Tim Burton (the director) is best known for his dark-themed movies and this film itself has the dark word in the title. He is also well-know...

Tim Burton (the director) is best known for his dark-themed movies and this film itself has the dark word in the title. He is also well-known for starring Johnny Depp as the main character in most of his features (Depp has starred in a total of 8 pictures shot by Burton). Burton also directed Alice in Wonderland which is the 11th highest-grossing movie of all time.
  I haven't watched many of his films but Edward Scissorhands (which launched Depp's career) is my favourite of his. Dark Shadows was written by Seth-Grahame Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) with a story by him and John August.
  Based on the 1960s soap opera of the same name, Dark Shadows follows Barnabas Collins, a 200-year old vampire who awakens in the 70s to find the atmosphere completely changed. Much of the movie is based on Collins' new-found relationship with his dysfunctional descendants and confrontations by his ex-lover.
  DS is a typical Burton film although you could guess that by the poster and trailer. Eerie settings and witty dialogues all play homage to his originality. Depp plays Collins unsurprisingly to the depth. And the co-stars also play their roles well. Apart from the acting, the best part is Depp's reactions to the changed American town. That quirkiness saved the feature from utter disappointment. Furthermore, the lines are brilliantly written and the America of the 70s is actually quite well depicted by Burton who usually lets his own gloominess rule the settings.
  However, the film has its cons. None of the other characters are fully exploited. The plot does not have a particular storyline and you wonder whether there are several distinct episodes of a series being played at random. And the end is not too unpredictable. There is not much depth showcased in the story and this leaves it unbalanced.
  Second-best performance was by French actress Eva Green who really brought out the psycho in her hopeless romantic demeanour. She was sexy and seductive and rightfully cast outshining the other lady thespians.

   Also, being a horror comedy this is much more focused on horror than comedy and never fighting the right equilibrium for the two. It co-stars Eva Green (the ex-lover), veteran Michelle Pfeiffer, Burton's wife Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Hayley and Bella Heathcote.
  Finally, Dark Shadows was released with The Avengers and due to that competition the Burton film amounted to a final theatrical cumulative of $238.5m off $148m although it should've made a more decent $400m. DS is not the best of vampire movies and I favour last year's Fright Night remake over it but it's also not the worst.

IMDB: 6.5/10.
Roger Ebert (Top Critic): 2.5/4.
BO101: 2/4.

Men in Black 3 is directed by Barry Sonenfield who shot the last 2 features and written by Etan Cohen. The supposed action-comedy is based o...

Men in Black 3 is directed by Barry Sonenfield who shot the last 2 features and written by Etan Cohen. The supposed action-comedy is based on the comic-book series of the same name created by Lowell Cunningham. Being a sequel with a gap of 12 years it made $623.9m worldwide with a production budget of $215m.
  To start with, I got a headache going through this sci-fi venture. The first part was great, second was average but this was plain bad. I owe much of its commercial success due to Smith's star power (his last 10 films have grossed over $100m globally!) and starting the streak is MiB 2. Critically, I have no idea how this was rated 'fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes.
  MiB 3 follows Agent J (Smith) going back in time to save the entire planet from an outerworld invasion and his partner Agent K (younger version played by Josh Brolin and the present by Tommy Lee Jones). My main positiveness of this feature is Brolin's acting skills. Seriously, when you catch him at first sight he is the splitting image of the Jones' depicted Agent K. He would've gotten an Oscar weren't this film way below Academy Award status. 
  Some lines are entertaining and witty especially when Smith enters the late 60s New York but nothing seems original. Wisecracks are lame and the sense of humour, is well, senseless. Smith's theatricals are boring and except for Brolin there is no silver lining in the picture. All other actors except for the 3 in the poster are uninspiring and unwanted for any potential sequel (which has been confirmed).
  Plus the villain is disgusting and tedious. There was no hardwork done on his costume design or character innovation. Other aliens shown were quite few a number with good designs but highly weak personalities unlike what MiB is known for. And most of the cult characters, like Chief Zed and Frank the Pug (extraterrestrial dog agent). This goes to show that adding more humans to the mix like Agent O played by famous English actress Emma Thompson was disastrous.
  The plot is boring and even the back-in-time America is badly showcased and the 70s America was given more justice in this year's Dark Shadows. The ending was good but that does not manifest the one hour and 40 minutes of suicidal viewing.
  Let me also add that this is one of the worst sci-fi ventures I've seen of all time. If you wish to have an alien adventure this year it's better you try Disney's John Carter despite its flop status.
  In the end, MiB 3 might be the highest grossing film in the series outside North America but it is the worst according to my book. It was also shown in 3D which by watching the 2D version you can say was completely unnecessary. It is also made the biggest IMAX Memorial-Day weekend and I guess Smith can achieve anything (at the box office).

