film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Megan Williams

  • Moon Knight, She Hulk, Ms Marvel (Disney+ Day): Trailer Talk

    Moon Knight, She Hulk, Ms Marvel (Disney+ Day): Trailer Talk

    Moon Knight, She Hulk, Ms Marvel (Disney+ Day): Trailer Talk

    The 12th of November saw Disney’s second annual Disney+ Day: a whole day of announcements and trailer reveals of shows and films that will be coming to the streaming service over the next twelve months. And, while most of the announcements were title cards, Disney did release short teasers to three future Marvel shows.

    The first was ‘Moon Knight’. This is a property that is unfamiliar to me, but it nonetheless looks interesting. This show stars Oscar Isaac (Star Wars) as the titular character, who appears to be a Batman-style superhero. The exception is that he exists in two different realities: the real world and the dream world. As a fan of any media that focuses on nightmares and lucid dreams, this looks fantastic but also very different from what Marvel have done before. Plus, Oscar Isaac is a fantastic actor, so it’s great to see him involved with another big property after ‘Star Wars’.

    The second teaser was an 18 second clip for ‘She-Hulk’. While this only shows Bruce Banner, once again played by Mark Ruffalo, and the titular character Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black) in a comic accurate costume, what is shown looks great. This is another character that I am a little unfamiliar with, but this definitely has my intrigue. However, not as much as ‘Moon Knight’ purely due to the short length of this teaser.

    The last teaser that was shown was for ‘Ms Marvel’. Once again, this is another property that I know nothing about, however this one has my interest purely for representation reasons. This will mark the first Muslim/Pakinstani-American superhero to appear in the MCU. Newcomer Iman Vellani will star as Kamala Khan aka Ms Marvel and, from the short teaser that was released, it looks as if she’ll be great. The show seems to take on a light-hearted tone, in a similar vein to DC’s 2019 film ‘Shazam’. This looks like a fun show and will hopefully be a welcome approach from the more mature story arcs that the MCU has been telling recently. ‘Ms Marvel’ is also important in terms of representation in the superhero genre; this aspect has definitely piqued my interest.

    While Disney+ only released a few short teasers for Marvel’s upcoming projects, it’s fair to say that the coming year will be an exciting one for the next phase in the MCU. And my lack of knowledge with the new properties only makes them more intriguing. I’m sure full-length trailers for these properties will be released soon.

  • Ciao Alberto: Trailer Talk

    Ciao Alberto: Trailer Talk

    Trailer Talk: Ciao Alberto (Disney+ Short)

    ‘Ciao Alberto’ is a short film that takes place after the events of the 2020 animated film ‘Luca’. It will follow Luca’s friend, Alberto, and his adventures in the seaside town of Portorosso, working as a fisherman. 

    Next to ‘Coco’, ‘Luca’ is my favourite Pixar film. It was as a very nice surprise during the summer and, while it didn’t carry an important message (like the company’s last film ‘Soul’), it was heart-warming. The characters and world were aspects that I loved and wanted to revisit, so I’m really happy to see a continuation of the story, even if it’s just in the form of a short film. 

    Unlike ‘Monsters at Work’, the animation here is smooth and delightful; care has clearly been taken to make sure the visual quality reflects that of the feature film, and it shows. One of the strongest aspects of the film were its visuals and animation, so I’m happy to see that the quality has not decreased just because it is a short film.

    Because I was wanting a continuation to ‘Luca’, I’m glad that ‘Ciao Alberto’ has been revealed. It looks wonderful and reflects the quality of the feature length film. It also matches the heart-warming nature of it. However, I hope this short will provide a steppingstone towards an official sequel.

  • Lightyear: Trailer Talk

    Lightyear: Trailer Talk

    Lightyear: Trailer Talk

    Two years ago, Pixar decided to continue the ‘Toy Story’ franchise with ‘Toy Story 4’. While I enjoyed it, I did also see it as a cash grab, with my main thought being ‘why does this exist?’. And this thought extends over to Pixar’s next animated project ‘Lightyear’.

