TRAILER: Invictus...

Warner Bros has released the first trailer for Clint Eastwood’s new film Invictus, which stars Matt Damon as Pienaar, the captain of the South African rugby team, and Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, and tells the story of how the duo attempted to unite their torn country.

Directed by Clint Eastwood this is easily Warner Brothers big film that should receive an equally big Oscar push come it's release. Eastwood being the director only pumps the Oscar hype for this piece to record heights, and is so far one of about 5 sure fire Oscar locks at this point. Everything from the cast, featuring two superstars in Freeman and Damon who we saw earlier this afternoon in Greengrass' The Green Zone and it's first trailer, which while not being as highly buzzed, may be a bit more interesting of a film.

Script reviews of this screenplay haven't been too insanely positive, with the Playlist calling it "soft-serve".

If industry voters are in a paint-by-numbers mood, Eastwood could easily nail a Best Director nom, but a Best Picture only feels like a lock if an old pro editor convinces Clint to show less, cut more, and linger longer in the good graces of Mandela and away from the team practice montages.

All in all, I feel as though that style of "paint-by-numbers" that is felt in the script, is felt here. Sure, it's heart-warming, sure it's epic, and sure it's visually stunning, but it's also rather underwhelming and rather bland. It's something I'm beyond interested in, as I love Eastwood and what the source material is, but it's also something that I know is a lob to the Academy for some sort of recognition.

Enjoy the trailer below, and come Oscar time, expect to hear more than your fair share about this film.

Check out the trailer that Apple has debuted online HERE.

Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Go see something good!