Scarlett Johansson is starring in a new sci-fi /action thriller called “Lucy,” directed by Luc Besson.
The video clip above is a sort of trailer, but not in the traditional Hollywood trailer style. The distributors, Universal, have advanced the launch date by 2 weeks to July 25 as a demonstration of confidence, according to Forbes, and this 60 second TV commercial is the first marketing shot to promote the movie.
Creating movie trailers is an art, but there has been much criticism that they often give a totally false impression of the film by clever scene selection and editing. Frequently, they are their own “spoiler,” meaning they give away too much of the plot, and sometimes, even the ending.
This Scarlett Johansson promo, on the other hand, provides just enough material to whet the appetite and give an impression of the feel of the film, but without giving too much away. In the space of one minute, we see that Lucy — played by Johansson — has a bag of drugs forced into her stomach. The pills then give her special powers. The quick flashes of special effects sequences, coupled with a voice-over from Morgan Freeman’s instantly recognizable mellifluous tones, explain that the drugs enable Lucy to rapidly increase her brain power.
There is little actual detail, but what there is is sufficient to give a sense of how the film will look and how it moves. Those used to the usual two-and-a-half minute trailer might feel disappointed, but the fact is that often the trailer is so much better than the film itself, since it contains all the “best bits.” Frequently, viewing the movie in it’s entirety is actually an anti-climax.
On the other hand, some of us can never get enough of seeing Scarlett Johansson in almost any situation, so the few seconds of the video-clip only leaves us wanting more!
Universal obviously has to carefully weigh up how it will promote and market Scarlett Johansson as a female action figure, understanding that this is one of those stories requiring a substantial suspension of belief on the part of the moviegoer.