Box Office Update: "Carter" Falls Under "Lorax" Seige

So, let me take this moment to emphasize my feelings on "John Carter". It was a Goliath of a disappointment, structurally, emotionally, tonally, and intellectually speaking. It was sloppily edited, childishly written (even though it has three writers to its name), and directorially numb. And this is a film from the director of two of my favorite films of all time, "Finding Nemo" and "WALL-E". Andrew Stanton, please forgive me when I say try harder with your next film. It doesn't disappoint me that the film brought in only $30 million opening weekend, solidifying it as a failure to some degree, and ensuring that Andrew Stanton will not continue on this path.

In fact, I'm rather agreeable towards "The Lorax" now that it has had two strong weekends, because at least I have a positive concept of it in my head. I feel like it's not anything special, but it's not bad. Moving on, audiences ripped "Silent House" apart most likely due to the ending, and nobody even cared that Eddie Murphy had another film out. He just makes films to die nowadays. Overall, the weekend was 9% above last year, when "Battle: Los Angeles" and "Red Riding Hood" were the featured debuts, and only one of them did mildly well opening weekend. It went on to get $83.5 million, which is the most "John Carter" can really expect.

Box Office Update: "Lorax" Speaks for the Green

I feel bad for a film like "The Artist", which spends the entire season an underdog with unnecessary groans from the vast majority, defeats those to take home five strong Academy Awards last Sunday, and still can't grind out a large enough audience. It's not that the film is of too high prestige. I'd argue that it plays for as many giddy laughs as the big comedies out there, with just as much heart and investment from the cast and crew. I feel like plenty of large audiences would love it if they gave it a shot. The fact that they haven't only serves to disappoint me. Are audiences today really that cynical to refuse a loving ode to the past and progression of cinema? Is "The Lorax" really worth the $70.7 million it took home this weekend?

Perhaps it's unfair to pull a punch against a film I haven't seen, but all the advertisements have seemed so desperately cutesy, to the point of a brain aneurysm. I suppose you can't blame kids for knowing what they want, but they could've chosen much better. But it's hard to gripe at the continuing progression of this box office season. It's not at all a bad thing that people are once again so passionate to go to the movies. I just wish they were being offered something better than "Project X" as an outlet. In fact, I'm somewhat surprised the college comedy didn't bring more in this weekend. It seemed like so many people were chomping at the bit to see that one, only for it to not take that much above average. But overall, films held well, and the box office continued to truck along. It may sag a bit next weekend with the coming of "John Carter", or it may just surprise in a positive manner.