Epic Trailer Round-Up: 'Fantastic Four', 'Batman v Superman', and 'Star Wars VII'!

Well, the last week sure has been quite eventful for myself and those like me who fancy films that inhabit the science-fiction, fantasy, and superhero genre. Three trailers debuted for three upcoming blockbusters, and to say that the nerd population out there was somewhat interested in them would be the best example of an understatement that I can think of, if not the most absurd. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let's dive right in, shall we?

Fantastic Four

So, this one might not have the awe-inspiring feeling of a long road coming to an end like the other 2 trailers on this list, but damn if it doesn’t look like it’s going to be an interesting ride nonetheless. I’ve written about this film before, so I’ll try not to repeat myself too much, but I can’t help but mentioning once more how refreshing this movie looks. While there are certainly some epic moments within the trailer (their powers look amazing), I can’t help but appreciate the fact that the film looks like it’s going for a more scaled-down look and feel... which may worry some folks, but said folks should remember that Captain America: The Winter Soldier scaled their noise down in favor of a quality story, and nobody walked away from that decision with any regrets.

We still don’t know much more than the obvious about this film (there are 4 of them and they got some cool powers), but this latest trailer has given us a closer look at the chemistry between our leads, and quite frankly, that’s more crucial to this film’s success than whether or not they got Doom’s hood the right shade of green. And speaking of Doom, we do get our first glimpse at him in this trailer, and he does look pretty great. It seems like they are taking liberties with his origin again, as he is seemingly part of Reed’s experiment (he’s the bearded gentleman who says that Johnny Storm doesn’t like to take orders), but I have it on good authority that Doom’s true backstory might be a little too complicated to exist in a film that's not about him, and as such, some tweaking is needed. But Doom and the amazing-looking effects aside, what I ultimately like most about this trailer is what we are not shown -- which are the formulaic tropes that seem to stick to every superhero flick like fleas on a dog. I’m really glad that they didn’t have Sue Storm punch something in order to show that she’s tough. I mean, sure there are some familiar archetypes on display here, but I’ve got a feeling that the film intends to go further in terms of character development and molding it in a way so that their personal journeys blend in organically with whatever the grave conflict is that they end up facing. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for after seeing this kick-ass trailer.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

“Devils don’t come from beneath the ground, they come from the sky.” A lovely sentiment from Lex Luthor, as he is one of the many voices speaking at the beginning about the beloved Superman. Unlike Mr. Luthor, though, I have nothing against Superman as a character. I love the first two Christopher Reeve films, and I’ve even been known to say some favorable things about Man of Steel and Superman Returns. But we, as a nation, will not be completely honest with ourselves if we do not admit that this is really Batman’s movie. Ever since Ben Affleck landed the role of the fabled Caped Crusader, millions of intensely curious folks have been wondering just what the new Batman was going to look like. Again, Superman is loved as well, but he just had his own movie, whereas the Batman here in question is not a continuation of the Christopher Nolan Batman universe or any other cinematic incarnation of him that is currently known, and as such he may be considered brand-spanking new. Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg are certainly cool folks too, as are the rest of the Justice League members that have yet to be announced, but their presence isn’t missed all that much in this trailer, because what we do get to see is Batman. And man, does he look good.

Past versions of the Bat have always fallen back on his ability to blend into the shadows in order to promote the “fear” that criminals are experiencing, but this is seriously the first version of Batman that I’ve seen that could scare people just by calmly standing out in open daylight. He is truly an intimidating force to be reckoned with. I mean, look at that cowl! It’s obviously been designed to make folks piddle themselves with fear, and that’s something we’ve never really gotten with the other Batmans. As far as the rest of the trailer is concerned, I am glad that the look and feel is somewhat of a departure from Man of Steel, because I was always a little weary of the filmmakers trying to stuff The Justice League into such a “normal”-looking world. It’s a superhero film after all, folks, and the fantasy should be embraced. We’ve still got quite a wait in front of us, and this trailer is just the first of hundreds coming our way. Well, maybe not that many, but y’all get the gist.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

And then there is this trailer whose power is so great that it dwarfs all others. In 1977, George Lucas tapped into something primal when he made Star Wars, and 38 years later, it still resonates hugely with a sizable portion of the population. Needless to say, that trailer looks amazing, and we are well on our way down the road to one of the most-anticipated films of all time.

So, what do we have here? Well, we got some face-time with our villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and we get to see some cool new shots of Star Destroyers, Tie-Fighters, Tie-Fighter pilots, and a new stormtrooper that looks like he could be another major force (pun slightly intended) to be reckoned with. And, man, are they all shiny. Did the Empire just take these ships and uniforms out of their boxes, because they have quite the glare on them.

But I digress -- every second of this trailer screams Classic Star Wars, and the inclusion of Luke Skywalker’s voiceover at the beginning only served to cement that feeling of “coming home”. Oh, and did you notice that the lines at the beginning of the trailer mimic those from Return of the Jedi? Well, if you are even a causal Star Wars fan, then the answer is yes, but the lines are somewhat altered so that it is entirely possible that they are original to The Force Awakens after all. And if that is the case, isn’t interesting to hear Luke refer to his deceased father in the present tense? The answer is, again, yes. But honestly, Luke could’ve said anything in that voiceover, because the return of Luke Skywalker is the real event here, and his presence in this film is more desired than even Darth Vader’s was during the prequels. Truly Luke Skywalker is one of the greatest cinematic heros in existence, and even just hearing his voice is enough to tap into that primal something that was discovered back in 1977. Well, I won’t go on too much more because this trailer truly speaks for itself. But just going back to the idea of “coming home” for one moment, I’d just like to say.... HAN SOLO!!!! Omg! Omg! Omg! Han Solo is back! Thank you, J.J. Abrams and Walt Disney. I owe you all a beer for making this film.

- Greg McIver, YH Staff