Kimputer's Weblog

An underwhelming box office, headed by last week’s topper, Invincible, with $15.2 million, barely slowing down from last week. Two new-comers will have to do with the second and third place. Jason Statham actioner (a low budget, high banking dude) Crank get $13 million while The Wicker Man will have to do with $11.7 million (difference being Crank has almost its budget broken even, while The Wicker Man is at 25%). At 4, Little Miss Sunshine is doing good business, actually climbing a bit from last week with $9.7 (low budget drama comedy pushed by a positive buzz now at $35.8 million). Doing even better at 5 is The Illusionist, opening in wide release after 2 weeks of limited, conjuring $8 million (and a total of $12 million).

It’s your typical high-paced conspiracy-themed thriller, and it works down the list (setup, mystery, cat-and-mouse chase, revelation, etc) as suspected. Acting is up to par (how about being type cast after those 5 horrible days eh Jack), and Eva Longoria serves as eye candy, while the action tries to make up for the lack of complication or depth. While nothing is really memorable, it’s nice for a one time thingy.7.

Nicolas Cage hasn’t done anything this close to thriller/horror stuff, but he always brings drama (City of Angels, Leaving Las Vegas) and a strange dose of humor (Lord of War, Adaptation) to the table. Hell, blockbuster movies is a piece of cake for him too (The Rock, Face/Off). Just leave thriller/horror out of the list. At least this one, for sure.
It starts pretty okay. Dramatic setup and all. Then some mystery gets in the mix. Then the writer/director (Neil LaBute) makes a wrong turn for the worse. Now it’s all silly. And I really mean silly, with the dramatic score still running in the background. Now THAT’s REALLY silly. Of course, you didn’t come for silly, so you’re pretty pissed in the end. And that’s the only thing that matters ultimately. Nic is a lot of men (besides The Wicker Man, he’s The Family Man, The Weather Man, and the Matchstick Man. He’s even a KaufMAN, and a MANdolin), but this one is the one you should forget about really fast.4.

Invincible, yes. But it reigns in a very weak box office, as the summer schedule is about to close. The Mark Wahlberg starrer inspired by a true NFL story hauls in $17 million. Talladega Nights holds on to the second spot with $8 million, while Litte Miss Sunshine rises to the third spot in its fifth weeking with $7.5 million. Rounding out the top 5 are two movies sharing the number 4 spot, newcomer comedy Beerfest, and second week Accepted, both brining in $6.5 million.

I try to keep my movie slate devoid of foreign import, as I kinda have a bad streak with those. But once in a while (usually less than 1 in a year) I sneak one in, and this time it’s the Spanish Volver, with only one notable name (Penelope Cruz).
It’s clear, the Spanish have a weird sense of humor, and in this one, it tries to meld it with highly dramatic issues (mostly death, and lots of it). Strangely, it creates that authentic Spanish feeling, while the story seems to be inconsistently moving from here to there. In the end, it kinda comes together, and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel I made a mistake. Hey, who knows, el año quizá próximo, intentaré otro.7.

Over the top action-thriller Snakes on a Plane got a mediocre take off, landing at the number one spot with $15.2 million. Runner up is Talladega Nights, losing it’s pole position, with $14.1 million and a total of $114.7 million. At three, World Trade Center dropped within expectation, earning $10.8 million in its second week.
A new release ends up at 4, college comedy Accepted brings in $10.1 millon. Rounding out the top 5 is Step Up, with $9.9 million

Glory Road: The usual sports, rise above the occasion, movie, with nothing really new to tell, but still does the trick it’s supposed to.7-.
Hoot: Nice attempt for a children morale story, but execution gone awry.4-.
Stay: Surreal MTV style psychological vertigo.6½.
Factotum: Not really a comedy, not really a drama, but a bit boring for sure.5-.

