Trailers make films look promising — or not

I'm already tired of writing about "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," and I haven't even seen them yet.

All three films open in May and are expected to be the pictures to beat this summer. However, there are movies besides those that could be be good — and could be huge. Such as "The Simpsons Movie," due July 27.

I'm a huge fan of the TV series (just ask my co-workers), and the trailers for the film, which spoof Hollywood blockbusters, are pretty amusing.

• KNOCKED UP (in theaters June 8). The trailer for this-sure-to-be-R-rated comedy has more laughs than any full-length feature we've seen in quite some time. ****

• HOT FUZZ (April 20). Like the "Simpsons" spots, this one appears to be spoofing action movies — while being an affectionate homage as well. *** 1/2

• LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (June 29). While it's apparently meant to be taken more seriously than "Hot Fuzz," the latest Bruce Willis vehicle looks, from the teaser, to be big, dumb and fun. *** 1/2

• EVAN ALMIGHTY (June 29). Steve Carell was the best thing about "Bruce Almighty," and his interaction with animals in this trailer is funnier than anything in the earlier film. ***

• FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (June 15). If nothing else, the digital effects have apparently improved — even if the extraterrestrial surfer does call to mind the Oscar statuette. ***

• RATATOUILLE (June 29). The latest Pixar offering may feature a rodent character, as did last year's DreamWorks feature "Flushed Away," but the animation in this trailer is pretty stunning. ***

• TRANSFORMERS (July 6). Why do I have the feeling that this fun-looking trailer will be better than the actual movie? Oh yeah, it's directed by Michael Bay. ***

• HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (July 13). It does offer a few glimpses of the fan-favorite characters and some new ones, but this trailer is a little unexciting and routine. ** 1/2

• OCEAN'S 13 (June 8). Speaking of routine, the spots for this sequel are just more of the same. The addition of Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin is nice, but some actual plot would be better. **

• ARE WE DONE YET? (April 4). Apparently this sequel to the 2005 film "Are We There Yet?" is supposed to be a comedy. Though you'd never guess it by watching the laughless trailer. *

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com