Trailerblazing -- High-Rise/Star Trek Beyond/Independence Day: Resurgence

High-Rise -- March 18, 2016 -- directed by Ben Wheatley -- starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, James Purefoy

I love trailers like this one, those that set the mood and succeed in not revealing anything about the narrative. A satire about decadence run amok, based on J.G. Ballard's eponymous 1975 novel, this film boasts a terrific cast and an appropriately sterile aesthetic. Framed as a commercial, the trailer shows the fine line between convenience and chaos slowly beginning to blur within the symbolism of social issues. Paki Smith's (Batman Begins) brutalist sets and Mark Tildesley's (28 Days Later) stark production design are the first things that caught my eye. These are two of the aspects essential to this story's significance and I would not be surprised if Smith and Tildesley were in the running come award season. The same goes for the incredible cast -- some films truly impress with talent. A cinematic adaptation was being planned for over 30 years and, in my opinion, the global crises of the last few years have created the perfect context for this tale of excess and isolation. There is always room for something fresh in cinema, particularly when a story is timely and based on a critically acclaimed work of literature. If High-Rise is half as good as the innovative trailer, it could create a new drama subgenre or a new kind of filmmaking consciousness.  

Star Trek Beyond -- July 22, 2016 -- directed by Justin Lin -- starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin

The Enterprise and its quirky crew are back. This time, Fast & Furious 3-6 director Lin takes the helm from J.J. Abrams and creates a film that seems to be bigger on action than the previous two. The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" is a cool trailer music choice and I have to wonder if it foreshadows an aspect of the plot, considering the scale of destruction shown. The effects and action sequences look stunning as always and the dialogue emits sparks as it should. I am not getting a sense of the plot from the trailer, though, and certainly hope that it does not take a backseat to the action, since it is the principal characters' adventures and dilemmas that make Star Trek fascinating. We have some new villains in Beyond and we can hear Elba's villain presumably threatening Kirk and Co. I am really interested in learning more about his character -- who, what, where and the rest of it. If the character is half as ominous as Into Darkness's Khan, the central conflict should be a treat. I am looking forward to the new journey.

Independence Day: Resurgence -- June 24, 2016 -- directed by Roland Emmerich -- starring Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, William Fichtner, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum

   

There was nothing particularly original about 1996's Independence Day. The alien invasion story was not revolutionary, the characters were far from groundbreaking and the screenplay was well thought out, but not too inspired. It was the combination of the dynamic tale, mind-blowing effects and the cast's winning chemistry that secured its place in the blockbuster canon and earned the 'King of July 4th' nickname for the suddenly bankable Will Smith. I am not sure why the sequel took this long to produce, but it is coming out next year and the trailer makes the wait look worthwhile. We have a bunch of new characters saving the planet, including Sela Ward's president, a hotshot pilot (Hemsworth) and another pilot, Captain Steven Hiller's son (Jessie Usher). The filmmakers are taking the visuals up a notch, giving us invasion scenes that are even more epic and making the cinematography more somber. Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch are back, and it will be interesting to reconnect with their characters after all this time. On that note, can anyone replace Goldblum or top his delivery? I do not think so. Roland Emmerich is back as well and it is always great to see that a sequel is being made by the same director. Resurgence looks like a perfect summer ride and I look forward to seeing what those pesky aliens are up to next.