Intergalactic Comics: San Diego Comic Con: Recapping the Released Movie Trailers

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

San Diego Comic Con: Recapping the Released Movie Trailers

By: Mary Rakas

There were a lot of new, exciting reveals at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. From Weta Workshop’s remarkably detailed sculptures to video game announcements, cosplay, and panels, the event provided followers of every pop culture fandom the high-quality entertainment they’ve come to expect. In the movie trailer sect, Marvel and DC both showcased some standout films.

Thor: Ragnarok

For those familiar with Norse Mythology, Ragnarok includes an epic battle in which some of the gods of Asgard, including Odin, Thor, and Loki, will at last meet their deaths. The meeting is a literal one in the trailer. Hela, the goddess of death, descends on Asgard and declares its time over. She plans to destroy it and remake it in her own image.

Thor builds a team, including The Hulk and Loki, to prevent Asgard’s destruction. There looks to be plenty of action in the film. One scene shows Thor channeling lightning through a massive, spire-topped tower. Another one has what appears to be a flock of valkyries flying straight through a rain of arrows to attack the invading army. Meanwhile, the Hulk is locked in a one-on-one battle with an enormous wolf, which we can safely speculate is Fenrir.

Thor: Ragnarok is promising. Besides plenty of action, it has the sarcastic banter between Thor and The Hulk we’ve all come to love. Following a coliseum battle between the two, one which the Hulk is unable to remember, Thor declares he won easily, even though the Hulk knocked him into a wall using one hand.

Justice League

Despite some negative feedback DC has received with recent films, the Justice League trailer was full of suspense. Superman is supposedly dead and Batman has been absent, leaving many to believe the “age of heroes is dead.” Though the villain isn’t actually shown, the world looks dark and apocalyptic, with fires raging and buildings being laid to waste. Through these scenes, a menacing voice claims it will destroy the world like it did the others. The trailer closes with Alfred speaking to an unseen character: “They said you’d come.” Is it Superman, or someone (or something) entirely unexpected?

Another positive aspect is Wonder Woman, who continues to raise the bar with super hero portrayals. She uses her impressive fighting skills to disrupt a potential shooting in one of the first scenes. She also holds fast to her weapons of love and peace to restore hope, encouraging the other heroes to work together to save the world. Wonder Woman brought a fresh take to the super hero genre, and it’s nice to see DC preserving it.

Justice League also shows a wider range of the other heroes’ powers, much more than the teasers we were given in Batman v. Superman. Aquaman summons a towering wave, The Flash streaks off with bolts of lightning in his wake, and Cyborg flies one of Batman’s ships, prompting a potentially humorous conversation between Cyborg and Alfred.

All in all, it looks like DC upped its game. Justice League looks to have a balanced blend of darkness, action, and lighter moments. Additionally, the diverse range of character interactions is sure to provide a unique entertainment feature. After a meeting by the Bat Signal, the heroes disappear so suddenly they leave The Flash behind!

Ready Player One

For me, this was, hands down, the best movie trailer reveal at San Diego Comic Con. The mishmash of epic nerd cultures it contains blew me out of the water. Ready Player One is a delightfully unlooked for wild card that completely stole the show.

The place is Columbus, Ohio, and the year is 2045. The city is immensely crowded, and the virtual reality of the OASIS provides teenager Wade Watts a welcome escape. The artificial world offers wealth to the people who can solve its puzzles, and is jam-packed with sci-fi, fantasy, and video game elements galore. Robots, giant scorpions, and many other creatures are on the scene. For the gamers, there are shooters, ship battles, and motor vehicle races containing thrilling jumps and treacherous hazards that rival F-Zero and Mario Kart.

Warner Brothers’ Ready Player One is an adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel published in 2011. I’ve never read the book, but going by the movie trailer, it’s easy to appreciate the wealth of nerd cultures represented therein. With Steven Spielberg directing and Cline himself contributing to the screenplay, it’s safe to say we’re in for an exciting cinematic adventure. Ready Player One jumped to first place on both my reading list and my watch list.

What did you think of San Diego Comic-Con? Did it live up to expectations or fall short of the hype? Let us know your thoughts on this year’s event!