Judging Movie Trailers

[E-mantheseeker]

Many people seem to have the ability to know how good or bad a movie will be based off the trailer. Some say it's not fair to judge an entire movie off the trailer, but in my case I am hardly wrong, and it saves my time and money.

90% of the time, I'm correct on my judgment, I knew (in my opinion) "Twilight", "Max Payne", the newest "Punisher", and countless other films would be bad, and I knew "300", "Dark Knight", "Pineapple Express", and others would be awesome.

for that 10% however, films like "Jumper" and "The Spirit" amazed me with how much they sucked despite my "Movie Trailer Approvement"

some obvious signs from a trailer that the movie will suck (for me) are,

*showing too much action: usually resulting in a film with no substance, or you realize (in the theater) that they stuffed all the action scenes in the trailer to make it look more awesome than it really is

*obviously reaching for a specific group (Twilight being for young tween girls)

etc...

so, what films have you judged correctly or incorrectly, based off the trailer? And what are obvious signs that a movie will suck or be awesome?

 

[buggy65]

One I was right on- Eagle Eye (uhhhhhhhh)

One I was Dead Wrong- the Weatherman (FTW! I thought it was supposed to be a comedy! This is terrible!)

 

[Arsen]

I was MESMORIZED whenever I saw the preview for Star Wars Episode II. Then I watched the movie, and it bombed.

 

[PirateKing]

I'm usually good at that too. But usually, I can just tell that certain movies will be bad. Usually it's a romantic comedy that doesn't have any kind of redeeming values to it. I mean, put it in space or something. Add another angle to it. Sometimes I can tell by the title too. If the title is interchangeable with any number of other movies then it's probably bad. This applies a lot to horror movies these days.

 

[xitel]

The Benjamin Button trailer through me off. I thought it was just going to be about some guy going backwards as he ages, but instead it was a love story with that as a side plot.

 

[Dommyboy]

Uwe Boll trailers are always terrible so it's obvious the movie will be terrible. Though 50% of them are text and dark screens to hide the horrible movie.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

my friends get pissed at me because i don't want to see movies with really really really really bad trailers. like i didn't want to see prom night or disaster movie so they think i'm an asshole.

 

[dcheppy]

The Benjamin Button trailer through me off. I thought it was just going to be about some guy going backwards as he ages, but instead it was a love story with that as a side plot.

This one got me too. In fact it was the only movie in recent memory where I got fooled by a trailer. I should have done my research and realized it was based on F. Scott Fitzgerald story. How can an author so dull, so un-nuanced, so shallow, be so well respected by the literary community?

for that 10% however, films like "Jumper" and "The Spirit" amazed me with how much they sucked despite my "Movie Trailer Approvement"

You need to watch your trailers more carefully. These trailers were not indicative of good movies, and thus I avoided them.

What did you get of the spirt trailer besides "I want to be a mix of Sin City and 300 and in the process I'm going to be unfaithful to the source, and cram myself full of bad dialogue and worse acting" Derivative is almost never good.

To me, Jumper screamed "angsty generic action movie, brought to you by the kid that killed Darth Vader with his almost inhuman lack of charisma and acting chops"

 

[Fightgarr]

I love movie trailers. I'm always really sad when I miss them in theatres. Its the time when everyone gets to be the critic.

I don't even care if the movie looks like its going to be terrible though, if there are dinosaurs or Will Smith, I'll love the trailer.

 

[sms_117b]

I was dead on with 300, Taken, The Dark Knight and Casino Royal in a positive way

I was dead on with Max Payne, Disaster Movie (ok, these shouldn't count), Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and XXX in a negative way

Hancock and I am Legend both let me down

Sunshine and Stardust blew me away and I didn't think much of either trailer

 

[zen5887]

It makes me smile when people see a trailer, think the movie will rock and it turns out to suck!

 

[Good morning blues]

Anyone seen those tv spots for "Paul Blart: Mall Cop?" They are among the least impressive trailers I have ever seen in my life. I think it's interesting - you can see how a fatass mall cop who thinks he's some sort of hero figure would look good on paper, but I can't believe what a disaster it's clearly become.

This one got me too. In fact it was the only movie in recent memory where I got fooled by a trailer. I should have done my research and realized it was based on F. Scott Fitzgerald story. How can an author so dull, so un-nuanced, so shallow, be so well respected by the literary community?

"Dull" is a matter of opinion, but if you seriously think that F. Scott Fitzgerald is "un-nuanced" and "shallow," you pretty clearly have never read any of his books.

 

[E-mantheseeker]

The Benjamin Button trailer through me off. I thought it was just going to be about some guy going backwards as he ages, but instead it was a love story with that as a side plot.

This one got me too. In fact it was the only movie in recent memory where I got fooled by a trailer. I should have done my research and realized it was based on F. Scott Fitzgerald story. How can an author so dull, so un-nuanced, so shallow, be so well respected by the literary community?

for that 10% however, films like "Jumper" and "The Spirit" amazed me with how much they sucked despite my "Movie Trailer Approvement"

You need to watch your trailers more carefully. These trailers were not indicative of good movies, and thus I avoided them.

What did you get of the spirt trailer besides "I want to be a mix of Sin City and 300 and in the process I'm going to be unfaithful to the source, and cram myself full of bad dialogue and worse acting" Derivative is almost never good.

To me, Jumper screamed "angsty generic action movie, brought to you by the kid that killed Darth Vader with his almost inhuman lack of charisma and acting chops"

admittedly, I solely went to see "The Spirit" based off the fact that Frank miller did "Sin City" and that Samuel L. Jackson was in it. 2 mistakes I'll never make again. and i should've realized that when the actor playing "Spirit" was asked "What is the film about?" in an interview, he was being vague because he didn't know, not because he didn't want to spoil the "plot"<-----in quotations for a reason

Ironically, because I avoided the "Star Wars" prequels (yeah, i knew they'd be bad) i didn't recognize that actor as being as bland as he is, therefore no warning bells rang for me. Didn't Samuel L. Jackson have like a light saber/grappling hook in that movie? *shudders*

I guess I'll think twice when Sam Jackson is in a movie... I NEVER thought I'd say that

 

[dcheppy]

"Dull" is a matter of opinion, but if you seriously think that F. Scott Fitzgerald is "un-nuanced" and "shallow," you pretty clearly have never read any of his books.

I've only read Great Gatsby in full and snippets of other stuff. I have to admit there is a level of nuance and depth, and I was exaggerating for effect but when you compare him to some of the other great writers like Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Hemingway, Shakespere, and others his stuff is so much less rich it's hard to believe. How did he get to be considered one of the greats?

admittedly, I solely went to see "The Spirit" based off the fact that Frank miller did "Sin City" and that Samuel L. Jackson was in it. 2 mistakes I'll never make again. and i should've realized that when the actor playing "Spirit" was asked "What is the film about?" in an interview, he was being vague because he didn't know, not because he didn't want to spoil the "plot"<-----in quotations for a reason

Ironically, because I avoided the "Star Wars" prequels (yeah, i knew they'd be bad) i didn't recognize that actor as being as bland as he is, therefore no warning bells rang for me. Didn't Samuel L. Jackson have like a light saber/grappling hook in that movie? *shudders*

I guess I'll think twice when Sam Jackson is in a movie... I NEVER thought I'd say that

Oh, Sam Jackson, how you tempt us to see bad movies.

Ah, well now you know better with Hayden Christensen, so you won't likely make that mistake again. And wow...a poster in a gaming forum who didn't see the Star Wars Prequels. Kudos.

 

[Mythbhavd]

I enjoy the movie trailers and can generally tell if I'm going to like a movie or not. However, one of my favorite ways to tell is if the Critics give them good reviews or not. Take Leonard Maltin, for example. For the most part, if he loves a movie, I know I'll hate it. If he hates it, I know it's worth seeing.

 

[E-mantheseeker]

I enjoy the movie trailers and can generally tell if I'm going to like a movie or not. However, one of my favorite ways to tell is if the Critics give them good reviews or not. Take Leonard Maltin, for example. For the most part, if he loves a movie, I know I'll hate it. If he hates it, I know it's worth seeing.

Ebert and Roper (not really concerned if i spelled that right) have that effect on me as well, the worse they bash a film the more I'm itching to see it

 

[Mythbhavd]

Ebert and Roper (not really concerned if i spelled that right) have that effect on me as well, the worse they bash a film the more I'm itching to see it

You know, Ebert and I used to really agree on movies. However, since Siskel died, he seems to have totally lost all sense of what a good movie is. I totally agree with ya. If they rant on a movie, I tend to want to see it.

 

[Honkifyoulovepeaceandquiet]

I totally shat myself when I saw the Eragon trailer. I couldn't believe how thoroughly they could butcher such a good book with just the trailer. Then I saw the movie and when I demanded my money back, I got it back. And spent it on candy. Best switch-a-roo ever... it almost made me feel better about the horror I just witnessed.

V for Vendetta I actually enjoyed. The trailer really didn't do anything for me though.

I also shat myself when they replaced Pierce Brosnan with that other fuckmook. It was a classic remake, though, so it wasn't so bad. The trailer almost put me off of it, though.

 

[cobra_ky]

only three movie trailers have ever fooled me:

1. the weatherman: it's nick cage and he carries a goddamn bow around!

2. mr. and mrs. smith: i actually went and saw it and didn't figure out it was a date movie until the movie ended without resolving the assassination plot.

3. star wars the clone wars: i knew it was bad, but i thought it would just be prequel trilogy bad, not cartoon network series bad.

 

[mark_n_b]

Many people seem to have the ability to know how good or bad a movie will be based off the trailer. Some say it's not fair to judge an entire movie off the trailer, but in my case I am hardly wrong, and it saves my time and money.

90% of the time, I'm correct on my judgment, I knew (in my opinion) "Twilight", "Max Payne", the newest "Punisher", and countless other films would be bad, and I knew "300", "Dark Knight", "Pineapple Express", and others would be awesome.

for that 10% however, films like "Jumper" and "The Spirit" amazed me with how much they sucked despite my "Movie Trailer Approvement"

You knew Max Payne and Punisher would be bad based on the trailers? I knew they'd be bad based on hearing the name of the movie.

As for Twilight, is it really "bad" or is it that it is "not your thing"?

Your mystical movie sense is not so amazing when you think about it. Did anyone expect Marky Mark and the chick that plays Meg on Family Guy to bring it to the next level?

Fact is you watch a certain type of movie and when you see a trailer that is interesting to you you say "awesome movie" when you see a trailer of a movie that you are either uninterested in or embodies a scenario you have see fail before (i.e. Video game Movie) you say "crap movie".

Twilight is a perfect example of this, if you were a teenage girl, it would have been awesome. I'm sure if you saw a Bride Wars trailer you would have said lame, but I just saw a 4 star review of it after a quick google search.

If given half a chance I guarantee based on what you have told me I could watch 20 trailers and correctly guess what your movie sense told you for at least 15 of the films, and that's a worst case scenario, I wouldn't put a perfect score past me either.

To answer the question: Mars Attacks, there were three funny moments in that entire film, they put them all in the trailer, so by the time I had seen them on screen they were old hat and there was nothing else to laugh at for like two hours (and this is after I laughed out loud at the trailers to the film) I was sadly disappointed.