Weekly Box Office and Film Discussion Thread

[jvcarroll]

The Last Airbender could have been a good movie series had Shamalan been a true fan and stepped aside for someone more qualified for a martial arts film. Instead, we got a sloppy mess of wooden directing, a Harmony Gold-esque condensation of the entire first season (including infodump between scenes...again, Harmony Gold dub of every Anime they ever did), poorly filmed and directed fight sequences ( rumor has it, the studio's also to blame because the clumsier takes were easier to convert to 3-D), and above all, for a fan of the show, he sure forgot that Avatar was funny a good deal of the time. And it was STILL a better project than Dragonball Evolution. I mean, at least the guy watched an episode. Can't see why they make these ragga fraggin' films without seeing a freaking episode of something.

Anyway...



Hiding the fact he was involved with the movie shouldn't be that disturbing. Just his name is box office poison. As I said before, say what you will about Michael Bay's trolling ways, but he always gets a sizable crowd (who then later complain about it). Wasn't he a producer on something about an elevator, and that completely flopped? I wouldn't be surprised if they made him wear Groucho glasses or a V mask on set. And of course, Will Smith's ego. We wouldn't the director upstaging the star, especially if it's Will Smith. I like Will and all, but sometimes you just want Uncle Phil to come up and smack him on the back of the head. Then again, being associated with Shamalan could damage his career... matter of fact, this film looks like it would. Darnit, just do Men in Black 4 instead.

But the Scientology teaching thing... that is pretty disturbing. I always laugh when some bigot says the Jews control Hollywood. Having Will shove his kid into a propaganda piece just so the kid gets a career? That is pretty scary stuff. I'd say more, but those guys are so litigious they make Disney look lax.

Devil was an independent film ($10M budget) that received mixed-to-favorable reviews and a healthy box office take ($33M domestic, $62 worldwide). That's six times its budget so it's considered a commercial success. That's a money-maker by any studio standard. I give it 3/5 stars. Good, but not groundbreaking.

After Earth's CG creatures looked fake in the previews. Propaganda aside, that's the main reason I'll be avoiding it.

 

[Drtooth]

Devil was an independent film ($10M budget) that received mixed-to-favorable reviews and a healthy box office take ($33M domestic, $62 worldwide). That's six times its budget so it's considered a commercial success. That's a money-maker by any studio standard. I give it 3/5 stars. Good, but not groundbreaking.

So, basically, if it cost as much as a regular film to produce, it would have bombed?

I have to admit, 6th Sense was alright, but the aliens in Signs were just ridiculous looking. I kept hearing how scary the alien footage was, only to see some limping goof in a grey costume. The Scary Movie parody of it was more frightening... and less funny. But his clumsy handling of Last Airbender (which is sadly truer to most cartoons made into movies) just sealed his poison name in Hollywood. The project in any other hands would have been a great tribute to the series and a launch of a film franchise. It's no wonder that Nick's only considering an animated version of Korra.... and I doubt that will ever happen either.

Back to Weird Earth movie... I agree. The completely video game looking backgrounds... Say what you will about Avatar (the other Avatar that wasn't based on a cartoon...unless you count Pocahontas and Osamu Tetzuka's Cleopatra), they created a world. This looks like a bunch of stereotypical lost world type stuff thrown together by the lowest bidder. And somehow, a father and son picture would at least have a heartwarming feel to having them both as cast... but this seems to be straight up Ego Trippin'. Scientology or not. Doesn't even have a so bad it's good vibe to it.

 

[jvcarroll]

So, basically, if it cost as much as a regular film to produce, it would have bombed?

I have to admit, 6th Sense was alright, but the aliens in Signs were just ridiculous looking. I kept hearing how scary the alien footage was, only to see some limping goof in a grey costume. The Scary Movie parody of it was more frightening... and less funny. But his clumsy handling of Last Airbender (which is sadly truer to most cartoons made into movies) just sealed his poison name in Hollywood. The project in any other hands would have been a great tribute to the series and a launch of a film franchise. It's no wonder that Nick's only considering an animated version of Korra.... and I doubt that will ever happen either.

