Larry Crowne Directed by: Tom Hanks Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston Rating: PG-13 Release Date: July 1, 2011
TRAILER SCORE: 4/10
Thoughts by TSR: It's rare that I start disliking a trailer within five seconds. In fact, that might be a recorder, but from the moment I heard those opening chords to Train's "Hey Soul Sister" I could tell Hanks and I weren't on the same page. What followed didn't inspire much confidence either. It wasn't long before I was convinced Hanks is suffering the same mid-life crisis that his character Larry Crowne is supposed to be suffering from. Some call that acting, but to me, it's just desperation.
Likewise, I'm pretty sure Crowne is supposed to be considered charming, but he just kinda bums me out. I mean, here we have a grown man who's pretty much the textbook definition of pathetic, and we're celebrating him with a movie? It's not even the menial jobs or the desperate need to be liked, but if a character reads like he's got no self-respect in a two and a half minute trailer, I don't like those odds for spending an entire movie with him.
But I'm willing to admit it might be more than that. I must be one of the only people who seems to be immune to Hanks' charms, because his whole "misguided youth in a grown-up body" thing is just a tired movie plot these days. Honestly, the main thing I got from this trailer was the desire for the power to blacklist Hanks from making movies, or the uncontrollable urge to watch "Community." I figure this movie and that show are pretty similar experiences, except Community actually makes me laugh.