Is 2012 Turning The Wrong Way?

     2012 was getting off to blazing start from weekend one; now we're heading into weekend 34 and the fast pace has seemed to loose some steam. The first quarter of the year was one of the most attended first quarters ever, but attendance has dropped out of the top 10 for every summer month. There were many summer disappointments; Battleship, Dark Shadows, The Watch, Rock of Ages, and Thats My Boy. Ted, Magic Mike, Madagascar 3, Brave, and Avengers were the summer surprises; The Dark Knight Rises and Amazing Spider Man did what they were expected to do. August has also been dull; Bourne Legacy has been the highest opener at $38 million, and Total Recall, Expendables 2, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3, Sparkle, and the July holdovers haven't helped this month much, except for Batman.

      September and October look interesting for 2012. The only sequels are Resident Evil 5, Paranormal Activity 4, Taken 2, and Silent Hill 3D. November in my opinion should be strong, but December looks pale in comparison to past Decembers. The Hobbit should do gangbuster numbers, but everything else looks like hit or miss.

      So why is 2012 waning? The year was shattering records, now 2011, which was one of the slowest years since the early 90's, is outpacing it in some weekend totals. Most sequels and remakes this summer fell short or well short of their predecessors; 17 movies have crossed the $100 million mark so far, this time last year 20 movies had passed. The price of ticket sales hasn't changed much and 3D actually cant be blamed this time. Less appealing movies can be a factor, plus the improvement of the economy and the Olympics could have played a small role. There have also been unfortunate events that have happened over the summer that in a way could've affected box office.

     Will the fall and holiday movie seasons recover? Many original movies have broken out this year; Ted, The Vow, Lorax, 21 Jump Street, and Safe House to name a few; will September-December be able to duplicate? The public has been seeming to want more original movies and less 3D, sequels, prequels, and re-releases, but original movies can be a tricky sell and mostly open less and depend on good word of mouth, reviews, and competition to make top dollar. 2012 is still tracking ahead of 2011 when adjusted for inflation by 3.8%, but it is now lagging behind 2008, 2009, and 2010. I believe 2012 will pick back up. I doubt the year will see the blistering pace again that we saw from January-March, but I believe that the remaining four months of the year will produce a few more breakout original hits and hopefully will get 2012 back ahead of 2008 and 2009. Twilight and Hobbit are sure to be big and there seems to be a lot of variety in the next few months. From Avengers to John Carter to Hunger Games, 2012 has seen its ups and downs at the box office, the last four months will be very interesting or "muy interesante" as I like to say.

So Many Superheroes

     There are many genres of movies; action, comedy, drama, sci-fi, horror, and recently it seems like superhero should be added. Superhero movies have been dominating the box office the past decade particularly and they don't seem to be letting up. Even non comic book movies like Chronicle and Hancock have done well.

     Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Soilder, Thor: The Dark World, The Amazing SpiderMan 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Man of Steel, The Wolverine, Kick-Ass 2, and X Men: First Class 2 are all in planning, pre production, or production stages. An Ant-Man, Justice League, and Flash movie, and Fantastic Four and Batman reboots are all being rumored.

     Superhero movies have always been around, but 2002's Spider Man seems to be the movie that kicked off superhero movies into blockbuster status. That movie became the first to gross $100 million in one weekend and held the opening record for 4 years. Since then, the opening weekend record has been broken 5 times; 3 times by superhero movies. In the top 15 openings; 6 are superhero movies. Batman has also broken the opening record 4 times and Spider Man has done it twice. The Avengers is sitting at #3 highest grossing movie of all time, and The Dark Knight is reclining at #4. The Dark Knight Rises is currently #1 around the world and will finish in the domestic top 10. Superhero movies have also became increasingly popular overseas in the last few years. Throw in 3D, which is a lot more popular overseas, and it's a two and a half hour thrill ride.

     Superhero movies have been successes lately, but why? Well since superheroes aren't real, the movie cant be practical, and since the majority of superheroes come from comic books, the films are more elaborate. Elaborate equals more special effects, bigger action scenes, better storylines (most of the time), more characters, heighten fantasy elements, are more epic scale set pieces and scope. A movie about people falling in love is practical because that happens to everyone, but a movie about alien humanoids with gravity shifting capabilities coming to destroy New York and only being able to be stopped by a flying man with magnetic powers is something no one will ever see in real life, so seeing it on the big screen is a novelty. Superhero movies also tell broader stories and have been marketed more fiercely in the recent years.

