Trailer Reactions #4 - How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Creed II, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Glass, Spies in Disguise

Hello! Yes, I am alive. Yes, it's been nearly a month since I posted last. The truth is, I just haven't watched very many movies the past several weeks, and that's mostly due to my extremely busy schedule (and the fact that there hasn't really been anything special out in theaters for a while). Hopefully, I'll manage to find time to finally watch Wonder Woman that I've been meaning to get to since late August. And the Fantastic Beasts sequel comes out very soon, so you can definitely expect a review on that.

Anyway, today I have another installment to the Trailer Reactions series planned. In this post, I'll be giving you my run-down of five movie trailers: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Creed II, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Glass, and Spies in Disguise.

#1 - How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

I'm honestly shocked I haven't reviewed this trailer yet. That aside, How to Train Your Dragon franchise is easily Dreamworks' best, both critically and financially. Now, the franchise is sadly coming to a close with the third and final film: The Hidden World. The visuals are beautiful in this trailer. The story looks intriguing. I love this franchise so much, and I hope it goes off with a bang.

#2 - Creed II

Creed is probably one of the better sports drama movies I've seen. I liked it a lot more than Rocky. I'm glad they're producing a sequel, but it's not being directed by Ryan Coogler, the director of the first Creed and other hits such as Black Panther. Just a little bit of tea for you, I guess.

That's not to say the movie will be bad, though. From the looks of it, I think it will be pretty epic. I don't think I'll watch it in theaters, but maybe when it's available on Redbox. Who knows.

#3 - The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

A quick PSA: this is actually the teaser trailer for the film, not the official trailer, although it's long enough I'd consider it to be an official trailer.

Anyway, The LEGO Movie is undoubtedly one of the greatest animated films of all time. No one had ever thought a movie about toys could be so beautiful, both in animation and storytelling. Naturally, the sequel has high expectations. The original directors of the first movie stepped down I believe, and now Mike Mitchell holds that position. He's done a number of Dreamworks movies. Luckily, the original directors are still working on the movie - they're doing the screenplay.

With all of that technical stuff set aside, based on the trailer, I can say that I am absolutely HYPED for this film.

#4 - Glass

I know nothing about this film. NOTHING. After doing some research - and by some, I mean like two minutes of googling - I learned that Glass is actually the third installment in a film "series" that began with Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016). I first watched this trailer while waiting for Venom to start in the theater and I was instantly interested. If Glass does well, I might just go see it in theaters - after doing a bit more research.

#5 - Spies in Disguise

Blue Sky Studios isn't my favorite animation studio. They've had a few decent films, but the rest of them aren't too memorable. This movie looks... fine. It has the talent of Will Smith and Tom Holland, which is neat, but it's not something I'm really looking forward to. Will Smith's character's design makes me cringe.

So there you have it! Thanks for reading. Let me know what your opinion on each of these five films is in the comments.

''Isle of Dogs'' Review (SPOILERS)

Last night I finally had the opportunity to watch Isle of Dogs, a Wes Anderson-directed, stop-motion film about... well, dogs. I haven't seen Fantastic Mr. Fox, but that didn't stop me from giving this particular movie a chance.

The film is set in futuristic Japan where a sudden outbreak of ''canine flu'' causes the government to exile all dogs to a vast island full of trash. A 12-year-old boy named Atari (who also happens to be the mayor's ward) comes to the island alone after hijacking a plane in hopes of finding his long-lost pet, Spots. He receives help from a pack of dogs who have also been exiled, and his quest inspires other members of his community to expose a government conspiracy.

An extremely creative concept, I must say.

The animation is beautiful, from the gorgeous landscapes to the smallest of details such as the furs on the dogs blowing in the wind. Visually, the film is a pleasurable treat for the eye.

The characters are unique and likable. Their conversations might even give the viewer a laugh or two: I'll admit, I giggled here and there. Chief, voiced by Bryan Cranston, probably had the most character depth, being an outcast for much of his life in Megasaki City, unlike his fellow canine friends who all fully experienced the company of human masters.

Though the film has a charming personality, the one thing that bothered me the most was the plot. Yes, I did mention the concept of the plot was outstandingly imaginative, but the way it was executed left me - and I hate to say this - bored. The script definitely isn't perfect, and after the first half the movie kind of drags on a bit. I actually fell asleep as I was watching Isle of Dogs in my bed with the laptop. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't. The plot carries on just a little too slowly for my liking, and the climax was slightly dull. Perhaps it's because I'm so used to the mainstream Hollywood norm of intense action and adventure movies, but I guess we'll never know.

Overall, I'd rate Isle of Dogs 7 out of 10 stars. It was creative, visually pleasing, and had a unique and imaginative storyline that most modern movies don't.

Trailer Reactions #1 - Bohemian Rhapsody, The Grinch, The Nun, Dumbo, Bumblebee

Hello! Today marks the first official ''Trailer Reactions'' post on this blog. Trailer Reactions is a new post series I'll be doing where I simply give my thoughts on trailers for upcoming movies (if it wasn't already obvious). In each post, I will review five trailers for five movies to be released in the future. 

In this first installment of the series, I will be reacting to Bohemian Rhapsody, The Grinch, The Nun, Dumbo, and Bumblebee. Let's get started!

#1 - Bohemian Rhapsody

Film Sypnosis:

Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

Personally, I think this film has the potential to be a hit. The characters are cast well: Rami Malek seems to pull off a pretty decent Freddie Mercury. If you're a fan of Queen, I would recommend seeing this in theaters.

#2 - The Grinch

Film Sypnosis:

The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration.

Agh... how many Grinch remakes can there be? As you can tell, I'm not particularly excited for this movie. Illumination produces ''mediocre'' movies, in my opinion (and that's a story to be told later), and this looks like no exception. The animation is fine, the voice acting is fine... the whole movie just seems fine. Just fine. Nothing special. The only redeeming quality I like is Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the Grinch. The kids might enjoy this film, but they most likely won't remember it, and neither will I. I don't plan on seeing this in theaters.

#3 - The Nun

Film Sypnosis:

When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together, they uncover the order's unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.

I don't really watch horror films, but this movie is giving me vibes that it might actually be pretty good. Good as in plot, conflict, and, well, scariness - all the key elements of a good horror movie. I doubt I'll ever watch this movie, but if it does well, then props to the directors for giving The Conjuring series a great addition.

#4 -  Dumbo

Film Sypnosis: 

The owner of a struggling circus enlists a man and his two children to care for a newborn elephant that can fly.

While this trailer is only a teaser, the movie seems to me like it's just another Disney live-action remake. No one asked for a live-action remake of the classic Dumbo. And with Tim Burton directing it, a lot of people are even more skeptical than I am about the film, considering what he did with the two Alice in Wonderland live-action remakes. I'm legitimately not sure how to feel about things here. At least the graphics are beautiful, as all Disney movies are.

#5 - Bumblebee

Film Sypnosis:

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink of turning 18 years old and trying to find her place in the world, soon discovers the battle-scarred and broken Bumblebee. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns that this is no ordinary yellow Volkswagen.

''Oh boy... another Transformers film?" That's what I said to myself when I noticed a teaser trailer was out for a movie about one of the Transformers characters. Then I actually watched the trailer and my view completely changed. Apparently, this film is not directed by Michael Bay, the man who directed the previous five Transformers movies, all of which were pretty much flops. So, with that in mind, hopefully, the new dude, Travis Knight, can make things work with this movie. If so, I might just watch it once it's available at Redbox.

That concludes the first volume of Trailer Reactions. Let me know what you think of the series so far in the comments.