"Cowboys & Aliens" Teaser Trailer

Universal Pictures has unleashed the teaser trailer for Jon Favreau‘s big screen adaptation of the graphic novel "Cowboys & Aliens". The comic book adaptation crosses the classic Western with the alien-invasion genre, and stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer and Adam Beach.

Official synopsis:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde. It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella, he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents – townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors – all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

"Cowboys & Aliens" is scheduled for release in the US on July 29, 2011.

"Green Lantern" Movie Trailer

Warner Bros has just released the full movie trailer for the big screen adaptation of DC Comics' "Green Lantern". The film is directed by Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, and Tim Robbins.

Official synopsis:

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

"Green Lantern" is scheduled for release in Malaysia on June 16, 2011.

"Karate Girl" Training Video

A training video from the upcoming Japanese martial arts film "Karate Girl" has been released on Youtube. The video shows Rina Takeda and her co-star, Hina Tobimatsu, hard at work.

The film is directed by Yoshikatsu Kimura and is supposed to be a sequel to Rina's big screen debut, "High Kick Girl!".

"Karate Girl" will be released in Japan on February 5, 2011.

"Battle: Los Angeles" International Teaser Trailer

The teaser trailer for the upcoming science fiction film "Battle: Los Angeles" is now available online.

The film is directed by South African filmmaker Jonathan Liebesman, and stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, and Bridget Moynahan.

"Battle: Los Angeles" is scheduled for release in Malaysia on March 17, 2011.

"Shaolin" Theatrical Trailer

Emperor Motion Pictures has released the theatrical trailer to Benny Chan's upcoming martial arts film "Shaolin" (新少林寺). The film features an all-star cast which includes Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Wu Jing, Fan Bingbing, Xing Yu, Yu Shao Qun, Xiong Xin Xin and Yu Hai. Cory Yuen will serve as the film's action director.

Hou Jie (Andy Lau) is an arrogant warlord who is betrayed by his second-in-command, Cao Man (Nicholas Tse). When his child is killed and his wife (Fan Bing Bing) leaves him, the heartbroken Hou Jie seeks refuge at the Shaolin Temple.

With the assistance of a Shaolin cook (Jackie Chan), Hou Jie becomes enlightened and begins to see things differently. But as the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hou Jie and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a stand against the treacherous warlord Cao Man and his collaborator Suo Xiang Tu (Xiong Xin Xin).

"Shaolin" opens in Malaysia on January 27, 2011.

Third "Tron Legacy" Trailer

The third and presumably final trailer for "Tron Legacy" has been released recently. The latest trailer reveals a large chunk of the plot and the dual personalities portrayed by Jeff Bridges.

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn, looks into his father’s disappearance and is transported into the computer world and embarks on an adventure in which he learns what has happened to his father.

"Tron Legacy" is expected to be released in the U.S. on December 17, 2010.

"The Avengers" Assemble at Comic-Con 2010

Two Saturdays ago, Marvel Studios revealed the line-up of their upcoming superhero team-up film "The Avengers" at the San Diego Comic-Con 2010.

Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) came on stage to introduce Clark Gregg (SHIELD Agent Coulson), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), and Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man).

Then Downey took the mic, and introduced Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton aka Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner aka The Hulk), and the film director Joss Whedon.

Check out the video footage below which was captured by someone in the audience:-

"Thor" is scheduled for release on May 6, 2011 while "Captain America: The First Avenger" is expected to be released on July 22, 2011.

"The Avengers" will assemble and make its way to the theatres on May 4, 2012.

Red Band Trailer for "Machete"

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I am kinda occupied by my day job at the moment. But anyway, here's the new red band trailer for "Machete", an upcoming action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis.

The film will star Danny Trejo in his first lead role as the title character. The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Robert De Niro, Jeff Fahey, Cheryl Chin and Rose McGowan. The film is an expansion of a fake trailer Rodriguez directed for the 2007 film "Grindhouse" and centers around the character of Machete Cortez.

"Machete" will be released in the US on September 3, 2010.

Second Trailer for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World"

Here's the second trailer for the upcoming film "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World", which is based on the comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

The upcoming film and is directed by Edgar Wright and stars Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Alison Pill, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Satya Bhabha and Mark Webber.

The movie is about Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a slacker who is living in Toronto and plays bass guitar in the band "Sex Bob-Omb." He falls in love with American delivery girl Ramona V. Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to date her.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is scheduled for release in the U.S. on August 13, 2010.

"Bodyguards and Assassins" Movie Review

Director: Teddy Chan Tak-Sum
Cast: Wang Xueqi, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Hu Jun, Nicholas Tse, Wang Bo-Chieh, Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Li Yuchun, Mengke Bateer, Fan Bing-Bing, Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, Zhou Yun, Cung Le

"Bodyguards and Assassins" tells a fictional account of an assassination attempt on Chinese revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat-sen when he visited Hong Kong on October 1905 and the efforts of a group of "bodyguards" to protect him.

In order to enjoy this film, you'll need to set yourself the proper expectation first. The film was marketed as a martial arts/action movie with Donnie Yen as the lead actor, which is a little misleading. Actually, very little action happens in the first hour and all the fight scenes/action sequences seen in the trailer only occurs in the second half of the film. In addition, Donnie Yen is not the main actor in this film but instead, part of an ensemble cast.

The first half of the film focuses on introducing the main characters and their motivations for protecting Dr. Sun Yat-sen during his visit to Hong Kong. Each cast members delivers solid performance, especially Hu Jun who plays the Xiao-Guo, the head assassin and Nicholas Tse who plays Ah-Si, the rickshaw puller. The film does take its time to set up the stage for the big finale in the second hour when all hell breaks loose.

Overall, "Bodyguards and Assassins" is more of an political drama than an action film and may disappoint those who are expecting Donnie Yen to single-handedly wipe out the bad guys. With the proper expectations, this film is quite enjoyable thanks to its solid direction and ensemble cast.

Score: 8/10