     Superhero movies can be serious, like The Dark Knight or comical, like Hancock, or even both, such as The Avengers. Hollywood has noticed that audiences are taking a liking for them so the studios are supplying these movies with bigger budgets. The average cost for a superhero movie is now spilling into over $200 million, not including marketing costs. If you ever see a road trip comedy or period drama cost that much, then well, the studio is just waving a big "SOL" sign over there heads. In order for these movies to be elaborate and have the special effects and epic scope that they have, they have to have a bigger budget. This $200 million usually covers the special effects- which seems to be the most expensive aspect, salaries, regular production costs, filming costs, and 3D and IMAX costs. Marketing usually isn't covered, but a way studios help alleviate marketing costs is through product tie-ins, tv rights, and merchandise. Studios have a lot of faith in superhero and comic book movies because they sell toys, games, clothing, books, supplies, collection items, posters, food, cartoon series', etc., something a regular movie cant do as well. These guaranteed sales that go beyond just ticket receipts are why studios beef these movies up.

     Even though Hollywood has done some really stupid things the past years, one thing they usually don't do is let the quality of these movies slip up. The last three Batman movies have all scored over 85% on RT, the two Iron Man's have scored 94% and 74% respectively, Spider Man 1 hit 89%, while Spidey 2 hit 93% and the other two have stayed fresh, Thor scored 77% and Cap Am scored 79%, The Avengers rolled in with 93% approval percentage, and The Incredibles landed on 97% in '04, X-Men has also done consistently well. There are some stinkers, such as the Ghost Rider movies, Batman and Robin, Superman 4, and Elektra. The pressure is always on for these movies to be great; since the bar seems to be raised after every release. Thor and Captain America weren't guaranteed to be successes, but Marvel made sure those movies were done right, and they did pretty well as an end result. If a superhero movie is bad, it may still open big, but it'll most likely drop off the earth, such as Origins Wolverine, which is the highest opening movie not to make $200 million, or Hulk from 2003.

     The demand for superhero and comic book movies is only getting bigger. You can almost expect one every first weekend of May, Memorial weekend, Independence weekend, mid-June, mid-July, or holiday season. If your favorite character doesn't have a movie in production yet, you don't have to write Paramount or Warner Bros. an angry letter, you'll see them on the screen in no time. Marvel and DC Comics are becoming the play-makers in Hollywood.

Re-Finding Nemo?

     It was announced yesterday by Andrew Stanton, the man behind John Farter, whoops I meant John Carter, is bringing Finding Nemo 2 to life. Yes, I said Finding Nemo 2. As you read this you are either jumping for joy and tweeting about it, or you are cussing out Pixar and Disney.

     Why would one cuss out Pixar and Disney? Well why does a Finding Nemo 2 need to exist? Are they really going to lose him again? My guess is no; since fish don't live as much as humans and since the original movie is 9 years old, and will be 13 in four years, Pixar can maybe go the Toy Story 3 route and have Nemo grow up, or a "Finding Dory" concept would be pretty cool, and Ellen DeGeneres would be more welcomed back than Billy Crystal as Mike in the upcoming Monsters University (even though Crystal will likely bring down the house with that character). In the end, Finding Nemo 2 probably won't be the title. I hope.

     The earliest we would see Finding Nemo 2 at this point is 2015 or 2016, most likely the latter, so why release it 13 years after the original? Maybe for money? Finding Nemo is still a popular movie and character and one of the most beloved Pixar titles, and Pixar's most attended movie ever, and still makes millions a year for Disney through merchandise and TV rights. Or maybe Stanton and Co. have really came up with an intriguing concept for Nemo 2, but they're just keeping it under wraps?

