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Trailer Tracker: Green Lantern, The Mechanic and more

Our featured clip this week is of course Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds as the smooth, adrenaline-seeking Hal Jordan who finds himself granted a powerful ring. Unlike the more brooding Nolan-esque entries as of late, this feature seems to pander to a more light-hearted crowd a la the "Spider-man" films. Will Green Lantern tip the scale of superhero saturation or simply be another entertaining entry in the genre? Only 2011 will tell.

 

New Trailers this week:

Green Lantern
The Mechanic
Red Riding Hood
Your Highness
Winnie the Pooh


Green Lantern

In the film adaptation of the quintessential comic, Ryan Reynolds stars as cocky fighter pilot Hal Jordan, who thanks to fate is bestowed with a powerful ring that grants him the power to be a protector of the universe. This does indeed mark the second time Reynolds has filled a superhero's tight leather boots having already starred as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Much like Chris Evans who was once The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four series, who is now cast as Captain   America in the instalment to the quickly mounting Avengers film, the quick-tongued Canuck seems like an easy fit into any of the more light-hearted superhero universes.

During its ET debut, the initial footage seemed to garner some harsh criticism, but as is per the norm, I’m sure the CGI has a far ways to go before it is fit for the big screen. The visual representation of the extraterrestrial elements however I am less convinced of, from looking at past films, comic adaptations that focused too heavily on odd (if albeit necessary) origin material always seems to come out campier and for the worse. But from what I have seen thus far I am quite excited, and Reynolds is always a treat to watch on screen. Too much, too little, too campy, too serious, who’s to say, all I know is this looks like a hugely entertaining addition to the 2011 line-up.   



The Mechanic

A good mechanic is hard to find says the trailer for the latest Jason Statham movie, and you know what, so is a good action flick. From its poster, which features a gun made out of guns and the inclusion of the incredible Ben Foster in a supporting role, this hitman revenge tale looks like one I can get behind. Statham has always been a refreshingly suave and enigmatic presence in past action films and to finally see him depart from the ho-hum Transporter franchise is a step in the right direction. A remake or not, The Mechanic, if handled correctly, is the type of film we see far too little.



Red Riding Hood

The tale of little ol` girl and her hood have spawned any number of bizarre spinoffs, Disney-grade adaptations and now in the case of Catherine Hardwicke’s (of "Twilight" fame), we get a twisted whodunit starring Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman. Even when considering the overlooked satire Hoodwinked, it is clear ample narrative drive is present in any adaptation. With the cast at play and a full studio backing, this will certainly be an interesting entry into next year’s line-up. 



Your Highness

David Gordon Green departed heavily from his indie roots to bring us the hit stoner comedy Pineapple Express and his next effort starring James Franco, Danny McBride, and Natalie Portman looks to be very much in a similar vein. Take a medieval setting, some stoner comedy and a preposterous mix of action and raunchy comedy and the trailer for Your Highness seems to cover everything one would expect from this effort. Hopefully not slipping too far into idiocy while encapsulating gleeful immaturity, this is a comedy entry for which to be optimistic yet cautious.



Winnie the Pooh

Any kid who grew up without Winnie the Pooh suffered a decidedly bland childhood, as few characters such as those in thousand acre woods instilled the sense of wonder and youth that did the lovable bear. In this modern adaptation, every facet of the original material remains intact with no sense that a greedy Hollywood studio pressured them to make the story in 3D CGI. I truly hope this wonderful story translates to today’s audiences because if this type of storytelling is dead, then so are the movies.

 

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