It’s Super Bowl time again and for many in the US, that means sitting down, grabbing a bag of chips, and drinking an ice-cold beer to watch the biggest NFL game of the year. For myself down here in Australia (who has no concept of NFL) what the hell is going on at any point in the game—other than when a team scores and the commentator yells “touchdown!” —all the Super Bowl means to me is new movie trailers. So, to commemorate the occasion, I’m going to rate these trailers by using the only thing I know about NFL; did they score a touchdown, or, did they fumble on the biggest stage of the year for any trailer?
Hobbs and Shaw
Has The Fast and The Furious franchise jumped the shark before? Yes. Has it ever jumped the shark as excellently as Hobbs & Shaw looks to have? I don’t think so. Idris Elba as a seemingly eugenics-enhanced superhuman versus The Rock and Jason Statham in a ridiculously over-the-top action movie is the pinnacle of modern blockbuster storytelling. This looks incredibly dumb, yet incredibly fun. This is the first Fast and The Furious trailer that has managed to make me want to see the film since the second instalment of the franchise. This one’s a touchdown.
Avengers: Endgame
TOUCHDOWN! I mean, come on, it’s only the second look at the film we have all been anticipating— it was always going to score well. After the hype-train of the previous trailer, we get to see a few more Avengers in mourning as well as an earth in total disarray, struggling to move on after the fallout of ‘The Snap’. Strapping on his old faithful shield Cap lets us know He’s not moving on; The Avengers never give up.
Us
In its first trailer for Jordan Peele’s follow up to Get Out, Us is copiously frightening yet surprisingly subdued. Trying to capture the original trailer’s intensity has lead to this shorter teaser to feel more like a watered-down version of the first, causing a hard fumble.
Captain Marvel
Higher. Further. Faster. Captain Marvel gives us a mantra to chant while racing to buy our ticket. Chanting throughout the trailer, we see Carol Danvers continue to power up until she’s in full Binary form. Taking advantage of limited time, Captain Marvel’s trailer gives us a catchy slogan while providing another little look into her personality—something I have commended in a previous trailer talk. This one flies through for a touchdown.
Toy Story 4
Our first proper look at Toy Story 4 that doesn’t just seem like a scene created solely for the marketing campaign, we see Key and Peele make their second appearance as cute little fluffies. This time, they’re here to irritate Buzz while he’s trapped in a tight spot. This one gives a good laugh and definitely scores a touchdown for me.
Alita: Battle Angel
Probably the most underwhelming of the group, this teaser for Alita Battle Angel doesn’t bring anything new to the table— it is just showcasing a string of action shots that we have seen before and a strong push to see this film in 3D. After some strong trailers, this one fumbles at the last step.
Wonder Park
What is happening here? Little girl obsessively imagines a theme park in the real world, even going to the point of building it with her friends? Okay, interesting setup. No… wait… now she’s in a weird fantasy world where the theme park is real and there are talking animals. What? This trailer for Wonder Park left me with no idea what was going on. Other than a half-baked idea about a kid’s imagination, what is the point of this film? What is happening? I don’t know! This one was a real fumble.
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