Arguably the most important element to a film's success is marketing. Movie trailers and posters have become an art of their own, and are oftentimes major players if a film is a hit or miss opening weekend. The best trailers give audiences a small taste of what is to come while keeping a majority of plot points a secret. An increasing criticism in recent years, however, are trailers that spoil far too much.
On the opposite end, there are adverts that have little to nothing to do with the film, causing audiences to expect a much different movie. Though there are plenty of examples of poor trailers, which ones do the worst job at marketing their respective films?
Misleading - Kangaroo Jack
When Kangaroo Jack was first released in 2003, most expected it to be akin to a live-action Looney Tunes short thanks to the marketing. The trailers implied the movie was about a talking kangaroo that constantly outsmarts two dimwitted friends as they try to retrieve money the animal stole.
While the film does revolve around the two chasing down the kangaroo, the animal doesn't even have a ton of screentime. Even more of a letdown to families, in particular, was the fact that the kangaroo talked only once, and it was in a dream scene. The movie was originally intended to be a more adult comedy, so the kangaroo scenes stand out and are clearly an afterthought, which led to many branding the film as one of producer Jerry Bruckheimer's worst.
Spoiled - Cast Away
The 200o film Cast Away is an emotional film that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats to see if lead character Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) makes it off of a deserted island alone. At least that would have been the case had one of the main trailers not shown very clearly that he makes it off of the island.
While the film is still very well regarded, it is still a shame that audiences knew the outcome of the film's plot before even going in. There are several would-be intense moments that have all the intensity pulled from it because everybody knows Chuck makes it off alive. Regardless, the film still has a loyal fanbase that still loves to discuss it as well as the many fascinating Cast Away behind-the-scenes facts all these years later.
Misleading - Bridge To Terabithia
For those who weren't familiar with the book, Bridge To Terabithia was shaping up to be a fantasy film with enchanting visual effects. The last thing they were expecting was a coming-of-age tale of adolescence with one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever. The marketing for the film was clearly trying to cash in on the recent success of The Chronicles Of Narnia adaptation, boasting a mystical world full of whimsical creatures.
The film instead is very much grounded in reality, dealing with the handling of tragedy through the eyes of a child, which is a far cry from the fantasy-like trailer.
Spoiled - Pet Sematary (2019)
When the first trailer for Stephen King's Pet Sematary was released, fans of the source material knew exactly what to expect. Little did they know, their expectations were going to be flipped on their head as the movie has one twist different from the book and the first adaptation from 1989 that would change the story. That is until the second trailer was released that spoiled the entire thing.
The movie built up the death of the character that fans expected to die, only to suddenly kill off a different character. This would have shocked fans and let them know this was to be a very different film, but the second trailer ruined that experience for them and arguably hurt the box office numbers as a result.
Misleading- Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3
When the first teaser for the second Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel was released, fans had no idea what to expect. The third film was reported to take the messy franchise back to its horror roots, although the trailer said otherwise.
The trailer featured a man with a large figure standing at the edge of a lake. Suddenly, a chainsaw slowly rises up and lands in the man's hand as lightning strikes it. He turns around to reveal he is the titular Leatherface as the title appears. Fans of horror love the trailer, and rightfully so, but the almost fantasy-like feel of the trailer is absent from the film.
Spoiled - Terminator Genisys
Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to his most iconic role should have sold Terminator Genisys on its own, but instead, the studio decided to spoil a major twist to get audiences in seats. John Conner has been the fabled hero of the Resistance since the first film, so Conner himself being a Terminator should have been a jaw-dropping moment if not for the trailer ruining it.
This caused the film to receive harsh criticism before it was even released, which damaged the film's theatrical run drastically. A villain twist such as this should have gained at least some praise, but only if it was left as a twist.
Misleading - Collateral Beauty
In 2016, a trailer for the film Collateral Beauty was released. The film followed Will Smith as a man who suffers a tragedy and has a unique way of coping. He writes notes to time, death, and love. Everyone thinks he is crazy, until the physical manifestations of these three appear to him, at least according to the trailer.
In the film itself, it is revealed early that these three are simply actors hired to make Smith look crazy, which is the opposite of the hopeful tone of the marketing. The film was not as successful as the filmmakers intended, and this could be due to the misleading marketing, as well as Smith's performance which most agree is far from Smith's best work.
Spoiled - Rocky IV
By the time the fourth Rocky film hit theaters, the character was at the height of his popularity. The side characters from the films were just as beloved, so the death of Apollo Creed should have been heartbreaking. Of course, this wasn't the case when the trailer not only showed Creed's death scene but even his funeral.
Apollo's death was a major driving force in the film, so it should have had a heavy emotional impact, but because audience members saw it in full beforehand the impact was lessened. Most critics agree that the fourth film is when the franchise began losing track of what made the original Rocky great, and that may be evident in the plot point being spoiled.
Misleading - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
The trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind boasts an upbeat romantic film. The film is actually more dramatic in tone and shows just what a desperate man will go through to erase the memory of lost love.
The film is not devoid of comedy, but as a whole is a more somber look at romance as opposed to the happy side shown in the adverts. The movie has been praised time and time again over the years, but audiences in 2004 were confused about the almost science fiction-like movie they were watching.
Spoiled - Goldeneye
The opening to Goldeneye had everything a good Bond opening should have - explosive action, a suave entrance, and plenty of quips. It also featured the tragic death of 006, a man who is clearly a dear friend of James Bond. At least, it is tragic to those who hadn't seen any of the trailers, which shows that not only is 006 alive, he is the main villain.
The in-movie reveal of the bad guy is clearly meant to be a large one, with Alec being hidden in the shadows at first. Pierce Brosnan's first turn as James Bond is still one of the best films in the franchise to many, so this spoiler-filled trailer did little to hinder the film's success. Still, it would have been better for fans to witness the twist as it was meant to be witnessed, which is the case with far too many trailers.