Hollywood passes on The Big Game

Movie promos are scarce at the Super Bowl but a hell of an ad for Mercedes-Benz takes top spot

A colleague Tweeted during the final quarter of Super Bowl XLVII: “Looks like the film industry can’t afford the airtime.” And to be entirely honest: I think he was on to something.

Whatever the reason, there were conspicuously fewer movie ads than usual during Sunday’s big game. Indeed, by my count, there were scarcely a half-dozen promo spots for upcoming popcorn flicks and summer blockbusters. And you get that many only if you also include ads that ran during the pre-game hype.

In years past, Hollywood has relied heavily – and, sometimes, quite successfully — on the Super Bowl as a launching pad for high-profile features. This year? Not so much.

And no, before you ask: I don't think the power outage had anything to do with it.

Here’s an overview of the limited lineup, with ads listed in the order of their appearance:

The Lone Ranger

OK, I’ll fess up: When I first heard that Johnny Depp would be playing Tonto in a reboot of the classic western saga with Pirates of Caribbean director Gore Verbinski at the helm, I was… dubious. But I’ll be damned if the early teaser spots didn’t look surprisingly promising.

And the extended ad that ran during the Super Bowl pre-game show was pretty damn spectacular. (An earlier mashup, also shown before kickoff, juxtaposed Lone Ranger movie clips and footage of Super Bowl players – “Sometimes you’ve only got one shot to prove yourself!” – to amusing effect.)

I still have my doubts about Arnie Hammer as the guy with the black mask and the silver bullets – he sounds a bit stiff in all the commercials we’ve seen so far – but I strongly suspect we’re not going to see another Klinton Spilsbury here.

World War Z

Nothing too impressive about this preview of yet another apocalyptic thriller about undead predators. Even Brad Pitt doesn’t add anything fresh to the mix. And as for that attempt at an attention-grabbing “money shot” to seal the deal: Sorry, guys, but I’ve already seen variations of that “zombie hordes scaling wall” business in The Dead – the 2010 shocker set in West Africa, not John Huston’s film version of the James Joyce story — and at least two Resident Evil movies.

See the World War Z Super Bowl ad here.

The Great and Powerful Oz

James Franco as The Wiz in a prequel to The Wizard of Oz? Maybe that’s the game plan. But it looks more like the Disney marketers want us to view this one as a follow-up to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. And, really, considering the worldwide gross of that one – over $1 billion – who can blame them?

See the Super Bowl Oz ad here.

Fast & Furious 6

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back, Dwayne Johnson (who joined the franchise two years ago in Fast Five) is once again along for the ride – and Michelle Rodriguez has returned from the dead. (She seems to do that a lot. Did you see the last Resident Evil flick?) You want more than that? OK, how about a spectacular plane crash — and a freakin’ tank! — to go along with the usual high-speed “vehicular warfare” dash and crash? Hey, I’m sold.

See the Super Bowl Fast & Furious ad here.

Star Trek Into Darkness

So just who is this arrogant dude who claims to be “better… at everything” while getting pissy with Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine)? Beats me. In fact, all the sound and fury in this spot signifies… I haven’t the slightest idea. It’s one thing to be cryptic and/or ambiguous in a Super Bowl teaser. It’s quite another to be chaotic and/or incoherent.

Iron Man 3

Wait a minute: They actually bought a Super Bowl spot to promote something on their Facebook page? Really? Really?!?! Excuse me, but where’s Chuck Barris? I need to gong something.

See the Iron Man 3 Super Bowl ad here.

One could argue that the very best Super Bowl spot with a movie connection this year wasn’t an ad for a movie. What is was, in fact, was a Mercedes-Benz commercial starring film actor Willem Dafoe as… as… well, could it be… Satan?

unspecified

Movie Review

Sheriff Bob Odenkirk is back in over-the-top new action movie 'Normal'

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk in Normal.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wick movies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.

A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).

A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.

The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.

After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.

Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.

You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.

---

Normal opens in theaters on April 17.

movies film