Best Super Bowl Movie Ads 2011

I watch the Super Bowl for the game, not the commercials, so the fact that there were probably somewhere near 20 movie advertisements that played during the intermissions of Super Bowl XLV was a nice bonus to my evening. Some of you, however, might have been more focused on waiting to see what Bud Light would come up with next and might have missed some of these, so in that case I say you’re welcome.

Truth is not all of the movie spots were exciting. Many featured footage we have seen before (or I had seen before, I should say …) or movies that I care nothing about (“Fast Five”). But we always get a couple first glimpses of summer films or more footage from some of the most anticipated titles.

Here were my top five:

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5. Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom

No? Well I’m excited for this one. I thought “Kung Fu Panda” was a terrific combination of action, adventure, comedy and good moral storytelling and I think “Kaboom of Doom” will deliver in the same ways. The plot is mostly under wraps and that will be a big factor in the success, but this “We Will Wok You” teaser perfectly captured the tone of this DreamWorks franchise. “Kaboom” will be one of the few guaranteed hits of this summer.

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4. Super 8

We were teased with a new J.J. Abrams-directed and Steven Spielberg-produced movie in the trailers before “Iron Man 2” last year — something in the spirit of “Cloverfield” primed for a big viral campaign — and now that Abrams has actually filmed the movie (interesting order of things), the Super Bowl gave us our first look.

Did anyone else have flashbacks to “E.T.”? I don’t think the choice of soaring music and a child on a bicycle were “coincidences.” Something tells me “Super 8” will be a less family friendly more mayhem version of the ’80s classic. Whatever comes out of that train definitely seems to lead to a heck of a lot of small-town destruction.

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3. Cowboys & Aliens

It used a lot of previously seen footage, but Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys & Aliens” ad spot definitely upped the action/adventure factor for this sci-fi Western. The film is going to need to keep impressing if it hopes to be successful in spite of opening in the latter portion of a very crowded summer.

I’m a bit confused by a naked Olivia Wilde standing around a crowded fire pit, or maybe more so confused as to why they decided to show that scene … oh wait, yes I do; this was a Super Bowl spot. You’ve got all the boys drinking beer, watching the game and then you cap off a TV spot that already had Harrison Ford, explosions, James Bond and alien spaceships … with the naked back of Olivia Wilde. Sold.

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2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I still have flashbacks to the first time I saw a TV spot for the 2007 “Transformers” and nearly passing out from ecstasy. Yes, like most others, my thoughts moved from love to spite after the second film proved a chaotic mess involving John Turturro commenting on a transformer’s “balls.” However, that damn Michael Bay has my attention again.

The chief reason is simply because this teaser shows Transformers tearing the shit out of Michigan Ave. and completely devastating the city I love, which should be upsetting but is actually quite cool. Bay has also apologized for the second film in a way and said this one will be better. Anything better than the last would be a good start. Megan Fox’s departure could be the single best and worst thing that happened to this movie as well.

Lastly, in all honesty, I could handle the hurricane of metal parts that were the action sequences in “Fallen” and they seem to be back with a vengeance here. They will be more tolerable if given a decent story, which the “Transformers being discovered on the moon” premise might well provide.

Never say I’m not a forgiving person.

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1. Captain America: The First Avenger

I had been waiting for the first footage from this film for a long time and I have to say I’m loving the the period look so far. It feels very classic comic book and Chris Evans has shaped up to be a better Steve Rogers than I would’ve guessed.

Flame throwers, Stanley Tucci’s accent, a quick peak at Hugo Weaving as Red Skull and Haley Atwell were among the highlights of this Super Bowl spot and I’m anxious to see more. Consider me effectively teased.

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The best of the rest would start with “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” seeing as I’m excited for the film but found there to be a lack of new footage and the trailer to resemble a more typical TV spot, not a Super Bowl spot. Same goes for “Thor” and “Battle: Los Angeles.” I’m stoked for both, but the TV spots didn’t offer anything new. Then again, this is a movie dork speaking. I’m sure some of you hadn’t seen anything from those films yet.