Super Bowl LI was a Falcons blowout – until the final six minutes of regulation. The game went to overtime – the first time in a Super Bowl. And the New England Patriots pulled-off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl and Professional Sports Championship History with a 34-28 victory.
The night also included Luke Bryan, who sung a fine National Anthem. Lady Gaga…was 100% Lady Gaga at Halftime. And there were plenty of movie teasers and celebrity commercials as well. Here’s a breakdown:
Pre-Kickoff: 6-6:30pmET
“Life” – Sony’s sci-fi space drama was originally set to open on Memorial Day weekend but was recently moved-up to March. The ad featured star Jake Gyllenhaal screaming.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” – Disney and Marvel debuted more footage of Star-Lord, Gamora, Baby Groot & Co.
“Ghost in the Shell” – The highest-grossing actress of all-time at the box office, Scarlett Johansson, will add to her total next month with this adaptation of the manga series.
1st Quarter
No movie spots, but “The Terminator” and “Celebrity Apprentice” host Arnold Schwarzenegger said three of his iconic catchphrases in a spot for the “Mobile Strike” game
2nd Quarter
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” – Less than four months away from release and we finally got a look at the return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow – covered in mud, with a drink; His only line of dialogue, “Pirate’s life.”
“Logan” – The most bada** 30-second movie spot of the night: Hugh Jackman looks to go out with a bang as Wolverine.
A unique Honda commercial featured a number of celebrities narrating over their high school yearbook photos, including Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Viola Davis, Robert Redford, and (with his clarinet) Jimmy Kimmel.
“Transformers: The Last Knight” – Mark Wahlberg is ready for round two in Michael Bay’s blockbuster franchise. And oh yeah, Anthony Hopkins is in it, too.
“The Fate of the Furious” – Cars, weapons, and Charlize Theron
3rd Quarter
Melissa McCarthy brought humor to the role of “Eco-Warrior” in a spot for Kia.
“A Cure for Wellness” – A clever presentation of Gore Verbinski’s horror/thriller, with clips shown over a list of side effects for receiving a happier life at a treatment center
“Baywatch” – I don’t have high hopes for Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron’s comedic adaptation of the 90s TV drama.
Homer and Maggie Simpson joined Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon in an animated promo for the Daytona 500 – on FOX Feb. 26.
4th Quarter
Jason Statham and “Wonder Woman” Gal Gadot brought action to a spot for Wix.com
Multiple Morgan Freemans graced a Turkish Airlines ad.
But the stand-out promotion, for me, was a brief look at Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein in the National Geographic Channel’s first-ever scripted series – “Genius”. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are producers of the 10-part event, with Howard directing the first episode. “Genius” premieres April 25.