Trailers are designed to entice a potential audience with an infinite amount of fade to blacks, hollow-sounding versions of classic songs and in the 90’s, there was a husky-voiced guy narrating everything. I wonder what happened to him. Also never hurts if there’s a hint of boob.
In fact, trailers can be SO effective that they end up being much better than the disappointing media they were made to promote. It’s a trend that’s all too common in the modern era, so we decided to take a look at 10 trailers that, although awesome, are shamefully misleading for the finished product.
10. Godzilla (2014)
The most recent release on this list and the one that inspired it after I sat through 2 hours of fluff, thanks to what I can only describe as shameful subterfuge from the trailer.
When the main trailer for Godzilla dropped, everyone lost their minds. Tables were flipped, posters of Bryan Cranston were kissed and people all around the world looked at Aaron Taylor-Johnson and went, “what do I know that guy from?” It’s such a shame then that the film turned out to be a damp squib once a certain someone is killed off.
9. Battlefield 4
LOOK AT ALL THE ACTION DURING THAT SMOOTH, COMPLETELY NOT RUSHED OUT AT THE LAST SECOND GAMEPLAY.
Don’t get me wrong, Battlefield 4 is by no means a bad game but neither is it as great as this trailer suggests it should have been. Instead of taking the time they needed to create a seamless, rewarding release for the next-generation of consoles, DICE’s hand was forced into making a bug-laden, frustrating mess. People are still whining about it even now, just take a look at the comments section of the YouTube video above. Oh, and I’m also moaning about it right now. Meta.
8. Killzone 2
Not only is this trailer a misrepresentation of the power of the Playstation 3 but it’s also maybe a bit too much for the Playstation 4.
The original Killzone on the PS2 never quite achieved the mantle as the Halo-killing IP that Sony so desperately wanted it to be but it was still an entertaining traipse through space. So when the trailer for the second one was released, people lost their freaking minds.
The console war looked like it had already been won but upon release, Killzone 2 didn’t even slightly resemble its debut trailer. Hell, I don’t even remember the game itself and I completed it.
7. Only God Forgives
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF DRIVE COMES A DRIVE-ESQUE FILM WITHOUT ANY DRIVING THAT IS A LOT WORSE THAN DRIVE. YEAH DRIVE.
There was plenty of anticipation for the follow up to Nicholas Winding’s Refn 2011 masterpiece which also starred Ryan Gosling in what may prove to be his defining performance. When Only God Forgives hit the big-screen however, it might be fair to say that the reception was polarised. Whether you loved it or hate it, there’s no denying that the trailer is infinitely more engaging than the film itself.
6.Prometheus
After the 3rd or 4th terrifying seagull-on-acid horn, I was sold on Ridley Scott’s prequel to the Alien films and finger-frigged the like button as if the world were going to end.
Much like Only God Forgives though, the film we ended up getting was one that split an opinion or two amongst fans. It’s hard to pinpoint why it didn’t completely connect with the audience; the action was solid, the effects were amazing and the plotli–oh wait yeah, that’ll be it.
If a sequel does ever get off the ground, let’s hope Scott shores up some of the leaks of the Prometheus.
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