Recapping the best and worst movie trailers from Superbowl Sunday.
So I hear there was some kind of football game on TV last night. I wouldn’t know–I was busy refreshing my web browser every few minutes to see what new movie trailers were premiering on Hulu.com. That’s right–Superbowl night is also prime trailer-watching time as Hollywood unspools peeks at upcoming blockbusters for the booze-and-wings addled folks at home. Once upon a time, you had to watch (or, if you had a DVR, fast-forward) through the game in order to see these 30-second teasers, but NBC made it easy for movie buffs to get their fix by uploading all of the trailers (along with the rest of the night’s commercials) to Hulu as they premiered. Here are my picks for the ones that scored touchdowns, the ones that got sacked and the ones that never got off the bench.
The Good:
Monsters vs. Aliens (March 27)
In the past, I haven’t been a huge fan of some of the animated features produced by Dreamworks (let’s just say I want the next Shrek movie to end with the green ogre drowning in his swamp) but hats off to the studio for creating the best clip of the night. This minute-and-a-half peek at their upcoming sci-fi throwdown between monsters and aliens offered a potent mixture of action and humor. Bonus points for the corny, but appropriate 3-D gimmick.
Star Trek – May 8
A much shorter version of the trailer that premiered late last year, this spot was a bit rushed, but still showed off the new Trek‘s epic scope and relentless action.
Race to Witch Mountain (March 13)
Believe it or not, this FX-heavy update of the ’70s cult kids’ flick Escape to Witch Mountain actually looks like fun. Disney’s doing the smart thing by putting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson front and center in the trailer. He’s a born movie star and I would say that even if he wasn’t on the cover of GIANT’s March issue.
Fast and Furious (April 3)
I’m still not convinced the movie itself will actually be any good, but the trailer for the fourth entry in this stalled franchise just makes the cut for that killer shot of Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez speeding under a flaming truck.
The Bad:
Year One (June 19)
I grew up on Harold Ramis’ comedies and would love to think that the once and future Egon Spengler (if Ghostbusters III ever gets off the ground) has another Caddyshack or Groundhog Day in him. Unfortunately, this 30-second spot for his pre-historic comedy more closely resembles a dinner theater production of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Prove me wrong Dr. Spengler!
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 7)
If the words “From the Director of The Mummy” doesn’t strike fear into your heart, how about those silly-looking leather costumes and the CGI-ninjas? I’ll just haul my action figures out of storage, thanks very much anyway.
Angels & Demons (May 15)
Because The Da Vinci Code wasn’t boring enough! At least Tom Hanks listened to his stylist and got a different hair cut for this sequel that nobody demanded.
Land of the Lost (June 5)
That hissing sound you hear is Will Ferrell’s comic mojo continuing to dissipate. But hey, at least this isn’t another sports comedy.
The Huh?:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 26)
I’d love to tell you what I thought of the teaser for what will most likely be the summer’s biggest blockbuster, but I’ve watched it three times now and I can’t even begin to make sense of this chaotic jumble of CGI-enhanced images. From what I can make out, Shia LaBeouf still looks 12, Megan Fox is still hot, Josh Duhamel is still in it for some reason and the robots still into cars and stuff. But who is the Fallen? And why does he want revenge? And why do all the Transformer still look the same?
Up (May 29)
Really Pixar? This is the way you follow up Wall-E? I trust you guys because of your stellar track record, but a big part of me is wondering whether this would have worked better as a short film than a feature.
Duplicity (March 20)
I’ll see Clive Owen in virtually anything, but I can’t get a bead on this new flick, which has him teaming up with Julia Roberts to rip off a giant corporation. Is it a comedy? A thriller? A romance? Couldn’t tell you based on this all-over-the-place spot.
