potzbie
07-08-2006, 09:04 PM
For those who care about dollars.
Someone at ROTTEN TOMATOES compiled a prediction list of the box office for Dead Man's Chest ("DMC"), to wit:
******
Predictions for the U.S Opening Weekend:
boxofficemojo - $116.9million
boxofficeprophets - $119
boxofficeguru - $104
boxofficereport.com - $120
the-numbers - $110
moviemarshal - $90
*******
I am not surprised because:
1. No other movie opened this weekend, per my informal perusal of the ads in the newspaper for movies.
2. The number of theaters participating in the opening is the 3rd highest quantity in history, behend SHREK 2 and another movie I forgot, (but both were in 2002).
• If DISNEY (Buena Vista?) is the only studio who is opening a movie this weekend, then the box office will be higher than other weekends would have been.
• If DISNEY is utilizing more theaters than any movie since 2002, then its box office dollars will be higher than other movies.
Which is my way of saying that, if DISNEY had opened in JUNE or AUGUST, and had opened in as many theaters as, say, CARS, then the box office numbers would be significantly different.
Like I had said in an earlier post, there is a LOYALTY factor.
The opening weekend for the "leading edge movie goer" (who must be first to see whatever it is that the movie goer is fashionably determined to beat to the screen) will always be high.
The All-Things-Disney fan who will see a Disney film BECAUSE the word "Disney" is affliated with the film will boost the box office dollars.
The true test comes next weekend, when the full brunt of WORD OF MOUTH hits all streets.
****
For the record, I liked POTC DMC.
I laughed (at the appropriate scenes).
I oohed-and-ahhed, at the appropriate CGI scenes.
But I also recognize that some people need their movies to have things like:
(a.) plot
(b.) character development
(c.) dramatic conflict
For such people, DMC will not cut the mustard.
*****
Syllogism:
• Action/Adventure films cannot be 5 or 6 hours long.
• POTC DMC is an Action/Adventure film.
• Therefore, its LENGTH is a key factor in its likability factor.
Thus, another reason for poor reviews.
You cannot have a movie with 100% chase scenes.
That is why the LORD OF THE RINGS #2 (middle) movie got one Thumbs Down from the Ebert-Roeper duo. (And from me!)
DMC is almost all action.
You can have too much action in an action film.
Some plot points MUST be allowed to develop.
So, again, I am not surprised by the negative reviews, since reviewers won't like a film if the film fails in 3 or 4 key areas of filmdom standards.
*****
I liked POTC DMC.
But yes, it was too much action, and too little character interaction.
Yes, the plot holes are big enough to sail the Black Pearl through.
Yes, it was a string of action scenes, not strung together with any cohesion.--It would have failed a Screenwriters 101 course.
But I thought:
(a.) shooting an undead monkey is a great bit.
(b.) running while leaning backwards is a great comedy schtick.
(c.) having the Flying Dutchman be able to sail underwater is a nice mythological touch.
(d.) the 3-way sword fight in the mill water wheel was fantastic.
DMC was a visual treat.
But its screenplay, and its direction (really its editing), interfered with my enjoyment of those many excellent scenes.
*****
Someone at ROTTEN TOMATOES compiled a prediction list of the box office for Dead Man's Chest ("DMC"), to wit:
******
Predictions for the U.S Opening Weekend:
boxofficemojo - $116.9million
boxofficeprophets - $119
boxofficeguru - $104
boxofficereport.com - $120
the-numbers - $110
moviemarshal - $90
*******
I am not surprised because:
1. No other movie opened this weekend, per my informal perusal of the ads in the newspaper for movies.
2. The number of theaters participating in the opening is the 3rd highest quantity in history, behend SHREK 2 and another movie I forgot, (but both were in 2002).
• If DISNEY (Buena Vista?) is the only studio who is opening a movie this weekend, then the box office will be higher than other weekends would have been.
• If DISNEY is utilizing more theaters than any movie since 2002, then its box office dollars will be higher than other movies.
Which is my way of saying that, if DISNEY had opened in JUNE or AUGUST, and had opened in as many theaters as, say, CARS, then the box office numbers would be significantly different.
Like I had said in an earlier post, there is a LOYALTY factor.
The opening weekend for the "leading edge movie goer" (who must be first to see whatever it is that the movie goer is fashionably determined to beat to the screen) will always be high.
The All-Things-Disney fan who will see a Disney film BECAUSE the word "Disney" is affliated with the film will boost the box office dollars.
The true test comes next weekend, when the full brunt of WORD OF MOUTH hits all streets.
****
For the record, I liked POTC DMC.
I laughed (at the appropriate scenes).
I oohed-and-ahhed, at the appropriate CGI scenes.
But I also recognize that some people need their movies to have things like:
(a.) plot
(b.) character development
(c.) dramatic conflict
For such people, DMC will not cut the mustard.
*****
Syllogism:
• Action/Adventure films cannot be 5 or 6 hours long.
• POTC DMC is an Action/Adventure film.
• Therefore, its LENGTH is a key factor in its likability factor.
Thus, another reason for poor reviews.
You cannot have a movie with 100% chase scenes.
That is why the LORD OF THE RINGS #2 (middle) movie got one Thumbs Down from the Ebert-Roeper duo. (And from me!)
DMC is almost all action.
You can have too much action in an action film.
Some plot points MUST be allowed to develop.
So, again, I am not surprised by the negative reviews, since reviewers won't like a film if the film fails in 3 or 4 key areas of filmdom standards.
*****
I liked POTC DMC.
But yes, it was too much action, and too little character interaction.
Yes, the plot holes are big enough to sail the Black Pearl through.
Yes, it was a string of action scenes, not strung together with any cohesion.--It would have failed a Screenwriters 101 course.
But I thought:
(a.) shooting an undead monkey is a great bit.
(b.) running while leaning backwards is a great comedy schtick.
(c.) having the Flying Dutchman be able to sail underwater is a nice mythological touch.
(d.) the 3-way sword fight in the mill water wheel was fantastic.
DMC was a visual treat.
But its screenplay, and its direction (really its editing), interfered with my enjoyment of those many excellent scenes.
*****