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A surprise hit States-side (they thought it would appeal only to the older males who grew up with the toys and cartoon series), it actually plays well in most demographics. And it’s quite understandable. Michael Bay really delivers the ultimate pop-corn movie here.
It’s an uncomplicated story, but the rest will blow your mind. Sometimes, with a high budget movie, you wonder where all the money went to, but with this $150 million vehicle, it’s quite clear. Wonderful location shooting and stunning visuals (though a bit fast cut and chaotic at times) are a force to be reckoned with, but most of the characters have fantastic one-liners, and Shia LaBeouf carries this movie well on his own. Still, there are also quite a bit of memorable other characters around (hilarious roles for John Turturro and Anthony Anderson), and not the least the Autobots themselves.
Another important factor well done is the sound design (mostly effects), though Michael Bay’s recent go-to composer Steve Jablonsky delivers a not-so imaginitive score (resembling too much of his own previous works and his learning master Hans Zimmer).
All in all, this movie is not only enjoyable in the short run, you’ll actually wanna go out and buy the newly produced Transformers toyline (now even more advanced), and play with it like the good ol’ days till the highly probable sequel comes out in two years.8½.

As the books fly off the shelf, it’s only a short wait for the movie version, and I’m glad yet again for not reading this book. Yeah, people will say the books are better, but I still fail to see how several directors get to reduce good books to mediocre movies. The theory that the books are not so good to begin with is so much more feasible.
Already the fifth of the series, it’s doing quite a good job at lower expectations for the next chapter. This movie shows nothing new. Not in story, but also not on screen. Hiring a conventional TV director must have been a part of the equation, as there are no stunning visuals, or inventive camera work to be seen.
The story doesn’t feel like an adventure, and most characters are reduced to cameos. With the focus on Harry Potter, the inner struggle hasn’t changed, and hence, it utterly feels like a rehash of the previous movies. Not only that, with the darker visual texture, it’s still brightly clear this is a kiddy picture, with themes repeating themselves in a non-daring way. With only two more to go, I think I’m qualified enough to blame this cowardly trend not mainly on the directors, but on JK Rowling herself.6+.

High-tech box office record breaker this week, as The Transformers charge their ways to the top spot with $67.6 million, and already a total of a whopping $152.5 million (since that started showing up on Tuesdays already).
Ratatouille isn’t beaten down easily though, at two with $29 million and a total of $109.5 million. Live Free or Die Hard has to do with a spot lower, $17.4 million and a total of $84.2 million.
A second new entry at 4, Robin Williams starrer License to Wed has a $10.4 million ceremony, and might be considered a flop.
Evan Almighty drops to the fifth spot, with $8.1 million and a $78.1 million total, it IS definitely a flop (considering $175 million budget).

Not a very clean box office this week, as a rat invades the kitchen in Ratatouille, Brad Bird’s second outing as a director for Pixar/Disney after The Incredibles. While the figure is good ($47.2 million), it’s not record breaking.
Second up is Live Free or Die Hard, with $33.2 million, also a respectable but not really high number. Probably lacking interest from the youth, most of which weren’t born during the Die Hard high days.
Rounding out the top 5 is Evan Almighty, still disappointing with $15.1 million, 1408 with $10.6 million and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with $9 million.

In these summer months, already halfway through all the mega sequels now, only one really REALLY delivered. And that one is named Live Free or Die Hard (why we get an alternate title, beats me.0). Three previous chapters were solid actioners in its own way. Many have copied and failed over the years, and hence, with this fourth part, it’s still the same while feeling fresh. And it’s updated to these times too, not only the looks (bald, leather jacket), but also with computers and all.
When I first hear Len Wiseman would take the seat behind the camera, I was a bit weary. Was he experienced enough to make this work, with only 2 high special effects, ultra-fast cut pictures under his belt (Underworld + sequel) ? It’s a far throw from the previous old fashioned car chasing, bomb exploding, building jumping action sequences.
But I have to tell you, it _DOES_ work. Some of the fast cutting is still there, but overall, there are inventive eye-popping sequences, from beginning to end. Some overly-big overdone special effects shots close to the end are a bit extreme, but for the whole experience, it’s quickly forgiven.
Story is reasonable too, and it’s mostly the short dialogue and quips that do the trick. As for chemistry, it’s hard to forget the team-up with Samuel L. Jackson twelve years ago, but Justin Long is performing quite well too.
All in all, for now, with less than a handful of summer tentpoles to go, Bruce is definitely the current winner.9.

With the help of God Himself, Evan Almighty stands on top of the box office this week. With the same God (Morgan Freeman) but another star (Steve Carrell replacing Jim Carrey), this insanely high budgetted comedy (at $175 million, it’s more than double the amount of Bruce Almighty) also doesn’t reach the spectacular opening in 2003. With a $32 million opening, it’s less than half of what Bruce got the first round ($85.7 million).
At 2 opens 1408, at John Cusack/Samuel L. Jackson thriller doing moderately well in both critic and general public reviews. It scares up $20.17 million, only a notch lower in screen average then Evan Almighty.
At 3, the Fantastic Four ain’t rising much at all, dropping a devastating 65%, it surfs together $20.15 million in its second week. Ocean’s Thirteen brings in $11.3 million in its third week, while Knocked Up has another week with good retention, with $10.6 million (just a 24% drop).

