As if Transformers: Dark of the Moon wasn't enough, Universal thought to release an alien-robotic feature this year. Now after watching ...

As if Transformers: Dark of the Moon wasn't enough, Universal thought to release an alien-robotic feature this year. Now after watching the trailer I was like - Transformers reboot? Fortunately no. Battleship was a double-edged watch.
  B-ship is directed by Peter Berg (The Rundown, Hancock) and yes those two films I mentioned are in the list of my favourties. Written by brothers Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber the film bombed in the US only making $65m off a megabudget of $209m. Luckily for the studio the worldwide amount of CGI lovers saved Battleship from sinking and at the end of its universal theatrical run, the cumulative was $302m.
  Firstly, I personally liked Transformers 1 and the third part. The 2nd uniquely title Revenge of the Fallen was only reasonable to watch if you had a thing for Megan Fox. Sadly, the box office numbers of that flick confirmed that assumption. Battleship starts off as almost every American-government-knowing-about-aliens does. I blame Steven Spielberg. I mean I don't understand why new-age sci-fi films lack originality. John Carpenter's The Thing packed more sense than this senseless package even though it was a mystery. Heck, any screenwriter could've come up with this story: a group of aliens invade the earth and the only hope is the friggin' Navy!
  Battle Los Angeles (2011) was focused on land military troops verses the outerworld. Surprisingly, it was worse than this one. Next year there might be an action flick with the airforce taking a stand against the invader title Battle E.T.
  Even when the movie tries to make sense of events it fails! Instead of drawing in the audience it gives them a headache instead of a climax. Sometimes I wonder how the American govt. can drain a dozen countries of oil and yet be unprepared for an outer space attack.
  For the pros the action, although highly disorientated, is good. The way the battle takes place on sea and the Navy use water-based warfare tactics to defend the home planet is admirably scripted. Acting is average but if Liam Neeson was given the lead role he would've outshined the rest of the cast immediately. Characters are not so well-developed but lovable. Action loves who prefer the latest graphics will come to adore this one. And yes it is a thrilling adrenaline-packed ride from start to finish. What you see (in the trailer) is what you get.
  Finally, B-ship relies 80% of its screentime on CGI. It could've just converted the whole movie into CGI like the Final Fantasy series. B-ship is good for a single-time watch. And for CGI lovers, it's durable for a second. For the critically-minded, it's plain time-pass. Battleship stars Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker and Tadanobu Asano. Pop singer Rihanna also has a prominent role as a tough Navy girl and she acted quite well. Given that she suited the role so much...

IMDB: 6.1/10.
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%.
BO101: 2/4.

Heard so much about this film that I was actually afraid it would turn out bad due to the hype. Yet it surprised me that such a racist ventu...

Heard so much about this film that I was actually afraid it would turn out bad due to the hype. Yet it surprised me that such a racist venture could also show love for different countrymen.
  The Dictator is directed by Larry Charles who also made the main actor's previous films Borat and Bruno. Written by Sacha Baron Cohen who plays the lead as usual in Charles' features with him, and co-written by three other screenwriters it could've turned out a slapstick comedy mess. But it turned out to be super enjoyable instead. The film was banned in the United Arab Emirates and many other Middle-Eastern countries for its depiction of Arabs. It made $167m off $67m worldwide. Sadly, it deserved more yet grossed more than Cohen's last motion picture with Charles  - Bruno ($133m worldwide). By the trailer it does look like a cliched performance by Cohen who had played similar global characters in past cinematic performances but this character's no joke. Hailing from UK I'm surprised Cohen threw the typical Arab accent so well that is better than, a typical Arab.
  The film follows Admiral General Aladeen, dictator of the fictional Republic of Wadiya, visiting the US. Wadiya is so finely shown that I actually thought it was real when I first glimpsed the trailer. The Dictator also contains spoofing of the 2011 movie based on Sadam Hussein's family The Devil's Double, which was legendary in its own right. And there are so many positive points its hard to make a compromise for negative critisism.
  Firstly, the acting. No doubt Cohen outshines the rest of the cast. Anna Faris of the Scary Movie franchise and Jason Mantzoukas who is lesser-known, are the other two that had performances worth blogging about. Ben Kingsley (Oscar winner) also has a prominent roles although his act wasn't Oscar-worthy. And not since Jim Carrey have I seen anybody satire so perfectly as Cohen. This guy is incredible as an actor and as a writer and you only need to see this film to confirm that. The foxy Megan Fox also has a cameo though I know most have viewed the YouTube trailer again for her (count my views too).
  Secondly, the writing. Although in most scenarios more than two screenplay author can doom a comedy to literary oblivion but not this time. There's not a single minute the film tries to make you laugh - and succeeds. It is so hard to find comedies nowadays with perfect writing. That goes for horror films as well. The follow-up on the plot is high-octane and you are even surprised at the scenes before Aladeen visits the States.
  However, the film does get predictable in the last 30 minutes but only a little. And also it depends a lot from its title character and fail to let the other members of the cast shine in their own way. 
  Finally, The Dictator is a must-watch for every 18+ out there. It swallows the racism with a lovable character and a satirically movable plot. Political themes are actually correctly discussed without referring to a particular country's negativity. Along with 21 Jump Street and The Three Stooges, The Dictator holds the crown for best comedy movie of 2012 (so far).