     Pixar, like Adam Sandler, used to be against sequels, but lately they have churned out Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 and Monsters University is set for next year. There have also been Incredibles 2 rumors for years. Toy Story 3 scored a 99% on RT and became Pixar's highest grossing movie, but Cars 2 was not well liked, dropped significantly from its predecessor, and was the lowest grossing Pixar movie since 1998. Cars 2 was an obvious cash grab for Disney, being made simply because the Cars brand is the most profitable for Disney. I'm hoping that this is not the reason Nemo 2 is being considered; I hope its because they've came up with a stellar idea and theres real passion for the project. Finding Nemo became and still is one of my all time favorites; I saw it at 9 years old, even my bathroom was decked out with Nemo stuff; I hope Disney will really deliver with this project and not disappoint, since this sequel is honestly unnecessary.

    Nemo 2 will most definately be a smash with audiences, as Pixar will probably be more careful with this movie than they were for Cars 2. With inflation, Nemo 2 may be able to overcome its predecessors $340 million total, possibly by a strong margin, but attendance will be extremely hard to be matched. You can also count on Nemo 2 being in 3D. Andrew Stanton is the only person officially signed on; everyone who voiced characters for 2003's Nemo have not, but can you really imagine this project without Ellen Degeneres? No.

The 3D re-release of Finding Nemo also treads into theaters in the fall.

'The Amazing Spider Man' Review

  The Amazing Spider Man is the new release from Columbia Pictures and Marvel, which brings Spider Man back to the big screen after a 5 year hiatus. No, this is not Spider Man 4, but it is no Spider Man 1.2, as some people are portraying it as.

      The Amazing Spider Man features Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Dennis Leary, and Sally Field. It is a reboot for the Spider Man franchise and features the origin story being retold. This is however, still a completely different movie than 2002's Spider Man.

     Amazing Spider Man begins with Peter Parker as a young kid; his parents have to leave him, for a reason we're not presented, and after they leave, it switches to Peter as he is now. Peter is going through high school, living with his aunt and uncle, and crushing on Gwen Stacy. He stumbles upon an old briefcase that belonged to his father. Its like "Scooby Doo" to him; he finds so many new clues that leads him to Oscorp. He investigates and soon encounters Dr. Connors and also gets in closer with Gwen. Obviously, he is bitten by a spider and soon after develops his "spider sense". True to the comics, his web does not shoot out of his arms. As he explores this new found power, he neglects various tasks that he was supposed to do; he also gets into an incident at school which starts to strain his relationship with Uncle Ben. I don't want to go much deeper from here because I don't want to spoil, but in the meantime; Gwen invites him over for dinner, he develops his suit and web shooters, and Dr. Connors regeneration program is shut down, leaving him to try the experiment on himself, which in turn turns him into the Lizard on and off. Peter, knowing that Connors is the Lizard, must now find a way to stop him from terrorizing New York, show the police that Spider Man is not a reckless vigilante with a hidden agenda, and he also throws Gwen into the mix.

     The acting was stellar from the cast. All the main actors brought their A-game. Garfield plays a more "true" Peter Parker and the chemistry between him and Emma Stone is very believable and realistic. The action was also a step above. Spider Man and the Lizard had great chemistry fighting and the scenes were well choreographed. Ranging from the sewers to a high school to the top of Oscorp; the fights provide great action that crowds now a days want to see. You also get scenes with Spider Man trying to evade the NYPD, which makes things interesting.

     Even though an overall a good movie, one of the main faults of Amazing Spider Man was the story. The plot did jump around at times. Dr. Connors went from trying to regenerate his arm to transform New York seemingly fast with little transition. There were also a few plot holes that may make you say, "I knew that was gonna happen" or "I knew it was gonna be that guy." And even though the die hard Spider Man fans who have been waiting for the webslingers return will not be dissapointed in the movie; the average movie goer who doesn't care, they just want to go see something, will probably brush this off as "been there, done that", even though this movie does a well enough job at supplying itself with a new identity. The laws of box office will prevent this movie from reaching the levels domestically or attendance wise of the original, but Amazing Spider Man should do big business with worldwide numbers, thanks to overseas 3D fad, the popularity of the character, and inflation. The movie has obtained an "A-" cinemascore and 74% on RT, so word of mouth should carry this on for a few weeks, but Spider Man may get tangled in his webs when Dark Knight Rises hits on the 20th. Either way, Amazing will finish with amazing numbers and should be able to secure the #3 spot for summer releases.

     The only other release coming out now until Rises is Ice Age 4, which is already out in most other countries, so to all the Americans, you still have plenty of time, check out The Amazing Spider Man, its an overall great movie, and a great way to beat some of the record heat this summer.

