Yet another "next Twilight", The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, gets a surprisingly solid trailer.

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Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Jamie Campbell Bower, Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

At the very least, this looks a lot better than The Host.  Yes we're seeing what amounts to Underworld or Blade told from the point of view of the Scott Speedman/N'Bushe Wright character, but it still *looks* good.  The production values seem solid, with some genuinely creepy imagery and promises of more than one action scene.  Having Jared Harris narrate your trailer never hurts, nor is advertising his supporting role.  There are some decent character actors hidden behind the (presumably) star-crossed lovers (Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower), including CCH Pounder and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.  Of course, the best-cast of the various attempted Harry Potter cash-ins (Percy Jackson Etc Etc) turned out to be the worst, so that may mean little.  Of the three "next great young-adult literary film franchise" sneak peaks we've seen thus far, I'm partial to this one.  For what it's worth, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones opens August 23, 2013.  As always, we'll see.

Scott Mendelson  

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln gets a very typical biopic trailer.

Other than the lack of a second act montage detailing Abraham Lincoln's struggles with drugs and/or alcohol, this looks like a pretty conventional biopic.  But of course, A) it's a very conventional biopic trailer and B) War Horse turned out to be a far darker and somber film than it's somewhat upbeat marketing campaign suggested.  Still, and I'll gladly eat crow if I'm wrong, I can't imagine what new commentary or insights an Abraham Lincoln biopic has to offer at this point in time, especially one seemingly crafted so as to not offend those who understandably revere the man.  At the very least, I can only presume that Lincoln will be a splendid acting treat, with major turns by Daniel Day Lewis and about a bazillion others (check out 1:43, for a look at Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant next to someone who looks *a lot* like Seth Meyers).  The film may turn out to be a haloagraphy, and perhaps there is no fault in that.  But come what may, this one will be worth seeing purely for the performances on display, as well as the sheer fact that Steven Spielberg is still determined to matter this much 41 years after Duel.  I underestimated War Horse.  I can only hope I'm underestimating Lincoln.  Anyway, this one drops November 9th in limited release before expanding on November 16th.  As always, we'll see.

Scott Mendelson    

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) entertains, intrigues, and amuses, but becomes too frantic for its own good.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
2011
128 minutes
rated PG-13

by Scott Mendelson

There are times when this second Guy Ritchie-helmed Sherlock Holmes adventure threatens to become what the first film was advertised as.  The first picture, if you recall, was marketed as an all-action, all-comedy, huge tent-pole adventure that just happened to feature the world's most famous detective (teaser and trailer).  In fact, the 2009 Sherlock Holmes (review) was an often quiet and contemplative character piece, a genuine mystery drama that had moments of big budget spectacle.  This new film tries its hand with the 'bigger is better' philosophy, to varying degrees of success.  The action is more frequent and of a larger scale, and the characters are less mournful and introspective this time around.  But what's lost in the fury and bombast is gained with an upping of the stakes, both personal and external.  Oddly enough, the highlight of the last picture, the relationship between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, becomes almost a distraction this time around, taking time away from what should be the primary attraction - the battle of wits between Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty.

Now THAT'S more like it! Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows gets a darker, more engrossing trailer that highlights Moriarty accordingly.

It is perhaps worth noting that this sequel was intended to be in 3D when it was announced early last year, but now the plan seems to be going for pure 2D.  Make of that what you will... I'm still miffed that Jared Harris is not getting billing as arch-fiend Professor James Moriarty, but that's a small quibble.  What matters is that this trailer sets up a darker, more violent, and more expansive adventure rather than just selling overly broad humor.  Yes, there is some bawdiness, but there is a clear establishing of the grand stakes, along with the implication that Moriarty is racking up a tidy body count in the process.  I wish they hadn't revealed the respective gag at 1:55, but I am glad that they've stopped hiding the fact that Rachel McAdams is indeed returning for this go-around.  While the trailer does seem action-packed, with explosions and gunfire galore, it is heartening to notice that most of the action beats seem to be from two major sequences (a chase/gun-battle in the woods and the train sequence).  I'm also glad to see Eddie Marsan returning as Inspector Lestrade, both because I like the actor and I'm a big proponent of maintaining character continuity for sequels of this nature.  Anyway, this is a far superior trailer to the one that debuted in July, so hopes remain high that the sequel will at least be as good as the rock-solid original picture.  No, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes wasn't as good as the BBC Sherlock series.  Yes, I'm still allowed to enjoy them both.  Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows opens on December 16th, so as always, we'll see...

