How good were the films of 2016? It’s a natural question to ask as January quickly approaches. Some may say this was a relatively weak year for movies, but judging by an incredible mashup from YouTuber and filmmaker Morgan Ermter, it was an absolutely kickass year for movie trailers. Clocking in at over eight minutes and composed of clips from over 300 different movies, “Film Trailer 2016” shows that the medium of cinema is still capable of creating heartbreaking, heart-stopping, and visually arresting moments—at least for a few seconds at a time. Ermter limits himself to footage from online trailers, which means that there are no “boring parts” here, just lots of visual razzle-dazzle and big emotional payoffs. It’s fiendishly effective. Even those who stayed away from cineplexes in 2016 might find themselves wanting to see a few dozen of the movies excerpted here.
Some things never change: Movie characters are still doing those slow-mo Reservoir Dogs walking scenes, for instance, and cool guys and gals still don’t look at explosions. A lot of the power of “Film Trailer 2016” comes from its soundtrack, which includes a speech by John F. Kennedy and the theme from Stranger Things, along with music from Utopia, Ohio, and Muse.
Mostly, the lesson here is that trailers are able to promise more than actual, full-length movies are usually able to deliver. Even Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice looks like a lot of fun when it’s reduced to a shot of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman gearing up for battle.