Sometimes, it's important to keep a project shrouded in secrecy, building anticipation by showing very little. Star Wars: The Force Awakens didn't reveal its final, full-length trailer until two months before the sequel will hit theaters, and, even then, it only gives a very vague sense as to the plot of the movie. And, then, sometimes it's better to give your audience exactly what they want — and, in the case of the Pride And Prejudice And Zombies trailer, that's plenty of shots of well-dressed young women kicking undead butt. The first teaser for the romance/action mashup may have only debuted two weeks ago, but the studio has already dropped a full-length trailer, packed with even more pride, even more prejudice, and even more zombies.
The trailer opens with a one-minute prologue that truly lays out the scale of the film in a way that the teaser couldn't. We learn that the zombie apocalypse was started by the Black Plague, that it's already been going on for some time (weeks? months? years?), and that our protagonist are some of the few humans left alive. We learn this through sweeping vistas of London on fire and scenes where armies of soldiers battle against hordes of the undead.
Once that world-building exposition is out of the way, we can get into the truly feminist stuff. Like...
1. This Slo-Mo Walk
Lily James' protagonist Elizabeth Bennet narrates the trailer, telling us that she and her family "have only one way left to survive: we must bring the fight to them." The Bennet sisters are no shrinking violets; they're armed and ready to kick some zombie ass.
2. Tywin Lannister Is A Proud Papa
Never thought I'd see the day that Tywin Lannister had kind words to spare for anyone. And yet, here's actor Charles Dances praising his daughters not for their "wifeliness," but for their general badassery. "My daughters are trained for battle, sir. Not the kitchen," he reprimands a suitor.
3. This Getting-Ready Montage
A woman doesn't have to discard her femininity in order to be a feminist action hero. The Bennet sisters prove that with this montage, where they complement their silk and lace with daggers and katanas. A voiceover informs us that women in this fictional era are expected to "have a thorough knowledge of singing, dancing... and the art of war."
4. The Definition Of Mr. Right
Elizabeth Bennet isn't waiting for some knight in shining armor to come sweep her off her feet. Her definition of Mr. Right isn't someone who would make her "relinquish [her] sword for a ring." "For the right man, you would," a friend insists. "The right man wouldn't ask me to," she responds. Boom! *mic drop*
5. This Roundhouse Kick
Because it just looks so damn cool. Chuck Norris who?
6. We All Fall Down
I also like how, even though they're good at fighting, the women aren't being portrayed as perfect. They're still learning to navigate their way through a world overrun by the walking dead. Occasionally, that means getting knocked off your horse by the recoil of your giant pistol. It happens to the best of us.
7. This Take-Down
"Born to be wild," the soundtrack croons as Elizabeth subdues this hulking foe, no help needed.
8. Cersei Lannister Makes A Cameo
Oh, snap! Actress Lena Headey makes a surprise appearance in the trailer's final moments — sporting a fashionable eyepatch, to boot! — to inform Elizabeth that, "I do not know which I admire more: your skill as a warrior, or your resolve as a woman." Both those traits seem pretty admirable, based on this trailer.
9. Darcy In Distress
The trailer ends with a welcome subversion of the damsel in distress trope, as Elizabeth saves Mr. Darcy from a zombie attack. Yes. After Imperator Furiosa spent pretty much the entire runtime of Mad Max: Fury Road rescuing the titular male character, it's great to see this trend continue.
We may still have to wait until February to see the finished product in all its bloody glory, but at least they didn't make us wait to see how badass and feminist this gonzo action movie is going to be. Watch the trailer below.
Images: Screen Gems; MovieclipsTrailers/YouTube (9)
