Ah, the Super Bowl. The time of year when those looking to generate some additional hype and excitement know that there is a massive, reliable audience watching the big game across the pond (plus paying attention online) and that it’s a good time to show off TV spots for this year’s crop of wannabe-blockbusters. From those that will be fighting for our attention this summer, like Michael Bay’s latest techno-beast, to the films about to hit, such as Darren Aronofsky getting Biblical with Noah, these are the trailers that caught our eye this year...
Cap and co had to raise their game for the new trailer, and raise it they did. Building on what has come before, the new promo for The Winter Soldie****r goes for full-on action and a few teases of fresh ingredients – such as Emily VanCamp’s character – which will be important in the film itself. And if you were hoping for more of The First Avenger taking on the Winter Soldier himself, rest assured that the smack is put down here.
Michael Bay. ‘Bots. Explosions. You know exactly what to expect from this first proper promo for Transformers: Age Of Extinction. It doesn’t include Shia LaBeouf this time, but does feature Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and more in the roles of Humans Reacting To Robots. Bay’s secret weapon this time, however, is the Dinobots, including what looks a dragon-styled Grimlock being ridden like a trusty steed by Optimus Prime. For some, this will push the film into Shut Up And Take My Money territory. For others, it may be a lunacy too far. We’ll wait and see the whole thing (but we do like Grimlock).
Like most of the trailers here, the Noah spot is really just a cut-down version of earlier promos, featuring Russell Crowe’s gravelly Biblical figure explaining that a hard rain is going to come, nothing can stop it and therefore, via divine instruction, he’s getting into the boat-building business. We’re invited to witness the untold story of the world’s most epic event, and there are flashes of the animals heading into the Ark. This will make you itch for a brolly and a good pair of wellies.
Looking to channel some of 300’s success crossbreeding historical events with hyper-kinetic action, Paul W.S. Anderson brings his Resident Evil/Musketeers sensibility to volcanic disaster in Pompeii. This brief footage montage sees slave gladiator hero Milo (Kit Harington) rallying to save the woman he loves (Emily Browning) and friends (including Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Attitucs) from the deadly eruption. It’s full of swords, cheering, and percussion.
The team behind Peter Parker’s latest adventure decided to up the ante on other studios that release their Super Bowl spots early by giving us three separate releases. There was a little teaser online, then another glimpse during one of the game’s many breaks and finally what amounts to a supersized trailer online. The continuing theme is that this sequel will be loaded with much more action and conflict now that the origin story is out of the way, with various villains (primarily Jamie Foxx’s Electro) making life difficult for our hero.
While they may not quite have been up to the level of The Muppets’ movie parodies last time around, these web comment-mocking ads for Muppets Most Wanted are still funny. This one is no exception, going a step further and essentially crashing the trailer under an onslaught of pop-up ads from the evil Kermit duplicate, Constantine. It’s also a good way to promote the film without having to spoil much of the film itself, which is something other movies could perhaps learn from.
Part One of Kevin Costner’s Big Game Big Trailer Day finds him on the Liam Neeson career track, playing an agent who is trying to juggle his career as an international spy with his family. As he tries to rebuild those emotional connections, he’s taken mysteriously ill, and lured back for one big final mission in order to get the medicine he needs to survive. With McG marshaling the action, all involved are hoping for a new Taken. It all sounds a bit like the start of Temple Of Doom or Crank to us, so let's hope it's as much fun as those.
Part Two of Kevin Costner’s Big Game Big Trailer Day is one spot that could not be more suited to the Super Bowl, though Summit decided to get this Draft Day trailer online a little early. Here, Costner is the general manager of the Cleveland Browns, an NFL franchise that desperately needs a win. To improve his chances, he aims to grab the best player available in the Draft of up-and-coming players, knowing that everything depends on making the right choice. After Costner's baseball classics (Field Of Dreams, Bull Durham) and even golf stand-out (Tin Cup) he seems like the man to make this interesting for NFL-newbies. We don’t yet know when this one is scheduled to hit the UK yet, but American audiences will see it on April 11.
Do you like cars? Do you like fast cars that go “BBRRRRRMMMM” a lot, especially when their gears are cranked by Aaron Paul? Do you like helicopters, crashes, explosions, people scowling and speed? Then the Need For Speed trailer is what you’re after. There’s barely a smidgen of plot here, with Dominic Cooper outlining what he’ll do to stop Paul and vice versa. Basically, they're not keen on each other and intend to beat one another. There's a mix of old and new marerial here, but petrolheads are clearly the target.