Has there ever been a more disappointing set of movies in May than X-Men Origins:Wolverine and Terminator:Salvation in terms of expectations? The Phantom Menace ranks up there as an individual low blow but I don’t recall being as let down. This May felt to me like Hugh Jackman was jabbing me in the crotch with one of his CG adamantium claws.
Thank God we have Pixar to look to. The films they put out seem to almost be invulnerable to critics or flaws. One day we will have to creep into the studios and find out if they actually have superpowers like The Incredibles, because there isn’t a studio that has had a longer and more successful run without slip ups.
It may be easy to point to the box office success of Pixar by saying they make children’s films, thus they have a larger demographic. Very true, but they also make films that translate to the humor of adults and imagine this, they actually improve with every film they make. Can you believe it, a company that strives to be the best at what they do? Who knew it was possible? The reign of Pixar is one of the most impressive feats in film, whether you like their work or not.
It’s only natural to think a movie like Up is going to make more money than the likes of Terminator:Salvation. Other than the fact that it is obviously a superior film, it’s uplifting and inspiring, something a lot of us need currently.
Drag Me to Hell had a decent opening, even if they made a huge error in putting the film against Up. What the Hell were they thinking? Get it, Hell? Cough. The opening weekend numbers aren’t what concerns me about Drag Me to Hell. I am just happy that some love is being shown to Sam Raimi, who had a bit of a fall from grace. By all accounts, even with the venom spewed by our resident reject, Rob Hunter, critics loved the film and it is being called Raimi’s return to his roots. Can he get the next Spiderman right, though? Fanboys everywhere are still raising a skeptical brow, I can assure you.
The smashing success of Up and critical acclaim of Drag Me to Hell means that there is still reason to be optimistic about this summer movie season. I don’t have the erection for Transformers 2 that some do, even if Megan Fox is in it, but you know it is going to draw the crowds in. Let’s hope they have another dog peeing on an Autobot’s leg. Now that was art! Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince looks to be an entertaining installment and will have Hogwarts’ homies everywhere chomping at the bit to see the last two films.
This past weekend did a lot to restore faith in this summer. So put the claws away, Judgment Day isn’t here. We still have a fair share of blockbusters, as well as films that will be lifted up for quality. 500 Days of Summer, Moon and The Hurt Locker all make the cut. Don’t call me George Michael but it’s all about having faith. Well maybe you can call me George Michael from Arrested Development. That’s fine.
What do you think?
Related Topics: Pixar, Terminator
