'Public Enemies' (C) Universal Pictures
Oh sure Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, you're big stuff when your competition is My Sister's Keeper, but what happens this Wednesday when Johnny Depp's gangster film, Public Enemies is released? Explosions, bullets, and yes, some fireworks.
Just in time for our holiest of American holidays.
While Transformers 2 looks to advance its hording of box office booty to become the year's biggest movie by week's end, Michael Mann's (Heat, Collateral) new crime thriller intends to dampen the mood for DreamWorks.
Depp stars as Depression-era original gangsta', John Dillinger. Famed for robbing banks, escaping Johnny Law and making the ladies swoon, Dillinger's exploits were splashed across newspapers throughout the country. While Public Enemies doesn't have the pizazz and typical summer appeal of Up and Star Trek, expect the film to make a solid run at the box office. After all, not every viewer wants shiny things in their movies.
The film also stars Christian Bale (Terminator Salvation) as Fed Melvin Purvis, and Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) as Dillinger's Charleston-dancing girlfriend.
While box office numbers remain to be seen, the popularity of Transformers, despite terrible reviews, is on the rise thanks to the bizzaro Dark Knight effect.
This time last year, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight debuted with the biggest opening ever, a staggering $203 million. The fun didn't didn't stop there. Based in part on the media circus involving the premature death of Heath Ledger, the momentum of the film kept growing. A potent mixture of great reviews and positive word-of-mouth, this "simple comic book movie" actually became the darling of the Fanboy Nation and the minions of the High-Brow Society. In the end, the film was partly responsible for the Best Picture category of the Academy Awards expanding from five to a whopping ten nominations. Whether or not ten movies are worth the nomination is another story...
In Transformers, it's the opposite problem. With the headiness of opening week over, patrons are purchasing tickets to see how bad the movie actually is and to verify claims of racism. Not to see a solid and well-made film.
Yet it's not all Tommy Guns and Decepticons this week. The time is right for a sneak attack from the 3-D sequel nobody wanted in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Families will now have another film to take their younglings to besides another viewing of the Disney/Pixar great, Up.
Check out some clips from this week's new releases:
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Comments
People don't pay good money "to see how bad the movie actually is and to verify claims of racism". They are flocking to "Transformers 2" because it offers an escape from reality and because of positive word of mouth from their friends, co-workers,Facebook friends, etc., not from attention-grabbing headlines. Besides, the racism claim is baseless and silly, and critics are not a factor in this equation. Word of mouth always determines the fate of a film after opening day.
So the word-of-mouth equation is valid from everyone except critics? Then why are you reading coverage by those people?
I agree with you regarding the value you place on the opinion of people whom you trust...like your Facebook friends.
I understand the need for some escapist entertainment, but 'Transformers 2' doesn't offer that. The only offering from the film is the snatching away of two hours and 20 minutes that a viewer will never get back.
Why is the racism claim "baseless and silly?"
Pretty good subtly diss right there ("...like your Facebook friends"). The real point here is that with a film like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the critics view isn't highly valued by moviegoers. No one is expecting to see a masterpiece, just entertainment for 2.5 hours. Critics expect too much from a film like that.
And yes, word-of-mouth for any movie comes from the patrons of the movie, not the critics.
I don't know how it is that you still have a job with the garbage you preach. Almost a decade and you still think that movie goers care what you think. The only people that depend on your word are your friends and other critics. To bash a movie and say "patrons are purchasing tickets to see how bad the movie actually is and to verify claims of racism" only shows just how shallow and biest your reviews really are. people do not buy tickets to see how bad a movie really is, especially during a recession. If that were true GIGLI would of been a $500+ million movie . Public Enemies doesn't have the legs to take Transformers 2 at the box office, much less out pace Ice Age. I'm not a M. bay fan, however I do go into each movie with an open mind. which I believe most critics have forgotten how to do.
Hi "real world critic", thanks for your insults and personal attacks. To be fair, I call my garbage "refuse." It sounds classy.
Back to your rant:
Which part was shallow? How is my opinion "biest?" Is it because I dislike schlock in any and all forms? Did you even read my review? I wonder because you left a comment on a box office preview article instead of the actual review.
The irony of your "open mind" is laughable. What does this "open mind" entail? Loving a film because it "looked cool?" Because all of your buddies liked it? Because Megan Fox looked all sorts of hot? Clearly, your take on this movie is superior to mine since...um...actually why did you like? Seems to me dear "real world critic," that you are confusing a movie being "good" with it being successful. Box office revenue is not an indicator of a movie being "good." It merely shows that patrons are eager to see it, which of course, they were and still are.
<See Above for Part II.>
Part II:
It may surprise you but I was anxious to see it as well. In fact, most of the critics you love, read, and exchange comments with, were eager to see it. Sadly, in the end, it wasn't very good. Sorry.
In fact, it's easily the worst movie ever to make over $500 million worldwide.
Again, truly sorry.
And I was a fan of the first 'Transformers'.
Any truly awful film will have patrons eager slap down money purely to witness "a bad movie." Some view it as fun. Others view it is a hoot. 'Gigli' is neither.
As for 'Public Enemies', I agree with you. In fact, if you read carefully, I even said that. "While 'Public Enemies' doesn't have the pizazz and typical summer appeal of 'Up' and 'Star Trek', expect the film to make a solid run at the box office. After all, not every viewer wants shiny things in their movies."
And for Dave:
Hi Dave - I wouldn't paint such a large segment with a broad stroke. It would be foolish to say moviegoers as a whole value the views of
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