Scott Mendelson   

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows gets two new character posters.

Collider first posted these, but they are pretty self-explanatory.  It will be interesting to see if Warner Bros. releases any more in the coming days, highlight Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry), or Sim (Noomi Rapace).  The cost that comes with casting a character as your prime villain is that you don't get much mileage out of him/her from a marketing standpoint.  Kudos to Guy Ritchie for not just going for the first big star to say yes, but as a result Warner Bros is stuck basically advertising a sequel that offers little in the way of anything different from the first picture.  Ironically, this is the same (relative) problem that Paramount had with Iron Man 2, as it too was stuck with a villain that wasn't quite iconic (Whiplash?) played by that box office-dynamo Mickey Rourke.  Obviously Iron Man 2 opened with $128 million two summers ago compared to the first film's $100 million 3.5-day opening, so something went right. I'm sure Warner Bros. would be thrilled with a similar 28% jump in opening weekend grosses, which would net Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows $79 million over its first three days.  It will be interesting to see if Warner Bros. cuts a second trailer between now and December, and if so if they find a way to sell Moriarty to a mass audience.

Scott Mendelson  

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows gets a needlessly busy trailer.

It is no secret that I was not a fan of the marketing campaign for the first Sherlock Holmes.  But that action-packed "EXTREME" campaign was a clever disguise for what actually turned out to be a relatively traditional and character driven Holmes adventure.  So on one hand, I should give this trailer the benefit of the doubt, as the previous film was one of those rare pictures where the movie was far better than the trailer.  On the other hand, this is a pointlessly hectic and frantic piece, full of context-less action and would-be incident.  This is a sequel to a pretty popular original, a film that grossed $525 million worldwide despite going head-to-head with Avatar over Christmas 2009 (on a $90 million budget no less).  Point being, the marketing department should have a little confidence in their franchise.  The ingredients worked well the first time around, and the addition of Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris (as Professor James Moriarty) in lieu of bigger names shows a degree of trust in the storytelling.  Thus the nonstop gunplay and unfortunate emphasis on a cross-dressing Robert Downey Jr. feel desperate where no desperation should be felt.  Frankly, the biggest obstacle that this film will likely have to deal with (especially if Paramount moves Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol away from the December 16th release date) will be the snobby comparisons to the terrific BBC miniseries Sherlock that premiered in the US late last year.  I happen to think both this Guy Ritchie series and the BBC modernization are fine adaptations of a classic fictional character.  May they both be artistic and commercial successes.  The game will be afoot on December 16th and, as always, we'll see.  Your thoughts below...

Scott Mendelson  

Confirmed by Warner Bros: Mad Men's Jared Harris cast as Professor Moriarty in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes 2.

This was reported at The Latino Review a few days ago, but I was hoping to hear official word before commenting. Apparently Warner Bros. just confirmed it, so I can now report it as likely fact. Anyway, The role of Professor Moriarty has been cast in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes 2. It's not anyone off the 'dream list' (Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Daniel Day Lewis), nor was it either of my personal preferences (John Hurt or Chiwetel Ejiofor). The arch-villain role instead went to character actor Jared Harris

Harris is best known for his supporting role in seasons 3 and 4 of Mad Men. He also had a supporting role in Resident Evil: Apocalypse (easily the best entry in the B-movie franchise) and a reoccurring role on Fringe. Oddly enough (...useless trivia alert...), he also appeared in the fine straight-to-DVD horror picture From Within, which starred Elizabeth Rice, who reoccurs as Roger Sterling's daughter on Mad Men.

There isn't much to say about this one. Although it warms the heart to see that Guy Ritchie went with a somewhat unknown actor rather than cast whatever star would say 'yes'. I enjoyed the first Sherlock Holmes, finding it to be a messy and flawed, but genuinely engaging character-study/detective film. There is plenty of room for improvement, this is a step in the right direction.

Scott Mendelson