“Bigger, badder, and more badass” is the mantra for two action-packed, post-converted 3D blockbuster sequels due to hit theaters in the first quarter of 2012 – namely, the superhero comic book movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and the mythological fantasy adventure, Wrath of the Titans. Both of these flicks are also followups to films that did great business at the box office, despite being almost universally derided critically.
Today, we have a handful of new TV spots for both titles, available for you viewing pleasure – and to help you decide whether or not they look to pack enough genuine gritty bang for your hard-earned buck.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Crank filmmaking team Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor took over directorial duties from Ghost Rider helmer Mark Steven Johnson on the sequel, which picks up with Nicolas Cage’s jelly bean-poppin’ stunt motorcyclist, Johnny Blaze, several years after the first installment. Johnny now lives in self-imposed exile in the remote regions of Eastern Europe, struggling to rid himself of the curse that transforms him into the demon entity known as the Ghost Rider.
A chance to do just that presents itself when the warrior monk Moreau (Idris Elba) approaches Johnny with a new mission: save the young boy Danny Ketch (Fergus Riordan) from becoming the new human conduit for The Devil (Ciarán Hinds) and protect him from the evil one’s henchmen, including the ghoulish Blackout (Johnny Whitworth).
Check out three new TV spots for Spirit of Vengeance below:
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Judging by these new TV spots – along with the previous trailers and featurettes for Spirit of Vengeance – the film will deliver tons of crazy stunts, furious action sequences, and down n’ dirty set pieces alike. However, as far as captivating plot twists and character arcs are concerned, this sequel is already said to be as generic and bland as superhero movies come. Still, even though it sounds as though screenwriters Scott M. Gimple (The Walking Dead), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), and Seth Hoffman (Prison Break) have failed to elevate Neveldine/Taylor’s latest joint effort above the level of mindless entertainment, there’s still the slight chance that we’ll get to see some clever developments in the Ghost Rider mythos this time around… maybe.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance rides into 2D and 3D theaters in the U.S. on February 17th, 2012.
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Wrath of the Titans
The sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans remake picks up with a 10-years-older Perseus (Sam Worthington), who now makes his living as a fisherman and cares for his young son, Helius. The mortal son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) is forced to once again become humankind’s savior, when the treacherous Hades (Ralph Fiennes) conspires to drain away Zeus’ godly powers, leaving him imprisoned in the underworld – while the newly-freed Titans unleash hell on Earth. Joining Perseus on his quest to save the world this time around are the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son Argenor (Toby Kebbell) and the fallen god of metallurgy, Hephaestus (Bill Nighy).
Have a look at the first two TV spots for Wrath of the Titans below:
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Director Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) appears to have done a good job of upping the stakes in the Titans sequel, while also mixing in some snazzy CGI monsters with more unpolished, but impressively massive set pieces. However, it remains to be seen if screenwriters Dan Mazeau, David Johnson (Orphan, Red Riding Hood) and Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern, Everwood) have likewise managed to devise a decent script – given that their collective mixed resume doesn’t inspire loads of confidence – or if Worthington actually follows through on his promise to deliver a more engaging performance, this time around.
Wrath of the Titans is slated to hit 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D theaters in the U.S. on March 30th, 2012.