Can two ogres keep the interest going for a third time ? The story is still roaming the fairy tale landscape, and that’s a nice touch to keep. But as a whole, it feels like nothing really new is told. There weren’t any intricate story devices, nor were smart jokes involved. A few new characters are introduced, and none of those are really memorable. Heck, none of the “regular” cast get anything remotely close to quality time. It’s beginning to feel like a Movie-turned-TV series, where you slowly begin to lose interest. If Shrek 4 (tentatively 2010) doesn’t shake things up real good, I think this franchise is doomed (if not financially, at least artistically). Of course, if you can still laugh about the burping and farting, this is still for you, coz I must admit I did laugh a few times.6½.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer uses its cosmic powers the slide its way to the top spot with a healthy $58 million, just a tad more than the original 2 years ago.
Ocean’s Thirteen will have to do with the runner up spot, with $19.7 million and a respectable $70.4 million total. Knocked Up hangs on the third place once again, with $14 million (and a very healthy minimal 28% drop). At 4, Pirates 3 sails on with $12.4 million while Surf’s Up rounds out the top 5 with $9.3 million.

And another chapter of this over-crowded crime caper. Back in the casino game (Ocean’s Eleven), you have the same structure as before. It’s pretty much more segmented than the average centipede. Characters are all shown for short period of times. Some even don’t have a significant function in this whole. It’s a bit low on action too. For humor, you only have those slick one liners and facial expressions. That pretty much sums it up. If you like all the previous Oceans, you’ll probably like this one too. But for me, it feels too low-budget-ish, and too generic in storytelling.7-.

This week, fortune sets sail somewhere else than the Carribean, and Ocean’s Thirteen takes the top spot instead. Crime caper takes in $37 million, just about in line of what the Eleven and Twelve previously accomplished.
Pirates will have to do with the runner up spot, with $21.3 million. With a total war chest of $253 million, together with Shrek and Spidey, it seems all these tentpoles will easily top the $300 million mark by the end of their runs.
Knocked Up has another strong week at the number 3 spot, with $20 million, it had the second best screen average this week.
Surf’s Up, a CGI animation involving penguins (AGAIN ? Yeah, this time it’s from Sony Pictures), does reasonable business with $18 million.
Rounding out the top 5 is Shrek the Third with $15.8 million.

Still suffering from a time travel virus from last year (The Lake House), Sandra Bullock’s reluctance to consult a calender (till almost the end of the movie) is the stupidity that drives this movie. Drama-wise, it is able to create some tension, but the silly screenplay and characters negate most of its effectiveness.5½.

Here we have the first part (technically the second) of Grindhouse, a movie somehow deemed not fit for the rest of the world to be seen in one go. In the aftermath, it wasn’t such an absurd idea after all. In all its unexpectancy, Quentin Tarantino goes into unknown territory, that being, girly talk. Not the macho (Pulp Fiction) kind, REALLY REALLY story irrelevant GIRLY talk kind, the kind where you can’t form an emotional bond with the character. And some 95% of the movie at that. With Pulp Fiction, it’s quite funny. With this movie, it’s quite boring.
Luckily, there are some horror elements, one mysterious character, and one memorable brilliant char chase scene that makes up a bit for it.7.

The title alone makes you wonder what the hell this movie is about. The dirty minded might even think there’s some sexual tension involved, and in this case, they would be correct. That’s actually the basis of this movie, and plant some very basic characters around it, and you have yourself a weird movie. However, inbetween the weirdness, there’s no real content. Made with the most minimalistic story building blocks, you have yourself an instant screenplay, but it isn’t one that can hold your interest for too long. It just lacks everything to make a movie special.5½.

A screenplay based on the real casefiles of the infamous Zodiac killer. Since it uses the books of Robert Graysmith, it also uses his interpretations, but from that point of view, it all seems very plausible.
This movie manages to merge an all-star cast with personal drama (but only a bit) and in-depth details of the crimes. This makes it engaging and involving, so there’s never a dull moment and David Fincher, how unusual it might sound, keeps it really light-hearted, and a few chuckles may be the result of it.8-.

With no real contenders opening this week, Pirates sails its way to the top spot again, adding another $43.2 million to the war chest, and a total of $216.6 million.
Opening at nr. 2 is comedy Knocked Up, starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl. While opening with $29.3 million seems like a worthy premiere, noting the $10.200 screen average means it doing serious business.
Shrek the Third continues its slow decline, now at nr. 3 with $26.7 million. Opening at 4 is Mr. Brooks, starring Kevin Costner in a bad guy role, with $10 million. Spidey 3 rounds out the top 5 with a steady 50% decline, swingin in at $7.5 million and a grand total of $318 million.