A Look at Super Bowl Commercials 2012

Congratulations to the New York Giants on a great victory after a nailbiter of a game! Of course, the commercials are also a topic for post-game discussion.  I'll share my thoughts on the movies that aired their sneak peaks during the Big Game, and my guest blogger Robert will share his thoughts on the worst commercials that ran on Super Bowl Sunday.

Nick's Reviews of Super Bowl Movie Commercials

Act of Valor - Navy SEALs in action starring real Navy SEALs. Looks amazing.

Avengers - I don't care what the naysayers say, this looks like fun -- Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, assembled to save the world.

Battleship - Who knew that the Milton Bradley game would be adapted into an alien invasion special effects flick? At first I thought it was another Transformers film, but this looks entertaining nonetheless.

The Dictator - Borat as an authoritarian head of state? It looks pretty funny.  Sacha Baron Cohen might be back in top form.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation - The first film was an under-rated hit. This sequel looks like another popcorn pleaser, with bigger names -- The Rock and Bruce Willis!

John Carter - Disney's huge gamble -- an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian epic -- hits the big screen this summer.  (Okay, it technically opens in March -- my cousin Andrew refuses to accept my explanation that Hollywood's "summer season" is starting earlier and earlier.)

The Lorax - Another Dr. Seuss story comes to life. Let's see if they can do it justice.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D - I have mixed feelings about this.  I hate the current 3D trend and I have issues with the prequels, but I still love the Star Wars saga, so George Lucas will probably get more of my money for this.

Robert's Reviews of the Worst Super Bowl Commercials

Hello all! Everyone is posting their best Super Bowl commercials. However, which were the biggest disappointments? Here are my picks:

#5: Coke’s Polar Bears
When you see the Coke Polar Bears, don't you think of Christmas? They are sweet and cuddly spots around the holidays, but not around the Super Bowl. These bears were boring, lifeless, and offered nothing beyond “here’s some polar bears and here’s some Coke”. But, don't worry, Coke. In this category, you are not alone. You'll see as you read onward.

(Nick's Note: Remember when Coca-Cola didn't have to spend a fortune on a CGI commercial? I'm talking about the greatest Super Bowl commercial of all time, the Mean Joe Green classic.  They don't make 'em like that anymore.)

#4: The Cloud – GoDaddy
I love the GoDaddy commericals. I think the Joan Rivers spot last year was classic, and having hot women teasing you is never a bad thing. So, what happened this year? Well, GoDaddy prides itself on being bad and sexy, but the problem this year was that the commercials really weren't all that sexy (just very, very bad). The body painting commercial alone would not have given GoDaddy the commercial equivalent of The Razzies, but The Cloud one was God-awful (no pun intended). There was no creativity to either commercial.

(Nick's Note: But they were fun to look at. I don't remember what they were trying to sell, but again, they were fun to look at.)

#3: Matthew’s Day Off – Honda
I was expecting so much out of this commercial, and perhaps, that was the problem. Unlike the humorous Ferris Bueller's A Day Off, you were waiting for the laughs which never came. It's a one-joke punchline that never went anywhere. Yes, as writers, you can tie in 1980s movie dialogue to a commercial. We get it. However, you never did anything with it that really worked. By the way, the comparable Transactions – Acura (Seinfeld) commercial was so much better (Leno!).

(Nick's Note: It just made me want to see a real movie sequel to one of the greatest comedies ever made.)

#2: King’s Court – Pepsi
Not to worry, Coke; you are not alone. When you think of Pepsi, you think of -- TERRIBLE Super Bowl commercials? Well, now you do. Pepsi, how can you mess up with Elton John? This is a slam dunk, and you double dribbled. Flavor Flav is the only thing redeemable about this commercial. The only thing that saves this commerical from being the worst is [drum roll please] ...

#1: David Beckham Bodywear – H&M
OK, let me see if I get this straight. Take a sport watched mostly by men and put up some guy in his underwear. I don't know about you, but I was expecting some weird punchline. My vote for the WORST Super Bowl commerical of ALL TIME. What a waste of $3.5 million.

There you have it.  What say you all?