[SDCC TRAILER ROUND-UP] IT CHAPTER 2, JAY & SILENT BOB REBOOT, TOP GUN: MAVERICK AND … OH GOD, NO

San Diego Comic-Con has begun, and it usually brings along with it lots and lots of trailers. Three trailers dropped Thursday, July 18, for movies with varying audiences and levels of anticipation. Of course, the trailer I was most looking forward to dropped as I was writing up this post. So, I’ll take a quick break to watch the first trailer for Tom Hooper’s adaptation of Cats, and I’ll be right back …

Oh, sweet Jesus.

Let’s, uh, let’s get some of these other ones out of the way first.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

So that’s certainly … something. It’s been a long, long time since Kevin Smith has made a movie that I’ve enjoyed, but hopefully there are people out there still craving that Jay and Silent Bob content. This looks like a very meta take on reboots and remakes, literally retracing the steps of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. This is Smith’s first time dipping back into the View Askewniverse since 2006’s Clerks II. I dunno, this didn’t do anything for me at all — and it actually looks like a regression as a director after taking some baby steps with Red State and Tusk — but maybe some people will feel some nostalgia.

Top Gun: Maverick

Speaking of nostalgia!

I don’t have any particular affinity for the original Top Gun. I think it’s perfectly fine, with a few standout moments and performances, but it’s generally a mid- or bottom-tier Tony Scott film. For some reason, though, this trailer really hit me. The flight photography is fantastic (I still don’t really buy the rumors that Tom Cruise learned to fly for this, but maybe) and the tiny glimpses of what Cruise’s character arc might be seem intriguing. At the very least, this trailer shows us that Top Gun: Maverick might be a must-see just to check out director Joseph Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda’s work on the big screen.

It: Chapter Two

I was a big fan of the first It, and this trailer looks like more of the same, which is fine by me. Jessica Chastain looks like she’s gonna anchor the whole thing as the grown up Beverly Marsh, but we also get a glimpse of a creepy set piece involving James McAvoy in a hall of mirrors. Pennywise continues to be as creepy as ever, and I’m glad it looks like Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) is going to have the same role he has in the book after getting kind of short-changed in the first part. I still want to see more from Bill Hader as Richie and James Ransone as Eddie, but this showed me exactly enough to guarantee I’ll be there opening weekend.

Now, take a deep breath.

Prepare yourselves.

Cats