When You Hear The Explosion...Start Counting

You got to admit, this works. I think they managed to instill 'Taken 2' with enough spikey moments to hook an audience and boost word-of-mouth. Should do well into its 3rd and 4th weekends.

Remarkably, Neeson sells this. The guy flat delivers. Had not thought much of this until this clip

Nicely written, nicely executed. Fun, engaging -- you can't ask for much more from a movie like this.

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New Trailer for 'Taken 2'

"I have to...make sure these people never bother us again."

So, 'Taken 3' will have new bad guys?



















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3rd International Trailer for 'Taken 2'

The best yet. This is working. This stands a chance of drawing a huge audience. Neeson has come off well in these trailers but here he looks monumental.




















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Latest International 'Taken 2' Trailer Switches to "Your Mother and I are Going to be Taken"

In early US trailers Neeson said, "Your mother and I are going to be taken."

Then, in international trailers he said, "Your mother is going to be taken."

Then, in the US trailer that came out 2 days ago he switched to the line from international trailers saying, "Your mother is going to be taken."

In this new international trailer he switches back to 'Your mother and I are...'.

Interesting.



















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New Trailer for 'Taken 2'

Sticks with "Your mother is going to be taken" rather than the old line which was, "Your mother and I are going to be taken."

Nice visuals and soundtrack. The line "Take one of the guns and two grenades" said by Neeson's character to his daughter has a certain sparkle. People should like that kind of thing. Also, the empowerment of a teenage (or is it early 20s) female character should round out the demographic appeal nicely

Have to admit, this is more impressive than I had thought, and looking fresh for a sequel. Really, this has the energy and feel of the first movie (in a franchise). I'm thinking box office will be good.

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2 Different Versions of the 'Taken 2' Trailer: One for Sensitive Understanding (Wimpy) Americans, and one Swarthy (I Kill You Now?) Europeans

Wha?

In the domestic version of the trailer for 'Taken 2' Liam Neeson clearly says, "Listen to me carefully, Kim. Your mother and I are going to be taken."

And, that was always my understanding about the plot -- both Neeson's character and (AND) his wife are abducted. Both. Not one, both -- two of them.

Happens at :37 seconds.



However. In the international trailer Neeson says, "Listen to me carefully, Kim. Your mother is going to be taken." Neeson does not say he will be taken as well. Just 'your mother'. "Your mother (is)" not "Your mother and I (are)." In this trailer only mom gets nabbed.

I know what you're saying: Dude. No way. You're hearing things. Check it out -- at 1:11.



So. Is this an(other) example of foreign machismo? Is the notion a male protagonist could be taken hostage, or allow himself to be taken, so unpalatable in other countries they need to gloss over (read: flat out lie about) such plot details in trailers meant for international markets?

Will there be two versions of the movie? I can just see it. There will be one edit in which only the wife is abducted made for swaggering sweating always drinking and smoking European men (and such) who would never allow themselves to be taken hostage -- (no fucking way I kill you now asshole), and another in which both the husband and wife are taken made for touchy-feely oh so politically correct forward-thinking Americans who know that a man can be kidnapped at gunpoint just as easily as a woman and that absolutely is not a reflection on one's manliness -- (pardon me whilst I avert my eyes in a demure manner and take a sip of my double low-fat vanilla latte made with organic milk and fair-trade coffee [not too hot or I'll complain to the manager!!!] topped with whipped cream from a can, thank you very much).

This is just like the Spanish poster for 'The Expendables 2'. Their title: 'Los Indestructibles 2'. No. No sir. Our guys aren't 'expendable' -- that would be too, what's the word?, limp. Our guys are INDESTRUCTIBLE! They can't freaking be destroyed. Your wimpy American men, they are expendable. Disposable. Nobody cares if they live or die. Our guys: tough, can't be killed or injured -- reeeeeaaaaaaal men. In-goddam-destructible.

Machismo. Alien to us, heartfelt to them.

Gotta say, very interesting indeed. Really... That says a lot. But, what do I think of it? Do I appreciate how Euro-man can't deal with the concept that he might be victimized and how he lives a direct and effective life not taking shit from anybody? Or, do I hold Euro-guy in contempt for being a narrow-minded ass?

Do I applaud American liberalism or do I think we're a country of toe-the-line girly boys who strive not to offend?

I don't know. A little of both? How typically American of me.

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International Trailer for 'Taken 2' -- or -- Liam Neeson: God of Movies

They may have done it. They may have a sequel that's not only as good as the original but will be more popular.

And, when did Liam Neeson become God of Movies? Really, you see him and it's like, "Oh, good. Liam's in this. Everything will be okay."

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Poster for 'Liam Neeson Shoots All The Bad Guys' aka 'Taken 2'

"First they took his daughter now they're coming for him." Will they never learn?

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New Stills from 'Wrath of the Titans'

So refreshing coming off 'John Carter'. These are some of the best I've seen. Great CGI, which serves to create a sense of wonder and adventure. Beautiful direction/framing. And...Liam Neeson -- at this point, this guy can do no wrong.

