Chris Hemsworth kicks ass in first trailer for Michael Mann’s Blackhat

Michael Mann is one director who always ellicits excitement every time he has a new project. Since embracing digital cameras when filming COLLATERAL and MIAMI VICE, Mann has been turning in a wide array of projects, all of which have been top notch. But, it has been six years since his last film, PUBLIC ENEMIES, and we have been all waiting for what comes next. Now, we have the first look at his next movie, BLACKHAT.

Starring Chris Hemsworth (doing an impressive American accent) as a hacker brought out of prison to bring down a cyber terrorist, BLACKHAT looks like it has the immediacy of COLLATERAL, the action of HEAT, and the political subtext of THE INSIDER. Combine those all together and you have the makings of a damn fine movie.

This is a trailer that took my by surprise. I always expect great things from Michael Mann, but this looks awesome. Even the CGI shots inside of computers and wires, something that typically looks cheesy as a stand-in for how the Internet works, looks good here. There are some great shots that I cannot wait to see on a big screen, not to mention the cast that also features Viola Davis, Holt McCallany, Tang Wei, William Mapother and Leehom Wang. This could be a nice breath of fresh air in an otherwise dead month of movie releases.

BLACKHAT is set for release on January 16, 2015.