All of the trailers came out this week. All of them. If there's a movie slated for 2018 and you've been thinking, "Hmm, I wonder when we'll get a trailer for that", it probably dropped this week. On our social media feeds, I try to comment on all the "big" trailers that come down the pipes throughout the year but this week, there was no chance, the onslaught was too much. So, here's a look at everything we've gotten a look at, so to speak, in the last few days because maybe you, too, have had trouble keeping up.
Bumblebee (December 25)
Right off the top, I'd like to state that I do not want this movie nor any new Transformers movie to exist. The robots-in-disguise-pool has been spoiled by Michael Bay. However, I don't think Bumblebee is a bad idea and the trailer actually looks like what the Transformers movies should be: harmless fun that is NOT horribly stupid and at times racially insensitive. (I don't feel like this standard should be too difficult to achieve but here we are.) This has a chance to reset the franchise and that would be a good thing.
The Girl in the Spider's Web (November 9)
This is a tough sell all around for me. The first book was a cultural phenomenon but has resulted in diminishing returns with each subsequent venture in either book or film form (though the Swedish-release films made an impression). We're now seven years out from David Fincher's Dragon Tattoo and 13 years from the publication of the first book and I'm not sure all that many people care anymore. Perhaps the film itself will flesh out the backstory and character development but the trailer points toward a, "Return of a legend" tact regarding Lisbeth Salander and I don't know that will resonate.
Ralph Breaks the Internet (November 21)
I'm all-in on Wreck It Ralph and have been super pumped up for the sequel. This trailer, though, is...odd. I wasn't expecting such a meta approach to the Disney universe and I feel like that's either a massive home run or a massive failure with no in between. Here's hoping for the former.
A Star is Born (October 5)
Richard's number one most anticipated movie of the year, A Star is Born has been in some form of pre-production for years, it seems, and all that work looks to have paid off. This trailer is incredible. If the film can capture the essence distilled into this 150 second cut, we're in for an absolute treat and these songs will be EVERYWHERE.
Operation Finale (September 14)
I've been looking forward to this one for a while because of the cast and story. I'm hoping the clunkiness of this trailer is due to the need to distill a lot of historical information into two minutes in order to get people to the theater. I'm just not sure this subject matter is best suited for a PG-13 movie and the trailer makes me wonder if too many punches will be pulled.
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (February 8)
I feel like people are starting to forget how much fun the first LEGO Movie was and I won't stand for it. This trailer is a reminder of the brilliance of the first movie and also the Beastie Boys are prominently featured so you know I'm super all-in.
White Boy Rick (September 14)
The McConaissance has derailed a bit over the last year or two. The Dark Tower, Free State of Jones, Gold, and The Sea of Trees is a farcry from the tour-de-force that was Mud, True Detective, Dallas Buyer's Club, and Wolf of Wall Street. But I've been holding out hope for White Boy Rick and this trailer is excellent. Hoping it carries over to the finished project.
Widows (November 16)
I'm not a huge fan of Steve McQueen's films or sensibilities but cannot deny the man's understanding of drama and emotion. Widows looks exactly like the gritty crime thriller I expected when it was announced and I love this cast, lead by Queen Viola Davis.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (December 14)
Okay, I know all the competing Spider-Man and Spider-Man-adjacent movies and timelines and what not is confusing and tiring. I agree, I would like to go back to 2002 when Sam Raimi made the first Spider-Man and gather everyone together for a discussion about that future and what we needed to do to avoid this mess. All that said, Spider-Verse looks AWESOME. I'm so excited for this movie and I am in love with the animation style on display here. I sincerely hope this is a huge hit and we get a full cinematic universe out of this, franchise confusion and all.
Bad Times at the El Royale (October 5)
I'm THE faux-movie critic on the, "Cabin in the Woods wasn't that great" corner; I'm the only one and it's lonely here. So perhaps this comes as a surprise but I've been very excited for Royale since it first dropped onto the schedule and anxiously awaiting a trailer. And wow, this is everything I wanted it to be and then some. This is going to be VERY high on my list of anticipated movies for the back-half of the year.
How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World (March 1)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The LEGO Movie came out the same year (and in fact, Dragon debuted four months after LEGO) and yet for whatever reason, it feels like the Dragon franchise has been dormant for far longer. Maybe it's because of LEGO Batman and LEGO Ninjago but regardless, Dragon 3 feels WAY past due, so much so that when the trailer popped up, I was genuinely surprised. Like, "Oh. I guess I forgot they were still making those movies?" I love these movies, though; they are some of my kid's favorites and he gets no pushback from me when he wants to watch one (as we are doing right at this very moment). This trailer is strong though perhaps it gives too much away and if this is indeed the end of the Dragon movies, I expect they'll go out with a bang.