Must-see. Take my money dammit!

(click for way bigger)

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SPOILER-Filled Preview/Trailer for 'Taken 2'

I'm going out on a limb -- this won't be the hit 'Taken' was.

Remember -- loaded with SPOILERS

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Super Bowl Trailer for 'Battleship'. Is This The Same Movie?

Is this trailer for the same movie as the first trailer was? First trailer came off stock and cartoonish. With questionable CGI and sterile action it was generally laughed at and bloggers cringed at what this flick might turn out to be.

This Super Bowl spot, though, clicks.



By the :05 mark we see the new focus -- people in harm's way. A kid, sitting in the family car stuck in traffic, calmly watches as an alien projectile heads straight for him. The projectile strikes, burrowing deep into the freeway, wreaking havoc, tossing vehicles. Luckily, our little boy survives, wide-eyed. The message is clear: The threat is to us, not to ships made of steel, and the effect is we care. All within five seconds. These people mean business.

It doesn't stop there. Next, at sea, a worried Liam Neeson watches a strange disturbance from the command center of a battleship. He comes off much better than in the first trailer, in which his barking was (in context, at least) a bit hackneyed and by-the-numbers. We only see him for a second, possibly due to overexposure of late, but Neeson looks great. You'd think the producers realized, after 'The Grey', that heartfelt portrayals work, even in genre movies. And, yes, we care.

After that, more projectiles crash into office buildings, and the message 'The Battle For Earth' makes it clear what's going on. Certainly, we knew, or had guessed as much. We get it -- the stakes are high. However at :28 comes the clarifying and central imagery -- an alien in a suit produces a mechanized knife and prepares to attack a woman who is very vulnerable indeed, bent over looking back at him. Well done, we can care about this more than metal machines shooting at each other from miles away. A good move, post-Transformers.

So, the threat is close at hand, a few feet away. It's in our faces. But, if all this is too touchy-feely, we're reminded it all 'Begins At Sea' (:31), and once again the nuts-and-bolts boilerplate imagery is about fighting machinery guided by masked, anonymous pilots. After this baseline commercial eye candy has been reiterated we get back on message at (:50) -- you can't win a war with machines, you gotta to send infantry, there has to be boots on the ground. We're engaged in a bit of mano a mano between our main man Taylor Kitsch and a Cylon-esque bad guy. It doesn't last, though -- Rihanna man-euvers a very phallic 5-inch main-gun and blows Mr. Space Invader away in a ridiculous (Sorry, you can't point a gun at your own deck [if you could it would have been done accidentally a bunch of times] because a) that would kill everyone on deck and b) would likely sink the ship, but let's not split hairs) bit that is sure to fuel rampant word-of-mouth (among both boys and girls) and float 'Battleship' for a solid second weekend. We may giggle a bit but, alas, we also care.

Overall, a much better effort than the first trailer. If everyone has forgotten that, this new ad bodes well for the movie. Still, though, you have to wonder what exactly a battleship can do to stop far superior combat hardware from a distant planet. Well. That would be the crux of the story, yes? Just how do we deal with these invaders? Give them a virus their immune systems can't fight? -- been done. That element, whatever it is, if it works, is what this movie is riding on. If that plot point snaps into place smartly we'll like the movie. If not, we'll condemn it. I'm not sure the box office take would be different either way, though.

It remains to be seen whether writers Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber conjured up a winner, but I'm far more optimistic than I was after the first trailer. I can honestly say I care. I'm not swept off my feet, mind you -- it is summer popcorn after all -- but I like 'Battleship' a lot more than before.

If you've only seen the first trailer, check the new one out.





















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Clips from 'The Grey'

Okay, okay. The wolves look silly. We get that. Still, clips/trailers are good. Good camera. Looks like they put together a decent product -- tough considering the storyline. Can't wait to see this.




















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Liam Neeson Interview/Featurette 'The Grey'

Several seconds new footage.














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Red Band Trailer for 'The Grey'

I'm still surprised how effective this footage is. First teaser and poster made this look clunky and by-the-numbers at best. Now, it's looking like something to catch.

Yes, the wolves are kind of a distraction. In wide shots they look drawn, very CGI, and in close shots it's clear they're mechanical. But -- maybe they just represent the 'notion' of wolves. Maybe, they're not supposed to look real and nobody in the production -- not actors, the studio, director, nobody -- cared what the wolves looked like.

Cartoony wolves aside, this is tight, and does a good job of conveying the character's struggles with the cold, hunger, etc. As an exploration of 'man against nature' it works.

Clips from 'Unknown'

Beautifully shot, edited.

'Unknown' Clip

International Trailer 'Unknown'

Very nice.

"Somewhere There's Proof I'm...Me"

Trailer for 'Unknown' with Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger. Looks like fun. Hope the twists and reveals are as good as the trailer makes them look.