After posting a Trailer Catch-Up on the day of the Super Bowl, it’s been a while since I’ve done one. This week provided the Internet a glimpse of what’s to come in the next few months, including one that fans of a popular book series will hate. But what was released online? Let’s dive into what trailers impressed me or not.
‘Artemis Fowl’ (5/29)
First up, Disney released a new full-length trailer for Artemis Fowl, Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s fantasy book series. This follows a 12-year-old boy, who comes from a long time of criminal masterminds, on a mission to find his father, who has disappeared.
This was originally supposed to come in August 2019 (the first trailer came out in late November 2018), but Disney pushed it back almost a year. Since the first trailer didn’t impress me and I have never read the source material that it bases this movie on, I can’t say it looks good. From the look of the new footage, this seems to be Disney’s answer to Percy Jackson, which isn’t a good thing. From what I heard from fans, the titular character is now the protagonist rather than a villain in the first book or more. That’s an aspect that will not make fans happy. I still might see it, but I’m keeping my expectations very low, and I’m predicting this is going to flop at the box office.
Score: 3/10
‘Connected’ (9/18)
Next up, Sony Pictures Animation released the first trailer to their upcoming film Connected, which is produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and features the voices of Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, and Maya Rudolph. The Mitchell family goes on a road trip to drop the daughter off to college, but it suddenly gets strange as it gets interrupted by a tech uprising.
Because of Lord & Miller producing and the talents for the voices, this trailer doesn’t disappoint. Connected looks like one of the few animated movies that’s animation looks unique, and it could also be hilarious with offering a good message to kids and the usage of technology. So far, this is my most anticipated movie in September.
Score: 8/10
‘Scoob!’ (5/15)
Another animated trailer that came out this week, Warner Bros. released the second trailer for Scoob!, the CGI animated Scooby-Doo movie. We get to see more footage of the Mystery Gang, plus we see Scooby and Shaggy are tagging along with Blue Falcon (voiced by Mark Wahlberg). The teaser surprised me, but this new one was fine. I hope it doesn’t rely too much on the easy jokes. This also gives us our first look at other characters from the Hanna-Barbera universe, such as Dee Dee Sykes (voiced Kiersey Clemons), Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (voiced by Ken Jeong), and Dick Dastardly (voiced by Jason Isaacs).
This trailer doesn’t give away what the actual plot is, but it’s just quick shots set to “Born to Be Yours” by Kygo and Imagine Dragons. Good song, by the way. Still, Scoob! has the possibility of being better than the live-action movies, that’s for sure.
Score: 6/10
‘Greyhound’ (6/12)
Next up, Sony Pictures released the first trailer for Greyhound, the forthcoming war flick starring Tom Hanks, and he also wrote the screenplay. This true story set in WWII follows a first-time captain as he trenches across the North Atlantic. Being released around June has me cautious, but war movies usually have a good track record at the box office, and the star power of Tom Hanks is good enough to maybe check it out. What they have shown so far doesn’t scream exciting, yet if this gets good word of mouth, it could be a sleeper hit.
Score: 7/10
‘Antebellum’ (4/24)
The second trailer for Antebellum, starring Janelle Monáe, has finally arrived after the teaser left us with many questions. This is only 42 seconds, which is the most intriguing one yet, and it comes out next month. From what I can gather from this thriller, it’s a mind-bending tale of Monáe’s character finding herself in the present and the past as a slave during the civil war.
Score: 7/10
‘Trolls World Tour’ (4/10)
Lastly, DreamWorks Animation released the final trailer for Trolls World Tour, which features its new release date of April 10. This is the third trailer we’ve gotten in its marketing, and not once has any of them made me excited about seeing it. I actually saw this in front of Onward recently. For my money, this sequel is going to be insanely predictable, but this could wind up being a surprise like the first movie. Let’s hope the music is good, but this loss a point for “Who Let the Dogs Out” being included.
Score: 4/10
DC's Take 