How Does Pixar Do It?

With Pixars newest release, Wall-E crossing the 280,000,000 million mark worldwide this week, I thought I'd ask the question: "How Does Pixar Do It?" And it's a valid question. Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, all of them have mustered over 200,000,000 million in the united states alone. One begins to wonder what kind of magic they've got in their bag, that guarentees them the massive take the movies generate.
Not all animated films can make the cut, and a lot of them are quickly forgettable. i.e. Flushed Away, Happily "N"ever After, and Robots have all come and gone in the multiplex. But Pixar seems to stick around. Not one of their films have bombed, or business wise, been called a "failure".
The truth is, it's the stories. Each and every one of their films has a legitimate story, that packs intelligence, and can satisfy the minds of kids, and adults. It's unique to Pixar, as most animated movies are simply there to look cute, and utilize animation to the fullest extent. It's not the same with Pixar, who's movies have won Academy Awards, and keep viewers coming back for more.
Brad Bird, the latest individual to have capitalized on the seemingly invincible company, who's ventures rarely lose profit, viewers, or attention. Mr. Bird is responsible for The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. Both of which have earned Oscar's for Best Animated Feature.
No such catagory as animation, has served companies like Pixar so well. With live action movies, you don't have a built-in audience. Animation movies grab key demographics right off the bat. Kids, Families, and Young Adults rake in the cash for those animated features that we have all come to know and love. While The Dark Knight continued it's domination at the box office, films like Wall-E have done just fine, and are able to make their own kind of money, and for all we know, will stick around for a long time.

Spider-Man 3

Maybe it was just me, but I think that a lot of people were anticipating the third installment of the Spider-Man franchise. The series had an identity, and entertainment quality unique to itself. The first movie wasn't perfect, but laid a foundation. The second movie, which was quite possibly the best superhero film ever made, (before Batman Begins) was a powerhouse. The film's action scenes were phenomenal, and had a visceral quality all it's own.
With all of that said, we were given the third installment in the franchise. Spider-Man 3. If you've ever seen a Brett Ratner directed film, you would swear he had his hands all over it. With decent enough action scenes (The crane rescue is undeniably entertaining) the film seemed shaky, but still on the tracks. But we were given 45 minutes more of movie, then we'd bargained for. Three villains crowded the story, tack on's were packed in so tightly, you'd swear the movie would collapse due to the sheer pressure it was putting on itself.
The finale, which was way too much, left a mark on all people who paid full price for a movie that didn't deliver, and ate your sympathy to the point of no return.
Of course, the movies problems go deeper then the ending itself, and that's true. The casting was half hearted, the direction sloppy, and the effects were schlocked together, in an effort to amaze you. The casting of Sandman was spot on, Thomas Haden Church was about as good villain casting as you'll come by. Go ahead and gripe all you want about him not being a good enough nemesis, but his acting and realism stretch far. He is one of the only honest efforts the film puts forth with a consicence. Here's where the casting went awry. Topher Grace. I am a pure Batman fan, so I never read too many of the Spider-Man comic books, but I knew enough to figure out that a scrawny, and not at all menacing Topher Grace, is the wrong choice to play a huge, scary, evil force like Venom. As long as I'm ranting, let's allow ourselves to explore the real reasons for the movie's failure, and that's the tack-ons. Gwen Stacy, Harry's Goblin, Venom, Peter Parkers "wild side", and so on.
Bryce Dallas Howard, was actually great as Gwen Stacy. She was solid casting, but a terrible add on. We did not need Peter Parker to have another, "Love Interest" did we? Hell, it took him two movies to get his only girlfriend anway.
Finally, my major gripe about the movie, Venom. Ok, so here's what the producers must of been thinking.
"Let's take Spider-Man's biggest, most iconic villain, Venom, and put him in for the last 20 minutes!"
"Yeah, and then let's kill him off!"
This is why Spider-Man will always stand in the shadow of films like, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. Those movies didn't have to kill off all of it's iconic villains, just for a lousy finale. This series needs a miracle, something fierce.

Tropic Thunder/Star Wars: Clone Wars

Ok, so here it is. Two releases that both carry leverage in their lineage. Ben Stiller, who's career has been dorment in imagination since the brilliant Meet The Fockers/Zoolander era, has brought Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. with him in the new war romp, Tropic Thunder. Going againts it, is George Lucas and his rung out, drowned of imagination series, Star Wars.