The Weekenders- June 29-July 1

     This weekend, June 29-July 1, is looking to be a very surprising one at the box office. Ted, Magic Mike, People Like Us, and Madea's Witness Protection are all opening. Brave will be enjoying its second weekend after a stellar opening. The Amazing Spider Man also swings into cinemas on Tuesday. This is one of those not-so-often weekends that will appeal to everyone; Magic Mike will have adult females (at least I hope that), Ted will have adult males and teens, Brave will have kids and girls too young for Mike (sad day), Madea will have the African-American crowd, and People Like Us will have the drama crowd. See, something for everyone.

     2012 has been a strong year for Channing Tatum and its getting even stronger. If GI Joe 2 had kept its first release date, Channing would have two movies out this weekend. Maybe Paramount moved GI Joe because girls wouldn't be able to handle double the Channing? Magic Mike stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Munn, and Cody Horn. No Mike is not a magician, he's a stripper. Of course Magic Mike will include more than just stripping, it will have an actual story; Mike currently has a 79% score on RT, but stripping seems to be the main focus of the advertising. The R rating will actually help this movie, but the lack of male interest will not; Sex and the City 2 was 90% female on opening weekend, Mike should be in that ballpark. Magic Mike is also not in 3D ladies.

     Mike's main competition is Ted. Ted is from the Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane. It stars Seth, Mark Wahlberg, and Mila Kunis. Mark's character has grown up with Ted as a child, and now Ted is foul-mouth, stoner/slacker. Yes, a teddy bear is smoking and drinking in this! It may sound absurd, but the trailers and previews have been getting great reactions and Ted has been getting good reviews as well, currently sitting at 71% on RT; so most critics obviously don't mind. Ted is looking to be a good summer comedy and counter programming for Mike, as Ted will attract more males, plus the Family Guy crowd, (Ted even sounds like Peter).

     Madea's Witness Protection is Tyler Perry's latest. Madea Goes To Jail opened to an outstanding $40 million in 2009, but 2011's Big Happy Family stumbled with a $25 million opening, and eventually earning a little over half of Madea's Jail. Witness Protection will be missing much of the cast you'd usually see in a Madea movie, plus the "witness protection" story may feel off to some every-release Madea viewers. Strangely, no reviews are currently on RT for this, even though it opens tomorrow, but judging by past Madea releases, critics will likely stomp on Witness Protection.

     People Like Us stars Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine. It is about Chris Pine's character who must find his sister, who he never knew he had, and deliver a 6 figure sum to her. This sounds like a road trip comedy, but it is actually a drama. Reviews have been standard, with a current 68% on RT, but lack of promotion and the saturated market may leave People Like Us shoved to the side for the weekend.

     Pixars Brave opened to a $66 million last week and with positive word of mouth and reviews, and being the only new children's movie out, Brave should have a good drop this weekend, and if Mike isn't a sudden box office surpise, then Brave should retain its #1 spot. Girls, this is in 3D.

     The Amazing Spider Man swings into over 4,000 cinemas on Tuesday in 3D. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, and Dennis Leary, this is the reboot of the 2002 Spider Man. Even though this is a reboot, most of the aspects of this movie are new, you will not feel like your watching Spider Man 1 over again. The RT score is at 76% so far, but that will fluctuate and can either go up or down, but regardless, Amazing Spider Man will be a nice summer blockbuster and should please everyone who's been waiting to see him back on screen for 5 years.

     My weekend predictions are that Brave and Magic Mike crack over $40 million, and Ted should see a stellar opening in the mid $30 million's. Madea should end up somewhere between $18-26 million, and People Like Us should land in with a sub $12 million opening. Great weekend all around.

How High Will 'The Dark Knight' "Rise"?

     On July 20, 2012, fanboys across the world will all feel like they have died and gone to comic book movie heaven. The last installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises, will finally be released after four years of anticipation.

     The advanced IMAX ticket sales for this film went on sale a few weeks ago and the websites crashed. Fans truly are ready for this. Avengers was a runaway success and has now grossed so much, its highly unlikely that Rises will match it, but settling for #2 does not mean the film is a slouch, as Rises could end up the better film critically and could still come near, gross wise.

