Super Bowl 2017: the best commercials, trailers, and performances of the big game – The Verge

The Super Bowl’s best ads got political, intentionally or not

2017-02-06T11:45:54-05:00

President Trump's policies had a completely expected effect on the Super Bowl last night. He managed to push the big game's ads, and the way fans view them, into the realm of politics. Certainly not every company set out to make a statement, but it was almost impossible to watch some of the biggest ads of the night without viewing them as opposition against the new administration.

The game's biggest and most controversial spot was likely Budweiser's, which first appeared last week. Titled "Born the Hard Way," the ad follows Anheuser-Busch co-founder Adolphus Busch on his journey from Germany down to St. Louis, Missouri, where he meets futur …

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The seven best Super Bowl commercials — and the three worst

2017-02-06T10:43:36-05:00

Super Bowl

For most Super Bowls, the commercials are the star of the show. But last night the New England Patriots made a historic comeback, toppling the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. Ad breaks had to be used as they were originally intended: to visit the bathroom, grab drinks, and refill your plate with hot wings, celery, and those tiny hot dogs lathered in BBQ sauce.

And we awoke this morning - perhaps a smidgen hungover from light beer or Hawaiian Punch - without a favorite Super Bowl ad. With the rest of the 9AM water cooler crowd, we checked our watch, searched for something to say, and grumbled about how we can "Never count out touchdown Tom." We …

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The Super Bowl halftime show drones weren’t flying live

2017-02-05T21:58:25-05:00

Drones were a big part of this year's Super Bowl halftime show for the first time ever. Hundreds of the devices helped this year's performer, Lady Gaga, kick her show off, presenting a colorful, swirling backdrop as she stood on the roof of Houston's NRG Stadium. But as Gaga herself seemed to leap from the roof, dropping down to the stadium to start her show proper, her army of drones didn't follow.

That's because the drone shows were actually filmed earlier this week, as Intel confirmed to The Verge. That includes Gaga's intro sequence, which saw her dancing in front of an American flag, and a later 10-second spot that featured the drones …

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Lady Gaga opened her Super Bowl performance with a protest anthem

2017-02-05T20:45:31-05:00

In a Super Bowl performance that spanned her entire discography, Lady Gaga opened her act with a rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," which has become a popular anthem at rallies protesting President Trump across the country. Standing atop the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Gaga started the song backed by a massive fleet of drones before leaping onto her stage. It was a stunning start to an over-the-top set that, while not overtly political, was certainly aimed at her political fans.

Tonight's performance, which included acrobatics, pyrotechnics, and dancers, included such hits as "Poker Face," "Telephone," and "Bad Roman …

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Betrayal is at the heart of the Fate of the Furious Super Bowl trailer

2017-02-05T20:03:26-05:00

A new trailer for the next installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise, Fate of the Furious just arrived.

The film is the first following the death of one of its main stars, Paul Walker. This teaser highlights Dom (Vin Diesel) betraying the group and going rogue, while Deckard Shaw (Jason Stathem) has to work with the rest of the crew. As expected, there's plenty of fast cars and over the top crashes.

Fate of the Furious will hit theaters on April 14th, 2017.

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Airbnb’s Super Bowl ad says ‘we accept’ everyone

2017-02-05T19:37:03-05:00

Airbnb just aired a Super Bowl ad promoting a message of diversity and acceptance, ending with the statement that "the world is more beautiful the more you accept." CEO Brian Chesky also tweeted a reference to the commercial, as well as an announcement that the company is aiming to provide short-term housing for 100,000 refugees, disaster survivors, and other displaced people over the next five years. Additionally, Airbnb will donate $4 million to the International Rescue Committee over the next four years.

Acceptance starts with all of us. #weaccept pic.twitter.com/btgqyYHVTK
- Airbnb (@Airbnb) February 6, 2017

The ad's message is of cours …

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Logan is full of grace in its Super Bowl Teaser

2017-02-05T19:27:45-05:00

A new teaser for Logan dropped, set to the song Amazing Grace.

There's no dialogue in this teaser: just music as Logan accompanies Professor X and the young X-23 as they're chased by a shadowy corporation. Earlier trailers have prominently featured music, such as Johnny Cash's Hurt and Kaleo's Way Down We Go, and this teaser feels particularly effective with the song.

Logan hits theaters on March 3rd.

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Jack Sparrow faces the dead in the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales trailer

2017-02-05T19:19:10-05:00

The latest trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (also known as Salazar's Revenge in some countries) aired tonight during the Super Bowl, giving us a new look at the army of the dead Captain Jack Sparrow will have to face off against in his fifth outing. Javier Bardem plays the titular Salazar, a ghost pirate who wants to settle an old score with Jack. The film will also feature the return of Orlando Bloom as now-immortal captain Will Turner, and Geoffrey Rush as Jack's one-time rival Hector Barbossa.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales hits theaters on May 26th.

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Google’s Super Bowl ad accidentally set off a lot of Google Homes

2017-02-05T19:03:54-05:00

Early during tonight's game, Google's ad for the Google Home aired on millions of TVs. We've actually seen the ad before: loving families at home meeting, hugging, and being welcomed by the Google Assistant. Someone says "OK Google," and those familiar, colorful lights pop up.

But then my Google Home perked up, confused. "Sorry," it said. "Something went wrong." I laughed, because that wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't the only one.

That @Google home trailer made my google home have a meltdown.
- Jared Feldman (@jfeldman452) February 5, 2017

Google Home commercial kept setting mine off! They need to chill it with the "okay Google"-ing.
- Bi …

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The Guardians welcome new members in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Super Bowl trailer

2017-02-05T18:30:30-05:00

Marvel has released a new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.. Set to Fleetwood Mac's The Chain, the new trailer shows off a wealth of new footage.

The one minute trailer shows off some familiar faces apart from the main group, such as Michael Rooker's Yondu and Karen Gillan's Nebula, along with plenty of action, quippy one liners, and baby Groot.

The film is set two months after the events of 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, with the titular guardians trying to stick together while Chris Pratt's Peter Quill works to try and discover the identity of his father. The film sees James Gunn once again directing, and reunites Star-Lord ( …

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