"The Tempest" Movie Trailer Review

"The Tempest"

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

To say the trailer for Julie Taymor’s "The Tempest" is indulgent and insane is an understatement on both parts.  In fact, boasting both flaming dogs and a cross-dressing Russell Brand is as close to the definition of indulgent and insane as you can get. However, in its manic extravagance, "The Tempest" appears to be a completely new look at 400-year-old tale and with Julie Taymor at the helm, it’s sure to be just that.

"The Tempest" follows the story of the exiled and rightful Queen of Milan, Prospera (Helen Mirren), who lures her usurping brother to a remote island to reclaim the crown. This sets off not just a chain reaction between the dueling siblings, but also the island’s other inhabitants, including the monster Caliban (Djimon Hounsou) and an elemental spirit named Ariel (Ben Whishaw).

Taymor thrives on reimagining revered works and "The Tempest" is no exception. This time, instead of Bono singing The Beatles, Taymor turns one of Shakespeare’s most famous sorcerers into a sorceress, giving the well-worn Prospero a fresh perspective. Mirren and her cast mates look up to the challenge of balancing Taymor’s wild imagination with sincerity, but is it enough to set the director’s indulgences free?

While the visual intensity of Taymor’s work undoubtedly excites many audiences, it’s certain to attract just as many skeptics. The otherworldly images and visceral editing divided audiences with her Beatles’ inspired musical, "Across the Universe," and this trailer looks to do the same.

However, it doesn’t seem as though Taymor is concerned with her critics--she cares far more about getting her visuals on the screen and, boy, has she ever. The trailer is full of sound and fury--let’s just hope it signifies something great.

View the trailer below.