‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Does Trailers Right [Video]

Trailers have been changing shape over the last year or so. Even the Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes trailer had a pre-trailer teaser out a few days ago. Really though, a good trailer should be like a mood board for a film, establishing the world we’re about to enter without giving away every plot point. With this short introduction, Dawn gets that right.

I’d say that Godzilla just got that right a few days ago. I have a feeling a lot of big blockbuster movies will get it right in the coming months. We’re tired of seeing every plot point in the trailer. We want to get a sense that things are going to happen, but not necessarily what those things are or in what order they might occur. As a writer and avid film nerd, my brain is always trying to assemble plot points into a narrative so the more you give me, the more predictable your entire film becomes.

On a note more specific to the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes trailer, I’m very happy to see Caesar again. This movie’s predecessor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes surprised me with how good it was. With a new butt in the director’s seat, let’s hope this sequel can do the same.