Back to Weird Earth movie... I agree. The completely video game looking backgrounds... Say what you will about Avatar (the other Avatar that wasn't based on a cartoon...unless you count Pocahontas and Osamu Tetzuka's Cleopatra), they created a world. This looks like a bunch of stereotypical lost world type stuff thrown together by the lowest bidder. And somehow, a father and son picture would at least have a heartwarming feel to having them both as cast... but this seems to be straight up Ego Trippin'. Scientology or not. Doesn't even have a so bad it's good vibe to it.

You can't really judge independently made films by blockbuster standards. I'm just surprised they're now giving M. Night more money instead of less. I'm even more shocked to discover that he wrote Stuart Little! What a twist!

 

[Drtooth]

Goldurnit, that Star Trek movie was freakin' good. Liked it more than the first. heck, it was more Star Trek-y than the first. Looking at how J.J. Abrams handled the space battles... Star Wars is in good hands.

Of course, any hands that aren't Lucas are good hands.

Anyway, Big fat SPOILERS for anyone who hasn't seen it.



Clearly this is the last one. The sequel hook left at the end of the film was for the original TV series! Or at least a hypothetical new series that probably won't happen. Understandable, since J.J. is going to be busy at Disney with Star Wars. Kinds wish there was a third film... I'd love to see a dark, edgy, lense-flarey version of Mirror Mirror or something... maybe Mudd can get a gritty reboot. Or considering how they handled Scotty in the film, something more comedic.

Great film, but Iron Man 3 is kinda a hard act to follow. We've clearly got the best villains of the movie season, fake Mandarin and Kahn. Can't wait for them to be tumblr Memes like Loki and Bane were.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Goldurnit, that Star Trek movie was freakin' good. Liked it more than the first. heck, it was more Star Trek-y than the first.

I liked the movie...back in 1982 when it was Wrath of Khan, lol.

But seriously, I liked the actors a lot better this time but they were under served by a messy, mediocre script.

 

[Scooterforever]

I liked the movie...back in 1982 when it was Wrath of Khan, lol.

But seriously, I liked the actors a lot better this time but they were under served by a messy, mediocre script.

SPOILERS
Yes, I've been telling everyone that "Into Darkness" is basically a superior version of "Wrath of Khan." It's not like the writers were trying to hide the fact, what with Dr. Carol Marcus and Khan and the switcheroo with Kirk sacrificing himself to repair the engines instead of Spock. I watched WoK a second time after seeing Into Darkness, and good grief, it is painfully bad. 2 hrs of talking with MAYBE a half-hour of semi-action, and Kirk and Khan never even meet face-to-face. Shatner hams it up like there's no tomorrow. In Into Darkness, the actors/ characters are young enough that they can have constant action sequences instead of just talking. It was hard to choose my favorite action scene, but I'd have to say the scene where Kirk and Scotty are trying to get to the engine room while the ship is falling towards Earth. I was just glad Scotty had a bigger role than he did in the 1st film.

 

[Drtooth]

I liked the movie...back in 1982 when it was Wrath of Khan, lol.

Ah, Wrath of Kahn. The only original Star Trek movie anyone actually likes.

Didn't see it, but have seen episodes with Kahn... I'm mixed. With all due respect to Ricardo, I like Kahn that's affably evil with a sexy Spanish accent... but there's just something about Benedict Cumberbatch's heartbroken psycho with a scary British accent. Then of course, there's something to be said about Sylar beating the crap out of Sherlock.

I like the old series fine... something tells me I won't dig the movies all too well.

But yeah... it was clearly supposed to be an alternate account of what happening in Wrath of Kahn. And quite honestly, that made the movie better than the first. The whole point of the series is alternate Star Trek. Things happening differently through a different time sensitive angle. I'd love to see them make a TV series out of this movie series. Heck, I'd love to see an alternate take on TNG at some point. It's just a shame that the movie actually ends the franchise before it goes into other alternate accounts.

And let's face it. Scotty and Bones stole the show. Kahn to an extent, being a very engaging villain, but Simon Pegg just... Simon Pegg.

