In Contention

The Super Bowl spots

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7. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
Outrageous.  Make it stop.

6. “Cowboys & Aliens”
Though cluttered, expands on what we’ve seen.

5. “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Not a bad trailer but something lingering still has me on guard.

4. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

A true teaser, promising escalation but more contained.

3. “Battle: Los Angeles”
Keeps the adrenaline and the suspense going nicely.

2. “Thor”
This actually made me interested in the film for the first time.

1. “Super 8”
E.T. with Coach Taylor?  Where do I sign up?

[Photo: Paramount Pictures]

Comments

40 responses to “The Super Bowl spots”

  1. al b. Avatar
    al b.

    I love love LOVE the Super 8 spot!

  2. Mr. F Avatar
    Mr. F

    1. Super 8
    2. Transformers ( I think 3D is the best thing for Michael Bay since he has to keep the camera steady)
    3. Battle: LA
    4. Captain America
    5. Cowboys & Aliens
    6. Pirates
    7. Thor

  3. Antonio A Avatar
    Antonio A

    Super 8 should be awesome! Looking forward to it (and the score by Giacchino)!

  4. Mitchell Avatar
    Mitchell

    1. Super 8
    2. Captain America
    3. Transformers 3
    4. Cowboys & Aliens
    5. Thor
    6. Battle:LA
    7. Pirates
    8. The *beat beat beat* *beat beat beat* sound effect that they all used.

  5. Harmonica Avatar
    Harmonica

    1. Super 8
    2. The rest.

    Also, just want to point out that the image chosen for this post is amazing. That glimpse at the Red Skull was what made the Cap. America teaser stand out.

  6. Speaking English Avatar

    You forgot “Rango,” “Kung Fu Panda 2,” and “Mars Needs Moms.” ;)

  7. James C Avatar
    James C

    1. Super 8
    Looks and feels like a Spielberg flick.

    2. Cowboys and Aliens
    Alright so the spot wasn’t impressive, but I am so pumped for this flick. Silly title, yea, but I wish people could get over it.

    3. Battle: Los Angeles
    Can’t wait. Alot of sci-fi this year. This one seems be to taking a very serious tone though.

    4. Captain America: The First Avenger-Glad their sticking with the right time period and this could be some good fun.

    5. Thor-Yea. My thoughts haven’t changed. Could be entertaining or down right terrible.

    6. Transformers 3-I’m surprised I’m not putting this down at the bottom considering how much I hated that boring convoluted mess of a sequel, but the visual effect and sound team seem like their on top of their game. Is Bay though? And can I follow the action this time? I enjoyed the first one, but is there something I’m missing about Transformers. Some people find the ramblings of Optimus Prime profound. That’s a head scratcher for me personally.

    7. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides or Who Gives a Damn? I was actually okay with a sequel as much as I hate 2 and find 3 lukewarm, but now its been like what…4 years. Yea, give it a rest.

  8. Tom C. Avatar

    1. “Transformers 3”
    2. “Super 8”
    3. “Cowboys vs. Aliens”
    4. “Battle: Los Angeles”
    5. “Captain America”
    6. “Thor”
    7. “Pirates of the Caribbean”

  9. Tye-Grr Avatar
    Tye-Grr

    I agree that ‘Super 8’ rocked my world. I can’t wait.

  10. Justin Avatar

    Super 8 does look awesome.

    I’ve got a feeling that Captain America is going to be a letdown.

  11. Tom C. Avatar

    I just realized that we all forgot about “Fast Five.” lol

  12. Jacob S. Avatar
    Jacob S.

    “Captain America” gave me strong vibes that reminded me of the “Wolverine” movie a couple of years back… which wasn’t very good.

  13. Drew Avatar
    Drew

    Eh, aside from Super 8 not much really impressed me. Cap could break-out, but that seems to be about it.

    Still trying to find a version of that James Horner track used in the Super 8 teaser. If anyone knows where I could find it that would be great.

  14. Peter Avatar
    Peter

    OMG. You made a FNL reference. LOVE it. Go Lions! Parting is gonna no sweet and all sorrow this Wednesday….

  15. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    So excited for Super 8. Not only does it look like a great action/sci-fi flick, but it was also filmed in my hometown. I know where half the shots were filmed (in Weirton, WV, a town in the northern panhandle of WV). So glad that it should be good!

  16. The Dude Avatar
    The Dude

    Wow, you liked the Thor spot a WHOLE lot more than I did. Nothing I’ve seen so far for that movie has given me optimism…

    …but I’m in total agreement regarding the Super 8 spot. Easily the best of the bunch. And FWIW, I thought the actual game was great (and I’m neither s Packers fan nor a Steelers fan).

  17. Matthew Starr Avatar

    Transformers movies always have good trailers but of course the actual movies are awful.

    I thought Captain America looked solid, it has Tucci and Tommy Lee Jones at least.

    Cowboys and Aliens is a tough film to do a 30 second teaser of. I’m waiting for a longer second trailer.

    Super 8 obviously looks good. We know it will have a good score if anything. Also is Elle Fanning getting taller and taller every film?

    And no Kung Fu Panda 2? Looking forward to that.

  18. Jacob S. Avatar
    Jacob S.

    @22: The music is by Michael Giacchino, not James Horner.

    Also, it’s interesting that Larry Fong, Zach Snyder’s go-to cinematographer is shooting the movie instead of Dan Mindel or Janusz Kamiński.

  19. Kristopher Tapley Avatar

    Wasn’t that the Cocoon score in the Super 8 spot?

  20. red_wine Avatar
    red_wine

    Super 8 really felt like it was a Spielberg film in peak form, and whatever people might say today, that is some of the biggest praise I can give.

