This week Act of Valor ($24.5M) took number one at the box office. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds came in second grossing $15.6M and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island kept it’s place in third with $13.4M. Wanderlust and Gone also opened this last week so let’s see how they did and if they are worth the money!
Note: We only review films in wide release.
Act of Valor–R What’s the Buzz? Critics and consumers couldn’t be further apart in their assessment of the film. Critics seemed to hate it with many of them disregarding the acting of the actual SEALs. The New York Times said the final product “plays like a pumped-up recruitment commercial deemed fit for feature length and multiplex viewing.”[1] However consumers thought it was a great film despite some bad acting. They liked seeing real SEALs play themselves and show what it is really like in their daily lives. Consumers enjoyed the realism and emotion of the story.
So is it worth the money? Yes
- Box office rank: 1
- Film Critics Say: Metacritic- 42
- rottentomatoes: 30% (Critics aren’t always right you know.)
- Consumers Say: Metacritic- 6.2
- rottentomatoes: 85% (Fresh!!!)
Wanderlust—R –What’s the Buzz? Not good. Both critics and consumers disliked the film. TIME Magazine claimed that the comedy looked funnier than it really is[2] and USA Today felt that it wandered aimlessly and ran week jokes and gags into the ground.[3] AS far as consumers were concerned, many felt it wasn’t the greatest movie but still laughed and had a good time.
So is it worth the money? Doubt it
- Box office rank: #8
- Film Critics Say: Metacritic- 53
- rottentomatoes: 62% (Not so fresh)
- Consumers Say: Metacritic- 5.6
- rottentomatoes: 57% (look for brown spots before purchase)
Gone—G –What’s the Buzz? “No money should ever change hands in any Gone-related interaction, unless it is because you are buying matches and gasoline to set all the copies of it on fire”, stated FILM.com.[4] Well that doesn’t seem promising. I would mention what consumers have to say, but I don’t think it’s really worth it.
So is it worth the money? Save your money and take your date to a really nice restaurant.
- Box office rank: #9
- Film Critics Say: Metacritic- 36
- rottentomatoes: 11% (Uuuhhh…whoa.)
- Consumers Say: Metacritic- 1.7
- rottentomatoes: 48% (face palming)
What’s opening in theaters this weekend?
The Lorax (latest review results—63%)
Project X (latest review results—26% rottentomatoes)
Being Flynn (latest review results: 36% rottentomatoes)
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/pages/movies/index.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1330664028-8Wwnsyh5WXbFEDSS1JBMPA
[2] http://entertainment.time.com/2012/02/24/wanderlust-nudists-and-jennifer-aniston-though-not-in-that-order/
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LB (I think),
I’m sorry audiences were not receptive to Wanderlust. The person who went with me (and I) thought the movie was REALLY FUNNY. What we had in common was we both had spent a lot of time around liberal hippy communities so the behavior of the characters was very familiar.
Unfortunately that’s one the weaknesses of satiric irony, just like sarcasm your audience needs to recognize what is being lampooned. Alas we believe this movies gag’s must have fallen on “deaf ears.”
As a mass, I imagine that audiences probably did not have enough familiarity with this culture to necessarily get the humor.
As for critics, the film did depend on a fairly conventional story structure (and happy ending); so I can’t imagine why they would have a whole lot to celebrate.
Oh, and last plug, tabloid and gossip culture fans might enjoy seeing Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux on screen together.
O.K., sorry I will give it a rest.
No don’t give it a rest! I thought the trailer looked fantastic. I have never really been around liberal hippie communities, but I’ve watched a lot of documentaries, so I get it. I still wouldn’t mind seeing it.
CR, What did you think of Project X? HOnestly, I am completely disgusted. I know there are many movies about high school parties and teenagers getting drunk and having sex but this trailer just sent me over the edge. Any parent that allows their child to see this (and yes I guarantee pre-teens will see this) is completely out of their ever loving mind.
OB! This movie undervalues everything we have discussed about HW Beauty and trying to give young girls and women a more positive media image.
