazer (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea, Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon. Nothing about the new Pirates of the Caribbean looks new or interesting. It recycles the same beats, plot points and characters - some, like Geoffrey Rush, are inexplicably still around, while others are just generic replacements for Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. The most exciting about this trailer is that it promises this will be the final chapter - let's hope that's true because this franchise ran out of fumes a long time ago. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is set for a May 26, 2017 release. Kong: Skull Island Kong: Skull Island, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and scripted by John Gatins and Max Borenstein, is set in the 1970s, as a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific — as beautiful as it is treacherous — unaware that they are crossing into the domain of the mythic King Kong. Well, Kong: Skull Island certainly saved the best for last when it comes to trailers. There's a real sense of energy and fun to the final trailer that was sort kind of hinted at in the previous ones, which had a more serious tone. This trailer goes for ridiculous monster movie spectacle and it pays off big time. I was kind off on the fence about Kong: Skull Island, but now, I have to admit, I'm actually really looking forward to it. Kong: Skull Island is coming out March 10, 2017. The Sense of an Ending The Sense of an Ending follows Tony Webster, divorced and retired, who leads a reclusive and relatively quiet life. One day, he learns that the mother of his university girlfriend, Veronica, left in her will a diary kept by his best friend, who dated Veronica after she and Tony parted ways. Tony’s quest to recover the diary, now in Veronica’s possession, forces him to revisit his flawed recollections of his friends and of his younger self. As he digs deeper into his past, it all starts to come back; the first love, the broken heart, the deceit, the regrets, the guilt... Can Tony bear to face the truth and take responsibility for the devastating consequences of actions he took so long ago? This is a solid trailer for what looks like a promising drama. Jim Broadbent looks to be in fine form and a smattering of really positive reviews thrown in make a good impression. It is slightly concerning that we don't really get a chance to hear the younger versions of the characters speak though. Still, this is one to keep an eye out for. The Sense of an Ending is set to come out in UK cinemas on 14 April, 2017 The Promise The Promise takes place during the Armenian Genocide and tells the story of an Armenian medical student (Oscar Isaac) during the final days of the Ottoman Empire. He falls in love with Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), causing issues with her boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale). Even though this is set during the Armenian Genocide, the trailer gives a strong impression that this is first and foremost a love story, and a somewhat generic, soap opera-ish looking one at that. The only reason it makes much of an impression at all is because of the talent involved, which is not a good sign. The Promise is set for a 28 April, 2017 release.