Today they released a brand new trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse.
For the last few months I keep wondering why I haven’t been that excited for the new film. What is it that made me feel sorta luke warm on the movie. I haven’t written it off yet but it’s pretty clear that the anticipation for this new installment isn’t as big as the other films in this franchise.
I couldn’t quiet pinpoint what the issue was until I did my second viewing of Deadpool. Deadpool’s trailers worked on me, and while I know that both Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse are very different movies, it started to hit me the one element that the X-Men trailers needed that the Deadpool trailers did have.
Showcase characters.
Yes, the Deadpool trailers had the great DMX song in them and the dirty jokes, but the trailers did a great job on selling the CHARACTER of Deadpool.
That’s what the X-Men: Apocalypse trailers are missing for me.
All the trailers are so busy showing off destruction and trying to sell how EPIC the movie is, it’s actually making the film feel more generic. Buildings blowing up? Epic yelling? Every X-Men: Apocalypse trailer has had a massive “been there done that” feel to them.
Why not showcase the newly cast Jean Grey, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Storm, Angel and Psylocke? Why not show off the fact the film is set in the ’80s? Why not see our characters interacting? Why not throw some humor in there?
This reminds me of the Independence Day: Resurgence trailers. They are too busy being serious in these trailers. It’s like when Will Smith decided to not come back he took the humor of the first film with him.
Take a look at the Captain America: Civil War trailers? Yes, they showcase action, destruction and mayhem, but there is just enough character moments and humor to show that the film will be more then that.
Now it’s possible that the film might not have enough of these elements in the movie itself and that this is all they can muster for the trailer…but I highly doubt that. Even with this films storyline being so dark, I don’t think the movie will be THAT dour. Hell, they even found a moment of levity to include in the mostly dark Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice trailers, surely they have a good comedic beat to showcase here.
In the end, this is just a trailer. Here’s hoping the movie is actually better than this. Like I said, I haven’t lost hope yet.
Oh, and Fox….if the folks who edited this trailer also did the ID4:R trailers…you might wanna consider hiring another company.
X-Men: Apocalypse is in theaters May 26, 2016.