IMDB: 6.8/10.
RT:  58%.
BO101: 3.5/4.

The Raven is a fictional account of the last days of American writer/poet Edgar Allan Poe's life. And after watching this movie you won...

The Raven is a fictional account of the last days of American writer/poet Edgar Allan Poe's life. And after watching this movie you won't even state it as semi-biographical.
 
The Raven made a little above $22m below its budget of $26m worldwide. But it should've grossed more given that it is one of the four mainstream horror features to be released this year, and a decent one. Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin), and written by Ben Livingston along with Hannah Shakespeare. Poe's life couldn't be more action-orientated than depicted.
  Sure there are good points to swallow before realising you ate that whole bag of popcorn at half-time. It starts quite well and mysteriously. Detective Fields played by Luke Evans is a fun character and has enough charm to convince the audience that he can convince an egoistic author to aid in a murder investigation. But seriously, if there was Sherlock Holmes he would've solved the case in the first hour. The film follows Poe aiding in a murder investigation (as already mentioned) in which the killer is copying killings depicted in the respective story-teller's tales.
  Apart from John Cusack (Poe) and Luke Evans, British blonde Alice Eve plays Poe's love interest. She's OK at it. Dialogues are literary as expected and dialogue delivery especially by Cusack is top notch. Also, the atmosphere is so stunning and with such finely tuned atmosphere that it is worth praise. Direction is praise-worthy as McTeigue made his two previous films so wonderfully gruesome.
  The main core of the problem is the screenwriting. After the first hour, the film becomes a bit too predictable. Huge number of plotholes that I cannot mention seem to have been blindly added by the script-writers. Another point to mention is that better policework should've been included in Baltimore in the mid-1800s as shown in the film.
  All in all, The Raven is an above average thriller with a few action scenes to keep the adrenaline pumping, or in this case, start up the tempo. After reading the plot mystery fans would be highly interested to see this but I was disappointed. Seems the movie could not balance action and mystery as well as the first 21st century Sherlock Holmes film did. The Raven could've earned more if Cusack was a brand name like Nicolas Cage (in his golden box-office days). Sadly, after starring in well-known movies such as 2012 and 1408 - both in which he plays authors - this film couldn't double its budget.

IMDB: 6.4/10.
Rotten Tomatoes: 56%.
BO101: 2.5/4.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 1 The Dark Knight ...


TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
11The Dark Knight RisesWB$62,101,451-61.4%4,404-$14,101$287,112,810$2502
22Ice Age: Continental DriftFox$13,352,646-34.6%3,869-17$3,451$114,899,860-3
3NThe WatchFox$12,750,297-3,168-$4,025$12,750,297$681
4NStep Up RevolutionSum.$11,731,708-2,567-$4,570$11,731,708$331
54TedUni.$7,353,150-26.6%3,129-85$2,350$193,618,750$505
63The Amazing Spider-ManSony$6,701,111-38.4%3,160-593$2,121$241,953,721$2304
75BraveBV$4,305,153-28.5%2,551-348$1,688$217,329,672$1856
86Magic MikeWB$2,619,128-39.0%2,075-531$1,262$107,625,983$75
97Savages (2012)Uni.$1,838,215-45.9%1,414-922$1,300$43,983,785$454
109Moonrise KingdomFocus$1,434,904-21.7%853-42$1,682$38,641,403$1610
Been a long time since I've blogged. Summer's kept me very busy readers. Sadly, here in the Emirates the sizzling flicks are landing on Eid. That list also includes Bollywood movie Ek Tha Tiger (even though I won't be watching it).
  The Dark Knight Rises although at no. 1 in its 2nd week and likely to hold that position for many weeks to come. Dark Knight 2 has also outgrossed its budget in the States with just over $287m off $250m. Worldwide the cumulative has surmounted to $337.1m. Sadly, this 3rd feature in the 21st century Batman series would've earned more than its predecessor had it not been for the highly covered midnight showing murders in Colorado...
  Christian Bale visited the injured victims out there and I wish them all the best, but now it's time for more box office showcasing than international news. Another surprise is Step Up Revolution's opening. The 4th in the dance-movie series. I'm not surprised as it was not promoted by Walt Disney and has a debut director. Apart from Adam Sevani who played teenage-prodigy dance star in the previous 2 films, the new cast is not so well-known. Sure they gave a lead role to contemporary shaker Kathryn McCormick who took part in the US show So You Think You Can Dance, but alas Disney should've been involved. And so instead of being at the 2nd spot this week it lands at no. 4 (ironic as it is the 4th part) with Ice Age: Continental Drift having attained the 2nd spot in 3 weeks.
  At number three there's a new opening and that is The Watch. Frankly, I never heard of this movie opening in July. But landing in front of Step Up 4 could be due to the star comedy cast (Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill). The film follows suburban dads trying to defend the earth from an alien invasion. I'm a fan of Ben Stiller and a huge one of Hill but the 15% approval rate from Rotten Tomatoes critics is depressing. Still, I'll catch this on DVD for sure. The director Akiva Schaffer holds his second feature (he previously directed teen-com Hot Rod in 2007). Renowned US comic actor co-wrote this with Jared Stern and veteran screenwriter Evan Goldberg.
  The Amazing Spider-Man just outgrosses its US budget with $241m off $230m. Globally it has a $654.6m and will not gross $1b still being the 3rd highest grosser of 2012, and one of the highest-amounting reboots of all time. Still it was not as financially successful as its predecessors although being generally aimed at the teenage audience, this has caught me at surprise. Spider-Man grossed $821m, the 2nd and 3rd both high above $700m. Also considering the first two having lesser budgets than the reboot and the 3rd having a meagerly higher production cost of $258m.
  Spider-Man 3 is still Mavel's 2nd most materially successful movie to date, The Avengers, of course, at 1st.  And so that's mostly all for this weekend. August 3 is the US release date for Total Recall, Aug 10 for The Bourne Legacy and The Expendables 2 at Aug 17. So expect an adrenaline-packed August people.
  Here's the HD trailer for The Watch:

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

1 N Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $46,629,259 - 3,881 - $12,015 $46,629,259 - 1 2 1 The Amazing Spider-Man Sony $34,628,104 -44.2% 4,318...


1NIce Age: Continental DriftFox$46,629,259-3,881-$12,015$46,629,259-1
21The Amazing Spider-ManSony$34,628,104-44.2%4,318-$8,019$200,500,351$2302
32TedUni.$22,410,855-30.4%3,303+47$6,785$159,257,250$503
43BraveBV$11,160,522-43.1%3,392-499$3,290$196,061,319$1854
54Savages (2012)Uni.$9,393,840-41.4%2,635+7$3,565$32,125,290$452
65Magic MikeWB$9,021,123-42.3%3,090-30$2,919$91,841,198$73
76Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness ProtectionLGF$5,584,027-45.1%2,004-157$2,786$55,611,721$203
88Katy Perry: Part of MePar.$3,800,607-46.8%2,732+2$1,391$18,653,544$122
99Moonrise KingdomFocus$3,704,507-18.0%924+40$4,009$32,483,002$168
107Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$3,669,675-51.2%2,285-576$1,606$203,901,397$1456
Ice Age: Continental Drift had its opening out of the states last week and reached number one worldwide. Now even though it's the fourth installment it doesn't melt as it tops the US chart. So I guess the producers are already eyeing a fifth.
 Ice Age 4 stars the same 3 main voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Dennis Leary. Along with a tongue-ful of others like Queen Latifa, Sean W. Scott (who plays Stifler in the theatrically-released American Pie films), and also singers such as Jennifer Lopez and the dreadful Nicki Minaj. This is the first film in the series to not be directed by the same filmmaker Carlos Saldanha. 
  Ice Age 3 is the fourth-highest grossing animated feature of all time with $887m to boast. Let's see where this picks up. I myself have only seen one part and that is the first Ice Age and that was hilarious if you were below teenage at that time.
  The Amazing Spider-Man started with $62m in the States and that amount falls to $34m this weekend. Budgeted at $230m the film has grossed $200m in USA and will reach and estimated $300m from BO101 predictions. It has grossed over $500m worldwide and the greatest debut being in the UK with $18.1m. That's not surprising as the actor who plays Spider-man in this reboot is himself English (Andrew Garfield). And a pretty fine thespian if you've seen The Social Network. Spidey has also boasted high ticket sales in Asia where it was also heavily marketed in my home country, Pakistan.
  Two of the three animated ventures have grossed above their budget in the States: Brave and Madagascar 3. It is safe to say that animated features will probably never flop and that families would prefer to watch PG-rated fun instead of R-rated flicks.
  Savages (2012) is a crime thriller directed by famed filmmaker Oliver Stone. The film stars mainly Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively. The former who has starred in box-office disappointments John Carter and Battleship. But fortune has appeared in his favour this time as this thrill-machine will gross above its semi-budget of $45m (after DVD/Blu-Ray sales, of course).
  American singer Katy Perry released a 3D concert documentary last week in the States and given the competition it has still managed to surpass its $12m budget with $18m. Worldwide, the total is $22m and its is the tenth-highest grossing documentary of all time. The UAE release date is Sept. 7. And critics of Rotten Tomatoes have given it a 76% fresh rating.
  So that's all for this weekend. Catch the Savages trailer and I'll hook up with more facts and estimates next Tuesday. For now, cheers!