On a happier note: I’m see The Lorax on Saturday night!!! we have the original version and I admit I like hearing the actual story read, but I am really looking forward to this film! 🙂 Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!!! I see what you did there Lorax. 😉
Oh and of course the hubs and I want to see Act of Valor…
Regarding ‘Act of Valor,” I should have assumed you would go.
You said the both of you both like to laugh at poor depictions of action and law enforcement factual and procedural inaccuracies. And believe me there are more than enough explosions to keep you two busy.
I imagine oversees this film will either influence terror or inspire mimicry. Which I imagine could be bad for our troops.
I guess we’ll see.
OMG,
You and I are thinking about the exact same stuff. This is really creepy. Check below…
I will answer in a minute.
LB,
“Honestly, I am completely disgusted. I know there are many movies about high school parties and teenagers getting drunk and having sex but this trailer just sent me over the edge. Any parent that allows their child to see this (and yes I guarantee pre-teens will see this) is completely out of their ever loving mind.”
I felt the EXACT same way but I thought I would try to take the high road and talk about the movie making aspect of the whole thing instead. It isn’t everyday that you see trends being executed right in front of you.
But I think you may be right that this kind of stuff may be like crack for adolescents who are looking for rebellion avenues (that are currently beyond heir imaginations). There were two tween girls laughing at all of the clichéd jokes in the trailers that proceeded “Chronicle.” Obviously I felt like a really sad old juvenile for having similar taste. Why else would I be there? Ugh…
CR,
What do you think “Project X”‘s purpose is? I’m trying to understand what the H-E-double hockey sticks they are trying to promote, sell, advocate other than the complete obvious.
LB,
Given how impressionable children are, you’d think they would be happy if the event presented in the movie occurred at least once after the movie is distributed.
When I was much much much much younger I thought beer-based experiences were for college-aged students only. But things have changed so much and children do so many things people in my peer group never did when I was that age.
I don’t know whether this movie has any intention to being responsible.
OB,
You’re normally such a humorless big critic of reality stars, reality TV shows, reality award shows, and reality TV show websites I was sure you had an opinion about “Act of Valor.” So I was wondering what you thought of this reality feature film?
Not that I have heard it described this way, yet if all of the cast are real professionals I can’t imagine anyone avoiding this association.
O.k., so what you got?
OB,
Sorry, I only said “humorless” to get your attention. Obviously, I was not successful.
Hi CR-
No worries I’ve been called worse things. LOL!!
Umm! I’ve not seen Act of Valor. However, let me say actors versus real military men and women I think it’s amazing to see them give a real account of what they go through. But actors are sensitive to articulating pacing and timing and how it relates to the plot. So its an interesting premise for a documentary I guess. I would need to see it to be more critical than that.
Paris,
Way back when, I remember you expressing some disdain for having real world historical documentary appear in an other wise fantasy film (I think we were talking about “X-men: First Class)? Well “project X” just like “Chronicle” before it uses a lot of hand held video and relatively sloppy camera work (a la “Blair Witch Project”). To stylistically create a faux reality that other wise might appear to be gratuitous.
Do you think they were successful with this gamble? Some how I doubt you saw it but I thought I should ask anyway.
CR and everyone,
If u go to rottentomatoes, you will see the list of movies opening this weekend. I observed that those opening in wide release had terrible critic reviews and those independent, with limited release had outstanding promise.
I don’t always agree with critics, but I found in reading the movie summaries, they seem more compelling than the other tripe. Why is HW so scared of giving us wide release, intelligent films? I find it very frustrating as a movie going fan.
LB,
Wow, this is terrible yet not completely unexpected news.
Someone may say this, yet a lot of things occur in Hollywood happens to create impressions that are not exactly honest in terms of audience interest.
• You would think “Shame” did not measure up critically or at the Box Office. Neither of these factors may have had an impact on its Oscar prospects. The truth is it was bought and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Despite the minimal number or awards it received, Fox Searchlight Pictures had a greater investment in one of their other distributed film’s “The Descendants.”
Events like this leave me scratching my head.