     Batman Begins was released in 2005, and even though it grossed $205 million domestic, and $372 million worldwide, it was still on the low end for a Batman movie when prices are adjusted. Then in 2008, the world was in awe when The Dark Knight set the then opening weekend record and went on to become the then #2 movie of all time, improving a massive $328 million domestic and $629.2 million worldwide on its predecessor. The Dark Knight is also considered one of the best films ever on IMDB and it managed a 94% on RT, which is amazing for a summer blockbuster. The film won several awards, including the late Heath Ledger for his performance as the Joker. Dark Knight is now an instant classic and has redefined how many comic book movies are now made.

      That success has led to high expectations for The Dark Knight Rises. It held a high probability of setting the opening weekend record, again, but since The Avengers opened so high, its hard to imagine Rises to reach that level without 3D. Most 3rd movies are considered disappointments to their predecessors; Nolan should be able to avoid that. This movie features Bane and Catwoman as the villains, and judging by the trailers, this will not only be a non stop physical movie, but a very emotional one. Critics love emotions, and Nolan has done well delivering with the first two with 85% and 94% RT scores respectively.

     2012 has been a strange year. This year has improved greatly over last year, its good Rises comes out this year instead of last. Rises features virtually no competition; July 2012 is relatively empty and Rises gets the entire July 20th weekend to itself.

     Rises will not benefit from 3D surcharges, but it will have IMAX. There is also no Joker, which is no doubt the biggest villain draw, but Bane and Catwoman should both give a good showdown. Rises may also be hindered by the tone. The Nolan series have contained a darker tone, which may turn off some parents taking kids, as opposed to Avengers or Spider Man, and the movies runtime may be too much for some people at 2 hours and 45 minutes. Honestly Rises has few drawbacks, but a plethora of benefits, which is the reason it will be a box office mega monster.

     When Rises is released in one month, the box office will crash; Rises is poised for an opening of at least $150 million, and thats on a bad day, and the sky is really the limit with the total; the reception of the film will determine that. My personal opening prediction is $185 million. Midnight shows will be big, opening day will be big, opening weekend will be big, July and August will be big, and big is an understatement for this.

     Here is a link for the latest trailer! Rises is released worldwide July 20 and is rated PG-13, obviously. It stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon- Levitt, and Garry Oldman. Directed, written, and produced Christopher Nolan, and music by Hans Zimmer. On July 20, if your movie theater is being shut down by fire marshals or if your internet crashes, or if you see everyone in costume at your local Wal-Mart or superstore, blame The Dark Knight Rises; a fire will rise.

'Madagascar' and 'Prometheus' Land On A Record

     Madagascar: Europe's Most Wanted, and Prometheus together have set a Hollywood milestone. Madagascar 3 opened to $60.3 million and Prometheus opened to $50 million; which makes last weekend only the second time in history that two movies have opened to $50million on the same weekend. The first time this has happened was the June 27-29 weekend when Wall-E opened to $63 million and Wanted opened to $50.9 million. There have been other weekends where two movies have finished above $50 million for the 3-day, but only one was an opener.

     June so far has been off to a great start; Avengers and MIB3 have held up well, and Snow White and the Huntsman opened to an impressive $56.2 million without 3D or IMAX boosts. June still has Rock of Ages, That's My Boy, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (lol), Brave, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Ted, Magic Mike, Madea's Witness Protection, and People Like Us. Surprisingly none of these movies are sequels and the only recognizable character is Madea. Nonetheless, this month should still be a steller one, leading up to an even bigger July.

Joes Conversion Shack

     GI Joe hit stores in 1964, but a live action movie did not come about until 2009. Today it seems like 95% of movies have sequels, and this was in the 95%; GI Joe: Retaliation was set to come out June 29, 2012, right in the middle of the summer season. A few of the characters such as Duke, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow (even though he died, apparently), and the President are returning, while Ripcord, Baroness, Scarlett, and Cobra Commander are not (again, apparently). Dwayne Johnson, as he's been doing a lot lately, has seemed to have taken over this new sequel, along with action veteran Bruce Willis; Channing Tatum has been shoved to the side. A plethora of promotion for this movie has been going on since late 2011, which includes a Super Bowl trailer and toys.

