Every year, millions of viewers tune in to the Super Bowl for one reason – to see the year’s biggest commercials, which often include some great movie trailers as well. There is also a football match and a halftime concert. We often get our first look at some of the most anticipated movie events of the year via 30 seconds of footage (sometimes more) that succinctly sells the product to general audiences.
I’ve compiled a list of the 10 most memorable teaser trailers that aired during the big game (in no particular order).
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
So many movies on this list didn’t live up to expectations, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park is no exception. Steven Spielberg made us wait four long years for a sequel to his monster hit. While the final product was disappointing, the build up to the film’s opening was incredible to watch. The short teaser at the end of Super Bowl XXXI, set to Hans Zimmer’s “Backdraft,” sees a T-Rex roaring in the middle of a rainstorm, before a few quick shots of the cliff/trailer sequence follow, followed by the immortal words: A Steven Spielberg film. Goose flesh.
Hulk (2003)
Ah, remember the good ole days of superhero movies like daredevil, wrong way driverAnd fantastic 4? (With that in mind, isn’t it odd how the current wave of superhero movies has reverted to the goofy shenanigans of early 2000s cinema?) At the time, X-Men And Spiderman were the crème de la crème, but Ang Lees hulk seemed poised to take the genre to a new level. The Super Bowl teaser drew mixed reactions shrek-Similar quality to the title character. Still, it was enough to get our attention. Whatever you think of the final film, you can’t blame the marketing team for their efforts.
The Avengers (2012)
That’s it. After years of building and clever banter, Marvel finally brought its merry band of superheroes together for Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. Sure, many had already seen a trailer Captain America – I find? — or snippets from the leaked Comic Con preview, but the Super Bowl commercial aired amid Patriots v Giants: Part Deux and knocked our collective socks off. “We have a Hulk,” says Tony Stark. Superheroes, yes cinema, would never be the same again – for better or for worse.
We (2019)
After his breakout hit ExitJordan Peele revealed his next thriller, Us, to an eager audience. That first look was among the few bright moments of an otherwise lazy fight between Tom Brady and Jared Goff, promising more spine-tingling — the Jaw Shirt was a nice touch! The minute-long banter is weird, dark, quirky, and incredibly disturbing. Even if you only partially got into the game, the trailer was enough to shake your senses. Yes, I was hyped.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Sure, the title effects look like something out of a bad sci-fi student production, but the first teaser on Steven Spielberg’s war of the Worlds still impresses with some (ironically) really remarkable VFX. In the 30-second spot, Tom Cruise and Co. get into a vehicle. Dakota Fanning cries as explosions erupt off-screen. Then the Money Shot: Lasers race through a neighborhood, creating a monstrous explosion that engulfs our heroes. If you weren’t won over by the Cruise and Spielberg collaboration (her second episode minority report), this teaser trailer has probably convinced you.
Independence Day (1996)
Marketing for independence Day (synchronized ID4) Was incredible. 20th Century Fox relied heavily on this great shot of the exploding White House – probably too much! – and the epic scale of the production. We’d already seen some teasing prior to this Super Bowl commercial, so the 30-second trailer served little more than a reminder ID4 came later that year. Still, kudos to whoever dreamed up the ominous line: “Enjoy the Super Bowl, it might be your last.”
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
I’m torn between Super Bowl spots Mission: Impossible III And Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The former teases the great Philip Seymour Hoffman’s menacing Owen Davian, loads of high-octane thrills and that incredible bridge sequence. But the teaser of Fallout (which is set to Imagine Dragons’ Friction) lasts a whopping two minutes and does a great job of showing off the film’s massive scale, incredible stunts and Henry Cavill’s extraordinary bicep reloading skills. My goodness, the Patriots were in that Super Bowl too. Thank goodness Tom Brady is retired.
The Mummy (1999)
During the mostly boring game between Denver and Atlanta, a random trailer immediately caught my attention. Shots of sand, explosions and Brendan Frasier sitting on a plane and blasting a wall of sand with a machine gun. Okay, Universal, you have my attention. This was my first look at The Mummyand that trailer did a great job selling the eventual blockbuster.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
I’ve never been so excited by a teaser trailer as by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I loved Michael Bay’s original film and was thrilled to see what the man would do for an encore. The trailer arrived late in the game. Still, I remember rushing home and waiting for my computer to render the damn thing to get a peek at more high-octane robotic action. Boy did the trailer deliver! By the looks of it, this promised to be darker and grittier transformers Film stuffed with the slogan “The revenge is coming”. Unfortunately the movie sucked but that first look was excellent.
The Reloaded Matrix and Revolutions (2003)
The 1999 Super Bowl also offered our first look at it The Matrix. In person, the first teaser made the image look like a fairly generic action vehicle starring Keanu Reeves, save for a brief shot of bullet time. Apparently that wasn’t the case, and The Matrix became one of the greatest sci-fi action figures of all time. A few years later, the hype surrounding the sequels, Matrix Reloaded And The Matrix Revolutions went through the roof. Warner Bros. only added to the excitement with a terrific one-minute look at both films. Ah man, the action, the spectacle… stunning. If memory serves, this was just our second look at the sequels following a teaser that took place the summer before. great stuff
Armageddon (1998)
The most incredible Super Bowl teaser ever, Michael Bay’s Armageddon, gets the juices flowing with a hefty dose of good old-fashioned Americana. Like the movie, the minute-long tease is incredibly over the top, but in a good way. I mean, the American flag is superimposed over a shot of Bruce Willis and his companions walking in slow motion while a chorus roars America the Beautiful across the soundtrack. It’s bloody awesome and hilarious in equal measure – a bit like the movie. I vividly remember watching that live and being like, “Holy shit, I have to see this movie!” I mean, Willis plus Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and the guy who made it The stone And Bad Boys? Sign me up.
Recognitions:
- logan – Amazing Grace mixed with Hugh Jackman’s aged Wolverine slashing baddies? damn yes
- Solo – Sure, it was bombastic, but the first teaser for Ron Howard Solo is a feast for the eyes.
- Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice – WB ran two ads to promote BvS, one highlighting Metropolis, the other Gotham. Different, but in a good way.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron – Hulk Buster suit. Enough said.
- Top Gun: Maverick – Tom Cruise going crazy on a jet? I know what movie I’m going to see this summer.
- gladiator – It’s only 30 seconds of Russell Crowe as Maximus slashing faceless enemies with his sword – of course it’s awesome!
