Yes, a fanboy foreign favorite has been given the American treatment. Will the devoted make it to October? If a red band trailer for Spike Lee‘s Oldboy (how weird it is to type that) acts as a proper indicator of what’s to come, they’ll want to hold on. Though the narrative beats established in this brief marketing exercise will hardly galvanize anyone familiar with a certain Park Chan-wook title, the glimpses are visually sumptuous in their own right, and all the more thrilling for what they suggest.
It’s to someone’s credit — the filmmakers or trailer cutters; hopefully, ultimately, the former — that, even having experienced the South Korean original, I couldn’t decisively guess where this new iteration may head. What’s easily discernible is Josh Brolin‘s fine display of a suitably angered demeanor — the hammer bit, screencapped above, is a prime example of what we’d hope to see — while Sharlto Copley, villainizing the piece, adds some intrigue in donning an unrecognizable accent; as goes without saying, Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Imperioli, and Samuel L. Jackson, by virtue of their presence, also make a fine case. None of us can yet say if the 2013 Oldboy will manage to stand on its own, but the first signs point toward a movie that will work, regardless of source.
Have a look below:
Synopsis:
OLDBOY is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.
Also starring Rami Malek, Lance Reddick, Max Casella, and James Ransone, Oldboy will open on October 25.
How does this first trailer align with early anticipations? Do you see shades of Spike in the footage?