  21. Kyle Avatar
    Kyle

    The fact that Joe Johnston is attached to Captain America pretty much makes me want to avoid it sight unseen, the trailer was fine I guess.

    Thor…blah, we’ll see…I get the feeling this is going to be one of those “star wars” Natalie Portman performances.

  22. geha714 Avatar
    geha714

    The Super 8 spot was intriguing. It looked and felt like a Spielberg film. Giacchino rocks. I’m interested now.

    The Captain America spot was top notch. Chris Evans was the right choice. Very promising.

    Transformers 3 was class A Bayhem. Maybe there’s redemption after Revenge of the Fallen. Not sold on the Megan Fox replacement.

    The letdown was Cowboys & Aliens. The teaser was superior in every way.

    Matthew Starr is right: Kung Fu Panda 2 looks fun. Tigress Facepalm FTW.

    The worst was also the longest one: Pirates of the Caribbean 4. How this series keeps rolling is beyond my understanding.

  23. RichardA Avatar
    RichardA

    Super8 would be awesome if Tammi Taylor cleans up the mess with Coach Taylor. Glad that Coach Taylor is getting paid. And I only wish the best for Kyle Chandler.

  24. Moviehobbyist Avatar

    To be honest, the only one of those blockbusters I’m even slightly looking forward to are Super 8 and Battle: Los Angeles. The rest hasn’t got my excited in the least bit.

  25. Graysmith Avatar
    Graysmith

    Apple has most of the trailers in HD Quicktime:

    http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/biggame/

  26. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    @Kris, yep it’s the Cocoon score.

    More blanket Abrams praise. Disheartening. China Mieville said it best: “I disliked Star Trek intensely. I thought it was terrible. And I think part of my problem is that I feel like the relationship between JJ Abrams’ projects and geek culture is one of relatively unloving repackaging – sort of cynical. I taste contempt in the air. Now I’m not a child – I know that all big scifi projects are suffused with the contempt of big money for its own target audience. But there’s something about [JJ’s projects] that makes me particularly uncomfortable. As compared to somebody like Joss Whedon, who – even when there are misfires – I feel likes me and loves me and is on some cultural level my brother and comrade. And I don’t feel that way about JJ Abrams.”

  27. JJ1 Avatar
    JJ1

    Super 8 looks awesome.
    Captain America, looks promising.
    Battle: LA, ditto.
    Transformers 3, we’ll see – hated the 2nd.
    Cowboys vs. Aliens, meh.
    Thor, could be awful but I really want to see it.
    Pirates, oh geez.

  28. Maxim Avatar
    Maxim

    The most interesting bit of news from that Super 8 teaser is that Spielberg is Producing it and not just exec producing. This is great.

    Super 8 is the spot that had me most excited but it’s not exactly pure Spielberg. Not even vintage Spielberg, whatever the dismisive implications (the guy has constantly grown as filmmaker). I
    actually think that the teaser trailer with tits camera movements, low angles and the railroad sign comind down captured it better. Still, very excited for this, even as I see it more of a meta-tribute and would place it second to real Spielberg films – Tintin and War Horse. Both family films too and the first of their kind in nearly two decades.

    I actually liked that Cowboys and Aliens spot better than any ad that came from the movie so far. The explosions look biiiiig and there’s finally a better glimpse at the aliens. And, finally, there’s some sense of pacing. I enjoyed that.

  29. Jacob S. Avatar
    Jacob S.

    Alan Menken is working on the “Captain America” soundtrack. Can anyone see it being an Original Song contender for the 2012 Oscars?

  30. Rashad Avatar
    Rashad

    I liked all of them, Transformers and Super 8 the best.

    I don’t get the Pirates hate either. I’m glad their making the movies as one-offs now, rather than maintaining continuity. Jack Sparrow can just go on adventures like Indiana Jones. Should be fun

  31. Jacob S. Avatar
    Jacob S.

    I liked the first pirates movies a lot. The second felt like it was trying too hard to be as good as the first (but it was still okay) and the third didn’t make any sense at all. I enjoy Jerry Bruckenheimer films (yes, I even watch “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”) so I’m looking forward to Pirates 4.

  32. Will Avatar
    Will

    Kyle Chandler is a selling point. Super 8 wins.

  33. Maxim Avatar
    Maxim

    I was not opposed to Pirates 4 at all but I do sense a certain amount of franchise fatigue at this point. I also think that the ad where Johnny Depp adressed the audience to be the single worst piece of acting he has ever done.

  34. Maxim Avatar
    Maxim

    And I do think that Pirates 2 was a really great time a the theaters the first time I saw it.

  35. Jacob S. Avatar
    Jacob S.

    I’m pretty sure Pirates 4 is supposed to be Bruckenheimer’s rebound after TSA and PoP:SoT underperformed.

  36. Ky Avatar
    Ky

    I liked the Super 8 and Limitless spots.

  37. […] Kristopher Tapley at In Contention, from a countdown of his favorite Super Bowl trailers: 1. “Super 8″ E.T. with Coach Taylor?  Where do I sign up? […]

  38. Drew Avatar
    Drew

    How about this, Captain America’s Oscar chances. Period, world war 2, how can it lose.

  39. Keil Shults Avatar
    Keil Shults

    Didn’t see most of these yet, because I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. However, the only two films I was anxious to see are likely to remain the only two: Super 8 and Cowboys & Aliens.

    And yes, enough with the Pirates franchise (and most Johnny Depp films, to be honest). That series should have stopped after the first film (for the viewers, if not for the studio’s pocketbook).

  40. A.J Avatar
    A.J

    I hope that a lot of these special effects aren’t final. Transformers looked fine as always and so did Pirates. Thor looked good and the skinny look on Chris Evans was amazing in Captain America. I pray that the effects in Super 8 and Cowboys and Aliens weren’t final because they were just not good enough.