HEREAFTER |

YES:

Clint Eastwood has a solid track record. Matt Damon is great. What could possibly go wrong?
The first half of this trailer is pretty interesting. It’s an original story but it’s also timely. Most people probably remember “biggest douche in the universe” John Edward and his show Crossing Over. The idea of having Damon be a retired psychic (who is for real) who people still seek to help them with their problems has me thinking about what else can happen. This is a good thing.
Always a fan of the Eastwood font, even the cheesy music works. I also enjoy that the word “Hereafter” is narrated for some reason.

Everything in this trailer is going pretty well until we hit the just past the midway point and Matt Damon decides to say “It’s not a gift, Billy. It’s a curse.” A line so cringe-inducingly bad it sent chills up my spine. A potentially great movie wiped out in an instant.
And just in case that line wasn’t over-the-top enough, it’s immediately followed by a clip of what appears to be the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. Visually it looks amazing, but I have no idea why we’re witnessing this. All of a sudden the trailer has been transformed from a quaint, personal story about a psychic to a uber-dramatic megastory about death, using as many tired, cliched words and scenes as possible:

“Each of us wonders: what awaits us after life? Can we reach those who have gone?”
Things have now become so over-the-top and ridiculous, the film has lost about 75% of its credibility and intrigue. But they haven’t even hit us with the death blow yet!
“If you’re worried about being on your own, don’t be……. you’re not.”
That absolutely atrocious line sandwiched in between those two shots of Damon completely blew me away. Whether or not the film itself turns out to be good, this trailer would be more appropriate running before “Tropic Thunder” than it would in actual movie theaters. It’s a joke.