A great movie trailer is an art form. In two and a half minutes, it has to sell you a story, introduce characters, hint at the spectacle, and leave you desperate to see more. Sometimes, trailer editors are so good at their jobs that they create a masterpiece of marketing that the final film simply cannot match. The hype becomes a tidal wave, but the movie itself is just a ripple. Here are some of the most iconic trailers that promised the world and delivered something far less exciting.

1. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

What the Trailer Promised: The cinematic event of a generation. The first Star Wars film in 16 years, the trailer was a cultural phenomenon. It opened with a misty swamp, a mysterious voice saying, "I don't sense anything," and then the unforgettable sound of a lightsaber igniting. We saw glimpses of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, a serene Queen Amidala, incredible space battles, and—most importantly—the terrifying, double-bladed lightsaber-wielding Darth Maul. The soaring score, the epic visuals, and the promise of seeing the origins of Darth Vader created a level of anticipation that has rarely been matched. It promised action, mythology, and the return of the greatest saga in film history.

Why the Film Disappointed: While the movie had its moments (the "Duel of the Fates" sequence is an all-timer), it couldn't live up to the trailer's focused intensity. The actual film was bogged down by clunky dialogue, a confusing plot centered on trade negotiations and senate procedures, and the introduction of Jar Jar Binks, a character who became a lightning rod for fan criticism. The thrilling Darth Maul, who looked like the ultimate villain in the trailer, had minimal screen time and dialogue. The trailer was a perfect distillation of everything fans wanted, while the movie was diluted with elements they didn't.

2. Suicide Squad (2016)

What the Trailer Promised: A stylish, anarchic, and fun-filled anti-superhero romp. The first official trailer, set brilliantly to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," was a masterclass in editing. It showcased a cast of colorful villains forced to do good, crackling with witty one-liners and chaotic energy. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn instantly popped as the star, and the glimpses of Jared Leto's "damaged" Joker felt edgy and dangerous. It promised a DC movie that was a wild departure from the grim and serious tone of its predecessors—a punk rock, neon-drenched blast.

Why the Film Disappointed: The final film felt like it was made by a committee that couldn't decide on a tone. The energetic, music-driven style of the trailer was present in some scenes, but much of the movie was a murky, joyless slog. The plot was generic, the villain was a CGI-heavy letdown, and the Joker's role was significantly cut down, amounting to little more than a glorified cameo. The movie was a tonally inconsistent mess that failed to capture the rebellious spirit its marketing sold so effectively. The trailer company reportedly edited the film's opening, and the rest of the movie couldn't maintain that energy.

3. Man of Steel (2013)

What the Trailer Promised: A profound, emotionally resonant, and visually stunning Superman origin story. The third trailer, featuring Hans Zimmer’s powerful score and voiceovers from both of Superman's fathers (Jor-El and Jonathan Kent), was breathtaking. It presented Clark Kent as a man wrestling with his place in the world, afraid of what humanity would think of him. We saw beautiful, Terrence Malick-esque shots of him as a child with a cape, juxtaposed with epic scenes of him learning to fly and saving people. It promised a thoughtful, character-driven epic that would make us believe in Superman again.

Why the Film Disappointed: While the film delivered on the visual spectacle, it largely abandoned the contemplative tone of the trailer in its second half. The final act devolved into a prolonged, city-leveling brawl with General Zod that felt numbing and repetitive. The character-focused emotion promised in the trailer was replaced with mass destruction, and Superman's controversial decision to kill Zod felt at odds with the hopeful figure presented in the marketing. The trailer was a beautiful poem about an immigrant finding his way; the movie was a loud disaster film.

4. Godzilla (2014)

What the Trailer Promised: A terrifying, suspense-filled monster movie. The teaser trailer was a work of genius. It used dialogue from J. Robert Oppenheimer's "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" speech over harrowing images of destruction. The HALO jump sequence, set to the haunting score from 2001: A Space Odyssey, was masterful, building dread as soldiers descended through the clouds to face an unseen horror. The final reveal of Godzilla's immense scale and his bone-rattling roar promised a serious, awe-inspiring creature feature that treated its subject with gravity.

Why the Film Disappointed: The actual movie put very little focus on its title character. Godzilla is only on screen for about eight minutes in his own film. Instead, the story follows a bland human protagonist and focuses heavily on two other monsters (MUTOs) that lacked Godzilla's screen presence. Bryan Cranston, who was a compelling emotional anchor in the first act and the trailers, is killed off surprisingly early. The film simply failed to deliver on the trailer's promise of a Godzilla-centric horror spectacle, saving its main attraction for a brief finale.

5. Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

What the Trailer Promised: A whimsical, bittersweet, and visually magical adventure. Set to Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," the trailer was an emotional gut-punch. It perfectly captured a sense of childlike wonder and the melancholy of growing up. The visuals of Max in his wolf suit interacting with the giant, soulful-eyed monsters were breathtaking. The music swelled, the creatures roared, and the tagline "Inside all of us is… hope. Inside all of us is… fear. Inside all of us is… a wild thing" promised a deeply moving and universally relatable experience.

Why the Film Disappointed: The film itself was much more melancholic and far less whimsical than the trailer suggested. Director Spike Jonze created a pensive and often somber meditation on childhood anger and sadness. While critically acclaimed by some for its mature themes, many audience members who were sold a heartwarming family adventure felt blindsided. The film's slow pace and downbeat tone didn't match the uplifting, energetic feeling of the trailer, which had masterfully packaged the film's sadness as poignant beauty. The movie was a quiet therapy session, but the trailer was a triumphant call to adventure.

6. Prometheus (2012)

What the Trailer Promised: An atmospheric, terrifying return to the Alien universe. The trailer was packed with cryptic horror, sweeping sci-fi visuals, and a sense of existential dread. The use of the original Alien “siren” sound was a deliberate callback for fans, and the slow build of tension in the trailer, paired with haunting imagery, made it seem as though this was going to be the great modern sci-fi horror epic.

Why the Film Disappointed: The movie, although gorgeously shot, ended up as a confused blend of philosophical wandering and horror tropes that didn’t quite come together. Characters made baffling decisions, and big questions were raised but never answered. Fans went in expecting something as tight and terrifying as the original Alien, but most left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. The trailer was a masterclass in setting up mystery; the movie answered it with ambiguity and unfulfilled promise.

7. Sucker Punch (2011)

What the Trailer Promised: Pure visual fantasy and adrenaline-fueled action. The trailer unleashed a sensory barrage of samurai battles, fire-breathing dragons, WWI trenches, and lightning-fast martial arts, all set to a heart-pounding soundtrack. Stylized visuals and dynamic editing suggested a relentless ride where nothing was off-limits and reality could be bent at will.

Why the Film Disappointed: The movie's plot was convoluted and relied heavily on dream sequences and layered realities, leaving most viewers confused rather than amazed. The explosive visuals that worked in short bursts for two minutes grew tiresome and hollow over two hours. Instead of the empowering action spectacle the trailer suggested, the film felt like style desperately searching for substance.

8. Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

What the Trailer Promised: An intense, gritty alien invasion war movie. The first teaser was moody, ominous, and almost documentary-like, using shaky cam footage and snippets of terrified civilians alongside soldiers preparing for battle. The bombastic music and tight editing gave off serious District 9 vibes, promising grounded chaos and a human perspective on an otherworldly threat.

Why the Film Disappointed: The final film delivered plenty of shaky cam, but the raw intensity fizzled out quickly. It fell into repetitive action sequences, flat characters, and generic dialogue, never living up to the atmosphere and tension of those first teasers. The trailer felt like a window into a smarter, more emotional film than the straightforward, forgettable blockbuster viewers ultimately received.

9. Cloverfield (2008)

What the Trailer Promised: The ultimate mystery. The first trailer aired with Transformers and didn’t even reveal the movie’s title—just a spectacular shot of the Statue of Liberty’s head crashing into a Manhattan street. Sound design and quick-cut chaos laid out a promise: you were about to see something unpredictable and genre-defining. The buzz was immediate and huge—what was this movie?

Why the Film Disappointed: While Cloverfield was innovative in its found-footage style, the movie itself couldn’t fully live up to the fever-pitch expectations set by its cryptic, viral campaign and unforgettable first trailer. Some found the shaky cam nauseating, others felt let down by the slight story and thin characters. The trailer's promise of mythic terror and revelation turned into a more generic monster chase.

10. The Village (2004)

What the Trailer Promised: Psychological horror at its best. The trailer was dripping with mood: ominous red cloaks, atmospheric woods, and the implied presence of something truly terrifying just out of frame. That music, the cryptic voiceovers, and the sense of rural isolation made it seem like M. Night Shyamalan had crafted a true successor to The Sixth Sense—a chilling masterpiece full of secrets.

Why the Film Disappointed: Despite opening strong, the movie ultimately swerved into a controversial twist that divided audiences. What felt like it should have been a supernatural horror classic turned into a strange morality tale that left many viewers more irritated than entertained. The trailer promised nightmares; the movie delivered confusion and disappointment.

Movie trailers will always have the job of making us buy a ticket, but sometimes, they really do promise the moon when a film only manages a trip around the block. If you’ve ever walked out of a theater feeling like you got catfished by marketing, you’re definitely not alone.