The Beaver Directed by: Jodie Foster Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin Rating: PG-13 Release Date: February 11, 2011
TRAILER SCORE: 5/10
MY THOUGHTS: This one was a tough one for me. It seems like everybody has it in for Mel Gibson (and I won't pretend that I'm any different) and I was never a huge Jodie Foster fan (once again, her politics got in the way of me actually liking her) so this is a desperate attempt for me to think outside myself and leave my dislike of both behind with this trailer review.
The good news is that both Gibson and Foster look tolerable in this movie. The bad news? The movie itself doesn't look that tolerable. The basic premise, especially in these uncertain economic times, had the ability to be a poignant commentary on the state of things and the mental and emotional toll it is taking on one man. Instead, it seems to use this profound revelation of a beaver puppet for him to fix his family life. I'm sorry, but I can't help but read a little bit of a political slant there. But even ignoring that, even the trailer uses music to make the audience "feel" more than anything else. There are a few moments that seem emotionally sincere (Yelchin tends to be a driving force in these few clips) but not enough to pay off.
The Beaver had the potential to be something great, but unfortunately something doesn't translate, at least not in this trailer. Gibson's character does seem psychologically disturbed, but of course that interferes with his redemption so the idea is quickly dismissed. If the trailer is any indication, that seems to be this movie's treatment of most ideas of merit.