Weekly Box Office and Film Discussion Thread

[jvcarroll]

Well, both films are lame attempts to sell toys and start franchises destined only to sell toys. I'm sure Turbo will be a hit with the booger eating crowd, but hopefully Despicable Me 2 (which, not only is more fiercely marketed, but has more tie-ins) will take a huge chunk out of it.

Other than that, I do dig Cars, but Disney hasn't got the message that the second outing wasn't as successful as far as the merchandise goes. They overestimated how well little die cast cars and other stuff sold (which is understandable, as they underestimated the first time).

The Cars merchandise does fare very well. It's the second movie that was a disappointment. I guess maybe you saw something on clearance at a local store, but that's not an indicator of success. Sometimes stores over-order items and then want to clear some space for what's next or they want people to come to their location for sales. There are many reasons why that could happen.

I've worked in toys and ordered them. I know people who sell them and Cars 2 merch was a huge win! That's industry fact. I don't know where you're getting your information from.

 

[Drtooth]

I've worked in toys and ordered them. I know people who sell them and Cars 2 merch was a huge win! That's industry fact. I don't know where you're getting your information from.

The Huge clearance bin at the Disney store that's always full of Cars stuff?

 

[jvcarroll]

The Huge clearance bin at the Disney store that's always full of Cars stuff?

Yes. It sells well. Very well. No, actually very very very well. Cars items grease the wheels for other items. Slap Cars on anything and it will sell no matter if there's a movie out or not. Industry fact.

 

[Drtooth]

Must be regional. Everywhere I go, I see peg warmers and deep discount clearance.

My local Disney store must've cleared out the same Cars toys they keep restocking for no reason at least 3 or 4 times now. And these are the same stores that the Muppets stuff sold like hotcakes, and they only recently restocked them several months ago. And even then, only Piggy, Animal, Kermit, and Walter.

 

[jvcarroll]

Must be regional. Everywhere I go, I see peg warmers and deep discount clearance.

My local Disney store must've cleared out the same Cars toys they keep restocking for no reason at least 3 or 4 times now. And these are the same stores that the Muppets stuff sold like hotcakes, and they only recently restocked them several months ago. And even then, only Piggy, Animal, Kermit, and Walter.

Wherever it is that you live, or whatever criteria you are using, is not indicative of the toy market.

 

[Drtooth]

Yet, I see Monsters Inc and Despicable Me toys (yes, the very ones I complained about being too expensive) selling out left and right. Yes, my market is probably not indicative, but I see this always go on with "successful" toy lines based on movies. Even if they do sell, they sure as heck over order the darn things and clear them out.

My point is, successful or not, Disney has more than one brand to milk. I'd hate to see their boy's franchises just be talking vehicles instead of something stronger. Planes looks, if anything, like it just copies the first Cars movie in tone and message. Nothing new under the sun, and the characters are still stereotype based. Something that if it were any other movie, someone would be crying foul over (there are some rumblings about Despicable Me 2's big bad being the only Hispanic character in the film, and how when minions turn evil, they're a darker tone... pretty much EVERYTHING is darker than Yellow, by the way). And if Planes is successful, they'll make the same film over and over with other vehicles (coming in 2017: Zambionis! and then in 2018: Vespas!) it's time to put that franchise and set of subfranchises away and give something else a chance.

Really... oh no. No more DTV cheapquels...unless they're about hot shot vehicles that need to learn a lesson, then my all means... If they're backpeddling for that, I'd rather see some other Disney sequels. Like that awesome Hercules 2 treatment (which was, oddly enough, a rejected concept for the first movie) that never went anywhere.

 

[KremlingWhatnot]

UGH! looks like Grown Ups 2 may beat Despicible Me 2 this weekend, that is sad, anywho here's the source.
http://www.boxoffice.com/latest-new...own-ups-2-deliver-healthy-grosses-on-thursday

 

[Drtooth]

Hopefully, Pacific Rim will clobber Grown Ups 2. I didn't see it, I just might next week, but I'd hate to see another massive box office flop. Even though Pacific Rim is very much a niche picture

 

[KremlingWhatnot]

Hopefully, Pacific Rim will clobber Grown Ups 2. I didn't see it, I just might next week, but I'd hate to see another massive box office flop. Even though Pacific Rim is very much a niche picture

If I had to choose what would go to 2nd place against Despicble Me 2, THAT MOVIE WOULD BE IT, but if it was an Adam Sandler movie, NONONONONONONONO!

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

Why? Adam Sandler is awesome! Sure, his recent movies haven't been that great, but look at the classics; Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore were great and funny movies. The first Grown Ups was an ok film, and I do have to say this new one looks entertaining as well.