Bloodshot Trailer Impressions

After years of waiting and wondering whether Valiant would ever get around to releasing a movie, the first official trailer for Bloodshot is finally here! And does it live up to hype? Yes and no.

First off, I should probably inform you that I am not unfamiliar with the character or the broader Valiant universe. Following the rebooted ‘Summer of Valiant’, I have read all the way up to the spectacular Bloodshot Reborn by Jeff Lemire. As a result, I have experienced a breadth of excellent material from which this movie should be drawing inspiration.

With the man who spearheaded the rebooted Valiant Entertainment in 2012 now helping to bring this film to light as co-producer, it’s safe to say my expectations for Bloodshot have been, and quite frankly still are, extraordinarily high.

Having now seen both the standard and international renditions of the trailer, I undoubtedly have a preference; the international version is far superior. However, they both suffer from some questionable CGI and potentially damaging creative choices.

Before going into this trailer, I was expecting — or should I say wanting — a more refrained and personal take on the property. However, Sony have clearly wanted to step things up for the big screen, with an emphasis on large action set pieces and a concerning lack of subtlety.

I have seen people online complaining that we are yet to see Bloodshot fully realised with the full combination of blood-red eyes and chalky pale skin. While I understand the concern, given the film industry’s reluctance to embrace the more outlandish elements of comic books in the past, I would express patience. Shamdasani himself has confirmed that this is not Vin Diesel’s final appearance. And I trust that, as a fan himself, he would not mislead us like that.

Could Vin's blood red eyes be a sign of things to come? — Credit: Sony Pictures

Furthermore, there is a premise for this choice found within the comics themselves, with Ray perceiving himself still in the form of the man he once was. This image is shattered upon his escape from Project Rising Spirit, interestingly referred to as Rising Spirit Technologies (RST) within the film. So, what I’m trying to say is, wait until later in the promotional campaign before jumping to unfounded conclusions.

Now, I will say that there are many things I do like about the trailer. Particularly, I am excited to see that they have kept in the manipulative circumstances to which they force Ray to kill — using his family as a tool to guide his rage. It is a shame, however, that the PG-13 rating restricts the capacity of director David Wilson to display this in its full bloody glory.

As far as the action goes, I am inclined to give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the flashy CGI sequences, as there does appear to be at least some practical scenes in the film. A tunnel sequence, seen in the trailer, has been lauded continuously by Shamdasani, so I am optimistic to see it fully realised.

Looking at the general plot, thematically there appears to be sufficient consideration and respect given to the character’s routes. The question remains all the same as to whether Vin Diesel and the wider supporting cast have the acting chops to pull off a gripping emotional tale. Bloodshot, while bombastic some of time, does have his more personal moments, and it would be a shame to see this character development go to waste.

Despite my mixed responses to this first look at Bloodshot, as I said, I am still going to reserve my judgement moving forward. Hopefully the film has many more surprises in store for us and it won’t just fizzle out into the massive wave of comic book movies releasing every year. And, who knows, maybe one day we’ll see a full Valiant Cinematic Universe in motion!

Watch the official and international trailers below: