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Best TrailerThe Matrix Reloaded
There is no more important marketing tool for a Hollywood production than the trailer. A strong two-minute spot attached to the right movies and a 30-second spot shown during a demographically-matched television program is often the difference between a movie's success and failure. While few outlets acknowledge the importance of this advertising aspect, BOP feels it is so important that we track the new commercials with our Trailer Hitch columns. At the end of the year, we also laud the most eye-catching spots from the previous 12 months. While it's easy to make an ad that stays with a person for a few weeks, it's more impressive to create one that people still remember many months down the road. In 2003, the year of The Matrix according to Time Magazine, there was much frustration from the diehard fanbase over the subject matter of the second and particularly the third film. A quick glance at our Worst Picture category will demonstrate that as a group, we weren't satisfied with the conclusion (?) of The Matrix franchise. Despite that, we were blown away by the marketing campaign for The Matrix Reloaded (and, despite the outcries of many readers, the film itself). The people in charge of cutting the footage were obviously fans of the product and innately recognized what other fans would want to see. The sleek incorporation of the stylish visuals, wirework action sequences, and CGI demonstrations of The Twins had the staff salivating for the entire month leading up to the release of The Matrix Reloaded. It was therefore an easy selection for our Trailer of the Year. Finishing a not-too-distant second is the November 2004 release, The Incredibles. Unlike Michael Eisner, we loves us some Pixar. Seeing the comedy hijinks of a past-his-prime superhero trying to don the suit for the first time only to see his gut reject the belt has had us busting out laughing for the body of a year now. Third place is an entrant we never would have predicted coming into the year. A Michael Bay production of a Hollywood B-movie classic such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the textbook definition of movie sacrilege. Imagine our surprise when we saw this clip. Haunting cuts of normal hippy teenagers being introduced to the chaos of a twisted family hiding a dark secret were displayed with a measure and a patience unlike any Bay trailer to date. Keeping the trump card of the man with the chainsaw saved until the final few shots creates something of an orgasmic experience for viewers after the foreplay of the tense sequences. The chilling noises used as the soundtrack for the clip stay with us until this day. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King didn't have to do much to raise the interests of the BOP staff. The trailer simply had to show the cast of characters along with a few CGI teases of Gollum, and we were sold. As it turns out, we happily received a lot more than this as the magnificent sets from the final leg of the franchise were as visually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing as any seen in 2003. Fifth place goes to a late-year entrant, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The crafty concept of a man played by Jim Carrey literally erasing the memories of a woman from his mind is aptly demonstrated in this ad. The problems with his knee jerk decision are demonstrated in a very humorous yet subversive fashion. His immediate regret and wish to hold on to some of the recollections that made her special in a way that also redefined him are unexpectedly cerebral for a Jim Carrey film. It's this aspect that grabbed our attention and put Eternal Sunshine high up on our radar for 2004. Sixth place is similar to fourth place in that Spider-Man 2 didn't have to do much to wow us. All we wanted were a few shots of Doc Octopus to assure us this wouldn't be another Hulk-esque CGI fiasco. Mission accomplished. Seventh place is an unusual selection which hearkens back to last year's Comedian victory. As with that film, Resident Evil: Apocalyse takes the unusual approach of not showing any footage from the movie itself in the trailer. Instead, a faux commercial is created involving the benefits of Umbrella Corporation products. The counter-marketing tactic of pretending as if the evil zombifying conglomerate were a real business is a masterstroke to the point that we are already seeing it ripped off in spots like Stepford Wives. The rest of the top ten sees a couple of sequels, a wrestler-cum-action star's progress, and one more celebration of the undead. The third Harry Potter film will see a changing of the guard with Chris Columbus out and Alfonso Cuarón in. There doesn't look to be any drop-off in quality, though. The newest trailer might be the best yet for the series. Similarly, X2: X-Men United's usage of the mighty Nightcrawler bamf! made it one of the eye catching of the year. The Rock's first outing in The Scorpion King was considered lackluster by many, but we were still more than willing to give The Rundown a try due to the cosmic hilarity of "Establish dominance!" It's possibly our trailer catchprhase of 2003. Finally, in a tie for tenth is The Crow wannabe, Underworld. The voiceover acting of Kate Beckinsale combined with the lush background sets and more than a little of Kate clad in skintight leather costuming earned this one the final spot on our list. Near misses this year were another zombie title, 28 Days Later, another Matrix title, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Rocketeer-ish Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Troy, The Passion of Christ, and Love Actually were just behind them in the voting. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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Monday, November 25, 2024
© 2006 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.
