Monday Morning Quarterback Part II

By BOP Staff

June 16, 2009

The bad news is that he's gonna think this snarl is the reason they won.

New at BOP:
Share & Save
Digg Button  
Print this column
Jason Lee: I think you can point to a number of different factors with regard to Up's continuing box office strength. First off, to me, it's the most emotional Pixar film since Monsters, Inc. (which had an ending that just tore at my heart). Secondly, I think it's the most easily quotable Pixar movie since Finding Nemo. Thirdly, I think it's got the most colorful and likable cast of supporting characters since Nemo. As much as I loved Ratatouille and WALL-E (and I loved them a LOT), I think this film is more widely accessible than their previous three releases.

Reagen Sulewski: There's one factor that's less about the movie and more about pure mechanics of box office - summer movies make more. There's always the risk of a crowded marketplace, but just from the point of weekday showings being better attended than in the other three seasons, you're going to get a pretty significant boost in your box office. Clearly, the product has to be there, but it's something that can't be ignored when comparing it to other Pixar films.

Kim Hollis: This is true, Reagen, but it's competing with Nemo (a summer film) and destroying other Pixar summer flicks like Cars, Ratatouille, and WALL-E. I agree that there are a number of factors that come into play. It's a movie that works really well for adults while having a lot of fun, color and adventure for kids. The 3-D showings are adding some bang for the buck. I think we can probably all anticipate that Toy Story 3 is going to have a massive opening and probably out-gross Nemo if it's as good as the previous films.

David Mumpower: What bears noting about Up is that at this time last week, it was roughly $7 million behind Finding Nemo's pace. Today, it's at $4 million. That's right. Its days 11-18 have outperformed the biggest Pixar film of all time. That alone is cause for celebration at Pixar.




Advertisement

An Eddie Murphy movie failed at the box office. Imagine That.

Kim Hollis: Imagine That, Eddie Murphy's latest attempt to be relevant, opened to a dismal $5.7 million. Can you explain why some terrible-looking Eddie Murphy family films become successful, while other ones like Imagine That (which has a not-completely horrible RottenTomatoes rating of 46%) fail completely?

Josh Spiegel: Here's the thing: if you ignore the Shrek films (which would likely be successful these days with or without Murphy), the man's history of family movies isn't so cheery. The last movie, in general, of his that made over $100 million was 2003's Daddy Day Care, which barely crossed the century mark (to be fair, so did Dreamgirls, but that's also a movie that a) would have been successful with or without him and b) barely made over $100 million). Since then, the only movie that came close was Norbit, which is not a movie for...well, anyone, really. In general, this is a case of someone choosing the wrong projects all the time. Though Imagine That certainly didn't seem as terrible as Meet Dave, I remember wondering "Is that all it is?" when I first saw the preview. That bored feeling plus the niche audience being distracted by Up and Night at the Museum 2 all contributed to this movie's lousy performance.


Continued:       1       2       3       4

     


 
 

Need to contact us? E-mail a Box Office Prophet.
Friday, March 29, 2024
© 2024 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.