Captain America: Civil War – Trailer Analysis and Screencaps

Captain America: Civil War

As I’m sure you’ve seen by now, Disney/Marvel debuted a new trailer for Captain America: Civil War yesterday in conjunction with advance tickets going on sale. The first trailer was an atmospheric and moody one, giving us quick peeks at a variety of what’s happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with an emphasis on the Steve Rogers/Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes triangle. We got our first look at Black Panther, as well as hints at the ultimate showdown between Captain America and Iron Man. This latest trailer expands on the first one, repeating a few moments but going bigger. It’s much more action-packed, it gives us a larger idea of the film’s plot without too many specifics, and we get to see many more of our favorite heroes. And to top it all off, this trailer also gives us a first look at a new character, although one with whom most viewers are probably familiar. So take a look at the trailer below and then read on for my thoughts and screencaps. Then be sure to let me know what you think in the comments!

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Trailer Tuesday: Jurassic World

Jurassic World Logo

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be endlessly fascinating.

I’ve been sitting on the Jurassic World trailer for a couple months now.  (I actually do this a lot, prepping screencaps of trailers without actually posting them, something I intend to change in 2015.)  In some ways I’m intrigued by it, but in others I’m very wary.  I’ve previously referred to Jurassic Park as the Star Wars of my generation, and to me it’s a cinematic masterpiece, one of the most awe-inspiring films I’ve ever seen.  I love The Lost World, but was pretty disappointed in Jurassic Park III, which was hurt by Spielberg’s lack of involvement.  I didn’t really need another Jurassic Park film, but I was intrigued by the way the script leak for Jurassic World was handled last year.  So when the trailer arrived in November, it stirred up a mix of emotions.  Take a look below and read on for my thoughts:

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Trailer Friday: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Logo

I have vivid memories of seeing the trailer for The Phantom Menace for the first time, and dissolving into a puddle of tears and emotion.  Of course, it was 1998, so it was on the big screen instead of on my phone, but the new trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens still had the same effect all these years later.  You can see the trailer on the big screen this weekend in front of any movie at 30 select theaters across the country, or you can see it right now right here.  Check it out below and read on for my thoughts and analysis.

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Trailer Thursday: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron posterWelcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies.

Marvel’s plans to premiere the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer during next week’s episode of Agents of SHIELD were altered when the trailer leaked online last night.  Instead of waiting, Marvel decided to go ahead and officially release the trailer early, so without further ado I’m bringing it to you.  Take a look below, and read on for my shot-by-shot thoughts and analysis.

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Trailer Tuesday: Inside Out

Inside Out posterWelcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies.

How long will Pixar be able to get us excited by merely referencing their past triumphs?  There may not actually be any limit on that timeframe, considering they have movies like Toy StoryRatouilleWALL-EUpThe IncrediblesMonsters, Inc.Finding Nemo, all of which are permanently etched in the public’s consciousness.  For their newest film, Inside Out, they use the familiar tactic (also used in their first trailer for WALL-E) of reminding us why they’re so awesome, and of course it works.  But I’m more interested in the small taste we actually get of Inside Out at the end of the trailer.  Take a look at it below, and read on for my thoughts:

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Trailer Thursday: Tomorrowland

First glimpse of Tomorrowland

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies.

I’ve been looking forward to Tomorrowland for well over a year.  Ever since director Brad Bird tweeted a picture of a mysterious box from the Disney Archives in January of last year, I’ve been mildly obsessed with the film (for reasons I’ll get to after talking about the trailer).  Out of seemingly nowhere today, we finally got our first look at footage from the film (due out May 22, 2015) in a quick teaser trailer.  I got more than a little emotional watching it, but that may just have been from personal reasons.  Take a look at the trailer below, and read on for a breakdown of it and my thoughts:

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Trailer Tuesday: Pride

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where we look at trailers for upcoming movies.

Most Trailer Tuesdays I post a trailer along with a bunch of screencaps that either highlight interesting moments from the trailer or which show off the film’s visuals.  However, not every film I want to bring your attention to needs that level of analysis or imagery.  So today we’ve got a trailer that speaks for itself with its excellent cast and interesting subject matter.  So without further ado, here’s the trailer for Pride:

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Trailer Tuesday: Mad Max: Fury Road

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where we look at trailers for upcoming movies.

The Mad Max films form one of the most bizarre trilogies out there.  A product of the unique mind of George Miller (known more these days for the Babe and Happy Feet movies), each film had a drastically different style and feel.  The first film, Mad Max, is the darkest of the three, with its tragic story and its nihilistic style, and it helped introduce the world to Mel Gibson.  The second film, The Road Warrior, is an absolute masterpiece, possibly the greatest pure action film of all time, whose chase sequence is one of the most pulse-pounding and electrifying sequences ever put on film.  The final film, Beyond Thunderdome, is almost too strange to describe, with Tina Turner overseeing a town powered by pig methane where arguments are settled in the craziest of cage matches (“Two men enter, one man leaves!”), and a group of abandoned teenagers who think Max is a prophet.

So it’s almost impossible to have any idea what to expect from Mad Max: Fury Road.  I’m thrilled that George Miller is back behind the wheel, as there’s no one else to whom I would trust a new film, but I’m conflicted since Mel Gibson won’t be returning.  On the one hand that’s probably a good thing, as the thought of watching an older Gibson try to revive his career by returning to his roots isn’t appealing, but on the other hand he was Max and I’m not eager to see him replaced.  And then of course there’s the troubled production, which has been an ongoing story for years.  But if this first trailer is anything to go by, we’re in for one hell of a ride with Fury Road.  Take a look, and read on for my thoughts:

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Trailer Thursday: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be fascinating.

Here’s the thing, I absolutely love the 1990 film version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I watched the VHS obsessively and it was one of the first films I completely memorized.  I had all of the action figures, watched the cartoon every day, and was a Ninja Turtle twice for Halloween (Michelangelo and Donatello).  But above all the other Turtle-related things, the film was what cemented my attachment to the characters.  It was dark and unique, funny and emotional, with a great cast and some truly impressive design work.  It was also very New York.  The Jim Henson-created Turtles will always be the perfect incarnation of the four brothers, and are what I immediately picture whenever they’re mentioned.

So it’s more than a little understandable that when Michael Bay announced that he was rebooting the series I was not happy.  Michael Bay has had a wildly successful career, and has actually made some genuinely good movies, but he is in no way the person I want involved with the Ninja Turtles.  Add in his comments that the Turtles would be aliens (a statement he has since retracted) and his casting of Megan Fox as April O’Neil and things started to look pretty grim.  So I was prepared to hate the new trailer that debuted today.  Imagine my surprise when I came away with some mixed feelings after all.  Take a look below and read on for my thoughts:

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Trailer Wednesday: Maleficent

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be fascinating.

We’ve gotten what will probably be the final trailer for Maleficent, now that the film is just two months away, and this final trailer goes deeper into the story we’re going to see, while giving us some new looks as well.  The first trailer mostly focused on the film’s imagery, while telling us little about the movie itself.  The second trailer gave us a bit more, while highlighting the parallels between Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty.  But this final trailer is the one that for the first time has lead me to being genuinely excited about the film, beyond the curiosity that had held my interest thus far, though I fully admit that it may just be the dragon that’s gotten my attention.  Take a look below, and read on for my breakdown of the trailer:

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