Frickin' Eh Movie News 11.12.08: Remembrance Edition

Posted by Matthew Motiuk on 11.12.2008

Quantum of Solace breaks international records, the new trailer for Up, who is directing Conan, and more!



The first snow of the year on Remembrance Day. Actually it makes it look a lot nicer out there because it was looking very dead and depressing for a long time. It still doesn't mean I want to drive through it. I was home for the long weekend to regain my sanity (I don't particularly like living in the city) and see my friends and family, but now I'm back in the city. School and all. But let's get on with the news, shall we?


The Mid-Week Box Office Time Machine

Alright, you know what time it is. Last week, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa blew everyboyd out of the water with $63.5 million. Not even close was Role Models at number two with $19 million. High School Musical 3: Senior Year dropped down to number three from number one and raked in $9 million. Changeling stayed put at number four and Zack and Miri Make a Porno dropped to numebr five with $6.5 million in its second week. Soul Men debuted at number six with $5.6 million. The scary section hung in at seven at eight with Saw V and The Haunting of Molly Hartley. The Secret Life of Bees and Eagle Eye rounded out the top ten.

This week there's only one wide release for you to worry about: Quantum of Solace. The new Bond is back and it's already done incredibly on the international scale, so it's sure to blow away the rest of the box office, although I could see it having a bit of a fight with Madagascar. I feel about this movie the same I feel about Casino Royale: I'm expecting it to be good, going in, and then I will probably be incredibly disappointed. If I get motivated enough, look for a review from me; if not, there will be some snarky comments from me later on, don't worry.


Joe Johnston Taking on Captain America

Joe Johnston has signed on to direct Marvel Studios' First Avenger: Captain America, based on characters developed by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The film will be produced by Marvel Studios' President Kevin Feige. Executive Producers on the project are Louis D'Esposito, Stan Lee and Marvel Studios' Chairman David Maisel. Paramount Pictures will distribute First Avenger: Captain America worldwide. The film will come to theaters domestically on May 6, 2011.

Here's the official logline: In the early days of the Marvel Universe, Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Johnston is currently directing The Wolfman, which hits theaters on April 3. He is developing The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Johnston previously directed October Sky, Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, The Rocketeer and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Johnston won an Academy Award® in 1982 for Best Visual Effects for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Marvel Studios most recently announced an agreement with Raleigh Studios to film each of its next four films at Raleigh's facility in Manhattan Beach, CA which will include First Avenger: Captain America.

An interesting choice. Johnston has some impressive titles under his belt, and he seems more than capable of doing the job. He's not one of the big-name directors, though, which is a bit of a surprise, considering the current trend for superhero movies. It seems to me, however, that he will do a good job with this.


Quantum of Solace is a Quantum of Money

Quantum of Solace blew away foreign box office rivals as the 22nd James Bond installment earned $106.5 million at 9,870 theaters in 60 territories -- the 11th biggest international weekend ever.

Underlining Bond's global popularity, Sony-MGM's Bond pic averaged a an impressive $10,790 per location. It has reached an eye-popping $160.3 million internationally in its first 10 days even though it still hasn't opened in Australia, Japan, Mexico and Spain.

"Solace," which launched last weekend in the U.K., France and Sweden, took in more than triple the combined foreign take for the next four entries -- High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Body of Lies and Saw V.

"Solace" pulled in the second largest international weekend in 2008, trailing only the $146.6 million debut of Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It topped the bows of Casino Royale -- top foreign grosser among Bond films at $429 million -- in each of its 57 new markets, with the openings in 13 of those markets more than doubling the "Casino" launches.

Quantum of Solace opens in North American theaters this Friday, November 14th.

Ridiculous title and all, they still manage to rake in the money. And it shouldn't be much of a surprise, Bond is one movie that, despite being produced and created in America, is very European (or, at least, used to be) and that's what does it. That, coupled with everyone's love of the new direction that the movies have gone in (me excluded, of course) equals lots and lots of money. It will definitely climb the records at least a little more, but I wouldn't expect it to blow away all the international records.


