Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

I like Chris Pine, and I want to see him in more stuff, but I don’t have terribly high hopes for this one, possibly because twisty conspiracy is not my favorite flavor of action-thriller or possibly because I just can’t take “Shadow Recruit” very seriously as a title. (On the other hand, I do kind of want to write a short story about a spy agency where people’s shadows are the spies. Hmmm . . .)

This has a decent enough cast — even if I’ve never been a big Kevin Costner fan — but I’m just not feeling this particular trailer. I’ve seen parts of the various Jack Ryan movies, but the only one I’ve watched in full was The Hunt for Red October. I guess I kind of miss when Jack Ryan was kind of a nerd instead of a huge action hero.

I, Frankenstein

Oh, Aaron Eckhart. What are you doing to me? I don’t understand how your career has strayed so far off course — you’re so much better than this.

Well, regardless. This looks, uh. Mockable. I mean, there are . . . flying monster things. (Gargoyles? Fallen angels?) And Aaron Eckhart in a bunch of scar makeup that totally fails to look like he’s made up of different dead people. Also, explosions a’plenty. And Eowyn, Davy Jones, and Sarah Walker from Chuck too. It could be ridiculous B-movie fun, but instead will probably turn out awfully tedious and humorless, like Van Helsing, Snow White and the Huntsman, Clash of the Titans, etc.

Charlie Countryman

This is a weird trailer. Not a bad one, just . . . weird. You start it thinking quirky indie dramedy, then add a splash of weird romance ten seconds later, and then get into . . . crazy action thriller story? Anyway, there seems to be some definite genre bending, which is not actually a complaint. I don’t really have any feelings towards Evan Rachel Wood one way or the other, but I actually do like Shia LeBeouf in most of the things I’ve seen him in . . . even if I resent always having to look up how to spell his last name. Also, Mads Mikkelsen? Never a problem with that. (Oh, and Rupert Grint too. Go, Ron Weasley, go!)

I could maybe rent this at some point, just to see where the hell it goes.

Solo

CAMP COUNSELOR HORROR! Although this one’s a little different — as part of her initiation or something, new camp counselor Gillian has to stay on this island for two days by herself. I . . . don’t really understand why you would have to do something like that unless she’s going to work for, like, a serious wilderness camp survival school or something. Or they just like fucking with the newbies, which is certainly a long-standing tradition with . . . well, everyone. It just seems like a weird company policy, you know? Like, shouldn’t this just be a dare by some of her new co-workers or something?

I initially assumed the whole plot would turn out to be an elaborate prank that ended badly when Gillian actually killed her supposed attacker — but the footage from the trailer seems to make that unlikely, which THANK GOD. Prank horror has never been one of my favorites. This looks enjoyable enough with possibly some fresh updates on old tropes. I could check it out.

And finally . . . Inside Llewyn Davis

The next big thing by the Coen brothers. I know I need to watch more movies by them — or at least, I have to give Fargo a second chance — but I’m not sure about this one. It’s getting all kind of praise, apparently, and it’s got a pretty good cast, and I’m sort of a sucker for these whole existential what-am-I-doing-with-my-life dramadies, but I don’t know. Despite the kind of awesome folksy music and the presence of John Goodman, I just don’t feel a huge desire to see this movie. That doesn’t mean it won’t be good, of course, or that I’d never see it. I’m just sort of “eh” about this particular trailer.