Latest Movie Trailers (11/01/12)

Trailers for some of 2012’s most eagerly anticipated movies are now whetting the appetites of film fans the world over so we thought we’d give you a run down of the big hitters including The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus…

Bel Ami

Devotees of the Twilight Saga will no doubt flock to see their beloved Robert Pattinson take the lead role in Bel Ami, a story of corruption set in 19th century Paris. Based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant, Bel Ami chronicles the rise of George Duroy (Pattinson) from lowly ex-soldier to seductively scandalous journalist. The latest trailer suggests this film will be darker and considerably sleazier than most of Pattinson’s work to date, and shows him paired with no less than three formidable female leads: Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Christina Ricci. The Twilight Saga, in which Pattinson has been tied up for the last few years playing vampire Edward Cullen, has almost come to an end, and Bel Ami will be a new direction for him.

Underworld: Awakening

For those who still haven’t had enough of vampires, there is Underworld: Awakening, the fourth instalment in the Underworld series. Kate Beckinsale returns (complete with her famous corset and PVC bodysuit) as vampire warrior Selene; after having been imprisoned by humans for twelve years, she breaks out to discover a new world in which vampires and their age-old enemies the lycans (werewolves) must unite in a war against humans. The trailer confirms that the movie will continue the tradition set by the first three films; it will be a shady, dystopian horror replete with impressive fight scenes and, perhaps a welcome change from the rather anaemic vampirism found in Twilight, plenty of good old-fashioned neck biting.

Prometheus

An exciting development for fans of science fiction is the trailer for the long-awaited Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s prequel to Alien, and the fifth film in the Alien series so far. The trailer certainly does not disappoint; making good use of a technique employed by the first film, the letters of the title fade onto the screen line by line accompanied by some classically creepy Alien sound effects. The trailer also makes clear the film’s intention of digging into the past by giving tantalising glimpses of the crash of a giant alien spaceship, the distinctive wreckage of which has already been seen in the first two films in the series. Prometheus is shaping up to be a brilliant sci-fi horror in true Alien style.

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, also got a trailer. Set eight years after The Dark Knight, in which Batman (Christian Bale) took the rap for the crimes of Harvey ‘Two Face’ Dent (Aaron Eckhart), the superhero is forced to come out of hiding by the activities of terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). The trailer is a work of art in itself; the sound of an angelic young boy singing the American National Anthem gradually fades into the chanting of an angry crowd, as the struggle of Gotham City against criminals from without and corruption from within is showcased. The viewer is also treated to a preview of some of the spectacular CGI used in the film, including an incredible shot of a player running across a collapsing football field.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Finally, fans of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings rejoiced to see the new trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first instalment of a two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel. Telling the story of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his adventure with Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a group of Dwarves, An Unexpected Journey will be a welcome return to the rolling landscape of Middle Earth (New Zealand). Packed with clips of familiar characters like Gollum, Gandalf, and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), as well as a hefty dose of Dwarvish singing, the trailer has been met with much excitement by fans and will hopefully hold them for a while; they’ll have to wait until December 2012 for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to be released.