The main purpose of a movie trailer is to get people talking. You get people talking and you’ve succeeded, no matter how crappy the movie turns out. The first wave of people are usually fanboys and people who’ve watched the trailer a thousand times. The second wave of people are usually those persuaded to see the film by their favorite movie critic. And the third wave of people have no attachment to the film whatsoever and just want to see what they think and hope will be a good film — something to keep them entertained for two hours.

In 2011 we received some amazing trailers. In some cases the movie trailer is the most anticipated element, besides the film itself. In other cases, movies that didn’t have a following at all ,such as Snow White and the Huntsman and Battle L.A. have skyrocket in popularity because of the trailer.

And then you have those directors — J.J. Abrams, Christopher Nolan, etc. — who love to tease the fans by either keeping something away from them, or releasing the storyline little by little. It’s a formula that’s worked time after time. These are the trailers that had people standing up and clapping, the trailers that had people whispering to each other in the dark theater, the trailers that had people talking for months.

Top 25 Trailers of 2011:

#25. The Bang Bang Club

The trailer for The Bang Bang Club certainly had people talking. It’s a film that sets to answer how much is too much when it comes to photography. Should one be able to publish a picture of anything in the media, and if not, then what are the guidelines and rules to what can and can’t be published. The trailer is beautiful. It insights excitement, fear, and most importantly, the trailer leaves a lot to be answered. Unfortunately, according to critics, the movie wasn’t all that. Looks like Taylor Kitsch and Ryan Phillippe couldn’t bring the movie home. 

#24. 50/50

A comedy about the odds of beating cancer. Hmm? Not exactly sure how to sell a film of that nature, but the people behind 50/50 did just that. Cancer can be a tough subject to talk about, but it’s out there and it’s real. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen teamed up in this amazing film about one man’s odds of beating cancer and how it affects life. Was the trailer a success? Yes. And the movie was fantastic.

#23. Battle Los Angeles

Oh Battle Los Angeles, how you pissed a lot of people off. Once again, intriguing trailer for a crap movie. I have to had it to the guys, the promo, editing and sound team did a great job with this trailer. They showed just the right actors, just the right shots, and the whole thing backed by some pretty intense music. If you haven’t noticed lately, it’s always the trailer for the alien movies that seem the most intriguing: Battle Los Angeles, Skyline, Cloverfield, Super 8. Seven times out of ten the movie’s going to be crap.

 #22. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Michael Bay… the man knows how to put together a damn good trailer. Transformers: Dark of the Moon had some people skeptical due to its piss poor predecessor, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Bay had a lot riding on his shoulders in this film. He ticked off a lot of fan boys and fired Megan Fox and hired Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. So how did Bay do it? Explosions, explosions, Miss Whiteley, falling buildings… oh, and more explosions.

#21. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Man vs Monkey! If you get past the ridiculous title, the trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes was pretty damn good. James Franco starring in a film about the beginning of the Planet of the Apes franchise… I’ll take it. Not to mention, the film was better than most had anticipated.

#20. My Week With Marilyn

If anyone had any doubts about Michelle Williams portraying the iconic Marilyn Monroe, their thoughts and concerns should have been put to rest with this trailer. The trailer for My Week with Marilyn gave just the right amount of story, showed the right people, and featured Marilyn’s popular poses/pictures. You could tell director Simon Curtis did his homework.

#19. Green Lantern

Green Lantern was probably the top flop of 2011. Ryan Reynolds and the team did one heck of a job creating an amazing trailer. Sure it had it’s CGI problems, but the trailer had the fan boys wetting their pants front the first second. To bad they had to eat their shorts when the film came out. Out of the four superhero films released, Green Lantern was the worst.

#18. Red Tails

Have I expressed my excitement for Red Tails? Ahhhh! The film takes a look at America’s first African American fighter pilots. There’s a score of amazing talent in this film — everyone from director Anthony Hemingway to Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Terrence Howard. January 20, 2012 can’t come any faster!

#17. The Iron Lady

Meryl Streep… is there anything this woman can’t do. She’s fantastic at any role she takes on. And in her most recent film, The Iron Lady, Streep portrays England’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. You better believe Meryl Streep will receive several nominations for her performance.

#16. X-men: First Class

X-men: First Class had a lot riding on it. This film would either bring the franchise to new heights or kill it completely. With Bryan Singer attached as producer and Matthew Vaughn attached as director, the young mutants were at least going to top the last two X-movies. This trailer convinced many people that the origin story they received back in 2000 with the first X-film was completely different than the one they were going to receive in X-men: First Class.

#15. The Woman in Black

Harry Potter, Harry Potter… wait I mean Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Radcliffe. The Woman in Black will be Daniel Radcliffe’s first try at breaking out of the Harry Potter shadow that many think will loom over him for years to come, and eventually hurt his career. However, after being cast in The Woman in Black and tearing up Broadway in How to Succeed in Buisiness Without  Really Trying, Radcliffe has shown he no vanished kid actor.

