When it comes to getting the word out about a film, there is no better weapon in Hollywood's arsenal than the trailer. That is especially true now with the enormous presence of the internet and movie fans being able to watch their favorite stars in the newest teasers for their upcoming films on demand. From early buzz on The Dark Knight Rises, thanks to its epic teaser, and how the I Dreamed a Dream trailer for Les Miserables made the non-musical fans of the world take notice... it has been a great year to tease.
Here are the Top 10 Trailers of 2012:
10. Iron Man 3
After the mediocre Iron Man 2 and the incredible The Avengers, the hope is high for the third Iron Man film and fans were thrilled when the Iron Man 3 trailer landed. It gave us Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) at his best and even introduced us to the evil that is Ben Kingsley's The Mandarin.
9. PrometheusTrailer
That noise, or is it a musical note, that permeates the final moments of the final Prometheus trailer is as haunting as it comes. Too bad the film didn't add up to the excellence teased in the trailer.
8. The Great Gatsby Second Trailer
Hello, gorgeous! Baz Luhrmann's take on the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic, in 3D no less, is teased as a visual marvel with Leonardo DiCaprio impeccably filling Gatsby's shoes. The 1970's Robert Redford-starring version disappointed and we have to give credit to Luhrmann for pushing the boundaries of what we expect from a Great Gatsby world. The moment the color explodes in the first The Great Gatsby trailer, you know this is not your father's F. Scott Fitzgerald story. Then, the second -- just released -- completely dazzled.
7. Star Trek Into Darkness Teaser
Although the first Star Trek Into Darkness trailer compelled, the power of J.J. Abrams was in full effect with the release of the film's full-length teaser. Questions abounded as to where the director would take the franchise he re-booted with Star Trek. Judging by these initial images, fans and non-fans alike are waiting with eagerness for the film to arrive next summer.
5. Zero Dark Thirty First Trailer
When President Obama took to the airwaves to announce that the U.S. had captured and killed Osama bin Laden, our imaginations ran wild imagining how it happened. We know of the heroics of SEAL Team Six, but in that first Zero Dark Thirty trailer, those images came to life.
4. I Dreamed a Dream Teaser from Les Miserables
Even non-musical fans were compelled to check out the big screen version of Les Miserables when Anne Hathaway anchored the film's teaser with her singing of the iconic I Dreamed a Dream, by introducing the movie to mass audiences with her angelic voice for the first Les Miserables trailer.
3. The Dark Knight Rises MTV Movie Awards Trailer
When word got out that The Dark Knight Rises would actually be in audiences' hands in 2012, fans eagerly waited as the first The Dark Knight Rises trailer premiered. Sure, it peaked interest and got us Batman crazies quite excited. But, nothing got the pulses racing like The Dark Knight Rises footage from the MTV Movie Awards. It teased minutes of the Christopher Nolan film and raised expectations ever higher.
2. Man of Steel Second Trailer
Many worried that the man who gave us Sucker Punch was not quite the right director to helm the triumphant return of Clark Kent and his alter-ego, Superman. Yet when the first Man of Steel trailer landed, not only were we sold on Zack Snyder being an impeccable choice, but now we had the problem of having to wait months and months to be able to see what appears to be his masterpiece. Then the second trailer landed and major drooling commenced.
1. Lincoln Presidential Debate Trailer
One does not normally think of a presidential debate as the ideal spot for a studio to release a new movie teaser. The previous versions of a Lincoln trailer were powerful, but not like we saw that evening. The venue for its debut could not have been more perfectly chosen. With integrating images from his movie and history, director Steven Spielberg put his film into context and set in motion the groundswell that has resulted in the film doing so well.
Honorable mentions:The Watch, Beautiful Creatures, The Hobbit and The Avengers Super Bowl spot.