Barbie Trailer is Brilliant

When the Barbie movie was first announced years ago I thought it could be interesting. I wasn’t sold on Amy Schumer being the lead. It feels like that version of the film was going to be more about her not looking as slim as the other models and doing her typical schtick. We saw this movie from her already in I Feel Pretty. It’s not to say they needed a slim actress in the role, but they needed a better in for the film that is self deprecating without hitting the same boring notes that all of those types of films hit. A few years went by and Amy Schumer dropped out due to creative direction. My interest in the Barbie movie went from meh to must see when Greta Gerwig was attached to write and direct.

Greta Gerwig has been nominated for an Oscar for her screenplay in her last two films Lady Bird, and Little Women. She also directed the lead actress and supporting actress to Oscar nominations. Greta Gerwig is the modern Sofia Coppola. Even if Amy Schumer was still attached I’m sure Greta would have steered the film perfectly. The movie even feels like it has been cast perfectly with Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling in the leads as the most iconic dolls globally. With all the important pieces in place this movie should at least be successful.

The latest teaser trailer showed us this movie is going to be a mega hit.

The first teaser trailer didn’t give too much. It did give a hint of how smart this movie was going to be even though it is a Barbie movie. By parodying it to the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey there was clear intent that this was more than a cash grab. With the latest trailer we see just how well thought out the comedy is as it opens with Barbie stepping out of her high heels and still counting the Barbie doll arch in her feet. There’s some great wordplay that feels as though it’s coming from her time on Lady Bird.

These two teasers have given us a lot of tastes of the movie. We still don’t know what the story is about, apart from them trying to leave to the real world. They may not even leave the Barbie world and on their journey out it could be like Pleasantville where it just infinitely loops around without exit. The Barbie movie is going to make a lot of money worldwide. This is a property that our grandmothers were playing with as tikes. I wouldn’t think it will hit a billion dollars, but never say never.

What’s your excitement for the Barbie movie?

Robert Ring

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Batman V Superman, and Suicide Squad Trailers

Just when I’m starting to get tired of comic book films we get the trailers for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. DC’s darker tones have begun to renew my interest in comic book property films. Ben Affleck as Batman is the part I’m most looking forward to. I mean he is an incredible actor and storyteller with an oscar for writing on Good Will Hunting and his direction in Argo won him Best Picture in 2012. Now we’re hearing he will be directing a stand alone Batman film too. This trailer for Batman V Superman looks badass, and this Bruce Wayne is full of rage. We also see Robin’s suit with bullet holes, so is he dead? Apart from not loving the film’s director Zack Snyder, I’m still not sold on Wonder Woman and I hope Doomsday is not in this film. Overall this is a great trailer.


Suicide Squad is a property that not many people, including myself know much about. The characters are all bad and are mostly unknown villains to the general public, so while we love the two characters going into battle in Batman V Superman we need to be given ample amount of back story on each of these characters. The tone looks great and believably from the same universe as Batman V Superman, while the Joker played by Jared Leto is tracing more of the iconic comic book style of his character. Batman is seen in this trailer as well and maybe he is getting revenge on the Joker for Robin, if he is in fact dead.


These trailers have made me excited and if I’m not mistaken the two films are only four months apart with a release for Batman V Superman in March 2016 and Suicide Squad in August 2016. Get excited!

Robert Ring

Goosebumps Trailer Released!

Goosebumps was a horror series of books, and one of the many highlights of being a 90’s kid. It wasn’t just a few books in a series either, but a new book that was released every month over six years in the original run.  You would consume them over an afternoon and then talk about them with your school friends the next day. As a child you were totally creeped out by these stories you brought to life in your imagination and for many of us including myself they were the first real books you learnt to read on your own.

The trailer is surprisingly better than expected. It works on the premise that the author R.L. Stine, played by Jack Black has written the books to keep the monsters locked up within manuscripts. This appears to have been working fine until the neighbour takes an interest in his daughter and  investigates the author’s house where he accidentally unlocks all the monsters within the Goosebumps universe. There has been plenty of new Goosebumps books written since the original run, however they seem to have opted for the original favourites. This trailer is full of nostalgia for the original books we grew up with and from the trailer I already see A Shocker on Shock Street, Night of the Living Dummy, Monster Blood and many more.

Goosebumps looks like it will be a fun family outing with a Jumanji feeling to it. It looks like the original fans of the books will take their own children to relive the magic. Goosebumps has an October 2015 release date in the USA and a December 2015 release date for Australia.

Does the Goosebumps trailer fill you with nostalgia?

Robert Ring

Creed Trailer Released!

This year I dived into the Rocky franchise and watched all six films. It is one of the oldest film franchises ever made and I think it might be the longest running franchise with the same cast of characters. There is 39 years between Rocky (1976), and Creed (2015) at the end of this year. Creed is technically a spin off, but one where the character of Rocky takes the backseat as coach to Apollo Creed’s son. Well today the trailer for Creed hit the web and I’ve attached it below. It is everything we could want from a spin off of one of the finest movies, and it brings the journey full circle as Rocky’s own coach taught him.

Additionally here are my thoughts on the six Rocky movies, and if you are a newcomer I would say watch all but Rocky V.

Rocky (1976)
Rocky Balboa fights Apollo Creed – 4/5

Rocky II (1979)
Rocky Balboa fights Apollo Creed (Again) – 3/5

Rocky III (1982)
Apollo Creed trains Rocky to defeat Mr T – 3/5

Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky fights to avenge the death of Apollo Creed – 3/5

Rocky V (1990)
Rocky loses his money and turns to coaching – 2/5

Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rocky wants to fight one last time, sums up the legacy of Rocky and makes up for Rocky V – 3/5

Creed could be as good as the original Rocky, if not better with a great director in Ryan Cooglar and Michael B. Jordan in the title role. The baton will be passed and a new franchise may fill our cinemas for years to come.

Robert Ring