Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2009 > January > 31 > Entry
UPDATE: How to watch a Super Bowl movie ad
Call me crazy, but I could care less about the Super Bowl. I can’t remember the last time I watched the game for the game. One of my editors cracked, “The only way to get Eric to watch the Super Bowl is to make a movie about it.”
Actually, she wasn’t far off the mark. I have, after all, seen Black Sunday. But there IS a way to get me interested in the hoopla: the movie ads.
One of the cool benefits of this line of work is that you get cool packages in the mail. I got this beauty from DreamWorks the other day: a kit advertising the 3D animated film Monsters vs. Aliens, which will be released March 27. A 3D commercial for it will play at the end of the second quarter.
The kit contains two Nerf balls (which don’t need the 3D for the “comin’ at ya” effect) and a set of cards identifying some of the monsters. These contain helpful information like their name, power, origin, capture date, and, of course, destructive potential. I also find they make very handy drink coasters.
Those beauties on the right are four pairs of 3D glasses. Since I’m only one guy, my toughest decision here was whether to wear pair one, pair two, pair three or pair four. I decide pair one is best, since I’m fairly lousy with scissors and am likely to mangle pairs two, three or four. I am amused by the Standard Warning for the Ignorant (TM) - “These are not sunglasses.”
There’s a catch, though. Since I am known in the newsroom as “The Guy Who Does Not Care About the Game” I have found myself working on Super Bowl Sunday on more than one occasion. And I will be Sunday, so I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to see the ad or not.
All that said, it was still fun to prepare. Now if only the movies were as clever as the marketing …
UPDATE: I did see the ad, complete with goofy-looking glasses. Couldn’t really make out much in the way of 3D effects on the smallish TV in the newsroom, but I will say that the movie looks like a lot of fun. I’m not a great DreamWorks animation fan (PIxar all the way) but I do hope this will be one of the studio’s better pictures, like Over the Hedge and Kung Fu Panda.
I will put up a post Monday reviewing all the other movie ads. Tell me what you thought.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Super Bowl Commercials


Comments
By SRCputt
February 3, 2009 6:26 PM | Link to this
UPDATE: Not only was the 3D worthless during the ads, during Chuck the next night my son and I took off our glasses after five minutes because the effect was so worthless. At lest the picture wasn’t distorted too much so we could watch the rest of the episode without the glasses.By thoth
February 2, 2009 11:49 AM | Link to this
In addition to the �These are not sunglasses.� on glasses we also chuckled that along each side it said left side, right side.By Susan
February 1, 2009 10:58 AM | Link to this
I guess it pays to be connected, Eric! Alas, the rest of us only have chicken wings and pizza (or in my case …. cupcakes) to look forward to!! And if it makes you feel any better — I actually had to ask my husband who is playing today. =)By SRCputt
February 1, 2009 10:21 AM | Link to this
No care about the Super Bowl? This year? Oh be still, my Steeler loving heart. If I’ve read the reports correctly, there will be two more 3D ads, one for a soft drink featuring a few monsters, both from the movie and also Ray Lewis. And my favorite TV show, Chuck, has a 3D episode tomorrow and is rumored to have a 3D ad today. I’m hoping the glasses that came with my 3D Polar Express DVD work.By Cali
January 31, 2009 11:48 PM | Link to this
haha that’s awesome! That’s such a cool set that they sent you!