IMDB: 7.1/10.
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%.
BO101: 1/4.

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

TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
1NThe PossessionLGF$17,700,000-2,816-$6,286$17,700,000$141
2NLawlessWein.$10,000,000-2,888-$3,463$12,100,000-1
31The Expendables 2LGF$8,900,000-33.7%3,334-21$2,669$66,259,000$1003
42The Bourne LegacyUni.$7,327,000-21.5%3,131-523$2,340$96,325,000$1254
53ParaNormanFocus$6,570,000-24.0%3,085-370$2,130$38,044,000-3
66The Odd Life of Timothy GreenBV$6,249,000-12.3%2,635+37$2,372$36,126,000-3
75The Dark Knight RisesWB$6,100,000-15.5%2,187-419$2,789$431,416,000$2507
84The CampaignWB$5,665,000-24.2%2,941-361$1,926$73,242,000-4
972016 Obama's AmericaRM$5,587,000-14.2%1,747+656$3,198$18,686,000-8
109Hope SpringsSony$4,700,000-17.9%2,441+39$1,925$52,057,000-4
A typical Labour Day has slow grosses and this one was no different. LionsGateFilms has two movies at the top three: The Possession and The Expendables 2. Admirably, LGF had 3 films at the top spot this year namely the previously mentioned movies and The Hunger Games. The latter being the most successful of their releases this year, and of all time.

My favourite genre is horror but I was surprised Lawless did not lead the weekend. It stars good actors like Shia LaBeouf (Transformers trilogy) and Gary Oldman. The Possession was inspired by The Exorcist and any supernatural buff could guess it by the poster. The story is based on the allegedly haunted Dybuxx box and how father and ex-wife must save their daughter from its curse. Typical yes, but if a top critic like Roger Ebert can give it 3.5/4 stars it must have some perspective to look forward to.
  Furthermore, the flick stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan whose world-renown for starring in the TV series Supernatural as father of the main characters. Ironically, his father figure role here has already earned domestic fame. The Possession is co-produced by Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi.
  Lawless is a western gangster film based on a 2008 novel by Matt Bondurant and also stars Tom Hardy, Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Guy Pearce. The former who starred as Bane in the last Batman movie. The trailer is gritty and it follows a bootlegging gang being threatened by a new deputy and other authorities wanting a cut of their profits.
  The Expendables 2 will eventually end up with $150m-$160m worldwide which is very less than its predecessor's. The Expendables grossed $103m domestically and the sequel will probably end up with $73m. The Colorado shooting was a major reason for hesitating theatre goers. Thought it isn't hesitating Sly Stallone on a 3rd part that has Nicolas Cage already signed up.
  The Dark Knight Rises rises one place higher than The Dark Knight on 12th with an approximate $8m higher than the former. My accepting of this I might explain later on in a full-fledged review. It won't beat The Dark Knight domestically but will rise up to the 8th spot next week replaced Steven Spielberg's E.T.
  The Bourne Legacy will not beat its budget nationwide although it has worldwide. In other news, The Avengers rises up to 13 from 39! So Marvel is still trying to compete with DC's Batman haha.
  That's all from me folks. The Possession hasn't beaten Rob Zombie's Halloween in the Labour Day debut. Halloween still has $30.9m at the start-up. Below is the trailer for Lawless:


(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 1 The Expendables 2...

TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
11The Expendables 2LGF$13,423,579-53.1%3,355+39$4,001$52,237,523$1002
22The Bourne LegacyUni.$9,336,005-45.3%3,654-99$2,555$85,522,220$1253
33ParaNormanFocus$8,639,288-38.7%3,455+26$2,501$28,261,577-2
44The CampaignWB$7,472,397-43.1%3,302+47$2,263$64,575,569-3
56The Dark Knight RisesWB$7,222,317-34.4%2,606-551$2,771$422,255,218$2506
67The Odd Life of Timothy GreenBV$7,122,552-34.2%2,598-$2,742$27,077,042-2
7132016 Obama's AmericaRM$6,509,433+423.0%1,091+922$5,966$9,347,309-7
8NPremium RushSony$6,030,164-2,255-$2,674$6,030,164$351
98Hope SpringsSony$5,725,107-37.2%2,402+41$2,383$44,806,571-3
10NHit and RunORF$4,526,222-2,870-$1,577$5,719,256$21












The Expendables 2 on top again but this weekend was also the lowest-grossing of 2012 so far. August is usually a slow money weekend but this low!?  I mean The Apparition couldn't reach the top 10 despite being a horror film distributed by Warner Bros.
  I'd seen TE2 last weekend and it is far better than the first part, and also has a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Compared to The Expendables, the sequel has made $52m in 10 days on $100 million compared to the $65m of the former. The Expendables 2 will probably end up with $210m-$250m which is lower than The Expendables' $274m worldwide gross that too on a lower budget of $80m.
  The Bourne Legacy is a reboot of the popular spy series that contained big worldwide hits. The reboot has made $85m in 12 days compared to The Bourne Identity (first in the series). But it won't gross higher domestically or internationally than the last part Ultimatum that has the greatest cumulative ($227m) in national markets.
  The Dark Knight Rises makes a surprise jump up the charts at no.5 from the 6th spot. The film's lack of a good villain is also a factor in its lesser cash in-flow in contrast to the predecessor. Many of my friends missed the presence of The Joker.

  The greatest surprise this weekend is the 7th spot. 2016 Obama's America takes a giant leap from being 13 last week. It already the top-grossing politically conservative documentary ever. It is co-directed by Indian American conservative political commentator and author Dinesh D'Souza.  The co-director describes the film as a vista of Obama's earlier life, following his childhood from Hawaii to Indonesia and a visit to Kenya (Obama's father's birthplace). 2016 OA further aims to show how the future might unfold should Barack Obama be elected a 2nd term as President.
  The budget of $2.5m has already been surpassed by $9.5m and is an optimistic outlook on the weekend's chart.
  Two new releases on the top 10 are Premium Rush and Hit and Run on 8 and 10 respectively. PR is critically-acclaimed and stars Joseph-Gordan Levitt who has had vital roles in Christopher Nolan films such as Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. Directed and co-written by David Koepp, who is the 4th most financially successful screenwriter of all time, the flick follows a bike messenger on the run from a dirty cop who will do anything necessary to get an envelope from him. It was filmed in NY City. On a $35m budget is had already officially flopped, and Hollywood is surprised it didn't gross higher than Obama's America.
  Hit and Run is a low-budget rom-com starring blondie Kristen Bell in the lead and Bradley Cooper in small role (no wonder it opened at last).
  That's all from me folks! Thanks for the read and leave a comment if you can. Below is the trailer for Premium Rush:

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

Being the fourth theatrically-released installment in the AP series of films I didn't expect much. But it made me laugh in some places a...

