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Lots of movie studios dropping a cool $3 million during today’s Superbowl. Check out some of the most impressive film commercials below. Let’s start with the J.J. Abrams directed and Steve Speilberg produced SUPER 8.
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Up next is BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, starring Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez.
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Up next, Marvel’s THOR, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, and Rene Russo.
And then we have Walt Disney’s PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, which sees Johnny Depp returning as Captain Jack Sparrow, and Geoffrey Rush returning as Captain Barbossa, joined by Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane.
And what Superbowl would be complete without a Michael Bay movie spot? TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is director Michael Bay’s third installment of the popular franchise. Shia LeBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky, with Victoria’s Secret model Rose Huntington-Whiteley taking on the female lead.
Then we have RIO, the CGI-animated film about birds from the creators of ICE AGE. Looks fun, but not sure if this 30-second spot fully sells it – you have to see the full trailer to really appreciate the beauty of this one. The cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Leslie Mann, Jermanine Clement, and Rodrigo Santoro. Set in the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforest of Brazil, the comedy-adventure centers on Blu, a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind. When Blu discovers there’s another – and that she’s a she – he leaves the comforts of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio. But it’s far from love at first sight between the domesticated and flight-challenged Blu and the fiercely independent, high-flying female, Jewel. Unexpectedly thrown together, they embark on an adventure of a lifetime, where they learn about friendship, love, courage, and being open to life’s many wonders. RIO brings together a menagerie of vivid characters, a heart-warming story, colorful backdrops, energizing Latin and contemporary music, and family-friendly song and dance.
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Finally comes the Johnny Depp-voiced RANGO, directed by Gore Verbinski (original PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN). This is my pick for one of the sleeper hits of the year. We’ll see. The cast includes Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, and Alfred Molina.
Tell us what you think about these in the comments below!
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
