Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn, and Richard Ayoade get comfortable in an early scene from the new science-fiction comedy 'The Watch'

Credit: 20th Century Fox

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There's a new trailer for "The Watch" online today, and it appears to have originated from India. 

So far, the domestic campaign for the film has mainly emphasized a certain attitude, setting up Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade as suburban guys who seem to be taking an unreasonable degree of pleasure from working as part of a neighborhood watch.  In the second trailer, Fox finally revealed the science-fiction elements on the film's premise, but it's still more about attitude than what actually happens.

The international trailer is much more focused in selling the film and the characters.  Ben Stiller is Evan, the guy who is waaaaaaaaaaaaay too involved in community activities, and he's the one who organizes the Neighborhood Watch in the first place.  The other three are all volunteers, and they don't start the film as close friends. 

Vince Vaughn appears to have found a perfect vehicle for his particular brand of motor-mouthed eccentricity as Bob.  Jonah Hill's Franklin is a guy who wanted to join the police department but failed the qualifications in pretty much every way possible.  Ayoade's Jamarcus seems to be hoping that Neighborhood Watch work will lead directly to a letter from Penthouse Forum.  Just knowing that much about the three of them already gives me a better idea of what to expect from the four of them bouncing off of each other.

The first encounter they have with an alien appears to be Stiller hitting it with his car while they're all out on "patrol," and there's sort of an "Attack The Block" thing happening here, only with Will Forte as a local cop, supportive wives, and Costco thrown in for good measure.  And as final jokes go, the endless number of gunshots they put in that alien works, and I've laughed in both of the trailers where they've used the bit so far.

I'm curious to see how Akiva Schaffer does with the material, and I look forward to seeing the movie soon.

"The Watch" arrives in theaters July 27, 2012.

Drew McWeeny
Film Editor

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A respected critic and commentator for fifteen years, Drew McWeeny helped create the online film community as "Moriarty" at Ain't It Cool News, and now proudly leads two budding Film Nerds in their ongoing movie education.