Being the fourth theatrically-released installment in the AP series of films I didn't expect much. But it made me laugh in some places anyways. Directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg and written by both of them based on characters created by Adam Berg the film made over $230m worldwide off $50m. It deserved just that, nothing more. It grossed just a little more than its predecessor American Wedding (2003). Having such a large gap between the release this is impressive.
  Overall it is the eight film in the series if you include the 4 straight-to-DVDs that weren't all bad. Two of them (Naked Mile and Beta House) being better than this flick.
  Unlike its the last part where much critisism was made over several characters not to have reprised their roles. AR does not make that mistake and features original characters in interesting scenes bringing back memories of the first two theatrically-released parts (that sucked). The four best friends are readying up for their high school reunion whilst also bumping into the original Stifler in the way. Sean William Scott proves that he is the epitome of Stifmeister by his latest performance. And as my fav. top critic Roger Ebert noted that the film wouldn't have been as funny if it were without Scott. It would've been nothing without him.
  For starters, the film relies on the same generic sex-humour formula and although the hard-written parts are notable the others were too repetitive. Hell, they were worse than those from the limited-released features. AR also fails to entertain in the last 30 minutes where a typical American Pie movie would do so much better in balancing funny, sex and emotion.
  Fortunately, there are pros too. The formula does have high-octane parts. The first scene is the best, in my opinion, than any other in the franchise. Sean W. Scott stars as an example that some would only watch AR because of him. Also, there is Eugene Levy who is legendary for starring in all 8 APs who plays Jim's Dad and does it to perfection - as always. Dialogues are only few that are laughter-inducing most from the previously mentioned characters. And the sex-humour is not overdone as in most comedies of this type.
  In the end, American Reunion is definitely not a must-watch. It may please AP fans and some might even love it but as a non-fan I was unimpressed. Still if you wish to pass the time with some nude jokes and reminiscence of high school buddies' reunions give this one a watch. That is, a one-time one.

IMDB: 7.1/10.
RT:
BO101: 2.5/4.

The Hunger Games set a new US record for best opening with $153m off a budget of just $78m. It also made the largest worldwide opening for a...

The Hunger Games set a new US record for best opening with $153m off a budget of just $78m. It also made the largest worldwide opening for a movie not released during the summer or holiday period with $211.8m. At the end of its global theatrical run, The Hunger Games had a cumulative of $684m.
  Based on the first of a trilogy of young adult novels by American author Suzanne Collins who also co-wrote the screenplay. You can judge the pace of the movie on the notion that it was based on a 374 pages book. Directed by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) and co-written with him, Collins and Billy Ray. Not surprised the film grossed majorly in the US as the novels are very popular with teenagers there. This is the only factor that is leading to the Twilight movies' financial successes. The sci-fi film did have enough resourcefulness to double its production cost but I'm surprised it made so much.
  Sure, it has its pros. The story is OK and reminds me of common low-budget action movies. The story takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the fictional nation of Panem. Here, 12 girls and 12 boys must participate in an annual televised event which is a fight to the death with only one survivor remaining.  
  Major critisism has been based on the plot where it has been closely linked to the Japanese novel Battle Royale and its film adaption. Nevertheless, Collins novel and film has also been granted the right of being based on other worldly and original aspects with survival of the fittest reigning supreme. Hunger Games, although seemingly unrealistic, is based on human politics and how emotions react to them in the whole of the country. Discrimination between the rich and poor is widely discussed. Characters were strongly developed and the lead played by Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class) was the best performance of all. She could be America's next Jessica Alba (with talent). The ending is also unpredictable given the predictable nature of the storyline.
  Cast also includes Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland. Below is writer Suzanne Collins:

  However, there are many cons. First of all the plot pace is too slow. This has been a common negative of most official critics and an unofficial critic - that is me. This flick could've easily been 1 hour and 50 minutes long. But its 2h: 22m duration does push away viewers. The starting is very dull and it really kicks off after the first half-hour. Instead of focusing on the tedious and obvious themes of the games, it would of been better if dramatic areas were showcased more effectively.
  Overall, The Hunger Games is a great movie but not an awesome one. Maybe not the best of all time but a must-watch of the year. Teenagers who loved Harry Potter might not like this as it has a more grittier tone. Violent scenes involving children does more than justify its PG - 13 rating. My fingers are crossed for the sequel.

