Here at TrailerSpy, we mostly review the movie trailers. Sometimes, though, one of us will talk our way into an advance screening, and we’ll get to write a movie review before most reviews are released.

Last week, I was lucky enough to find myself at the premiere of Amazing Grace. As I had already reviewed the trailer, I was anxious to see the finished product. I am happy to tell you that the film is much, much better than the trailer would have you believe.

Amazing Grace is the true story of William Wilberforce, who fought to end slavery in England in the 1790s. In a time when England’s economy was wholly reliant on slave labor, Wilberforce took on the slave trade, which had most of Parliament in its pocket.

Charismatic Ioan Gruffudd plays the lead role, and he is supported by effective turns from Michael Gambon, Rufus Sewell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Youssou N’Dour, Albert Finney, Romola Garai, and Jeremy Swift. At the helm is Michael Apted, who also directed The World Is Not Enough and Nell.

Amazing Grace rides on the charm of its lead actor, Welshman Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced YO-an GRIFF-ith, or as I call him, Yummy Ioan). Gruffudd is in nearly every scene and he carries the film completely on his impassioned performance. He spends much of the movie in powdered wigs and make-up that makes him look sick and tired, but you can never take your eyes off of him. (Or maybe that was just me.)

After the film, I found myself asking why Gruffudd is not a bigger star. You may have seen him in The Fantastic Four or King Arthur, and across the pond he is quite well known for his stint as the title character in the Horatio Hornblower mini-series. Between Amazing Grace and The Fantastic Four sequel, perhaps 2007 will be the year everyone knows how to pronounce Ioan Gruffudd’s name.

The film is a moving biopic that will have you rooting for Wilberforce and his compatriots. At almost two hours, Amazing Grace never feels slow. It would be difficult to watch this movie and not to root for Wilberforce—it’s another retelling of David vs. Goliath.

Amazing Grace trips only when the film tries to connect itself to the song. In one early scene, Wilberforce tries to prove a point about slavery to a bunch of poker players by standing up on the card table and singing Amazing Grace. Even in 1784, I highly doubt this would have happened.

So put Amazing Grace on the rental queue—you’ll be happy you did. (And trust me, guys, this isn’t a chick flick.) Amazing Grace is rated PG and opens nationwide on Friday, February 23. (Official site)

Previously: Amazing Grace trailer review

As we saw with Freedom Writers, sometimes trailers do not do justice to the movies they are promoting. Unfortunately, the same appears to be true with Amazing Grace. I haven’t seen Amazing Grace yet, but I have a pretty strong suspicion that the final film is better than it looks from the preview.

Amazing Grace has some good things going for it. The movie tells a true story of an underdog fighting for what is right. Everybody knows the namesake song, but nobody knows where it came from. This looks like an interesting PG film, which is hard to find nowadays. The yummy Ioan Gruffudd stars with a great cast: Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai, and newcomer Youssou N’Dour.

I just wish the trailer could be a little better. Why does it starts off with a saccharine-sappy version of the song, when there are a myriad of beautiful versions? Only toward the end of the trailer do we get to hear a moving example of the song. Halfway through the trailer, I really started to notice the voiceover, which is not something that should stand out. I see a movie about abolishing the slave trade; I don’t see a movie about one of the world’s best known songs.

Still, I am intrigued enough by Amazing Grace that I am going to RENT IT. Would you change the trailer?

Amazing Grace is rated PG and opens nationwide on February 23. (Official Site)

I have a confession to make: the only Woody Allen movie I’ve seen is Annie Hall, and my reaction was, “that’s it?” I prefer light comedies, and Allen’s new comedy with Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, and Ian McShane fits the bill. In Scoop, Johansson plays a journalism student who receives the scoop of the century from the Ian McShane’s ghostly character. She pursues Jackman, who may or may not be the Tarot Card Killer, and romance and hijinks ensue. In true narcissistic fashion, Woody Allen gets first billing and plays Johansson’s father, which is more than a little creepy given his real-life crush on her. Nevertheless, any movie that has hijinks, mystery, romance, and a shirtless Hugh Jackman works for me, so I’m going to Rent It.

(In the interest of full disclosure, Scoop is running an ad campaign on the site where I have a paying gig in ad sales. But I still want to Rent It. In fact, it’s already on my queue.)

Scoop is rated PG-13 and opens Friday, July 28.

Official Site