Another Top 10 Trailers Better Than the Movie
Don't you hate it when the appetizer is better than the main course? In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com, counts down our picks for another top 10 trailers that were better than the movie. For this list, we're taking another look at some trailers that seemed so full of promise, but the actual movies failed to deliver on that promise. While the movies themselves weren't necessarily terrible, we were definitely not as psyched leaving the theater as we were when we arrived.
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Another Top 10 Trailers Better Than the Movie
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Don’t you hate it when the appetizer is better than the main course? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for another top 10 trailers that were better than the movie. For this list, we’re taking another look at some trailers that seemed so full of promise, but the actual movies failed to deliver on that promise. These snippets were designed to entice audiences to see the full film, but they just set us up for disappointment. While the movies themselves weren’t necessarily terrible, we were definitely not as psyched leaving the theater as we were when we arrived. And if you didn’t see a trailer you think should be on the list, be sure to check out our first video of the Top 10 Trailer Better than the Movie!
#10: “Cowboys & Aliens” (2011)
A weathered, hot-as-usual Daniel Craig wakes up in the desert. He finds a futuristic-looking bracelet around his wrist, but can’t remember who he is or where he got it from. Harrison Ford appears next. Then, aliens invade. With the faces of legendary actors and names like Steven Spielberg making appearances, this trailer really revved us up for the movie’s release. Although “Cowboys & Aliens” ended up receiving mixed reviews, this sneak peek is the perfect blend of everything we love best about westerns and science fiction.
#9: “Knowing” (2009)
When a time capsule is opened and a young boy receives a paper covered with numbers, the ominous music tells us that something bad is going to happen. Then, when Nicolas Cage discovers that the numbers make up a pattern that predicts disasters before they happen, he finds himself powerless in the face of monumental chaos. Though “Knowing” was mostly panned by critics, the trailer built our suspense and feelings of panic and fear with scenes of menacing strangers in the distance along with footage of disasters intercut.
#8: “Man of Steel” (2013)
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Accompanied by a haunting score and a solemn voiceover featuring Clark Kent’s stepmother, stepfather, and a young Kal-El himself, we begin to gather from the trailer that this movie will be a unique adaptation of Superman’s story: darker, grittier, and more emotional. As the trailer progresses, we see glimpses of his childhood, his travels, and—the man of steel himself in… handcuffs? Though the actual movie contained a lot more unnecessary action than we bargained for, the trailer really piqued our curiosity and reminded us that Superman had a past, a family, and his own doubts and insecurities.
#7: “Watchmen” (2009)
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Based on a comic book series that Time Magazine listed as one of the 100 best English novels since 1923, we had high hopes for this Zack Snyder flick. The trailer only raised our hopes, starting out with a slow-motion mystery murder against a harsh, unsentimental cityscape. Although the movie was criticized for being overly long and overly loyal to the comic for the most part, the way the trailer introduces us to the Watchmen, a team of reluctant vigilantes, really sucked us into their world of gritty, slow-motion, stylized action.
#6: “Lucy” (2014)
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The first points we give to this trailer come from the fact that Scarlett Johansson appears early on. Morgan Freeman’s arrival only makes this good trailer better. Plus, the fact that Johansson is inadvertently used as a drug mule for the Korean mafia and that the drug leaks, giving her superhuman abilities, is immediately gripping and fascinating. Even though critics called the finished product predictable and the plot too ridiculous, watching ScarJo go from using 10% of her brain to leaving behind the things that make her human makes this a mesmerizing preview from start to finish.
#5: “Tron: Legacy” (2010)
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Fans of the first “Tron” film were on the edge of their seats when they heard about the upcoming release of this 2010 version, especially with a trailer that pounds to a mesmerizing Daft Punk soundtrack, shows top-notch visuals and CGI, and features the long-awaited return of Jeff Bridges and his manly voice. “Tron: Legacy” may’ve been criticized for its lack of character development and convoluted plot, but its trailer showcased all of the cutting-edge eye candy that was really the triumph of this sci-fi sequel.
#4: “Clash of the Titans” (2010)
This movie, an affectionate remake of the ‘80s original, stars Liam Neeson, Sam Worthington, and Ralph Fiennes. The trailer features frightening beasts, muscle-bound warriors, and the fear-inspiring line: “Release the Kraken!” Does it get any better? Though the actual movie was harder to follow and featured less-than-stellar acting, the makers of the “Clash of the Titans” trailer were brilliant in their composition; they gathered the best moments of this mythological fantasy action film and reeled us in with spectacular sequences, hook, line, and sinker.
#3: “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012)
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In another dark, gloomy interpretation of a classic story, the trailer for “Snow White and the Huntsman” showcased Charlize Theron as the evil queen who wants Snow White for her beauty, Chris Hemsworth as the hunky huntsman who goes to find her, and Kristen Stewart as the titular heroine. While its screenplay left much to be desired, and the studio’s pick of Kristen Stewart as “the fairest of them all” was debated, the trailer focused attention on the film’s greatest strengths, like costume design and visuals, and featured some well-choreographed battle sequences, which convinced us that the movie would be epic.
#2: “After Earth” (2013)
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Everything from the intense music to the visuals of Jaden Smith’s trek on a seemingly foreign planet to Will Smith’s inspired monologue in this trailer made us think, maybe, just maybe, M. Night Shyamalan will finally relive his glory days and give us something amazing! While “After Earth” disappointed many and was criticized for its acting and direction, we can’t help but remember the trailer, which effectively scared and charmed us with Will Smith’s speech on fear, its depiction of wild beasts, and the scenery of a planet that we come to realize is our own. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “Quantum of Solace” (2008) - “Cloud Atlas” (2012) - “The Fourth Kind” (2009) - “Iron Man 2” (2010)
#1: “Pearl Harbor” (2001)
A reverential and profoundly moving trailer captures the events leading up to and including December 7, 1941. An epic war film, an ensemble cast, a message that is both haunting and inspiring; this was the trailer that convinced us what we were going to see would be the signature war classic of the new millennium. What we got, although successful at the box office, was not received well by critics. In fact, “Pearl Harbor” currently holds a score of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless, the trailer is timeless, and we can’t help but wish its power, emotion, drama and more, translated as well as it did to the full-length film. Do you agree with our list? What trailer do you think was better than the movie? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.