IMDB: 7.5/10.
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%.
BO101: 3/4.

1 N The Expendables 2 LGF $28,591,370 - 3,316 - $8,622 $28,591,370 - 1 2 1 The Bourne Legacy Uni. $17,057,385 -55.3% 3,753 +8 $4,545 $69,6...

1NThe Expendables 2LGF$28,591,370-3,316-$8,622$28,591,370-1
21The Bourne LegacyUni.$17,057,385-55.3%3,753+8$4,545$69,618,465$1252
3NParaNormanFocus$14,087,050-3,429-$4,108$14,087,050-1
42The CampaignWB$13,127,289-50.6%3,255+50$4,033$51,435,826-2
5NSparkle (2012)TriS$11,643,342-2,244-$5,189$11,643,342$141
63The Dark Knight RisesWB$11,011,349-42.0%3,157-533$3,488$409,787,260$2505
7NThe Odd Life of Timothy GreenBV$10,822,903-2,598-$4,166$15,100,918-1
84Hope SpringsSony$9,111,529-37.8%2,361-$3,859$35,063,321-2
96Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysFox$3,834,737-52.1%2,737-664$1,401$38,747,058$223
105Total Recall (2012)Sony$3,472,829-56.7%2,434-1,167$1,427$51,755,272$1253
This weekend of August 17-19 we have 4 new openings. LionsGate Films hold the top spot with their The Expendables 2. The sequel not only boasts more high-octane action scenes but also a greater array of action stars. Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris and Chris Hemsworth are newbies and Bruce Willis and 'The Terminator' Arnold Schwarzenegger are given prominent roles.
  The last venture was directed by Sylvester Stallone himself. This time Simon West, director of one of my most fav. Nic Cage film Con Air, takes the director's seat. West is also having another movie released this year titled Stolen also starring Cage in the lead:

  I just hope this one is a commercial hit. Cage's previous films have shattered records - for worst box office number. Comparisons are already being made to Liam Neeson starrer Taken. David Guggenheim is the screenwriter who had his Hollywood writing debut with this year's Safe House. In American theatres September 14.
  The Expendables 2 is on an estimated $100m budget and opens up with nearly $28 accounting to $48m worldwide. Now, this ain't no Avengers but it is still successful given the widely contributed grosses this weekend. Screenplay by Richard Wenk and Stallone.
  ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated horror adventure feature that stars not-so-famous voice actors. And it shows as other animated movies, like Madagascar 3 and Ice Age 4, grossed equal to or higher than their high-budget live-action counterparts (Prometheus and The Amazing Spider-Man respectively).
  Whitney Houston, one of America's legendary African-American pop singers, passed away in Feb 11, 2012. The film on number 5 this week is dedicated to her being her fifth and final film. Sparkle stars American Idol winner Jordin Sparks in the lead and is a remake of a 1976 musical. It will ultimately gross more than its budget next weekend.
  Walt Disney Pictures released a fantasy drama this week with the sizzling Jennifer Garner (Electra) and lesser-known Joel Edgerton (The Thing 2012) with main roles. The film follows a pre-adolescent boy whose personality have profound effects on the people in his town. The Odd Life of Timothy Green lands on number 7 and will not recover its budget domestically.
  In other news, Total Recall (2012) flops in the US and will exit the top 10 next week. The 1990 version was more profitable and also earned a Special Achievement Academy Award for Special Effects. This one might garner a Razzie nomination.But it will probably gross $150-160m worldwide off $125m.
  And that's all from me folks. See you next week and don't forget to like/comment/share.

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)