The best action movie trailers… ever (part 2)
Part two of our top ten action trailers of all time. 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 23 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 (see our first favs in last week's post). So buckle up, grab a beverage, crank up the volume and get ready for the final part of our countdown...
5. Die Hard With A Vengance
Bruised and battered cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) fighting bad guys with Samuel L Jackson by his side, buildings blowing up, car chases and a derailed train – all to Beethoven’s Ode To Joy. This rare international trailer is the best version; the film itself was far better than its predecessor, Die Hard 2, or any of the sequels that followed.
4. Star Trek (2009)
Not a fan of Star Trek? You didn’t need to be to enjoy this JJ Abrams reboot, and the trailer certainly does the film justice. With plenty of crash bang wallop in space, an awesome score (Two Steps From Hell by Freedom Fighters) and accompanying text like ‘prepare… for the beginning’ makes this trailer a classic.
3. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Music is paramount to any film trailer – whether it’s a score from another film or specially composed. If you’re making a classic TV series into a film, which already has a great theme, you’d be silly not to use it. Producers of the big screen version of Mission: Impossible were right in using Lalo Schifrin’s score during the film and trailer. It’s used pretty much throughout this trailer, along to the fast paced editing of bangs, punches, an exploding helicopter, and Tom Cruise in a tiz.
2. Spider-Man (2002)
The themes in this trailer go up and down like a rollercoaster – first there’s mystery, then it’s upbeat, then into dark territory with the reveal of Willem Dafoe’s villainous Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, until we get full blown action, along with the score Pompeii by E.S. Posthumus. It also features action swooshing text (‘On May 3… One Hero’) you have to have in an action trailer.
1. The Dark Knight Rises (2012, trailer 3)
Why does this trailer deserve its place in the top spot? Well, it makes a flawed film (it was good, but not that good) look like an epic action masterpiece. The trailer starts off slow paced, with solemn piano music to accompany the visuals of Batman’s downfall, and gradually builds to get your adrenaline pumping. There are glimpses of the Bat, Batman’s and Bane’s street fight, and Anne Hathaway in leather - all to Hans Zimmer’s thumping score. What’s not to like?
What do you think of our list? Does The Dark Knight Rises trailer deserve the top spot? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or via our Facebook page.
5. Die Hard With A Vengance
Bruised and battered cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) fighting bad guys with Samuel L Jackson by his side, buildings blowing up, car chases and a derailed train – all to Beethoven’s Ode To Joy. This rare international trailer is the best version; the film itself was far better than its predecessor, Die Hard 2, or any of the sequels that followed.
4. Star Trek (2009)
Not a fan of Star Trek? You didn’t need to be to enjoy this JJ Abrams reboot, and the trailer certainly does the film justice. With plenty of crash bang wallop in space, an awesome score (Two Steps From Hell by Freedom Fighters) and accompanying text like ‘prepare… for the beginning’ makes this trailer a classic.
3. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Music is paramount to any film trailer – whether it’s a score from another film or specially composed. If you’re making a classic TV series into a film, which already has a great theme, you’d be silly not to use it. Producers of the big screen version of Mission: Impossible were right in using Lalo Schifrin’s score during the film and trailer. It’s used pretty much throughout this trailer, along to the fast paced editing of bangs, punches, an exploding helicopter, and Tom Cruise in a tiz.
2. Spider-Man (2002)
The themes in this trailer go up and down like a rollercoaster – first there’s mystery, then it’s upbeat, then into dark territory with the reveal of Willem Dafoe’s villainous Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, until we get full blown action, along with the score Pompeii by E.S. Posthumus. It also features action swooshing text (‘On May 3… One Hero’) you have to have in an action trailer.
1. The Dark Knight Rises (2012, trailer 3)
Why does this trailer deserve its place in the top spot? Well, it makes a flawed film (it was good, but not that good) look like an epic action masterpiece. The trailer starts off slow paced, with solemn piano music to accompany the visuals of Batman’s downfall, and gradually builds to get your adrenaline pumping. There are glimpses of the Bat, Batman’s and Bane’s street fight, and Anne Hathaway in leather - all to Hans Zimmer’s thumping score. What’s not to like?
What do you think of our list? Does The Dark Knight Rises trailer deserve the top spot? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or via our Facebook page.
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