With platforms like YouTube, movie trailers are the easiest ways for movies to advertise & all it costs is a Username. The problem is that trailers are infamous for either giving too much or too little of the movie away & possibly ruining the actual experience of the film.

These are 4 reasons to watch movies based on initial interest & never watch a movie trailer again.

1. Movie trailers give too much away.

Movie trailers today give too much away when it comes to story & footage. There is a select few that find the right balance to intrigue the audience but not ruin the third act of the film. In my opinion, trailers display the action, some key plot points, but far too much of the final reveal (the antagonist or even their evil plan). So much so that watching the trailer is like watching a shortened version of the film with all the best lines already given to you. It’s not very much fun to walk out of a movie & think “all the best moments (jokes, lines, action shots) were in the trailer.” Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice revealed that the movie would not only have Lex Luthor but also Doomsday. The reveal that (the first villain) Lex Luthor had created (our second villain) Doomsday would have been incredible had it happened in the film. Whereas, Doomsday  was revealed in the trailer; fans & critics had months to berate the choice & the film suffered at the box office. Despite Warner Brothers’ efforts to advertise more of the film to attract a bigger audience, it harmed the film. In the end, trailers could end up doing the opposite of what the studios intend.

2. There are many trailers for one movie, to appeal to different audiences.

Movie studios don’t release one movie trailer anymore, there’s multiple ones: teaser trailer (under 90 seconds), standard initial trailer (roughly 90 seconds to 2:30), Red Band & Green Band trailer (with slight variations to the initial), second trailer, final trailer & anywhere between 5-20 varied Tv Spots (under 30 seconds). The bigger studios want to advertise their movies as much as possible, with as many different types of trailers to play on different mediums. Meaning that these larger studios want their movie to have a bigger payout – which means they need a bigger audience. So they release different trailers that are aimed at different genders, age, race, etc. Here’s where it gets convoluted – the amount trailers can be even more varied depending on the final rating of the film. If a movie is set to be R-Rated, the trailer should just hint at the style of comedy or gratuitous violence that will be displayed & end the trailer with a “This film is R-Rated.” Instead, most films release a Green Band (censored) trailer, as well as a Red Band (uncensored) trailer. There are so many different trailers that get released in order to appeal to different audiences, that it’s becoming overkill in a way.

3. It’s better to go in without any preconceived notions.

In order to fully appreciate the effort put into a film, I’d recommend not watching the trailer at all, you should go in without any expectations of the resolution. The majority of trailers today will show the highlights of action, plot, characters, but will also show you footage from the third act (ending) of the film – the most exciting part. Some trailers have even given away their secret antagonists in the trailer (Batman V Superman, I’m talking about you showing us Doomsday).

As for some films, the trailers have essentially ruined the films chances at the box office:

Ghostbusters is getting trashed online with comments and the most YouTube dislikes in history:

4. Movie trailers are released so far in advance, the anticipation takes away from the experience.

Studios are starting their marketing for movies not only months in advance but sometimes nearly a year or two prior to the films release.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice released it’s first “teaser trailer” on April 17, 2015 with a release date of March 25, 2016. That is a 11 month “tease”…

Suicide Squad was forced to release it’s first “teaser trailer” (after it leaked at the San Diego Comic Con) on July 13, 2015 with a release date of August 5, 2016. That’s a ludicrous 13 months…

300: Rise Of An Empire released it’s first trailer on July 12, 2013 with a release date of March 7, 2014. That is 9 months…

Are trailers worth watching? Do they ruin the movie experience? Should trailers give away as much as they do?

Comment below and let us know!

5/4/2016 – 6:09 pm

by James