Ratner Wants to Tell the Story of Conan

The Hollywood Reporter says that Brett Ratner has weighed two high-profile projects the past few weeks: Paramount's fourth installment of the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise and a 21st century take on "Conan" co-produced by Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate.

Ratner has now made his choice and is in final negotiations to direct Conan, which is aiming for a release in early 2010.

The trade says that Ratner jived to the Conan script by Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly, who looked to Robert E. Howard's original pulp stories of the 1930s to create their take on the character. The writers are doing a quick polish to incorporate some of Ratner's ideas.

Joe Gatta and Avi Lerner of Millennium Films are producing, along with Paradox Entertainment president and CEO Fredrik Malmberg.

Millennium and Lionsgate are eyeing a potential franchise and envision a very R-rated approach in the $85 million budget range. Preproduction is under way for a shoot at Nu Image's Nu Boyana Studio in Bulgaria.

"The story opens on the battlefield where Conan is born and tells the origin story that sets the stage for what will be the first of multiple films," Lerner said.

Well I'm glad he chose this over Beverly Hills Cop, because that just would have been stupid. I hpapen to like Ratner quite a bit, I have no problem with him whatsoever and I think he's quite a capable director. That said, what I don't like here is that they're already planning for multiple movies. I think it would be better to see how the world takes this one first before planning out more than one. But if they have a vision, I suppose they have every right to run with it. I'm not exactly sure how a "21st century take" will work for this, though . . .


Pixar Going Up

Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios have released the new teaser trailer for Up, the animated adventure opening in theaters on May 29. The film, from Monsters, Inc. director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson, centers on Carl Fredricksen, who spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. Up takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures.

I am not the biggest fan of Pixar or Disney, and most of their movies I find little humour in now as an adult, but this actually looks like it could be decent. I definitely like the old man. I'm not exactly sure where it would go, though, and how it wouldn't get ridiculously silly after a little bit. This is still the only Pixar movie of late that I'd even consider taking a look at, so that's a good thing, right? Check out the trailer and see for yourself.


Jaden Smith Is the Karate Kid

Columbia Pictures has refashioned its new version of the 1984 hit The Karate Kid as a star vehicle for Jaden Smith, reports Variety.

The film will be produced by Jerry Weintraub (who launched the original franchise) and Overbrook Entertainment's James Lassiter, Jaden's father Will Smith and Ken Stovitz.

The script is being written by Chris Murphy, and the film will shoot next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor.

The younger Smith, who next stars in The Day the Earth Stood Still, is a martial arts practitioner.

Really, a remake of The Karate Kid? How disappointing is that. But Hollywood will decimate any good old movie and remake it nowadays to earn a bit of extra cash. The thing that worries me about Smith becoming an actor so soon is that he's being completely propelled by his parents' fame. Now he might turn out to be a fantastic actor, but it just worries me a tad. But no, I am very much against this idea as a whole, and I think it will be a disappointment.


MGM Taking 2012-ish

Screen Daily reports that MGM is in negotiations to acquire end-of-the-world comedy 2012-ish: The Day the Earth Bent Over, formerly known as "Armageddagain."

Produced by Hadeel Reda, the $25 million film will be directed by Robert Moniot from the screenplay he co-wrote with Travis Oates; it is set to shoot in Louisiana for a March 9 start date.

The plot follows a young scientist who fights to save the planet from a number of catastrophes that threaten mankind not to mention a bumbling president and a manic depressive NASA commander.

"The film is a comedic satire in the vein of 'Airplane!' and 'Young Frankenstein,'" said Reda, "The film has an engaging story and the actors play the comedy straight with sharp dialogue and visual humor like the original classics of the genre."

You know, if they do this right and it turns out actually funny, this could really be good. The whole 'end of the world' thing has been done a lot in a serious vein and, I think, is at least somewhat in people's minds (I listened to a noon talk on it on the radio Monday) so quashing it all with a funny take on it would be great to see. Of course, I'm not really going to be holding my breath for this one; such plans usually end in tears.