     Many people who have been to the movies this year knew that Retaliation was coming out this year, as the trailer seemed to have been played in front of every release. Seriously, ive seen the trailer so many times at the theater, I can reenact act. Anyways, for those of you who had your hearts set on Retaliation this summer, unfortunately, you're going to have to wait, as Paramount is having a baby; the movie has been delayed exactly 9 months to March 29, 2013.

     Why the delay you ask? Well because of everyone's favorite gimmick, 3D. I couldn't believe this wasn't a 3D movie to begin with. “We’re going to do a conscientious 3D job because we’ve seen how it can better box office internationally,” was a quote by an exec at Paramount Pictures. North America has been slowly dismissing 3D since 2010, but overseas countries are still putting on the glasses full force, so that statement by the exec is an accurate one, but is it what people wanted?

     If there was any problem with Retaliation, it was its competition; The Amazing Spider Man swings in a meager few days later and The Dark Knight Rises tumbles into theaters on the 20th of July in NA, but the rest of this years July is relatively empty, but the March date is still not guaranteeing Paramount success; this is a summer popcorn movie, not an April one, and next years March is already housing some high profile releases.

     I watched Rise of Cobra on TV last night, and even though it was campy and looked like a simulation game, it kept me unbored, and Retaliation looks like a bigger, more realistic, and proper sequel and adding Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Adrianne Palicki doesn't hurt either. The movie looks like fun, but I am disappointed in the studios. Adding 3D does not guarantee this or any movie success. The sinking of Battleship can seem like a reason Paramount and Hasbro would want 3D, but even if Battleship was in 3D, it still would have failed. Retaliation has been building up hype with its advertising lately, but I feel now that most of that hype will die down and come March, people wont have the same mentality about this movie as they would in June. Retaliation should still be a somewhat success and pull in dough, but many feel this was a poor and possibly costly decision by the studios. I personally feel that the conversion move is unnecessary and dumb, especially since people have been aware of the date and millions has already been spent on marketing (they might have to make a whole new Super Bowl spot!), but I am not a studio executive so oh well. GI Joe: Retaliation now comes out March 29, here is a link for the trailer, and something tells me that come March, this movie may look a little different, and we may be seeing a little more Channing; happy girls?

How "Amazing" Will 'Spider Man' Really Be?

     Spider Man is one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture. Comics, TV shows and cartoons, toys and merchandise, soundtracks, a theme park attraction, a broadway musical, books, board and video games, and of course movies. The three Spider Man movies that have been released have grossed $2.5 billion and they were #1, #2, and #1 in their respective years. Spider Man 4 was in the works, but after turmoil in production, the movie was cancelled in early 2010. Of course this is Spider Man, and Sony, who owns the rights to the movies, wasnt going to just let this property sit, so they decided to reboot the series instead.

     The Amazing Spider Man, which is released July 3, has a new cast, new characters, new tone, semi new story, new costume, new soundtrack, new director, new crew, and new technology as this was filmed in 3D. With less than two months until release, Sony has vamped up marketing; three trailers, with one more coming, a four minute preview in last nights Americas Got Talent, posters, commercials, and merchandise; im sure a BK kids meal tie in is also coming.

     Now to me personally, everything i've seen so far about The Amazing Spider Man has been pretty great. Spider Man has been my favorite character since I was 8 years old and it will be hard for that to change. Most of the critism that TASM is getting is the fact that this is getting rebooted only 10 years after the first film. Yes this is a reboot, but like I said, there are many differences between this and Sam Raimi's Spider Man. The difference may not be as noticable as Batman and Robin to Batman Begins, but you will notice it. The reboot personally does not bother me, I just want to see Spider Man on the big screen, and judging by early news, Spider Man 4 didnt sound so great; Amazing Spider Man "refreshes" the franchise in a way.

