Two new trailers have arrived on the net in the last couple of days. We finally get extended glimpses at Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, which looks like it will be distributed by Touchstone after all (there were rumors after that pesky little DUI mishap) and Eragon, the latest sword-and-sorcery epic from 20th Century Fox.
I must say, I was intrigued right from the start about Apocalypto. The concept I thought was absolutely audacious, and say what you will about our boy Mel, he is probably the only director crazy enough to pull it off, especially when he looks at me with those wild "mug shot" eyes. Remember the film a few years back, Rapa Nui, with Jason Lee? No, probably not... I don't think very many people saw it. But it was a fantastic adventure film set on Easter Island during the time when its inhabitants were building those statues. This looks similar to that, but on a massively bigger budget, and in a foreign language. Seriously, how can you not be even a little bit curious after this trailer? This is exactly what a movie should do... transport us elsewhere.
And speaking of elsewhere, there is Eragon, based on the popular Inheritance trilogy by Christopher Paolini. While I don't have a chip on my shoulder about dragon movies like SOME people on this site >cough< NINA >cough<, but this particular trailer doesn't necessarily "wow" me, you know? My middle son has read the books, and I've always thought that they were written to capitalize on the popularity of Harry Potter and the resurgent popularity of the Lord of the Rings. After all, Paolini was only 15 when he started righting it in 1998, initially published by his parents. As my ex-mother-in-law liked to say "so what does THAT tell ya?" The movie, at least from the trailer, looks more of the same as well, with obvious nods to the visual aspects of the LOTR and Potter films. Personally, I'm SHOCKED that Jeremy Irons would even attempt to do another Dungeons and Dragons-type movie, and John Malkovich looks utterly bored.
Check 'em out and decide for yourself. Click on the images to go to the exclusive trailers at Apple and AOL MovieFone.