Edit: No SPOILERS....

Will Smith's ego pick isn't doing so well and opened barely at number three...and it doesn't even deserve that. I'm more amazed how far The Hangover 2 fell in its second week. They really should have kept it at one movie.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yes, I've been telling everyone that "Into Darkness" is basically a superior version of "Wrath of Khan."

I wouldn't say that around too many Trekkies, including me.

Star Trek has never been about pure action. Its charm was always its emphasis on witty dialogue and character moments.

To this day the last scene between Kirk and Spock in Wrath of Khan makes me cry. Into Darkness' attempt to capitalize was sweet but really amateur at best. Like I said, the actors are great but the plot was meandering and the times they did channel WoK felt like parody.

Spock's death in WoK was meaningful because he and Kirk had been friends for years. Into Darkness' Kirk and Spock barely knew each other.

I'm sorry if I seem harsh, agree to disagree.

Didn't see it, but have seen episodes with Kahn... I'm mixed. With all due respect to Ricardo, I like Kahn that's affably evil with a sexy Spanish accent... but there's just something about Benedict Cumberbatch's heartbroken psycho with a scary British accent. Then of course, there's something to be said about Sylar beating the crap out of Sherlock.

There is only one episode with Khan.

Cumberbatch is great in Sherlock Holmes but he really bored me in Star Trek. Again, not his fault, the writing was really not there. Why bother making him Khan? Just create a new character.

 

[Drtooth]

I can just imagine a lesser director making Kahn a camp straight stereotype, not very threatening and a joke. There's too much to parody there and the writers took the high road. Considering they threw in Kirk seducing alien women in both films as a gag, the relative parody of the series was mercifully light. Too many of these things go the Brady Bunch route, and if they even bother with the original source material at all, they just goof on it. Seriously... Seth MacFarline had an interest in looking at it... I can only imagine what he'd to to "Spock's Brain." Man, that episode was terrible.

Basically, these movies come off as what Star Trek would be had it been created recently and as a movie, vs the sixties as a TV show. The script isn't half as bad as most of the action films that come out this time of year. It's no Iron Man 3, though. Friggin' love Iron Man 3.

But I just wanna end this conversation to beat up on After Earth. I mean, did we REALLY need another Scientology brainwashing movie? Do we need another M. Night "My best film was ripped off of an episode of Are you Afraid of the Dark" Shamalan movie? I know it's not Summer until there's a Will Smith movie and all, I can see that. But he picked a really bad project. I'd hate to see him lose his entire career on something that's actually worse than Wild Wild West.

 

[Scooterforever]

I wouldn't say that around too many Trekkies, including me.

Star Trek has never been about pure action. Its charm was always its emphasis on witty dialogue and character moments.

To this day the last scene between Kirk and Spock in Wrath of Khan makes me cry. Into Darkness' attempt to capitalize was sweet but really amateur at best. Like I said, the actors are great but the plot was meandering and the times they did channel WoK felt like parody.

Spock's death in WoK was meaningful because he and Kirk had been friends for years. Into Darkness' Kirk and Spock barely knew each other.

I'm sorry if I seem harsh, agree to disagree.

Yes, agree to disagree, indeed. I'm no noob who's never seen an episode of Star Trek, mind you; I've seen 61 of the 80 original episodes (I'm sorry, but most of season 3 is just too horrible to watch). It may be a generational thing (I'm 27), it may be a matter of taste, but I've seen WoK twice the whole way through, and it was painfully boring to me. In Khan's original appearance, "Space Seed," there was PLENTY of great character moments, like when Khan has a scalpel to McCoy's throat, and McCoy doesn't even flinch, or the hand-to-hand fight between Kirk and Khan, or when Khan was dining with the crew of the Enterprise. WoK had none of these moments. Again, I find it ridiculous that Kirk and Khan never meet face-to-face in WoK. Also, I had to cringe in the beginning, when Chekov and Khan act like they know each other, despite the fact Chekov did not appear in "Space Seed." For better or worse, "Into Darkness" is WoK for a new generation, with plenty of great action sequences AND great character moments.