“Arthur” Movie Trailer Review

“Arthur”

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

Maybe it was the David Bowie songs, maybe it was Russell Brand’s ability to deliver decent comedy lines so skillfully that they sound like brilliant comedy lines, or maybe it was simply good editing, but something about this trailer worked. Sure, it probably didn’t work strongly enough for us to call this movie the next great comedic masterpiece, but given the fairly conventional nature of the plot—and the fact that it’s a remake, anyway—the trailer took what seems like an easily unnecessary film and made it attractive.

The jokes, honestly, aren’t hysterical. The fact that Brand’s character decorates his room with a diorama of the solar system that would be more fitting for a fifth grader isn’t exactly the most clever way of expressing his inability to grow up. Still, it feels like this will be the kind of film that can be enjoyable and entertaining if you go in already assuming that this isn’t the going to be the funniest thing you’ve ever seen in your life. The laughs look like they’ll come more from the work of skilled actors, and less from the sharp writing.

True, the pacing of the trailer is fairly conventional; this could have easily been a promo for the next Adam Sandler comedy. But then again, sometimes the conventional route is the one that works. A few weeks ago, we reviewed the trailer for the upcoming Ewan McGregor film “Beginners.” That trailer also followed a predictable formula, but the film itself may score more acclaim due to its built-in indie cred. Maybe we should accept that “Arthur,” while probably not as insightful as “Beginners,” will possibly be an effective and even moving comedy, even if it is formulaic and mainstream.

View the trailer for "Arthur" below.  Thoughts?