The best action movie trailers… ever (part 1)
Here's the first part of our top ten action trailers of all time. So buckle up, grab a beverage, crank up the volume and get ready for lots of explosions, epic scores and plenty of deep voiceovers…
By Paul Banks 17 Sep 2013
Film trailers are a key part of a movie’s juggernaut marketing campaign. They vary from short teasers giving away very little of the film’s plot, to two and a half minutes of quick cuts building up to a dramatic climax, sometimes just giving away a little too much storyline. But hey, we love them nonetheless.
Here at KFTV we like them so much we thought we’d trawl through some of the best action trailers from the last few decades to present you with our top ten. So buckle up, grab a beverage, crank up the volume and get ready for lots of explosions, epic scores and plenty of deep voiceovers in part one of our countdown…
10. Commando (1985)
They don’t make trailers like these anymore, where the voiceover was just as important as the trailer itself - nowadays, the voiceover is a rarity. King of the trailer voiceover was Don LaFontaine (1940-2008), who lent his voice to this trailer and many others like Die Hard, Broken Arrow and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The Commando trailer gives us Arnold Schwarzenegger kicking butt and delivering those dry one-liners to the steel drum (and strangely fitting) soundtrack, composed by James Horner.
9. Speed (1994)
The line from Jeff Daniels’ character to Keanu Reeves' officer Jack Travern: "You’re deeply nuts, you know that?" sets up the plot perfectly – we’ve got a maverick cop here. The cop in question, played by Reeves, is the hero trying to stop a bus rigged with a bomb – planted by a crazy villain (a perfect Dennis Hopper). This trailer also features the voice of LaFontaine, and like the film itself, it's a fun ride.
8. The Matrix (1999)
Bullet time sequences (a revolution back in 1999), mid-air fist fights, dodging gun fire in slow-mo, flames escaping and Keanu Reeves’ wooden acting (ideal for his character in this film), all to an operatic style score - this trailer still holds its own even compared to todays, with their CGI and battling superheroes. The film was crowned a classic, just a shame about its sequels.
7. Godzilla (1998)
A great movie trailer makes a film look better than it actually is. A classic example of this is the Godzilla teaser. The film was dire, yet the teasers made the film look epic and in turn put bums on seats in the theatre. The light-hearted teaser has a simple premise – an old man getting more than he bargained for while fishing. Recognise the music? It’s from the Home Alone score by John Williams.
6. Casino Royale (2006)
Hardcore Bond fans were up in arms when they heard Daniel Craig (a blond? Certainly not!) was to be the next 007. They ate their words after seeing the film; and no doubt after seeing this trailer. The music slowly builds to a cranked up version of the Bond theme, as buildings crumble, elevators collapse, and Craig’s Bond clings onto the side of an aeroplane – what’s more, there’s the famous car flip scene and a glimpse of Craig in those shorts.
For part two of our countdown check out this blog.
What do you think of our list so far? Have we missed out any classics? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or via our Facebook page.
10. Commando (1985)
They don’t make trailers like these anymore, where the voiceover was just as important as the trailer itself - nowadays, the voiceover is a rarity. King of the trailer voiceover was Don LaFontaine (1940-2008), who lent his voice to this trailer and many others like Die Hard, Broken Arrow and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The Commando trailer gives us Arnold Schwarzenegger kicking butt and delivering those dry one-liners to the steel drum (and strangely fitting) soundtrack, composed by James Horner.
9. Speed (1994)
The line from Jeff Daniels’ character to Keanu Reeves' officer Jack Travern: "You’re deeply nuts, you know that?" sets up the plot perfectly – we’ve got a maverick cop here. The cop in question, played by Reeves, is the hero trying to stop a bus rigged with a bomb – planted by a crazy villain (a perfect Dennis Hopper). This trailer also features the voice of LaFontaine, and like the film itself, it's a fun ride.
8. The Matrix (1999)
Bullet time sequences (a revolution back in 1999), mid-air fist fights, dodging gun fire in slow-mo, flames escaping and Keanu Reeves’ wooden acting (ideal for his character in this film), all to an operatic style score - this trailer still holds its own even compared to todays, with their CGI and battling superheroes. The film was crowned a classic, just a shame about its sequels.
7. Godzilla (1998)
A great movie trailer makes a film look better than it actually is. A classic example of this is the Godzilla teaser. The film was dire, yet the teasers made the film look epic and in turn put bums on seats in the theatre. The light-hearted teaser has a simple premise – an old man getting more than he bargained for while fishing. Recognise the music? It’s from the Home Alone score by John Williams.
6. Casino Royale (2006)
Hardcore Bond fans were up in arms when they heard Daniel Craig (a blond? Certainly not!) was to be the next 007. They ate their words after seeing the film; and no doubt after seeing this trailer. The music slowly builds to a cranked up version of the Bond theme, as buildings crumble, elevators collapse, and Craig’s Bond clings onto the side of an aeroplane – what’s more, there’s the famous car flip scene and a glimpse of Craig in those shorts.
For part two of our countdown check out this blog.
What do you think of our list so far? Have we missed out any classics? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or via our Facebook page.
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