If you grew up in the nineties, you probably remember that specific feeling of opening a plastic VHS case and seeing a neon-colored trailer for a movie about a bunch of misfits playing football. Honestly, the little giants movie trailer wasn't just a marketing tool. It was a cultural reset for every kid who ever felt like they were picked last in gym class. It promised us that a kid named "Icebox" could hit harder than any boy on the field and that a "fumble-itis" diagnosis wasn't a death sentence for your social life.
Watching it now feels like a fever dream of mid-90s nostalgia. Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill basically played out the ultimate sibling rivalry on a dusty field in Ohio, and the trailer sold that tension perfectly. It wasn't about the NFL. It was about the "One-Time." That single moment where the losers get to be the heroes.
The Art of the 1994 Teaser
Trailer editing in the 1990s had a very specific rhythm. You had the "In a world..." voiceover guy—the legendary Don LaFontaine—setting the stakes. The little giants movie trailer leaned heavily into the contrast between the polished, professional-looking Cowboys (coached by Kevin O'Shea) and the ragtag, mismatched Giants (led by Danny O'Shea).
It's funny.
The trailer makes it look like a high-stakes sports drama, but then it hits you with the sight of a kid getting stuck in a tire. That's the magic. It sold the physical comedy of childhood. You saw John Madden, Emmitt Smith, and Bruce Smith showing up in cameos, which gave the film instant "cool" points with parents, while the kids just wanted to see if the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" was a real play.
Marketing back then relied on these loud, punchy snippets. You didn't get a three-minute mini-movie like we do with Marvel trailers today. You got ninety seconds of pure energy, high-fives, and a very loud soundtrack. It worked. The movie didn't break box office records—it pulled in about $19 million—but its life on home video made it a cult classic.
Why the "Icebox" Reveal Was Genius
In the original marketing, Becky "Icebox" O'Shea was the secret weapon. The trailer highlights the moment she takes off her helmet, revealing she's the best player on the team. This was 1994. Having a young girl as the focal point of a football movie was actually kind of a big deal. Shawna Waldron played Becky with this perfect mix of "I will tackle you into the dirt" and "I just want my dad to notice me."
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People forget that the trailer also leaned into the romantic subplot between Becky and Junior Floyd (played by Devon Sawa). Sawa was the ultimate heartthrob of that era. Putting him in the little giants movie trailer was a calculated move to capture the "Tiger Beat" audience while the football action captured everyone else.
Examining the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" in Pop Culture
You can't talk about this trailer without mentioning the most famous trick play in cinematic history. The "Annexation of Puerto Rico." Even now, if you go to a high school football game and a team runs a flea-flicker or a weird lateral, someone in the stands is going to yell about the Little Giants.
The trailer teased the play without giving away the ending. It showed the confusion on the Cowboys' faces. It showed the Giants huddling up. It built the mystery. Real coaches have actually analyzed this play. While it’s essentially just a variation of a hidden ball trick combined with a massive distraction, its placement in the trailer served as the "hook" that promised a payoff.
It represents the underdog spirit.
Danny O'Shea wasn't a tactical genius; he was a guy who knew how to make his team believe in the impossible. The trailer captures that emotional core. It wasn't just about winning a game. It was about proving that the "rejects" belonged on the same grass as the "elites."
The Moranis vs. O'Neill Dynamic
The casting was lightning in a bottle. Rick Moranis was coming off Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Ghostbusters. He was the patron saint of the lovable nerd. Ed O'Neill was Al Bundy from Married... with Children. He was the quintessential jock who peaked in high school.
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The little giants movie trailer showcased their chemistry by highlighting their bickering.
"You can't coach football!"
"I can coach better than you!"
It’s simple stuff. But it grounded the movie in a very real sibling dynamic. We all have that one family member we want to beat at something, even if it's just a backyard game of H-O-R-S-E. The trailer tapped into that universal petty energy.
Technical Breakdown of the Trailer's Impact
If you analyze the cut-rate of the trailer, it moves fast. It uses a lot of low-angle shots to make the kids look bigger and more formidable. This is a classic cinematography trick. By filming from the ground up, the director (Duwayne Dunham) made these twelve-year-olds look like giants.
- Music: The score by John Debney is heroic and brass-heavy. It sounds like something out of Rudy or The Natural.
- Pacing: It starts with the "problem" (the kids being cut from the pee-wee team) and ends with the "solution" (the big game).
- Visual Gags: The trailer prioritizes the toilet paper "uniforms" and the kids falling over each other to establish the "loser" status early on.
There’s a weird sincerity in 90s trailers that we've lost. They weren't trying to be "meta" or ironic. They were just like, "Hey, here is a movie about kids playing football, and it's going to make you cheer."
Common Misconceptions About the Movie's Legacy
A lot of people think Little Giants was a massive hit. It actually had a pretty lukewarm reception from critics at the time. Roger Ebert gave it two and a half stars. He thought it was predictable. But trailers don't care about critics. The little giants movie trailer was designed for the Saturday morning cartoon crowd.
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Another misconception is that the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" was a totally original invention for the movie. In reality, trick plays like that have existed in the annals of football history for a long time, often referred to as "The Starburst" or "The Fumblerooski." The movie just gave it a much cooler name.
How to Re-watch the Little Giants Movie Trailer Today
If you want to find the original 1994 teaser, your best bet is YouTube or digging up an old Free Willy or The Mask VHS. There is something deeply satisfying about the grainy 480p quality of those old uploads. It suits the movie. It’s gritty, it’s messy, and it’s full of heart.
The trailer also features some deleted scenes—or at least alternate takes—that didn't quite make the final cut in the same way. For example, some of the dialogue in the "Heintz" ketchup scene feels slightly different in the early teasers compared to the finished theatrical version.
Actionable Ways to Relive the Nostalgia
To get the most out of your trip down memory lane, don't just watch the trailer in isolation. Context is everything.
- Compare it to the Mighty Ducks trailer. Both movies came out around the same time and used almost identical marketing beats. The "misfit sports movie" was a massive genre in the 90s.
- Look for the cameos. See if you can spot the NFL players in the trailer before they are officially introduced. It's a fun "Where's Waldo" for sports fans.
- Check the "Home Video" trailers. Sometimes the trailer on the VHS was different from the one shown in theaters. The home video version usually focused more on the family comedy aspects.
The little giants movie trailer remains a masterclass in how to sell a simple story. It didn't need CGI dragons or a multiverse. It just needed a kid with a big heart, a coach with a grudge, and a football. Whether you're a "Heintz" or a "O'Shea," there's a piece of that trailer that stays with you. It reminds us that even if we're small, we can still play big.
If you are planning a 90s movie night, start with the trailers. It sets the tone perfectly. There’s no better way to understand the era than seeing how they tried to convince us to buy a ticket. The "One-Time" isn't just a line in a movie; it's a reminder to take your shot when you get it.
Go find that trailer. Watch the "Icebox" tackle someone into next week. It still feels good. Then, track down the full movie on a streaming service and see if the "Annexation of Puerto Rico" still holds up. Spoiler alert: It does. Every single time.