Have you ever decided whether or not to see a movie based on the trailer, then changed your mind based on the review?
I did this most recently with the 2017 The Mummy, which I thought had a good trailer, but after reading the reviews, decided to skip it.
Yep, the 2011 movie Cowboys And Aliens hooked me with the trailer. I anxiously awaited release of the movie, but initial reviews led to me waiting until I could watch it at home.
I dare say a lot of people were jazzed up by Suicide Squad’s trailer and then warned off by the subsequent reviews. I would have been but I had free tickets so saw it anyway but I knew going in that it was going to be a stinker based on early reviews. Without the free tickets, I would have stayed home.
Only once have I decided to see a movie because of the trailer.* At best, I see it and think, “Let’s see what the reviews say.”
Trailers are advertising, and advertising is designed to mislead. Even if the trailer looks good, it’s pretty easy to make a great trailer for a lousy movie. They are useful in helping you learn what’s coming out, but useless in predicting quality.
*Chicken Run. They had me at “Aardman Animations”; as soon as I saw that I shouted out “Nick Park!”
Literally every time.
This. Trailers all look TOTALLY AWESOME (ok, there are a few where I say “seriously? I will not be seeing this.”) But I don’t make decision on what to see until I read reviews, and I’m frequently disappointed that a great trailer is part of a truly terrible movie.
Back in 1987 I remember seeing a trailer for a this new film Robocop. It looked like crap and I had no intention on seeing it. But, I read a few reviews and I think Siskel & Ebert both gave it thumbs up on At the Movies, so I decided to give it a shot. I’m glad I did!
I basically ignore trailers nowadays.
If the trailer is bad, then the movie is definitely bad. If they can’t put together some good clips, it’s one ball of suckitude. (There might be the rare exception but I don’t have time to look for nor care about that.)
If the trailer is good, 90% of the time the movie is still garbage. So a trailer isn’t going to guide me at all about seeing the film.
Even in the best possible setting- in a good quality movie theater on the Big Screen -most trailers do nothing for me.
So it’s reviews as a first cut, word of mouth, etc. to make final selections.
I think it’s important though, when considering “word of mouth” is to know what type of films those mouth’s like or dislike.
This year I saw the film “Get Out” mostly on the strength of “word of mouth” and was really disappointed in that movie. Wow, what a lousy second half. I should have considered the tastes of those who where spreading the word before seeing it.
Rotten Tomatoes is your friend. Never trek to the cinema without checking there first.
I love trailers just for themselves. I don’t think they provide any clue as to whether the feature is any good but sometimes let you know that it is bad . Often a comedy trailer will show every good gag in the movie or a drama will reveal key lines. And this is often a clue that the movie is execrable, as they are the ‘best’ bits.
At the moment I am particularly fond of the new Transformers: The Last Knight thirty second trailers that are showing on TV. In the two that I have seen Oscar nominated actor Mark Wahlberg says three words. And one of them is Optimus.
I never listen to reviews for the simple fact that some of my favorite movies are hated by most of the critics.
That is an excellent example. I had the exact same reaction to the trailer in the theater, it just looked ridiculous. But then after it came out I heard/read really positive reviews and decided to go see it.