List: The 10 Best Trailers of 2010

Note: Yes, I know. Nothing says “in the moment” like a Top 10 post of 2010 coming in the 2nd month of 2011. In my defense, I… umm, have nothing to say. Sorry. Let’s move on.

I love trailers.

To me, they are an integral part of the movie-watching experience. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sitting in a theater – popcorn in hand – waiting for the movie to start, whilst being treated to tantalizing glimpses of upcoming attractions.

And believe me, putting together a good trailer is an art in itself. You have less than three minutes to set up the concept of the film, draw the attention of audiences, get them excited about the film but still hold enough back so as to not spoil the final product itself.

2010 was a great year for trailers and it was quite a hard task to whittle down the number of candidates. There were quite a few good trailers that, in any other year, might have made it to atleast the bottom five. But this year, they had to contend with sitting out, just on the cusp of making the list.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s move on to the 10 trailers of 2010 that, in my opinion, were the best of them all.

10. Sucker Punch – Teaser

Why do I love this trailer so much? Because, well, it literally has everything in it. You want dragons? You got dragons. You want gorgeous girls wearing skimpy clothes with badass weapons in hand? You got them. You want Samurais and swords? There you go. You want fantastical musical numbers? Well, fret not absurdly-demanding-person, you got that too!

Even going by Zack Snyder’s lofty standards, Sucker Punch looks like a visual feast… a fact this trailer effectively emphasized. Bring it on!

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9. 127 Hours – Theatrical Trailer

The first trailer for this film wasn’t particularly impressive. It did the job, as in, it got the point across, but it had precious little flair of its own. But, the second trailer more than made up for those shortcomings.

It starts off with a bang, introducing us to protagonist Aaron Rolston on-the-fly, while also highlighting his carefree nature and lively personality. I love that moment where he just drops down a gorge and falls into the water below. It is insane, but oh so enticing.

However, it is after the pivotal moment of Aaron falling down and getting his hand stuck under that rock that the trailer goes from “very good” to “great”. Showcasing director Danny Boyle’s credentials really well, this segment of the trailer benefits from using Band of Horses’ “The Funeral”. And finally, that tagline. Wow. Just wow.

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8. Battle: Los Angeles – Teaser

The alien-invasion movie and the disaster epic have been done umpteen times by now, and by the very nature of their concept, they are supposed to have huge visual spectacles on display. So, how do you differentiate your movie from the rest of the pack? By cutting a great trailer, that’s how.

Just notice the way this trailer builds up… from the opening cards about supposed UFO sightings to the glimpses of the world (pre-attack) to the money shots as the invasion begins to the heart-pounding crescendo. Excellent work all around. Special praise must be made of the choice of music for this trailer – It wouldn’t have worked half as well as it does now if not for Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Part V: The Sun’s Gone Dim”.

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7. True Grit – Theatrical Trailer

I thought long and hard about using the also-brilliant teaser trailer for True Grit, but in the end decided to go with this one. That trailer is worth a watch too, if only for the extremely poetic way it moves along and The Peasall Sisters’ “Where No One Stands Alone”, which adds a haunting touch to proceedings.

The second trailer offers a deeper, broader and better look at the film: We get to hear exchanges between the characters, see the humour and action on display… and the use of Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” is just about a perfect choice. Oh, and that last shot. It singlehandedly makes this trailer trump the teaser.

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6. The King’s Speech

I haven’t seen the film yet, but people who have seen it tell me that they get goosebumps from the climax and how inspiring it is. Well, looking at the trailer, it’s not hard to fathom why.

It opens slowly, and takes its own sweet time to set up the hook. A vital purpose this segment serves is to showcase the humour and the relationships at the core of the film. And then, in the final stretch, it goes for the kill. By the time the actors’ names (and stature) are hammered with the title cards, I was completely sold and couldn’t wait to see the actual film itself. So, for a trailer, mission accomplished eh?

