Top 10 Trailers of the Aughts

We are kicking our “Very Best of the Aughts” series off here at Hollywood Prophets first with a highly unusual category: Trailers.

People don’t exactly realize how influential they are in convincing us to see a film. But if you think about it, so much of what we see in a trailer decides whether we will watch the full movie or not.

There actually exists an awards ceremony FOR trailers called the Golden Trailer. But if you see any similarity between our picks and theirs, it’s full coincidence.

We’re going to get things started going by year:

Billy Elliot (2000)

We start the decade off with a rare foreign gem that most of you have probably never seen, and also is likely one of the best foreign films of the aughts as well (hint hint). The 2000′s began, for most of us, very optimistically and inspirational. Just like this Stephen Daldry-helmed work that pretty much got snubbed at the Oscars that same year too. Billy Elliot is the story of a young boy growing up in 80′s suburban England with a different passion than a lot of the other boys: dancing. Particularly ballet. His struggle to gain acceptance while his family endures hardships are alluded to in this trailer, and it definitely fulfills on all the emotion from this clip.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Appropriately, this film also came from one of the decade’s rising stars, indie director Wes Anderson. Anderson had a cult following from previous films Bottle Rocket (1996) and Rushmore (1998) and The Royal Tenenbaums represented his then greatest effort and probably his best film to date. The film, styled after a modern day fairy tale of reconciliation and regret, was exactly what was promised in this trailer. Quirky, dry Anderson fun.

Adaptation (2002)

There was a time when Nicolas Cage had a bout of good movies, playing the white-collar everyman looking for a big break. Since then, the star has fallen into obscurity with a bout of self-serious shlock and also some financial ruin. This trailer is also unusual in its style, as most trailers are nothing more than just clippets- fractions- of a soundbyte that rely on the premise that the audience is stupid and has no relatability to any of the characters. It also samples the deeply ironic and indulgent tone Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman conjur up in the actual film, which you should experience firsthand. Fabulous use of Bowie and Queen as well.

Lord of the Rings: Return of the Kings (2003)

Finally we get a mainstream film that you’ve all definitely seen in here. Who could deny LotR’s place here at all? We all know that RotK finally won 11 Academy Awards, tying Titanic and Ben-Hur‘s record. From this preview, the film aptly states exactly what it is we’re getting into: a world stands at the brink of its destruction. What could be more epic than that? Peter Jackson’s opus, which he spent the better part of a decade to put together, is made even more pulse-pounding with every beat to the final second of this clip.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Before Nolan proved Batman could be more than just fodder for camp, everyone was thoroughly in love with cult movie director, Sam Raimi, whose 2002 adaptation of Spider-Man and this sequel, shattered box office records and earned major critical patronage. Looking back on it now, Spider-Man trailers really did have a history of giving away too much, and it remains to be seen if this formula will work for another sequel reboot, which is about to begin production. But for Spider-Man 2, which many consider one of the best superhero films of all time, perfectly mirrors the film so well, and that’s why it won the top trailer spot for ’04.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Come on, you all had to know it was gonna be Star Wars. Actually, technically speaking, 2005 had many great hits, but Star Wars: Episode III obviously gets the nod as the last entry in the series (purportedly) and the best of the prequels, if not the entire saga. The sound in this clip is a little off, but George Lucas’ masterful direction has never been more on his game. It’s appropriately the darkest of all the films, and your stomach literally lurched when you saw the moments in the trailer tick by one by one in the actual film. Now if Lucas could just hire a screenwriter for his future films!

Casino Royale (2006)

Yes, another big-budget, familiar property.  And James Bond trailers are never strangers to action. But watching this one, the first installment after MGM rebooted the 40-year old property told us all we need to know: this was not your father’s James Bond. You could argue that 007 was never the character that we needed more backstory on. This Bond was more in line with the books, more gritty and character-driven. And the movie later fulfilled on its promise (premise) 100%. Let the naysayers keep their wussy Roger Moore and Brosnan anyday. It’s not just about the gadgets and women.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

When the Coens work in a certain time period, they bring that period to life. This film, based on Cormac McCarthy’s book of the same name, is set in 1980 west Texas, a gritty no man’s land where sour drug deals spill over from south of the border each day. Moreover than that, the film introduced us to a future “AFI 100 Villains” recipient and some of the most suspenseful cinema in years. When a coin toss is even MORE powerful in the film, to say nothing of the trailer itself…wow.

The Dark Knight (2008)

A year ago, these critics and bloggers wouldn’t dare cross the Batman, which was a blockbuster juggernaught, pulling in $1.1 billion worldwide final take and cementing Nolan’s cinematic freedom in Hollywood, ensuring his genius would remain unfettered for years to come. This was also the last (full) performance of Heath Ledgar, who shocked audiences skeptical that he could so effortlessly make Jack Nicholson’s “Joker” look utterly stupid. The film, like Spider-Man before it, gives away a little much- unusual considering Nolan’s secrecy on his projects. But it’s done in such a disorienting, but still congruent fashion that takes our breath away. This trailer is how you promote a movie. The right level of intrigue, romance, noir, action, are work in favor along with Han Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s thunderous score, “Molossus”.

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (2009)

While the jury could still be out on 2009, we’re calling this one – well, I’M calling this one for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which most agree is the best entry in the movie versions so far. David Yates came onboard in 2007 with Order of the Phoenix and found he couldn’t really do much with the material to differentiate it from the book, so it came off workman-like and dull to some people. (Or it could be – that this was just their least favorite book. Not the case here  While others might have preferred seeing Star Trek or Transformers on here (at least the first one), this Potter told audiences Yates means business. And that the films were not little kiddy affair anymore.  Now we’re getting rumors that the next film will have a few Potter actors in the buff (naked). Wow..I don’t know, we’ll be waiting to see how it all turns out.

5 Honorable Mentions

Sometimes, picking just one trailer a year can be difficult, and especially years like ’02, 04, ’05, ’06 and ’09 were full of great candidates. So enjoy these second-best picks for best trailers of the aughts, and thanks for stopping by!

Signs (2002)

Sin City (2005)

300 (2006)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Star Trek (2009)

You Might Also Like...

About the Author

Riley B.