(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 N Ted Uni. $54,415,...

TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
1NTedUni.$54,415,205-3,239-$16,800$54,415,205$501
2NMagic MikeWB$39,127,170-2,930-$13,354$39,127,170$71
31BraveBV$34,094,643-48.6%4,164-$8,188$131,768,334$1852
4NTyler Perry's Madea's Witness ProtectionLGF$25,390,575-2,161-$11,749$25,390,575$201
52Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$11,840,276-39.9%3,715-205$3,187$180,036,798$1454
63Abraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterFox$6,009,612-63.1%3,109+1$1,933$29,043,805$692
711Moonrise KingdomFocus$4,926,837+45.1%854+459$5,769$18,465,954$166
84PrometheusFox$4,921,254-50.3%1,951-911$2,522$118,258,102$1304
95Snow White and the HuntsmanUni.$4,498,725-44.4%2,337-582$1,925$145,684,645$1705
108Marvel's The AvengersBV$4,421,671-38.4%1,757-473$2,517$606,504,744$2209
Ted starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis in the leads reaches the top spot in its first weekend. It has achieved the highest opening for a R-rated comedy film. But trust me the poster doesn't even do the courtesy of making it look PG-rated:
  As the heading suggests this is the feature-length debut of popular adult TV series Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. Roger Ebert has given it 3.5/4 stars: ''Doesn't run out of steam''. He also commented that it is the best comedy screenplay this year (so far). For me that's 21 Jump Street (so far). Although, I hope Kunis' presence doesn't falter the flick much like the overrated Friends with Benefits.
  Another new satire that debuted this weekend is Magic Mike. Steven Soderbergh is one of my fav. directors better known for action-comedies like the Oceans Eleven trio. MM stars an ensemble cast of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Mathew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer), etc. 
  The synopsis is: a male stripper teaches a young performer how to party, pick up women and make easy money. Well, I'd be happy if it were a female stripper with Jessica Alba in the lead and Yvonne Strahovski as the protege.
  MM has already surpassed its budget of just $7m with approximately $40m. Both Ted and MM were released by studios at a smart date. Brave was already preceded by another animated picture namely Madagascar 3 and so audiences would want to spice up their weekends a bit naughtily.
  Prometheus will cover its budget in the States by 2 more weeks but it's likely to exit by the latter week as two biggies are about to finalise their entries. Brave has already made $156.1m worldwide off a budget of $185m and hasn't been so successful overseas. Marvel's The Avengers sees its exit next weekend after staying 9 whole weeks in the top 10. Salute!
  In global news, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift opened at $80.1m and The Amazing Spider-Man opened at $51.1m respectively. It is disappointing that the latter film comprising of a superhero favoured by kids and adults alike tastes dirt by an animated feature. But Ice Age isn't just any animated franchise being one of the most profitable of its kind. In Inda the Spider-Man reboot has boasted the highest-grossing entrant in the theatres with $6.0m and reports indicate it already outpacing Marvel's The Avengers. This is not surprising as the venture also consists of renowned non-mainstream actor Irrfan Khan.
  Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 declaring it better than the original version and the 2nd best Spider-Man film after Spider-Man 2. So with this sorta critical reaction I am bound to watch this one (on Blu-ray to be precise).
  When remakes weren't enough reboots started. There are many extraordinary saviours in the comic-book world similarly for Marvel and DC. Films based on characters like Deadpool should've been released by now. That's Hollywood for you...
  The 3rd new entrance this weekend is Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection. It is the seventh in the franchise and surpassed its budget in the States with $25m on debut on a budget of just $20m. Witness Protection is also the first in the franchise not to be based on play. WP stars the man in the title himself Perry, along with well-known Eugene Levy (American Pie series) and Denise Richards (famous in this case for being previously married to Charlie Sheen).
  So we end this worldwide film fiesta analysis with Ted's trailer. Rock of Ages has flopped both in the States and overseas and despite being original (a rock musical) and a Tom Cruise starrer this shows that animated features, and comic-based movies are winning audiences more than ever. The Amazing Spider-Man will top the US next week with a forecast $70-$90m opening as by BO101.