    ‘Lightyear’ is the latest animated film by Pixar. With the titular character now voiced by Chris Evans (Captain America), the film follows the astronaut of Star Command, and the one that the toy line is based on in the world of ‘Toy Story’.

    If there’s anything that can be taken away from this trailer, it’s that Pixar are continuously improving their animation skills. The characters look incredible, and the backgrounds actually look realistic now; Pixar have come a long way since the original ‘Toy Story’. The shots in the trailer are gorgeous too because of this. The opening sequence involving Buzz’s rocket launch are clearly influenced by films like ‘Interstellar’ and even ‘Ad Astra’ and deserve to be placed next to those films in terms of visuals.

    However, I also think Disney have taken the multiverse idea a bit too far. Seeing as the current Marvel properties are focusing on this aspect, it feels like Pixar want to profit off a similar type of concept. And, while that sounds interesting, this origin story has already been done, with the cartoon series ‘Buzz Lightyear: Star Command’ from the 90’s.

    While ‘Lightyear’ looks incredible, this film is a sign that Pixar should leave the ‘Toy Story’ brand alone. The original trilogy was fantastic and ended in a perfect and heart-warming way. This, and ‘Toy Story 4’, feels like its lessening the impact of the 3rd film’s ending. Instead of going to Infinity and Beyond, Pixar should look elsewhere for their upcoming projects.

  • The Batman: Trailer Talk

    The Batman: Trailer Talk

    Trailer Talk: The Batman (DC FanDome Trailer)

    After the news that Robert Pattinson (Tenet, The Lighthouse) would be taking the role of the famous Caped Crusader, I don’t think anyone was expecting him to fully embrace the role and turn the DC character into a ruthless creation. And yet, the first trailer was released at the end of August last year and proved to audiences that his days of being known for the franchise ‘Twilight’ was over. 

    ‘The Batman’ stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, who’s still new to the superhero scene. It also introduces Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz – The Lego Batman Movie, Mad Max: Fury Road), The Riddler (Paul Dano – Little Miss Sunshine) and The Penguin (Colin Farrell – In Bruges, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them).

    This trailer serves as a glimpse into the chaos that The Riddler creates in Gotham, as well as demonstrating Batman’s fighting choreography. Robert Pattinson has, once again, shown that he can take on the DC role and give fans the expected fighting scenes that is seen in these films, throwing away any doubt that was previously had about his casting.

    We’re also shown more of Selina Kyle, a.k.a Catwoman and, from what the trailer shows, Zoë Kravitz looks perfect for the role. It’s also great to see another black woman be cast in this live-action role, considering the last time this occurred was in 2004, when Halle Berry played the lead in Catwoman’s solo film.

    My interest has been increasing the more footage I see. Even though fans still have to wait five more months for ‘The Batman’, DC seem more than happy to show off this film confidently. Robert Pattinson was an interesting casting choice for the lead but, after seeing the second trailer, he seems like the right choice.

  • The Flash: Trailer Talk

    The Flash: Trailer Talk

    The Flash (DC FanDome Trailer)

    Last weekend saw this year’s annual DC FanDome event take place. This is where DC Films give fans a first look at their upcoming film and TV properties over the next two years. And one that’s been highly anticipated is The Flash movie.

    With Ezra Miller returning to the title role, ‘The Flash’ will see him cross through multiverses and meeting variations of well-known characters. 

    The first trailer essentially confirms what was rumoured: the return of Michael Keaton as Batman. First appearing in the 1989 Tim Burton adaptation, and beating everyone’s low expectations at the time, Keaton has become known as one of the best onscreen Batman’s. And the film looks to be copying Marvel’s direction with exploring multiverses, a decision that makes sense considering the number of actors that have taken on the role of the Caped Crusader. Narrated by Michael Keaton, fans are treated to the original Bat mask and score, as well as a tease at what might be the 1989 Batmobile (although the trailer cuts away before this is actually revealed!).

    And, if that wasn’t enough, a new costume is revealed for The Flash, and it looks fantastic. It looks much brighter and more vibrant than before. It also closely resembles his appearance when his powers are activated. The film won’t be out until next year, but this first look trailer of ‘The Flash’ has already promised so much and is one that I am very much looking forward to.