Preview Review

Only been to a couple movies over the past couple weeks. I found myself admiring "The Informant" more than enjoying it. Not that I didn't enjoy it at all, just that I couldn't quite get into it as much I wanted to. The slow reveal of Matt Damon's character's, uh, issues was unique and fun. But the whole thing just needed a bit more suspense or a danger element or something. Some kinda jolt. Also, the whole stylized thing was confusing. What year was it supposed to be? Soundtrack and credits and whatnot said 70's, some of the style felt 80's, plot was in the 90's. I don't know. I guess it was on purpose. It was probably clever. I just wasn't in on it.

It was obviously much better than Bruce Willis's latest, "Surrogates", which was just kind of run of the mill terrible. Although the whole thing about having a son who passed away, first hinted at with a lingering shot of Bruce staring wistfully at a child's baseball glove, was a little extra terrible. Really? You're really going there? I will say, as a positive, that I kinda bought Bruce in his role more than I normally do. He didn't wisecrack/smirk his way through the thing. Instead of being Bruce Willis, it was more like he was, I don't know, an actor.

But anyway, the main reason to go to the movies of course is to see the previews. So without further ado, I bring you my first ever Preview Review.

Each trailer gets two scores (both out of 10). The "Reveal" score is how much of the movie the trailer gives away. The "Upside" score is how good the movie looks like it's going to be.

2012 -- People just can't get enough of disaster movies. We are long past the point of a burning hotel or a sinking ship. In 2012 the whole world just ends. Of course, it's almost entirely about the special effects, while John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and some cute kids try to give you somebody to care about (so you're not just cheering for more shit to blow up). The effects do look amazing, and the movie does look completely ridiculous, which is basically what you want out of something like this. Right? REVEAL SCORE: 7. Not that much of the plot is given away, but there are so many of the special effects money shots in the trailer that you could probably just watch it on a loop and save yourself the ticket price. UPSIDE SCORE: 6. Looks like a pretty bad movie, but a fun bad movie.

OLD DOGS -- Just wow. REVEAL SCORE: 9. If this movie has even one good laugh I'll have to downgrade the reveal score, cause the trailer sure makes it look like there is nary a one. UPSIDE SCORE: 1. If you think Seth Green taking a golf ball in the nuts is hilarious, than by all means check it out. Though I don't know why you wouldn't just stay home and watch American's Funniest Home Videos.

DAYBREAKERS -- A vampire movie with a twist (the vampires are the majority). The trailer makes the movie look quite stylized, but also like that style might be it's chief selling point. REVEAL: 7. Didn't really give away that much, but you kinda you can fill in the blanks on the untold plot points. UPSIDE: 7. Don't get me wrong. Definitely could be terrible. But for some reason I think this looks promising.

THE BLIND SIDE -- Sandra Bullock in what surely should have been a TV movie, about an upscale white family 'adopting' an oversized, ostracized, extremely disadvantaged black teenager. REVEAL: 9. If you see the trailer, you see the movie. UPSIDE: 7. Would like to score it lower, but I have to admit that judging by the trailer (which is the point of this exercise) it's look like it's powerful and well-done (to go with obvious).

HOLMES -- How did Robert Downey go so quickly from begging for work as an "Ally McBeal" guest star to basically the hottest thing going? I guess everybody loves a comeback. He's pretty good, but it doesn't feel his resurgence is all on merit. REVEAL: 2. It's a great trailer in this regard, telling you everything you need to know about the movie's vibe and almost nothing significant about it's plot. UPSIDE: 6. This one I would have liked to scored higher. You can't like Hollywood Movies and not want this thing to be kick ass. But judging by the trailer, it just looks kind of middling. Hope that impression's wrong!