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

I remember watching Sir Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) on the tele a few years back thinking it was a 90's release. Yes, the film is th...

I remember watching Sir Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) on the tele a few years back thinking it was a 90's release. Yes, the film is that advanced in its screen aura. And Prometheus fits the same criteria.
  The sci-fi venture is made by the same director mentioned above. With a screenplay by Jon Spaihts (2011's The Darkest Hour) and Damon Lindelof (Lost TV series writer). Alien was written by the late Dan O'Bannon and it's a mournful that he is no longer with the desolate H-wood industry. But the designs were influenced by still-alive H.R. Giger who is the creator of the original Alien treatment. This time around Arthur Max led the production design and in respect to this era, he has outdone himself. Max has won two Academy Awards for Gladiator and American Gangster.

Scott's latest feature is brilliant. The plot is far from simple: a group of explorers must find the clues to the beginning of mankind in the darkest corners of the universe. Set in the late 21st century Prometheus delivers what the trailer promises.
  The film incorporates its own mythology and is more of a psychological and philosophical venture which is rare for science fiction. Thus, Scott markets its own USP. Besides that another pro is the design and layout. You will be stunned by the effects and they have the same uber-generation effects as Alien. So this was no doubt directed by Scott. I also felt a nostalgia of Joss Whedon. The latter's 2005 film Serenity shares a similar theme and dialogues. Whedon's debut is crap. Prometheus is far from that.
  Furthermore, the acting is better than included in Serenity. Believe me the only good point of Whedon's first feature-film was the role-playing. The thespians in Prometheus showed their full acting prowess. If this were a Broadway play it would've won hearts by the cast alone. Michael Fassbender has already garnered universal critical/commercial acclaim for his role as a cyborg - wonder if he actually is one. Fassbender is a fine actor acting such charisma in movies where there was non (X-Men: First Class, Haywire). My fav. critic Roger Ebert commented that Idris Elba (Thor, Ghost Rider 2) acted the best. I rate Fassbender above all but all are worth mentioning. Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes 2) showed immense female impact in her performance and Charlize Theron showed why her comeback matters. Logan Marshall-Green did well too for a largely unknown actor. And I just have to concur that the dreary scenery was out of this world.
  Scott is perfect at timing. Action and horror scenes occur when least expected. Also, they really get to you. The moods of the characters complement well with the type of scenes depicted. Conversation is 2nd best to Marvel's The Avengers. Characterisation is top-notch and applause to the writers for no stereotyping.
  However, there are notable cons. Unlike Alien, the film is not intended for every R-rated viewer. To be blunt, Prometheus is slow in the beginning and in most parts of its entire running time. Alien also had the same features like horror, action and suspense in one. But Prometheus being more of an exploration film doe snot fully extend the adrenaline rush like Scott's legend. Though it does lure the audience into the suspenseful world of the filmmaker but it should've been spent more time exploiting the dark areas in thriller-mode. So Prometheus is not a thriller/mystery for everybody like Inception or the two Sherlock Holmes features. It is more of Nolan's The Prestige and to some extent Shutter Island (not a recommendation).
  Prometheus' earnings have been mentioned in my earlier post. And they are about my estimates. Though it should've done better financially speaking. Watchers with a high threshold for slow thrillers should definitely check this out.
  The following justifies its outlook to every type of theatre-goer. Prometheus classifies as a sci-fi mystery in contrast to sci-fi thriller (Alien), or sci-fi horror (The Thing, 1982 of course).

RT: 73%.
IMDB: 7.6/10.
BO101: 2.5/4.
BO101 sci-fi rank: 3rd after The Thing 1982 and Alien.