10 Teaser Trailers Better Than The Actual Movie
A sneak peek of what never came.
The teaser trailer of a film can often be the most intriguing version of a movie. much like the intro of a horror movie, a teaser trailer's primary job is to make a strong impression. Introduce the dominant themes, show off some impressive visuals, and share a small peek at the plot. It rarely serves as a fully reliable representation of the final product (also like horror intros), but there are many who serve as an intriguing experience on its own.
In terms of marketing, teaser trailers often end up being the best, most interesting version of a given film. Since they have a limited runtime and is especially selective with what details it shares, you're far likelier to be drawn in. Unfortunately, since almost all movies can be cut together to fill an engaging two-minute trailer, you can never be sure if a good teaser equates to a quality two-hour experience. These ten films are a great example of how a stellar teaser isn't always representative of what the average audience member will experience.
Now these aren't all necessarily bad or below-passable films, rather just final products that didn't hit anywhere as well as their sharply-edited sneak peek trailers. Whether it was a summer blockbuster or just a movie with a promising premise, these films owe a great deal to their marketing teams.
10. Godzilla (2014)
Godzilla's name has been largely connected to a campy tone with some sweet monster action. Yet, with the 2014 reboot of the world's favorite giant lizard, expectations were quickly subverted with a haunting teaser that set the stage for a monster movie unlike any other. A look at a strikingly-harrowing hellscape with music from 2001: A Space Odyssey? Ok, this ain't your dad's Godzilla.
Unfortunately, while it did in fact maintain the far grimmer tone that the teaser shows, the movie was completely lacking for personality from its non-gargantuan characters. Bryan Cranston was the only one giving his all with an emotionally-driven performance, but he's quickly dispatched for the sake of the plot. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is then left to fend for himself with an impressively-dull protagonist just isn't interesting enough.
Worst of all is Gareth Edward's insistence on purposely shoving Titan action off-screen throughout. The teaser's immense sense of tension and visual beauty is present, but in the context of the film, they end up being momentary. Godzilla isn't allowed much screentime, the central character is uninteresting, yet is given the most screentime, and the great final showdown serves as a reminder of what Godzilla could've been.