     Most predictions I have seen for this movie have been under $300 million domestically (US and Canada), but I have faith that this movie can score over that. It is being released on the Tuesday before Independence weekend, which is one of the most lucrative weekends of the year to movie studios. Spider Man 2, Transformers 1 and 3, Independence Day, Twilight 3, War of the Worlds, and Hancock have all found success on this weekend. Disney's marketing for Avengers was A+ and if Sony can have a similar effect then awarness and interest for TASM will rise; also this is Spider Man! People will go check this out just to check it out; he has a fanbase of millions and he is one of the most family friendly superheroes. Also 3D will give this movie a boost, and the fact that it was shot in 3D and Spider Man does a lot of acrobatics, 3D reception could be very positive. TASM's success may be cut short because of the release of The Dark Knight Rises on the 20th of July, but I am sure TASM will not drop off the earth and will still have enough steam to push on pass $300 million, reboot or no reboot; we shall see come July. The way box office works, the chances of Amazing Spider Man making as much and having as high of attendance as the movies of the original triliogy is miniscule to none domestically, but it still should be a success in its own right, especially worldwide, kicking off the new series. The Amazing Spider Man 2 is also set for May 2014.

     Here are links for the second trailer, the latest trailer, the 4 minute preview, new images, and the Lizard featurette. The Amazing Spider Man is released late June in 4 countries, and beginning July 3 worldwide.

The "A" In 'Avengers' Means A+

      [Spoiler Free Review] Hulk, Smash! There's a movie out now, I saw it Saturday, whats the name of it again? Ohh yeah, Marvel's The Avengers. And there's something that that movie was, gosh I've forgot! NO, I remember, it was the best cinematic experience I have ever had at the theater and it was the best film I have seen. I am not saying this because the hype is in the exosphere for this right now and because it seems to be every other person's favorite movie too; it is my true honest opinion.

     The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, finds Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and SHIELD coming together to fend off Loki and the Chitauri, who are after the "tesseract", a complex cube capable of many dangerous things. The film is 2 hours and 22 minutes, but it is paced beautifully; every scene has drama or humor to keep you invested. The film start with a quick intro that basically explains the tesseract and we are then taken to SHIELD. We do not see all of the heroes come at once, each has his or her own introduction scene, and they are all well crafted.

     Each character has a purpose in the movie and a special skill, no one is wasted. When bringing together a group of people who don't know each other, ie. Real World, Big Brother, or an Olympic team, there is bound to be conflict and tension; Whedon utilizes this perfectly and the characters give off perfect chemistry. Tony and Steve, Iron Man and Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow, Tony and Bruce, Tony and Loki, Thor and Loki, Loki and everyone, Bruce and Natasha, the team and Nick Fury; its incredibly done.

     The acting from all the stars was also superb. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki were brilliant, but everyone brought their A game. You may see one character more than the other in the marketing, but in the movie they all have surprisingly equal amounts of screen time and no one is under used. For example in the trailers it looks like all Black Widow does is roadhouse everyone and shoot 9mm's, but shes is really given some unexpected tasks and action scenes; true for all of the characters, even Loki and the SHIELD characters.

     Another huge part of the movie was the humor. At times I did not know what genre of movie I was watching; action/adventure or comedy? The Avengers provided some of the loudest and longest laughs I have heard since 21 Jump Street from March and The Hangover Part II from last May; yes, I said the Hangover; I rolled out of my seat once or twice. Each character had at least one funny quip. There were plenty of quips, one-liners, witty banter, and physical comedy, and yet it's able to keep a serious tone when the chaos is amuck. This is the first movie I have ever attended, and I've attended 11 this year, where people were leaning forward in there seats staring at the screen; the action, especially the climax is superb in the "whats gonna happen next!?"

     Joss Whedon's directing and writing was top bar; from the cinematography to the special effects, the production team was stellar. Well paced, well acted, well scripted, well directed, well filmed, well edited, this movie just needs to change it's title to "Marvels Well", because well, it a pleasing experience. Whether you see the film in IMAX, conventional, 3D, or 2D, you are in for a thrill ride; just ask the the moviegoers that have already gone twice- or more, in the films 5 days in North America so far. I saw the film in conventional 2D and I plan on seeing it again, its worth it.

     My final grade for Marvel's Avengers is A+; it is now my favorite movie of all time and the most thrilling 2 plus hours I have spent in a theater seat. The Avengers also does a good job at appealing beyond the comic book crowd; males and females, teens and seniors; everyone will eventually understand the movie and characters and hopefully enjoy them. After the films all time monumental opening in America and across the world, stellar reviews, user ratings, and word of mouth, its going to be in theaters for longggg time, and I personally believe it will end up #2 or #3 all time in America, behind Avatar and maybe Titanic. If you haven't gone, go, if you have gone, go again, this is a true blockbuster experience and its worth the ticket. A+. Stay tuned for the mid and after credits for surprise scenes!