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5. The Tree of Life

Some people have called this trailer portentous. Some have called it pretentious. I prefer calling it Poetry in Motion. Will you just look at all the pretty pictures on display? That shot of the baby’s foot is my new happy place. And yeah, if you see the trailer and don’t understand what the story’s about… and/or what are those random shots of the universe doing alongside Brad Pitt, then don’t worry. This trailer isn’t concerned with telling you everything. Nor is that, in my opinion, a pre-requisite for being a good trailer.

What this trailer does do (and very well if I may add) is that it makes me intrigued about the movie. Very, very intrigued. I want to know what happens to the boy. I want to know what the arc of Sean Penn’s character is. I want to know how the universe figures into all this. And I want to know whether there are really dinosaurs in this film. I’m there.

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4. Black Swan

Right from the start, right from that opening line… you know something’s not right. Something’s off, creepy, unsettling. This girl seems a little on edge. Her mother seems a bit too domineering. Her boss looks at her in an eerie way. All of these little tics just accumulate and soon we are descending into full-on fantasy trippiness.

This trailer is frighteningly adept at tightening the screws, bit-by-bit, and is so fascinating to watch… I bet it will attract even absolutely unaware people to the film. Also, any thing with Natalie Portman masturbating, Natalie Portman & Mila Kunis kissing, and a closing shot as cool as that is automatically awesome.

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3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Supertrailer

“Motion Picture Event of the Generation”? ”Finale of a Worldwide Phenomenon”? There are many attributes that can be associated with this trailer. Subtlety isn’t one of them. Warner Bros. is piling it on thick and piling it on fast that this is THE blockbuster of the holiday season.

But, looking at it just as a trailer, it’s splendid. It works and does exactly what it aims to. The candy-floss times are over and the world of magic has gone dour. If the chilling opening wasn’t sufficient to convey that, or the brief glimpse or chums Ron & Harry fighting, then how about all the dead bodies lying around in the final shot? A powerful knock-out of a trailer, this resonated with fans and non-fans alike. Kudos to Pfeifer Broz. for their track “Glacial Supremacy” that makes the middle part of the trailer so spellbinding.

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2. The Social Network – Theatrical Trailer

The teaser trailer for this film was one of the best teasers I have seen in recent times. Simple, stark and yet grand, it instantly made anticipation for this film shoot through the roof. Now, it was the turn of the theatrical trailer to show that the visuals were indeed going to match up to the already famous dialogue.

Set to a masterful cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”, the trailer opens with a look at how omnipresent Facebook has become in our lives today and slowly segues into the tale of its founding. Deftly introducing all major characters in the ensemble, their parts in the saga and hinting at some of the major events, this trailer is a masterpiece of editing. For all the nincompoops who were joking about how “Facebook: The Movie” was going to suck… this trailer shut them up.

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1. Inception – Theatrical Trailer

What. A. Trailer.

Let’s face it: By the time this trailer came out, Inception was already THE film of the summer for many people and a lot of folks just couldn’t wait for 16th July to arrive. The one puzzling issue about the film, though, was what it was all about. The previous trailers had been gleefully cryptic in their narration and although extensive analysis did lead to some clues… people were still queasy.

Which is where this trailer shows its class. Not only does it expertly elucidate a premise that’s quite complex, but it does so without once overbearing the other elements, like the fantastic visuals. At the time of its release, many people bemoaned that maybe it had revealed too much about the movie (a cardinal sin that many trailers commit). But, thankfully, once the film came out, everyone realised just how much had been held back.

Stunningly atmospheric, superbly scored to Zack Hemsey’s “Mind Heist” and filled with awe-inspiring sights, this trailer is my choice for the Best Trailer of 2010.

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Do you agree with me? Do you think I messed up with a few choices here? Would you like to suggest a trailer that you feel belongs on this list? Then please… sound off in the comments!

Note – Any trailer released from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2010 was eligible for consideration.

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Media Credit: The respective studios.