Weekly Box Office and Film Discussion Thread

Drtooth

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Meanwhile, the oz thing had no chance anyways. It looked cheap, everyone hated it, and Rio 2 was still fresh, not to mention Lego, Peabody, and Muppets were still making some dough. So ya, that film had literally NOTHING going for it, and what's crazy is that it had a $70 million budget! Lego and Planes had $60 and $50 million budgets respectively and they did not look cheap, I mean seriously the oz producers lost so much money!
You're right. Oz looked cheap. I'm sure most of that budget went to paying the actors. They didn't even bother marketing the B listers doing the voice work... or did they, because I totally forget. It looked like one of those cheap RedBox DTV filler movies, if anything. Not even close to theatrical. Not to mention it seems like it was supposed to come out 2 years ago, and was stuck in development/release purgatory. Like if it was released last year, it would have looked like a cheap knockoff of that Disney Oz movie. I swear IDW published the prequel comics series back in 2012. How a top notch comic production company like that bothered with that license, I have no idea... but it goes to show that this fifth party entertainment company had delusions of grandeur with this piece of crap.

But still... creating sock puppet accounts on Metacritic as a desperate attempt to drum up business? Really?
 

Muppet Master

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Anyone know the budget for that "Earth to Echo" film? I just know that film is going to end up being one of those sci-fi bombs that get mediocre reviews (54% on rotten tomatoes) and just fail on so many levels.
You're right. Oz looked cheap. I'm sure most of that budget went to paying the actors. They didn't even bother marketing the B listers doing the voice work... or did they, because I totally forget. It looked like one of those cheap RedBox DTV filler movies, if anything. Not even close to theatrical. Not to mention it seems like it was supposed to come out 2 years ago, and was stuck in development/release purgatory. Like if it was released last year, it would have looked like a cheap knockoff of that Disney Oz movie. I swear IDW published the prequel comics series back in 2012. How a top notch comic production company like that bothered with that license, I have no idea... but it goes to show that this fifth party entertainment company had delusions of grandeur with this piece of crap.

But still... creating sock puppet accounts on Metacritic as a desperate attempt to drum up business? Really?
You know that "Oz" film really should have been a DTV film, maybe it could have pulled in some dough that way. The dvd comes out late august which was just a stupid choice, it should have gone straight to dvd the moment it bombed, I mean it's one thing for a film to make $3 million on opening weekend, but to just plummet weekend after weekend (and I mean 50-60% plummets) then they were just dumb to not just burn the film on a disc and ship it to Walmart for it to spend eternity stuck in the $5 movie bin.
 

Drtooth

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Anyone know the budget for that "Earth to Echo" film? I just know that film is going to end up being one of those sci-fi bombs that get mediocre reviews (54% on rotten tomatoes) and just fail on so many levels.
I can attest to what they were trying to go for, an homage to 1980's kid's movies with the discovered footage style of Cloverfield or that one with the super powered teens that I can't remember the name of. But it seems that they execution is sloppy and the homages come off as ripping off. Then again, the reviewers giving this bad reviews must've also liked Hugo. Now I'm sure it's a beautiful film and all, but it has such a head up it's own butt level of pretentiousness that I'm glad it failed to find an audience. No disrespect to the director, who I actually like... but really, what non-film obsessed kid under the age of 12 would get excited about it?

Anyway, if I root for the film, it's going to be a bomb, if I lambaste it, it's going to be a hit. I get mixed feelings from it, and at least it isn't farting talking dogs making jokes about sniffing butts, so that's saying something positive towards kid's films. I don't want to see it, I could care less.

You know that "Oz" film really should have been a DTV film, maybe it could have pulled in some dough that way. The dvd comes out late august which was just a stupid choice, it should have gone straight to dvd the moment it bombed, I mean it's one thing for a film to make $3 million on opening weekend, but to just plummet weekend after weekend (and I mean 50-60% plummets) then they were just dumb to not just burn the film on a disc and ship it to Walmart for it to spend eternity stuck in the $5 movie bin.
At least Oz made more than Oogieloves. :laugh: But they were kidding themselves with that one. It's DTV quality, and not even big name DTV. Like I said, those filler films from Redbox that no one wants to watch and kids could never get excited for. I'll agree. That's hilariously low to not even make 8 figures, even a low 8 figures in its entire run. And the saddest thing is, it wasn't even the worst performing film of the year. That horrible Vampire Academy movie made even less. Okay... like a million or so less, but still... :rolleyes:
 

Muppet Master

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Anyways yesterday Earth to Echo made $2.6 million, so ya just pathetic (not oz or oogieloves pathetic, but it's still bad), anyways with planes what's sad is that there's a ripoff of the ripoff!


