lilmac

As a Christian, I wouldn't want Greta anywhere near the Narnia series. We'll kill it buzz wise before Day 1. It will be Noah all over again.

So happy for Sound of Freedom as well.

Came to check in on my beloved BOM/BOT forum. Yep, still weird/hostile. Back to WorldofKJ I go….

Saw it multiple times in theater and it was packed every time. Amazing legs. Exquisitely timed with the Easter bump.

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer stands as the director's latest achievement, boasting an exceptional performance by Cilian Murphy. It emerges as a strong contender for Best Picture, likely garnering numerous nominations. Nolan's masterful direction, characterized by his signature time jumps, provides an intimate glimpse into the life of the man responsible for developing the Atomic Bomb. The portrayal highlights both his strengths and weaknesses, while the supporting cast delivers excellent performances. However, some aspects warrant criticism. Once again, Nolan's dialogue suffers from clarity issues, requiring a concerted effort to catch what characters are saying due to poor sound mixing and background music. Additionally, I wanted more spectacular visuals and effects of the bomb, to include footage of the bomb detonations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I understand why they didn't want that to be the focus. Still, I wanted more pizzaz. The preference for more flair and fewer Congressional hearings and depositions leads me to slightly lower my grade from an A to an A-.

Tracking Sound of Freedom is bringing me so much joy. It reminds me of the great runs of the past, outside of Titanic/Avatar. Along the vein of Sixth Sense, Greatest Showman, etc. The marketing team was hitting my church/conservative circles hard....like HARD but I didn't think it would breakout like this. Could it beat MI7 next weekend?? It's more immune to Barbenheimer's impact I would think.

Indiana Jones 5 delivered. Harrison Ford's return as Indiana Jones was a nostalgic joyride, and seeing old characters return to the saddle was a treat. The third act was a standout, with unexpected twists. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While I know the reviews have been mixed, I personally found the movie to be a great addition to the franchise. The nostalgia was effective in bringing back fond memories of watching the previous movies, and the film did a great job of capturing the feeling of adventure and wonder that the series is known for. The criticisms that the movie has received did not detract from my enjoyment of it whatsoever. Overall, Indiana Jones 5 hit all the right buttons for me, and I would highly recommend it to fans of the series. It's a solid B+ in my book. 3rd best after Raiders and Crusade.

Looks very generic but it's Chandor so I'll give it a whirl.

That's a bummer since some of the films were decent. The profit/loss for the Suicide Squad remake in particular had to be monstruous.

I found The Flash movie to be enjoyable, particularly the scenes featuring Batman, which were expertly filmed by Muschietti. His Batman scenes reminded me of the great 1990s animated series. He really has a feel for the character. I was initially concerned about the inclusion of the Kira character being wokish, but I was pleasantly surprised by her performance and scenes. Ezra was exceptional in his portrayal of The Flash. However, some of the action scenes fell short due to the DCEU's overreliance on CGI and the chaotic nature of explosions, faceless minions, and a lack of emotional depth. Back to the positive, the movie also had a good balance of heart and humor. Overall, I would give The Flash a B grade.

Spider-Verse can steal target audience from Mermaid.

$290M budget. Yikes. That's not counting prints and advertising. It'll get to the break-even point but Paramount will surely be on pins and needles.

The BOT/BOM forums will celebrate their 20th anniversary in June. It's been an incredible two decades of both box office triumphs and disappointments. The boxoffice highs we've experienced have been truly extraordinary, surpassing expectations and shattering records few would have thought possible. Alongside these milestones, the forums have been witness to friendships forged and friendships broken. That's life. Although I mostly lurk (me and Baumer were among the first at BOM oh so long ago), I will always cherish the camaraderie within this specialized community of folks who find joy in counting other people's money. 😀 And of course, the forum is far more than just box office discussions, covering topics such as television, politics, sports, and plain ole' good, casual conversation. Together, we have grown older and wiser, sharing in each other's experiences. Here's to another 20 years of tracking box office trends, records, and so much more!

I see that as well, high $500s. If you asked me 10 years ago, what's a virtually untouched IP that will be a huge hit...I would not have considered Mario. I assumed the 1990s disaster poisoned the well. What a fantastic success, one that will open up other AAA Nintendo adaptations (Zelda, Star Fox, Donkey Kong, Metroid, etc.....we already got Pokemon).

Looks like Mario will end up at around $560M for a top 15 domestic finish. Insane. In retrospect its success makes sense: Brand Recognition Nostalgia Cross-generational appeal Creative vision Strong marketing campaign which showcased all of the above

Fruitvale Station Ryan Coogler

haha It's been two that have been released but yes, we are nearing 4 having been filmed.

Why does it feel like McQuarrie has directed more Mission Impossible movies. It's only been 2, until now.

MI7 was filmed in early 2020. Sheesh. So long ago. Wikipedia excerpt for Dead Reckoning Part 2: On March 24, 2022, Collider reported the beginning of principal photography of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.[27] Filming took place in the UK at Longcross Studios and the Lake District. Other locations included Malta, South Africa and Norway. In December 2022, it was reported filming was finished in the UK.[28] The crew, then, moved to Puglia to continue filming aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.[29] That's an insanely long production (like MI:7). I hope and pray Cruise survives whatever stunts they've dreamed up.

As a hardcore LOTR fan, Rings of Power totally rocked. The world-building was off the charts and the new characters were fantastic (the woke casting was a distraction for me personally but not enough to detract). The massive budget was definitely visible on screen, making it possibly the most 'cinematic experience' I've ever seen on television. Plus, the side quests and stories were awesome and I'm sure they'll all come together in the end. It's obvious the people behind the show really love and understand the Tolkien universe. I'm glad they're in charge of the creative direction and I really hope they can see it through to the end of the planned 5 seasons. Especially since Bezos spent a fortune on this thing.

The Bombardier is the spinoff we need. I don't mind the semi-bubble episodes, if it moves Mando/Grogu along in the story I suspect some of the focus on side characters is to test balloon possible spinoffs, based on reaction and feedback. With that said, I'm hoping the next season is 200% more centered on Mando/Grogu.

I thought Chris Tucker was a bit over the top in this one but I too enjoy seeing him on-screen. Hope he takes on more roles in the coming years.

During my viewing of Super Mario Brothers, the phrase "oh they did the thing" frequently came up in my head, anytime a familiar sight triggered waves of nostalgia. Although shamelessly indulging in fan-service, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and it transported me back to my youth. I loved seeing the various sights and characters, like Tanooki Mario, Invincible Star, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Rainbow Road, Cat Mario, Flower Power, the Yoshi species, and Toad. However, I would have preferred less Princess Peach and more focus on Mario and Luigi (which happened for....reasons). Despite this flaw, the film earned an A rating, largely due to the finale which indeed feature the brothers. Looking ahead I suspect this film, more so than the Sonic franchise, will be viewed as the bellwether for many cherished videogame IPs coming to the big screen (Zelda??!).

Air is a great film, boasting outstanding performances from Viola Davis and Matt Damon. Both Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman do well in their supporting roles. The decision to withhold Michael Jordan's appearance on-screen was an intriguing choice, ultimately not detracting from the movie's impact. Skillfully paced and superbly written, Air is infused with just the right touch of humor, making it an ideal choice for a delightful springtime viewing. Under Ben Affleck's masterful direction, Air earns 9 out of 10.

Disappointing primarily because I like every Majors performance. This one did not disappoint. Too bad Ant Man 3's boxoffice did disappoint. If they had a do-over, here's a tip: make the story/action more Ant-Man centric and less of the other characters in his crew (the daughter, Wasp, Michael Douglas, Pfeiffer).