Trailer Spotlight: Cloud Atlas, Man of Steel, Life of Pi

It's been a few weeks since I've had enough viable fodder for a Trailer Spotlight and enough time to get around to it. This week, though, has been a good one in the trailer department and today I have offerings from a diverse set of films that will drop over the next year.

Man of Steel (June 14, 2013) - Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon

My interest level on Man of Steel was hovering somewhere around a 5 until last week. But I have to say, despite the collective "meh" these trailers created across the blogosphere, I think these are perfect introductions to the film and I now find myself seriously stoked. We're not seeing much here beyond what to expect in the shot department and the overall tone of the film, but I think we're in for excellent returns on both of those fronts. Check them both out. Yes, the video is the same in both but the voice over is different. Love this.

Chasing Mavericks (October 26) - Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, Elisabeth Shue
Has a surfing movie ever turned out good? I certainly can't think of one. Mavericks will probably continue this tradition if the first trailer is any indication.



Life of Pi (November 21) - Tobey Maguire, Irrfan Khan, Suraj Sharma
Pi is based on a novel that I'm sure I was supposed to read at one point or another but blew off. This is Oscar bait of the highest order (and I do not mean that in a bad way). The word among those who know is that Pi is a near-lock for a Best Picture nomination. And if the film stays true to this trailer, it'll be one of the more visually stunning films of the year. This is a beautiful first look.



Cloud Atlas (October 26) - Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent
This is about as high concept as it gets. I must say, I have absolutely no idea what's happening here despite this being the longest trailer I can remember. The best way I can describe what I've seen thus far is to call Cloud Atlas a combination of Crash and The Fountain with heaping spoonful of dynamic special effects. /Film has a helpful breakdown of what's happening here but I suggest watching for yourself first. This could be very, very interesting or it could be a tremendous bust. I'm very intrigued.