the animation is about as good as jay jay the jet plane, but at least its dtv, seems like there's a company that makes ripoffs of many animated films, here are some more...





and if you type in "puss in boots knock-off movie, this will come up"
 

Drtooth

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Anyways yesterday Earth to Echo made $2.6 million, so ya just pathetic
except it was just an ordinary Thursday. Today's the start of the big hoilday weekend, however. I still see Transformers coming out on top.

and if you type in "puss in boots knock-off movie, this will come up"
But at least that has Shatner in it, so there's probably plenty good hamming it up. I've always loved how hammy Star Trek actors are outside of Star Trek. Sure, I love Captain Kirk as much as everyone else, but Shatner's comedy roles have all been delightfully over the top.

As for the Planes ripoff, that thing's far from new. It was released last year. And it actually looks worse. It has Rob Schneider in it. Ick.[/QUOTE]
 

Mynameisdean

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Well, I saw Earth to Echo yesterday, and it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. There was so many plot holes, especially that the parents didn't know the kids were not at home. I give it 2 sand a half stars.
 

Muppet Master

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Well, HTTYD 2 finally held well, and is on track for a fourth weekend north of $10 million, if so that would put it on par with KFP 2.
 

Drtooth

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Just came back from Transformers 4, and I have to say, not as bad as some may make it out to be. Sure, huge problems like a bloated run time and crummy heroic humans (but, frankly, that's a Transformers tradition... and I'm not talking movies...and NO WHERE NEAR as bad as Daniel "temper tantrum king" Witwicky in Headmasters), but I was actually impressed by a few things. So a brief rundown:

  • The human family character arc takes up too much of the movie. Mahk Wahlbuhg does a better job than necisarry, but there's this one d-baggy character (who, to be fair had a few funny lines) that I actually cheered for when he was killed off. The human villains and antagonists on the other hand were giving performances waaaay better than needed. Kelsey Grammer was quite good in it, and Stanley Tucci hammed it the heck up as a greedy, conniving Take That parody of Steve Jobs.
  • I came for Grimlock, but John Goodman's Hound stole the show. I liked Drift's inclusion, but he comes off as an underdeveloped generic Samurai. I dunno if that's a backhanded comment at the character's first commic appearances, but I can't help overall feel that the robot characters needed a lot more screen time and developement than the Yaeger family (which I hear is a recurring flaw with these films, but there have been worse human protagonists in these things). It's obvious to say Drift was in the film mostly to sell Drift toys, but complaining about that in a Transformers project of any kind is redundant.
  • Obviously, I feel the problem with these films isn't the story, but the story telling. In better directorial hands, these films would at least be a lot more fun, if not good popcorn movies.
  • Kinda wish they paid Greg Bergger to play Grimlock, if only for a short stinger at the end of the film.
  • Loved Rainbow Dash's cameo :wink: Wish there was a G.I. Joe one as well.
Now we get to the spoilers section, and since the board no longer can change font colors, you're going to have to stop reading, instead of a highlight to read...

What really impressed me, and quite made me really enjoy the film were the surprise parallels to two other Transformer series hidden in the movie's plot. A scientist being used by a disembodied head of a defeated Megatron is a parallel to Transformers Animated (but plays out much differently, since TFA Megatron is conscious at the time) and even more impressive, Megatron/Galvatron's plan to use technology to wipe out all organic life on a planet is pretty much what happened in Beast Machines, but in reverse here. Intentional or not, that's pretty impressive. Lockdown's there, so someone had to watch TFA.

Adding to that, the sequel hook has potential for an actually good 5th movie. Optimus leaves Earth to find "the creator" so something tells me we just may see Primus and (fingers crossed) the Quintessons. Galvatron does the "I'll get you next time, Gadget" thing and runs away (which is very Transformers), so he may just be the big bad of the next film instead of the mastermind that really didn't do much here. If they can take the battle to space away from the humans of Earth, like the 80's cartoon movie, and its 3rd cartoon season for the most part, there's some real potential there. I mean, they're obviously NOT going to do that, but we can dream, right?
 

Drtooth

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Supposedly, he plays that version in Rise of the Dark Spark. Supposedly.

Other than that, I really do with Drift got more screentime and less Stereotypical Samurai attributes. Then again, when he was first introduced in the comics, well... Transformers fanbase, I don't need to finish that one. Heck, his Transformers Wiki page (or rather the one based on his first comic) had Poochie quotes as picture captions. And darnit, I wish I had 12 more bucks after the movie so I could've bought a freaking Hound. I loved that guy.

Overall, I've seen kid's film remakes worse than this. You know the example I oft use, and even the human good guy characters here aren't as disgustingly flat and unlikable.
 
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