Bringing the TV series, which earned Michael Mann name recognition, to the big screen in the midst of a failed hype (*YaWN* Serenity *snore* Starsky & Hutch *head thud on table* Dukes of Hazzard), is certainly risky, but ultimately proves, if you have the front man executing the job, everything will turn out just fine.
Miami Vice probably takes it to another level, more gritty and dark than your average sunshine TV episode. While not Mann’s usual deeply psychologically rooted character pieces (Collateral, The Insider, Heat), he takes a more observational stance instead. But there’s still enough drama to go around with these simply defined characters, as the acting is top notch.
Believe it or not, but this all together meshes into a heap of fun. The plain bad ass attitude of an MDPD task force, which has the combined skills of the Navy SEALS, Delta Force, Green Berets and Rangers and is in total better organised than the FBI, CIA and the DEA put together is certainly something to chuckle at (and I didn’t even mention the phenomenal budget for cool and violent hardware).
With only one point to comment negatively on (too much use of lightweight HD camera’s during finale action scenes doesn’t really create a theatrical experience), I can confidently conclude this is the best serious TV to film conversion yet (at least, that’s until we see characters from Dallas on an armed mission to Iraque to claim oil wells, or KITT serves Michael Knight fresh coke and dope).8-.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby finishes another round at the top spot, with $23 million. A sizable drop of 51%, but it’s still able to cume $91 million since its release.
Also good business is dance flick Step Up, with $21 million, almost doubling what the previous dance movie earlier this year did (Take the Lead, starring Antonia Banderas with $12 million).
World Trade Center has to do with a third place, with $19 million. With terrosist tension heating up again (in London), this can still be called a mild success (total now standing at $26.8 million). Dropping two places is Barnyard with $10 million, while Pulse, a low budget horror flick rounds out the top 5 with $8.5 million.

With 1.5 drama actor (Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon) and 1.5 funny pants (Matt Dillon and Owen Wilson), possibilities look promising. Not this time though, it’s cliche all-round. The usual feel-good romantic comedy that has nothing real to offer, but the occasional laugh you already laughed before. Always predictable, mildly charming at times, but that’s about it. The core of zest that propelled Wedding Crashers to a box office hit, is clearly absent here, making this movie only suitable for partners having difficulty choosing a movie.6-.

At the US box office pole position is Will Ferrell setting a personal opening record with Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR comedy racing by with some $47 million.
Not as long a title, so they’ll have to settle with the runner up spot, is Barnyard: The Original Party Animals. CGI animation, written and directed by Steve Oedekerk, brings in $16 million.
Third place is Pirates of the Carribean, bringing in another $11 million worth of gold. It probably has enough wind behind the sails to slowly float by the $400 million mark this or next week (cume now at $379.8 million).
Rounding out the top 5 is sharp dropper Miami Vice with $9.7 million and low budget UK thriller The Descent with $8.8 million.

And return he does. And I won’t even mention the franchise possibilities. So, again, nothing but kudos for Bryan Singer, a true wizard when it comes to comic books translation to the silver screen. With almost full creative control, the story is as smooth as Superman flies through the sky, and then some. With a two and a half hour running time, you get your full worth of money, and Singer uses this time to paint the canvas with emotional colors, true comic book atmosphere and the appropiate amount of funny bits. Taking extra time to fill the emotional bagage is always a plus, and with his choice of casting, it works like a charm. I guess DC Comics will get through pretty nicely for the next few years (and hence, also WB), with a moody and dark, well, Dark Knight (as the title for the next Batman is for 2008), and a lighter but still dramatically sound Superman.8+.

The 80-ties throwback Miami Vice seems to be still popular, now with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett & Tubbs, ending up the Pirates’ winning spree. With $25.2 million it’s on par with expectations, but it’s got a lot more work to do if it wants to earn back the $125 million budget.
Pirates of the Cariebean: Dead Man’s Chest drops one spot, with $20.5 million it was a too tough competition for the other new releases. Teen girl revenge flick John Tucker Must Die opens at 3 with $14 million, while Monster House drops 2 spots with $11.5 million. Rounding out the top 5 is The Ant Bully with an all-star voice cast, but if fails to impress the family, or even just the kids, with a mere $8.1 million.

12 years after their first collaboration (basically making them both shoot to stardom), Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves give it another go, albeit at quite a slower speed. This is clearly softy romantic drama, butchered with a contrived outline. This makes for dialogue crammed around 3 bended corners to fit the synopsis, but somehow, manages to keep a silky softness to it. If you take the one fantasy element for granted (like so many movies before in these recent years), and ignore the narrative anomalies (some might say innovation, I definitely disagree), it’s not that bad at all.7-.

Dave Chappelle’s Block Party: Mix of docu-comedy and music that surprisingly digests quite well, despite long jam sessions with too many rap artists.7.
Sarah Silverman’s Jesus is Magic: Funny-woman with her own style of comedy, in a weirdly mixed stand-up/sketch show.7+.
The Benchwarmers: The usual Happy Madison Productions (Adam Sandler) shockinly keeping it very middle-of-the-road.6-.