#14. The Amazing Spider-Man

Marc Webb and his cast for The Amazing Spider-Man, lead by Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, have a lot to prove. They must prove that starting the Spiderman franchise from the beginning and in such a short time was the right decision and not a complete mistake. Everything is on the line for this film. You’ve got new actors, a new villain, and a new love interest. Not to mention Peter Parker enjoys basketball and skateboarding… who knew?

#13. Super 8

J.J. Abrams and his promotion team should win an award for having the most effective marketing strategy of the year. What can we take away from the trailer for Super 8? Don’t show the monster and you’ll drive people up a wall. People are curious, and J.J. Abrams knows exactly how to get people in the theaters.

#12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Tear. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 marked the end of an era for many. I was just 10 years old when I first saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in theaters, and now I’m 21. The trailer for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 wasn’t just a trailer, it was the last trailer for Potter and his friends, and for that reason alone, fans made sure the trailer and film received all the hype it deserved.

#11. The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson, three of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars have teamed up to star in what’s being called the next big franchise, The Hunger Games. Based on Suzanne Collin’s novel of the same title, The Hunger Games is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, and for very good reason. We’ve received two trailers and we’ve seen hardly nothing of the battles. Take note, competition, this is how you do it.

#10. The Avengers

Throw six of the most badass Marvel superheroes on one team and what do you get? The Avengers! This amazing team consist of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk, Thor, and Nick Fury. The trailer teases you with just enough — explosion here, a little Black Widow there, a quick shot of the Hulk… all the right ingredients to get people talking and have fan boys go crazy.

#9. The Muppets

Our furry little friends had one hell of year, which started off with one amazing trailer. With three parody trailers poking fun at TV sitcoms, Green Lantern and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Muppets knew how to get our attention. Funny thing is, out of the 5 trailers we received, only one gave a clue to the story line. But who cares about the storyline when you’ve got the Muppets to entertain you for two hours?!

#8. The Dark Knight Rises

Boy, oh boy. If this doesn’t top the 2012 box office, I’m not sure what will. Christopher Nolan is another director who enjoys teasing fans. The trailer for The Dark Knight Rises opened a lot of doors, dropped several easter eggs, and raised a lot of questions. Why didn’t we see Catwoman in costume? What’s the meaning of the Robin styled ‘R’?  What is People took to the net the minute the trailer premiered and made this trailer a #1 trending topic on Twitter.

#7. The Artist

The Artist = proof a black and white silent film can still be successful in an age dominated by CGI, 3D effects, and heavy action. Enough said.

#6. Snow White and the Huntsman

Believe it or not, the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman had many people clapping and talking in the theaters the day I saw Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. And I was sure everyone had caught wind of the trailer by then. There’s something grand about this trailer. Charlize Theron could be one of the best female villains we’ve seen in a while. And Kristen Stewart… well we’ll see what she has up her sleeves when the film hits theaters June 1, 2012.

#5. The Hobbit

The road to the making of The Hobbit hasn’t been an easy one. Change of directors, financial woes, legal problems… thank goodness Peter Jackson took the helm. If he hadn’t there’s no clue what would’ve become of our precious. The trailer had just the right amount of mystery, fantasy, and Golem! Probably one of the best teaser trailers of the year.

#4. We Need to Talk About Kevin

Welp… will I want a kid after seeing this film? Heck, will anyone? Ah heck, so what if my boy turns out to be a pshyco-killer, I’ll still love him. The trailer for We Need To Talk About Kevin, builds up suspense from the very beginning and keeps it’ going like a snowball rolling down hill, gaining momentum till the very end… then SPLAT! Plus Tilda Swinton stars in the film… yep, I’ll be the first one in line. We Need to Talk About Kevin hits theaters in the US winter of 2012.

#3. Shame

What made the trailer for Shame so great? Michael Fassbender’s breathing. Who knew backing a trailer with the sound of a person breathing could arouse so much emotion in a person. I remember watching the trailer for the first time and not knowing what to think, but then as I watched it again, I felt really close to Fassbender’s character because I was hearing him breath. Every thing about this trailer is sex.

#2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The first trailer for David Fincher’s Girl With the Dragon Tattoo showed just about everyone that he had the cast and the crew to top the foreign version of the same film. Backed by Trent Reznor and Karen O cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” the trailer is composed of several quick shots, creme-colored giant font, and the amazing Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. It doesn’t get any better than this… or does it?

#1. Prometheus

It’s a prequel! No… it’s not a prequel. Yes, it is!? I looks so much like Alien, I mean there’s so many connections! DUDE, it’s not a prequel, Ridley Scott said so himself. People all over continue to have the debate. So does Scott have something in store for his fans, or is he just getting a kick toying with us like little yo-yos? I don’t think he’s as cruel as Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams, but the man’s been known to have a few tricks up his sleeves. The trailer for Prometheus is our #1 trailer of 2011.