First trailer for new Steven Spielberg film ‘War Horse’

“War Horse” the novel

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

It’s been a long two years since Steven Spielberg has graced the big screen with a new film – so, to make up for lost time, he has two in store for the end of the year.

First up is Spielberg’s 3-D motion-capture film, “The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn.” The film is based on an obscure, little-known (at least on these shores) comic book hero, Tintin.

I, however, am more interested in “War Horse” – Spielberg’s first live-action film since “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” the dreadful 2008 film that attempted to revive the Indiana Jones franchise.

It’s difficult to make consistently great films every time out of the gate. And even though Spielberg has amassed an impressive filmography, he also has released the occasional dud such as “Always” (1989), “Hook” (1991) and “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997).

I have high hopes for “War Horse,” which is based on a 1982 children’s novel set during World War I and the award-winning 2007 stage adaptation. Dreamworks, Spielberg’s film company, has finally released a trailer – and it looks promising.

Next up for Spielberg after this: “Lincoln,” his long-planned bio picture of Abraham Lincoln featuring an impressive cast that includes Daniel Day-Lewis as the president, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln.

For now, though, I have my sights set on “War Horse” – one of the few films I am eager to see during the upcoming awards-season. Here is the official theatrical trailer:

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