“Water for Elephants” Movie Trailer Review

“Water for Elephants”

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

Robert Pattinson once again steps outside of his familiar “Twilight” territory in the upcoming “Water for Elephants,” based on the novel of the same name, and if the trailer is any indication, there’s a good chance that this role might just start to bring him the recognition he wants. We won’t jump the gun and call him a major talent just yet—some of those line readings in “Twilight” were nothing short of embarrassing—but like Leonardo DiCaprio before him, Pattinson has already acquired teen idol status and now wants to try something a little more challenging.

By the looks of the trailer, he may have found it.

“Water for Elephants” doesn’t have an iconic, respected director behind it--it’s being helmed by Francis Lawrence, who proved he’s got something resembling talent with “I Am Legend” but hasn’t made a name for himself yet. However, it does come equipped with a respectable cast. Reese Witherspoon plays Pattinson’s love interest, Christoph Waltz once again steps up as the villain, and Hal Holbrook portrays the same character as Pattinson, albeit at an older age.

Promising.

The look of the film seems to mix the glamour that we like to believe old-school circuses once had (when in reality, they were probably a lot less alluring) with basic Hollywood nostalgia--a lot of gold and dust-streaked tints. Nothing we haven’t seen before, but it usually works for these types of films.

With a fairly successful but unknown director and a skilled cast save for a yet unproven lead, this looks like it’ll be on of those early year gems that please audiences, score generally favorable reviews, but don’t get much attention come awards season. It will be 2011’s “October Sky.”

Still, with the country dragging itself out of a recession, maybe this Depression-set drama will draw in audiences who respond to the subject matter. We can at least count on teenage girls seeking out Robert Pattinson.

"Water for Elephants" opens April 15, 2011.

Below is the trailer. What are you thoughts?