Trailerblazing -- The Space Between Us/Morgan

The Space Between Us -- December 21, 2016 -- directed by Peter Chelsom -- starring Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino, BD Wong

Enchanting to say the least, this tale is a throwback to adventure films of yesteryear, where innocence and surprises went hand in hand. The story of a boy who travels to Earth from his native Mars in search of his crush is a story of underdogs, curiosity and discovery. It is one of those films that I wish had been based on a novel and, if we are lucky, we might get a screenplay novelization with even more detail. Yes, I know that I am getting ahead of myself, but the trailer looks wondrous and reminds me of what the underwhelming The Martian should have been. The cast that includes Gary Oldman and BD Wong is fantastic and many of the scenes are truly original -- just check out the horse sequence! We need more films like this one, those that look at the world with hope and optimism and are not saddled with dark cynicism; there is enough of that in the news every day. I am eagerly awaiting August.

Morgan -- September 2, 2016 -- directed by Luke Scott -- starring Rose Leslie, Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Paul Giamatti, Boyd Holbrook, Toby Jones

Does this film look like Ex Machina 2.0 or what??? When I first read the plot, I could not help but think of the earlier work and I can see from various message boards that I am not the only one. The trailer is effective, what with ominous bits of dialogue hinting at Morgan's origin and power, and the marketing campaign is capitalizing on the mystery. Morgan seems like an organic life form, but, if she is, I certainly hope that that this is not the only difference between the two films. The cast is solid; still, I am not sure if the horror element and apparent suspense can make Morgan a hit. It does have the potential to be a sleeper if some unique, never-before-seen twists are employed. Based on what I have seen, it needs a whole lot to distinguish it from Alex Garland's film and, after Ex Machina's success, it is hard to tell if audiences will accept a story that is so similar.