I have two kinds of favorite trailers - those that have a clever, creative execution, and those that excite me - regardless of whether if the film is actually exciting. I prefer teasers because they are often forced to find creative ways to excite you without showing too much. A badly made teaser is one that would turn me off from watching the film; a good one leaves me with dying anticipation.
Here is my list of favorite trailers:
Honorable MentionsTerminator 2: Judgement DayYou gotta love the unconventional nature of this teaser, watching the manufacturing process of a T-800.
Batman BeginsAfter the disastrous Batman & Robin, this promising look at a more psychological-oriented Batman brought an exciting new hope to anguished fans everywhere who've given up on the notion of a serious Batman movie. A Batman that finally embraces the psychological-side of the character in its raw form? It's about time! The best part about this trailer is how it never outright reveals what this movie might be right till the very end, when the Bat-symbol gradually surfaces. Cue roaring applause.
The Avengers: Infinity WarI specifically chose the bootleg version of this trailer (there's another higher quality one edited together) because it contains the screams of the fans as they see the Infinity Gauntlet. There's just something exhilarating cheering at such a revelation, be it foreseeable or not, with other comic book fans, some kind of special bond between geeks that ties us together when we learn that one of the best Marvel comic book arcs is finally coming to the big screen. And best of all, there's a very dramatic pause after the title is revealed... only to tell us that we're going to have TWO parts to Infinity War! We're going to have the epic battle against Thanos for TWO entire movies? I'm not surprised that the crowd went crazy with this.
The Incredibles Fan-Made TrailerI didn't create this trailer, but it certainly did inspire me to adopt a similar style. Growing up, I loved trailers that raise the stakes dramatically like this, so props up for the well editing of this one.
5. Spider-Man (2002)At the dawn of 2000, superheroes have began to become a big thing. X-Men established that superheroes can be more than just dumbed down comic book goofiness and gave us a film that felt like a film. However, one of the most popular superheroes next to Batman didn't appear on the scene yet. Then in 2002, this teaser came along.
After thinking about it, I felt that the theatrical cut version of the trailer was more effective. Don't get me wrong though, I love the WTC Spider-Man trailer as it shows some unknown figure webs up some very professional bank robbers who would have me fooled that I'm watching a trailer for a heist movie. That being said, the great thing about teasers like this is that they drop very brief glimpses of amazing images (no pun intended) that would make you want to rewind the video and check your eyesight. When this iconic superhero swung across the big screen, I was elated, being as big of a fanboy as I was. The fact that we saw so little of this impossible dream only made it more tantalizing. It helps that Lunatic Calm's "Leave You Far Behind" was playing in the background, perfectly synchronizing with the adrenaline-fueled high-flying stunts of the web-swinging wonder.
4. Godzilla (1998)Back in 1997, The Lost World: Jurassic Park was released, and so when this trailer came out, some people might have assumed that this was a trailer for that movie, particularly when there's a recitation of the T-Rex's impressive traits. As a kid, I was in love with this creature's massive built when the first Jurassic Park came out. And the trailer even imitates the famous tremor effect of that franchise. Naturally, the eight year old me would've been excited watching this.
There's a common trend among my favorite trailers, and that's the built-up with the mood and atmosphere. This trailer does it very well. And I love the hilarious irony of the professor's appraisal of "the largest predator to have ever lived on the planet" being turned against him as that gigantic foot stomps down on the king of the dinosaur. Mind-blown. Size does matter indeed.
3. The Mummy (1999)In older trailers, there was sometimes a narrator summarizing the plot. This can set up a proper mood, like someone telling a story at a campfire, keeping you engaged and intrigued. This trailer improves upon that technique. The narrator gradually builds up the suspense by foretelling the fate of these adventurers in a prophetic manner, as if he's uncovering an omen to come. And upon Jonathan Hyde's warning to stay away from the book, all hell breaks loose. Cue dramatic music that culminates in a climatic revelation, "He will regenerate and will no longer be the undead." "We are in serious trouble." After the choir erupts in a sudden crescendo amidst all the chaos and sending my heart aflutter, the trailer seizes the chance to skyrocket the built-up momentum up to eleven. "Universal Pictures invites you to experience the adventure that will live forever." All the while as this is happening, the choir never stops chanting to the exciting sequence, and there's something about choirs in trailers that makes me feel like there's an epic adventure waiting in this movie.
The entire trailer right up till the end feels very much like having sex. Notice the way it builds up to a climax at the end, and then as the title of the movie is slowly revealed, the choir hymns in a single note like the cries of an orgasm, which pretty much signifies how I felt by the end of it - orgasmic.
2. Tron: LegacyThere's a good two and half decade gap between this film and the original one. The way both long time fans and new audiences are introduced to the visually-stunning universe of Tron is brilliant in this trailer. Like all great teasers, this one begins with a slow build-up teasing the iconic Tron uniform, and before we know it - BAM, the Tron Lightcycle appears in realistic modernized CGI. The universe of Tron we had once dreamed about has finally been brought to life in the 21st Century.
I love how the entire trailer has a very mesmerizing and mystifying atmosphere, all the while maintaining this fantasy world with some very believable visuals that would have me fooled that it's all practical effects. At the end of the thrilling motorcycle chase, we are given yet another treat - Jeff Bridges, reprising his role as both Kevin Flynn and Clu. It's not often that actors reprise their role after this long, so to see an impressive return like this must have gained quite a few gasps in the theater. Best of all, unlike Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this doesn't seem like a phoned in performance either.
1. Mission: Impossible (1996)I think it's this kind of trailer that inspired my eventual editing style (as you can see in the "Self-Whoring" thread) - a choreography of rapid images edited over fast-paced music. And the reason I called it a choreography is because the rhythm of this trailer flows smoothly like a dance. A good rhythm in a trailer can attract the audience into following your beat, and their mind would dance along with you. After a suspenseful build-up of silence, a fuse is lit and it's as if someone rammed an injection of adrenaline into me. I'm treated to these incredible, over-the-top events of the plot flashing quickly one after another, and with the added element of Danny Elfman's heart-pounding score racing me along, this trailer doesn't slow down to let me catch my breath - and that's how I like my films.
While the trailer might spoil the entire film for you, and therefore fails as a trailer, it works brilliantly as an exhilarating music sequence. I love this trailer whenever I revisit it, it excites me everytime. It never gets old for me.