9 of the best film trailers from 2018

Film companies have outdone themselves this year!

Author: Ben Travis and James WhitePublished 20th Dec 2018
Last updated 31st Dec 2018

Crafting a cracking movie trailer is a fine art – boil a film down to its essence in a few short minutes, leave the best bits unspoiled, spruce up the editing, and pick a song to rattle around in audiences’ heads for weeks.

We’ve chosen the best movie trailers of 2018, the ones that kept us looking forward to the next cinematic treat all year long and into the next. Here are the nine best film trailers from 2018.

Avengers: Infinity War

Shortly before it hit cinemas, the full Infinity War trailer gave a thrilling tease of Marvel's epic, pulling together every corner of the MCU to date. Tony and the Guardians! Spider-Man and Doctor Strange! Cap stopping Thanos with his bare (ok, gloved) hands in Wakanda! All that, and it even set up the snap without us guessing the film would take us there. A smart trailer of bombast and carefully-planted deceptions. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Avengers: Endgame

From the infinite, to the endgame – around six months after Infinity War's gut-punch climax, Marvel finally teased what's coming next. But rather than dialling in on the Avengers' Thanos-thumping plans, the first Endgame trailer is low on action, high on emotion and consequence. Tony records a dying message for Pepper. Thanos strolls through his new world. Cap, Black Widow and Bruce Banner take stock of their losses. Hawkeye shows off a shocking new look as Ronin. And Ant-Man brings a gag. That's all, folks – but it's the perfect amount to show, a bold and confident glimpse into the future. If only Doctor Strange was still around to send us straight there. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Aladdin

Guy Ritchie's film follows many of the same beats – Mena Massoud stars as the titular charming street rat who meets the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and a Smith's Genie who may be the key to their future. And they'll need his magical assistance, what with the nefarious, powerful sorcerer Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) looking to grab power. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Bohemian Rhapsody

The promotion for Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury biopic smartly front-loads those beloved Queen songs, blending them into mega-mix mash-ups that collide the iconic melodies. Just as the more rote studio footage starts to underwhelm, in whomps the 'Another One Bites The Dust' bassline, then the stomp-stomp-clap of 'We Will Rock You', followed by the soaring vocal of 'We Are The Champions' – a three-pronged attack to have fans old and new lining up to do the fandango. Whatever that means. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

The Lion King

Ever since it was announced, there has been a mixture of consternation and anticipation surrounding Jungle Book director Jon Favreau's updated version of The Lion King. Could his CG critter-driven version truly live up to the legacy of the original? From the first footage on display here, he's certainly brought an impressive visual palette. There are several touchstones from the original to be found here – mostly notably narration from James Earl Jones' Mufasa (because only the original Mufasa will suffice) and the call for the animals to meet the new young 'un Simba. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

A Quiet Place

How do you sell a near-dialogue-free horror film? Craft a near-dialogue-free trailer, setting up John Krasinski's silent post-apocalypse through imagery and text cards alone. With only fleeting glimpses of the film's beasties and merely hinting at the threat they pose, the A Quiet Place trailer shows just the right amount to hook audiences in without revealing the film's best moments – and when Emily Blunt finally speaks (in a heartbroken whisper), it's all the more effective. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Spies In Disguise

First it looks a bit like The Incredibles, with a dash of James Bond, bundled up with that classic Will Smith charm. And then the trailer announcing Blue Sky's latest animation pulls a twist so unexpected, so head-spinning, so out of the blue that there's no way we won't be seeing Spies In Disguise – if only to figure out how this whole damn thing ties together. Not watched it yet? You really aren't prepared. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Mary Poppins Returns

Magical nanny Mary Poppins is about to return in – you guessed it – Mary Poppins Returns, a long-long-long awaited sequel to the enchanting Julie Andrews classic. If you needed any convincing about this one, that trailer should do it – Emily Blunt looks perfect as Poppins herself (making her comeback in a most delightful way), while Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer look set to bring emotional weight as the grown-up Banks children. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Dumbo

From the looks of this, Tim Burton have maintained the sadder aspects of the tale, while going big on the spectacle of the circus environs and the story of the young elephant who, thanks to his unusually big ears, has the ability to fly. Click more to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Read this article in full on Empire Online.

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