Both films carry a sort of weight. Tropic Thunder has encountered a bit of protest, and Star Wars' fans know that this film will successfully lock out the fan-boy central series in limbo. Tropic Thunder, which has been pumped and stuffed with hype, and a black version of Robert Downey Jr., it's a can't miss for the number one spot. Star Wars, is facing an uphill climb. Don't expect fans to be cleaning out the theatres when it opens, this is mainly a Cartoon Newtork advertisment, drawn out to an hour and a half.

Expect The Dark Knight to stay happy at the #2 spot, with around 18 Million, and Star Wars a close third, with 16.

Now, to the review portion. Tropic Thunder is a romp, period. Foul, filthy, and irresistable as ever, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Iron Man himself are gunning for a third victory for each actor. Robert Downey Jr. had Iron Man, Jack Black had Kung Fu Panda, and hopefully Stiller will join them in the club with a hit.

The movie is not brilliant, or amazing, but holds your attention, and gives you an hour and a half of laughter, guilty, and irreverent humour. Tom Cruise makes the movie though, as a foul man, who cusses his way to comedy, with success.

Now the bad movie, Clone Wars. Star Wars has been stuck in it's trap of "suckage" since The Phantom Menace debuted years ago. Then came Attack of The Clones, just rubbing salt in the wound. Then came the half-hearted attempt at redemption that only came halfway to meet our expectations of a flailing franchise. The movie, is basically a pre-cursor to countless Wal-Mart toy sales, Cartoon Network specials, and paints "soiled" all over George Lucas' career. It's not a nice venture, and stands in the shadow of animation done right (Wall E). So long, and until next week, watch some movies.

The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor

If you ever saw The Mummy, or The Mummy Returns, you "may" have known what you were getting into. But that still won't make you forgive yourself for seeing this piece of garbage. The big issue here, is that the movie is up to old tricks, which don't serve it well after movies like, Indiana Jones, National Treasure, etc. have all come out this year, and all revolve around similar things in terms of what you'll see in the movie. Brendon Fraser is back, and not too bad. He's not the issue, but the movie clearly has a few.

First of all, Jet Li and Michelle Yoeh, are welcomed editions, but the whole "China" angle, instead of the traditional "Egypt" setting throw the film off course. You don't think of Dragon Emperors when you hear Mummy, you think of Egyptians, and such.
Secondly, it is simply a redux of The Mummy series, and nothing less. The Pirates of The Caribbean series taught us that there can be 'too much' of a good thing. Point proven here.
Third, and final is the constant barrage of CGI shots over and over. Even films like Fantastic Four look innocent compared to the excessive use seen here.

I guess, with all opinions aside, this movie still does nothing to seperate itself, or achieve anything new for a series not crying out for a third and dissapointing bookmark to a mediocre series.

FINAL RATING (1/4)

The Best Movie I've Ever Seen...

I first saw Casablanca when I was 12 years old. It's not my favorite but it'll always be the best I've ever seen. Nothing can match it, or even dare to try. It's Humphrey Bogart, and Ingrid Bergman at their best. The story is classic, and real. I've never been so enthralled by a single line, time after time in a movie.

"Play it again, Sam."
"Here's lookin' at you, kid."

Again and again, the film stamps inside of your mind the purpose and the meaning of a movie so great as this.

I couldn't tell you my thoughts when I first watched it, but I knew it was something special. That was reaffirmed time after time I watched it. Not even The Godfather can match it in stature, or importance in my own mind.

Now, that's sayin' something.

The Mummy? Not even Brendan Fraser Can Stop The Dark Knight.

Three weekends in a row, The Dark Knight has ruled the box office with an iron fist. Batman grabbed another 45 million dollars in it's third weekend, a firm hold with only a slight drop from last weekends 75 million. The Dark Knight has survived largely on word of mouth, and rabid fans coming out in support, but if there's one sure reason, it's because it's a 'good' movie.

A lot of the time, movies can make a lot of money, but rarely do movies make a lot of money, and are eaten up by critics and fans alike. Batman Begins had the critics, but not yet the fans. Batman fans, like myself had to lie dorment for the caped crusader to return to the screen, with dignity.

Before Batman Begins, we were given Batman and Robin. A re-creation of the campy t.v. series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The series had popularity but drove real fans away. With The Dark Knight, popularity rose and blew the top off once it debuted.

While the movie doesn't have a shot at breaking Titanic's stranglehold for the all time record, (600,000,000) but a number two spot is likely.