Logan Lucky‘s Trailer is More Fun Than Most Movies

Our First Look at Logan Lucky Suggests a Madcap Heist Comedy with One of the Most Unusual Casts this Year

 

The trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s new movie, Logan Lucky, was released a few days ago. I can’t stop watching it, the same way you might be compelled to gaze endlessly at a kaleidoscopic pattern, or a gorgeous swirling eddy. Or, y’know, a gif of some guy copping a blunt object to the crotch. It’s such a full blown, unhinged and incomparably striking trailer that it inspires this sort of reaction, and a similar inability to quantify it. This is either a thing of beauty or a quick, crude chuckle, a masterpiece or a fuckin’ trainwreck, and I honestly couldn’t be more excited to find out which it is.

As mentioned, this is a film directed by Steven Soderbergh, a former independent filmmaker who rose through the ranks to become one of the defining American visionaries of the last two decades. He has movies as varied as the Ocean’s series, Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Magic Mike under his belt. So, he can do heist films, incur great performances, get deep and, in the case of the latter, get balls deep. That’s basically everything Logan Lucky looks like it requires, so it’s plenty encouraging to know that there are such steady hands at the reigns.

What’s got me most excited, though, is the ridiculous, perhaps even inspired cast Soderbergh has assembled to make this picture. It’s almost like he was at some notable Hollywood gathering and just started throwing darts. Yeah, there’s the mainstay Channing Tatum, who’s been in three of Soderbergh’s most recent films (which, it must be said, has gone a long way towards solidifying him as a serious and capable actor). Then there’s Adam Driver, staple of Girls and pouty leader of the First Order. Ok, not that weird, I guess… Also, Family Guy creator and voice star Seth MacFarlane’s here, and he’s dressed like Michael Jackson with a moustache, which is … not… normal. Oh, hey and look, Katie Holmes and Hilary Swank made it, and they brought Mad Max‘s Riley Keough who’s also Elvis’ grandkid, ’cause why the fuck not at this point? Yeah, that’s definitely the strangest this trailer wi–.

Holy Jesus, is that Daniel fucking Craig?! And, no less, as a southern ne’er-do-well named Joe Bang(!) who’s tanked-up, crop-haired and stretching out his pronunciations just to make us squeal like sweltering fan girls? Yup. That’s the movie we’re getting. James Bond’s in prison, Magic Mike’s got a paunch that Peter Griffin traded for a ‘stache, Elvis’ granddaughter and Tom Cruise’s exwife ain’t takin’ shit and Kylo Ren… well, he don’t talk much, but that’s probably for the best.

Beyond all that, there’s a breakneck pace, gleeful spirit and bevvy of non sequiturs here (“All the Twitters, I know ’em!”) which guarantees that, if nothing else, Logan Lucky has no chance of being boring. Worst case scenario, it could be the most entertaining piece of shit ever made. But let’s hope for better, shall we?