The Enterprise Unveiled

Entertainment Weekly has revealed the first photo of the full Enterprise from director J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, opening in theaters on May 8th. The magazine says:

Abrams wanted to take the original TV series Enterprise and the movie franchise Enterprise and fuse them together into a new yet familiar Enterprise. His ambition was a ship that felt very realistic, that could "stand up" to today's f/x standards—and beyond. "If you're going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you're going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?"

It actually looks pretty nice. They're right, you just can't change the Enterprise all that much, and while the changes seem to be minor to me, there are definitely some there. Overall, it's probably a good combination of old and new to make something that everyone will like. As for the movie itself, we'll just have to see. Personally I never liked the look of the Enterprise anyway, I liked the style of Voyager must better, but this I can definitely live with.


Why I Hate Casino Royale

I've decided to change things up this week a bit, partly in honour of Quantum of Solace opening this weekend, and partly because I watched Casino Royale this past weekend while I was at home. And so today, I present to you some of the reasons why I hate Casino Royale.

Firstly, and the most important part for me: this is not a Bond movie. If you make a list of things that appear in every James Bond movie, traits of the character, all that, none of them are in this movie. There are no gadgets, the wit and humour of Bond is gone, everything that makes it Bond is gone. The last time I watched it, I did pick up at the hints of it, mostly in conversations between Bond and Vesper (before the end, that is). A little bit of the humour sneaks in and his womanizing, but that's about it.

Which is what bothers me about that. The origins of Bond are explained, before the movie, that is; he's an orphan, arrogant, and everyone constantly comments on his ego, although it never actually surfaces, which is annoying. The way I see it, Bond comes into the world of MI6 ready-made, arrogant and witty and smooth.

What else is wrong with Casino Royale? The villain, for one. Mikkelsen has the look of what could be a threatening villain but he never appears as an actual threat. His most threatening feature, his eye that bleeds, is explained as a malfunctioning tear duct, and he has a puffer. Seriously. As well, he cowers in the face of anyone who stands up to him. Worse than that, he's not even the final villain, and while Mr. White is a better villain, he has such a small role you don't care at all.

The end of the movie is also ridiculous. It's seriously as if they got to the part where Bond and Vesper decide to float around the world together and realize "Hold on, Bond quit? How's he going to come back for another movie!" So then they throw in another half hour just to keep it going and get Bond back into MI6. It seems incredibly tacked on, considering the villain is already dead, the entire story has been resolved, and everything is over.

One of the other parts that bothered me in the movie was what I have decided to call the "Americanization" of Bond. Jason Bourne is the American opposite of Bond, and this movie feels a lot like a Bourne movie. Bond has no gadgets and is a lot handier about himself. As well, while Bond is supposed to be a upper-class guy, they change the game he plays to poker - a game which has much more mass appeal among the people watching the movie. Also, the only character besides Bond to survive the changeover from the old Bond movies is M, played by Judi Dench, who is a highly acclaimed actress. These two points are big for me; they're obviously willing only to change the points they don't think worked, and change things around just to improve its mass appeal. Which is an incredible cop-out for me.

I know my views on the new direction of James Bond are not popular or agreed upon by anyone else outside of me, my dad, and a couple of my friends. But I've tried to give you a bit of a rationale as to why I despise them so much. The Bond movies were almost a genre unto themselves, and you knew exactly what you were getting when you popped one in. In order to gain a bigger audience, they've changed them completely. I'll admit it, Casino Royale isn't that bad of a movie, but it's not a Bond movie, and that's enough for me to dislike it. You can all have your own opinions, but this is mine.


Closing Time . . .

Well, not much else to say except that I'll be back here next week, like usual. So until next week . . .


[All news, images, and other stuff from www.comingsoon.net, www.imdb.com, and www.youtube.com.]