10 Epic Movie Trailers That Set The Bar Too High
8. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars, at least until recently, was one of the most beloved movie franchises in history. The excitement for 2015's The Force Awakens was strong, but when compared to 1999's Episode I: The Phantom Menace, it seems rather anaemic by comparison.
In the latter half of the decade, a trailer emerged from Lucasfilm, one that would shake the foundations of the blockbuster business. The company was set to produce a trilogy of prequels that would fill in the backstory of the original story.
The trailer was of course amplified by the gargantuan amount of hype. Many an audience had grown up with the original trilogy, widely regarding them as some of the greatest movies ever made. The anticipation was so high that film-goers literally bought tickets to unrelated films just to see the trailer on the big screen.
When the film finally arrived however, the notion of "Phantom Menacing" kicked in; initial reactions were highly positive, but slowly but surely the cracks began to show. Audiences and critics alike began to realise that the film they had waiting sixteen years had far weaker characters and an unengaging plot.
The expectation of a film that would match the wonder of the originals turned out to be misguided.