The 'Avengers' Have Assembled in a Huge Way

     Its May 5, 2012, do you know what that means? Its means Marvel's Avengers was finally released in North America and is out across the world! Earlier yesterday, the opening day estimates for Avengers was at $65 million, but that was before west coast night showings; now the official estimate via Deadline is $80.5 million! That gives Avengers the second highest opening day and Friday- ever. The opening weekend record looks pretty certain now.

     So why is The Avengers enjoying massive success? Iron Man 2 decreased from Iron Man 1, Thor and Captain America couldn't pass $200 million, even with 3D, attendance for The Incredible Hulk was down from the disappointing 2003 version, and Hawkeye and Black Widow did not even get their own movies, even though Black Widow was a big part of Iron Man 2. So why is Avengers all of a sudden a contender to break many records?

     1. May - Avengers opened at just the right time; the first weekend of May is prime, especially for these type of movies. Spider Man opened on this weekend 10 years ago and today marks the day it became the first movie ever to make $100 million in one weekend. The Avengers is facing little competition and wont have many threats for a while. Summer is getting closer and colleges have let out and grade schools will be letting out soon (im done May 24th!).

     2. Characters - A good thing about Marvels characters; they're colorful. Iron Man is red, Hulk is green, Cap Am is blue, even Loki has vibrant attire. Colorful characters are good for younger viewers. Having a bleak, typical tone can make a movie feel dark and less engaging, but these vibrant characters are easier on the eyes and are more attractive. They are also three dimensional characters, which keeps attention and interest up.

     3. Tone - Avengers is not too graphic for younger viewers, which gives this a leg up over The Dark Knight Rises; the family audiences will likely be lower as that movie will have a more serious tone and violence will be a little more graphic. Avengers also has humor; Avengers is dramatic and does have high action violence, but it also has humor, something that's a win with audiences. The witty, one-liner, action humor is perfect, especially for this; Tony Stark alone makes the money worth it. That gives this another leg up over The Dark Knight Rises, which is definitely more serious, but that movie will be more grounded.

     5. Marketing - Id give Disney an A+ for marketing; The Avengers is on everything; my local radio station, candy wrappers, cardboard cutouts, the internet, and TV- the ads, especially the Dr. Pepper, Target, and Red Barron ones have been amazing. Adults see these and kids have the toys, that raises the awareness; kudos to Disney.

     6. Ensemble - Having all these characters together is something that hasn't been tried in Hollywood before. What Marvel did so well was making all these characters familiar and connecting them to form Avengers. This strategy worked a lot better than just putting them all together without their former movies. Having all these characters together raises the scope which makes this more appealing.

     7. Feedback - Avengers scored a 93% and 8/10 on RT, which for a summer blockbuster, is outstanding. Critics love it, and judging by moviegoer feedback on Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, Fandango, box office forums, and people I've spoken to personally, everyone is beyond pleased. This means that Avengers will have a long life in theaters.

     A $400 million total is certain at this point, just how high it will go above that is a big question mark now; the sky's the limit. My OW and total prediction for Avengers is $185.4 million and near or above $440 million.

     Go see Avengers this weekend, 2D or 3D, IMAX or conventional, just go; you will not be dissapointed! I mean its already made $500 million worldwide!

Follow my movie Twitter here! Reel Movies 2012

Its A Trailer Park

     A barrage of trailers has hit the world the past few days; my guess is so a few can precede The Avengers.

      The Amazing Spider Man , The Dark Knight Rises, Expendables 2, This Is 40, Madea's Witness Protection, Prometheus, Brave, Magic Mike, GI Joe Retaliation, Step Up Revolution, Rock of Ages, and Hope Springs, have brand spanking new trailers, which after seeing them, makes 2012 look even more like the best year ever (Magic Mike not so much, but for females maybe).

     Check them all out for laughs, cries, ooohhs, and ahhhs. And as a bonus, the trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for the gameboys.

     The summer movie season starts May 4th with The Avengers and will unofficially carry on until Labor Day weekend. We're in for plethora of great movies, better than last year. Save some cash for the cineplex this summer! Follow my movie Twitter, Reel Movies!