Super Bowl 2014: Five car commercials with movie connections

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For people who aren’t football fans but who watch the game anyway, the halftime spectacle is more than half the fun. The 2016 performance featured Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyonce. Here’s a look at how some previous Super Bowl performances came off.

(Clockwise from top left: Julio Cortez / Associated Press, Chris O’Meara / Associated Press; Mike Powell / Allsport; Christopher Polk / Getty Images; Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Beyonce, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, center, and Bruno Mars perform during halftime of Super Bowl 50.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

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Katy Perry rode in on a golden tiger and performed fiercely throughout her Super Bowl turn with hits like “Roar,” “Teenage Dream” and “Firework.” Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz added even more star power. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

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Mars began by hammering away solo behind a drum kit, as if to tell viewers that they were in the hands of a real musician. And so they were. Before long, Mars’ touring band, a great funk-soul combo, had joined him. The Chili Peppers didn’t add much to the proceedings, but they didn’t need to. (Paul Buck / EPA)

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All eyes were on Beyonce as she powered through hits, using enormous video screens and fiery stage presence to take up the stage solo. Later, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams rose up from under the stage to join Queen B in a highly anticipated Destiny’s Child reunion watched by 108 million. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

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In less than 10 minutes, America watched marching warriors pulling a massive chariot; faux trumpeters announcing the arrival of Madonna; LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. and Cee Lo Green make cameos; several drum lines. Touchdown! Madonna kept 114 million viewers glued to their seats. (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)

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The Black Eyed Peas largely stayed still during the performance, letting the backup dancers in “Tron”-like get-ups provide the eye candy, yet they still infused their hits with energy. The result was a success -- their tuneful chants seemed built for the stadium. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

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“Step back from the guacamole dip,” Bruce Springsteen yelled through gritted teeth. “Put! The! Chicken! Fingers! Doooowwwwwwwn!” His show got the crowd riled up, but didn’t quite score, as Springsteen hammed it up a bit too much for Super Bowl cameras. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Nearly 100 million witnessed a slick 12-minute halftime performance by one of America’s most unheralded superstars. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers showed up in suits, and powered through easy stadium singalongs that got the job done, even if it wasn’t first on the highlight reels. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)

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The Stones delivered a rousing rendition of three classics “Start Me Up,” “Rough Justice,” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Yet, no matter how hard Mick Jagger twisted his hips to rally the crowd, the most inspired aspect of the show was the Stones’ iconic “tongue and lip” stage design. (Rob Tringali / Getty Images)

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Two of the world’s biggest pop stars brought some edge to the football party. But does anyone remember much else other than Timberlake ripping off part of Jackson’s clothing? The phrases “wardrobe malfunction” and “nipplegate” were born, accompanied by a major FCC campaign and large fines. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

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Twain’s performance proved hollow when she unconvincingly lip-synched her way through “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” Gwen Stefani saved the show by doing what she does best, super-charging a SoCal crowd in a stadium setting through sheer force of ska-sonality, finishing with a duet with Sting. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)

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The show started with Christina Aguilera dueting with Enrique Iglesias. Edward James Olmos provided the narration between internationally flavored sets. Phil Collins and Gloria Estefan also took the stage. Though Aguilera did well, the show inspired more of a “what” than a “wow.” (AFP/Getty Images)

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Michael Jackson redefined the halftime show, being the first big star to perform (previous artists included Up With People and Disney characters). The NFL took note after Jackson’s ratings surged higher than the football action before it, lining their roster with other A-listers. (Rusty Kennedy / Associated Press)

By Oliver Gettell

Jan. 29, 2014 12:14 PM PT

Come Super Bowl Sunday, this year’s crop of movie commercials won’t be the only ads with connections to the world of movies. At least five spots from car companies — traditionally big players in Super Bowl advertising — will feature Hollywood stars, directors and imagery. Here’s a rundown.

Jaguar enlists a trio of British villains. Poking fun at Hollywood’s proclivity for casting British actors in villainous roles, Jaguar’s 60-second spot “Rendezvous” features Ben Kingsley (a bad guy in “Iron Man 3” and “Sexy Beast”), Tom Hiddleston (Loki in the “Thor” and “Avengers” movies) and Mark Strong (of “Sherlock Holmes” and “Kick-Ass”) at their smooth and sinister best.

“Maybe we just sound right,” Strong purrs before stepping into a sleek white F-Type coupe. Hiddleston flies by in a helicopter, without spilling a drop of his brimming cuppa, while a tuxedo-clad Kingsley holds down a high-tech fort.

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The ad, which will be Jaguar’s first to air during the Super Bowl, was directed by a Brit as well: Tom Hooper, of “The King’s Speech” and “Les Misérables” fame. Watch the spot here.

Kia enters “The Matrix.” Kia has chosen a movie hero for its ad “The Truth,” and reached back 15 years to do so. In the ad, Laurence Fishburne reprises his role as Morpheus from “The Matrix” and offers a confused couple at a valet parking station the choice between a red car key and a blue one, recalling the movie’s “red pill, blue pill” scene. The red key leads them to a Kia K900 — and a slightly incongruous Morpheus rendition of the Puccini aria “Nessun dorma.”

Given how the teenagers and college kids who loved “The Matrix” circa the late ‘90s could well now be in the market for a more upscale sedan like the K900, it’s not a bad reference. But the commercial is directed by Carl Rinsch, who recently helmed “47 Ronin,” and Colin Jeffery. Hopefully the ad fares better than “Ronin.” Watch the spot here.

PHOTOS: Super Bowl halftime performers

CarMax does the slow clap from “Rudy.” Used-car retailer CarMax references another ‘90s film, the underdog football tale “Rudy,” in “Slow Clap.” In the commercial, a satisfied customer thanks his car salesman, who then begins slowly, steadily, contagiously applauding, mirroring the climactic scene of “Rudy.” In case the Rudy theme wasn’t clear, that film’s star, Sean Astin, even makes a cameo in the commercial sporting a letterman jacket. You can watch the spot here. (Incidentally, in an effort to appeal to fans of the Puppy Bowl, CarMax has also released a canine-filled “Slow Bark” variation.)

Toyota holds a Muppets singalong. Toyota and Disney are teaming up to hawk the Toyota Highlander and beat the drum for the upcoming “Muppets Most Wanted” movie, out March 21. The ad features actor and former NFL player Terry Crews, who happens upon a stalled tour bus and soon finds his car overrun by musical Muppets. The gang proceeds to break into song, crash a seniors bingo game, crush some grapes and dance in the streets. Watch the spot here.

Ford pads James Franco’s résumé further. Ford has tapped actor James Franco to appear in a Super Bowl that will run after the coin toss but before kickoff, according to Ad Age. Franco, who can now add “star of a Super Bowl commercial” to his ever-expanding CV, posted a photo of himself on Instagram recently; it shows him on set of the spot, suspended from cables while wearing a tuxedo and holding a white rose. For now that’s all there is to go on for the spot, which has yet to appear online and remains mysterious. So Franco.

[Update, 2:19 p.m.: Ford has released a teaser for the Franco spot. Flanked by a tiger, Franco promises, “This is no ordinary commercial.”]

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