Emperor Directed by: Peter Webber Starring: Matthew Fox, Tommy Lee Jones, Eriko Hatsune Rating: PG-13 Release Date: March 8, 2013
Trailer Score: 6/10
Thoughts by TSR: Is there still time to reshoot this so it's entirely made up of Tommy Lee Jones smoking a corncob pipe? All of the best moments in this trailer are directly focused on Jones, whereas all the stuff with Matthew Fox pales in comparison. It's not really Fox's fault. I can think of few things that compare to Tommy Lee Jones gnawing on a corncob pipe while wearing aviators. Emperor provides us that satisfaction at least one time, so no matter what, we’ll always have something to look back on fondly.
Jones was born to deliver dialogue such as, “Let’s show them some good, old fashioned American swagger,” and he naturally sounds great doing it. I also love the way he says the trailer’s final lines, “I’ve never met an emperor before, much less a god. What the hell do you say to a god?” So, if nothing else we’ll get another stellar performance from Jones (following a 2012 that featured outstanding performances in Lincoln and Hope Springs). Sadly, it doesn't seem like Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur and his corncob pipe is the star of this film (except in my heart). The Matthew Fox side of things failed to make any impression whatsoever, unfortunately. His investigation doesn’t look particularly compelling, nor does what I assume is a romance with the striking Eriko Hatsune.
I’m no history buff, so this story doesn’t get me very excited. Maybe I’ll give it a chance after it leaves theaters. Or maybe just watching the trailer and relishing the Tommy Lee Jones parts will be enough.