Thursday, January 16, 2014

Riske Business: Adam & Heath Talk 2014 Movies

Welcome to 2014! This week Heath and I chatted about the upcoming year in movies. We also agreed we’re never eating at Benihana again. We don’t care whose birthday it is.

Adam: Heath, to kick things off I have some questions for you that require your fearless predictions. Keep in mind we’ll go back to these next year and see how your predictions panned out so like, pressure’s on or something. Ok, first question: what will win Best Picture in March?
Heath: Gravity was successful with crowds and critics alike, but the Academy doesn't traditionally honor science fiction. 12 Years a Slave will be in the running, but I suspect one of the two Tom Hanks movies released this year will win. The question is will the Academy favor the serious Captain Phillips over the heartwarming Saving Mr. Banks? I predict Emma Thompson will win for her performance in Saving Mr. Banks, which means that Captain Phillips will win best picture. The Academy will not be able to resist Tom Hanks in peril.

Adam: What will be the highest grossing movie of 2014?
Heath: The highest grossing movie of 2014 will have to be a film that casts the widest net and will, by necessity, need to be either an early summer release or a holiday release toward the end of the year. That limits it to either the PG-13 rated Captain America: The Winter Soldier in April, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in May, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Transformers: Age of Extinction in June, The Hobbit: There and Back Again and the Night at the Museum in December. I don't think The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has the wide appeal that some of its competition does, and Captain America: The Winter Solider will do huge numbers but won't come near The Avengers box office. The biggest summer contender is How to Train Your Dragon 2 because of the wide appeal and the anticipation. The final Hobbit film stands a good chance because it's a holiday release and, more importantly, it's the last chance to see Middle-earth (at least for now). And remember how crazy things got when Return of the King came out? That's the movie that solidified Lord of the Rings with audiences and critics, and it was showered with awards. I suspect a similar reaction to the final Hobbit film. That's my prediction for the highest grossing film of 2014. I'm predicting Hobbit mania next Christmas, similar to the last Harry Potter film.

Adam: What will be the best superhero movie of this group: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spiderman 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past or Guardians of the Galaxy?
Heath: The best superhero movie will be Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I expect a solid film from X-Men: Days of Future Past, but the X-Men franchise has always been a little spotty. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looks awful; just completely hollow and devoid of any fun whatsoever, plus they've given the film THREE villains, which is a terrible idea. I think Guardians of the Galaxy is going to bomb hard. I think it's too "out there" for most people and The Avengers connection is tenuous at best. But the comic book storyline that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is based on is one of the most beloved Marvel stories in the last decade, and it would be really hard to screw it up. Plus, it has a solid cast. The Avengers connection is a lot stronger for this movie, and I expect it will do Iron Man 3 numbers.

Adam: Do you think the remake of RoboCop will be any good?

Heath: No. Who is it for? Kids that are too young to be familiar with the original? The same thing happened with Total Recall: the people old enough to recognize the property will have affection and loyalty for the original, and unless you are reinterpreting the material in a dramatic way, like 21 Jump Street, there's no real reason for its existence. Although it has Michael Keaton in it, so it can't be all bad.

OK, now it’s your turn to be on the hot seat. You asked me what will win for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Who do you think will win Best Director?
Adam: Best Director will go to Alfonso Cuaron. Gravity is inarguably a herculean success of design and technical direction. It's also the most obvious opportunity to give a major award to the movie, which is considered a major Oscar contender, and still give another movie the Oscar for Best Picture. Best Director is a solid consolation prize that everyone could live with.

Heath: Next question: we talk each summer about how comic book and superhero movies have flooded the market to the point that we're burned out and kind of exhausted with them. Do you think this summer will see a decline in ticket sales for those types of movies, or will they continue to rise?

Adam: Good G-d, I hope so. But cattiness aside, I think it depends on release dates almost more than the material. For example, I predict The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will do really well because it's the first out of the gate in May. X-Men: Days of Future Past will do what X-Men movies do – they are pretty consistent in having big opening weekends and then fading out. The one that I think will bomb, I'm sad to say, is Guardians of the Galaxy. I know it's Marvel, but it opens in August and by that time I think burnout will set in. I’m looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy the most of the group, though, because it’s James Gunn, who is an interesting director, and Vin Diesel has a role so it’s likely to be sincere and not a soulless corporate tent pole. At least that’s my hope.

Heath: Do you think America will care about the new Godzilla movie, featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston, or is it destined to sink like Battleship?
Adam: I don't think Godzilla will bomb as bad as Battleship, but I do think it will disappoint financially in the US similar to Pacific Rim. Giant monster movies are nerdy even by nerd standards. I don't think you can get an audience that doesn't already care about Godzilla to start caring because Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston are in the cast. That being said, I do like the first trailer for the movie.

Heath: The last question is about 22 Jump Street and Grand Budapest Hotel, two very different movies, but the same question applies for each. Will they be any good or will the well have run dry?

Adam: I am guessing 22 Jump Street will suck. The trailer is terrible, and the conceit of these guys in high school is a lot funnier than them in college. I'm back and forth on The Grand Budapest Hotel, but I think this will be another The Life Aquatic. My reasoning is Wes Anderson went Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and then The Life Aquatic, so hit/hit/semi-miss. His last two, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom, were both good so it's time for a semi-miss. I hope I'm wrong, but that’s my prediction.

Heath: Enough guessing games. I’m curious, what movies announced for 2014 are you looking forward to the most?

Adam: I’ll separate them into mainstream and indie categories:

Mainstream:
Stretch, which is the new Joe Carnahan movie with Patrick Wilson and Chris Pine. There’s not even a trailer for it yet but on paper it sounds awesome.
• The new Seth Rogen comedies Neighbors and The Interview, because I’ll see anything Seth Rogen is in at this point.
 • The Boxtrolls from Laika (the studio that made ParaNorman and Coraline) had me at hello.
Gone Girl from David Fincher, who is always at his best when making crime stories.
The Raid 2, because I am ridiculously excited about the prospect of a 148 minute sequel to The Raid.
Jupiter Ascending from the Wachowskis, since I want their movies to succeed for the good of cinema.
Interstellar, which has a great, mysterious teaser trailer and a strong cast.
Indies:
• The Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself from Steve James (Hoop Dreams), which I’m hoping focuses a little less on his days growing up in Urbana, IL than the memoir on which it is based.
• The next Dennis Villeneuve (Prisoners) movie called Enemy, which has Jake Gyllenhaal playing two different characters and co-stars the adorable Melanie Laurent.
• David Wain’s next movie They Came Together with Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler and Michael Shannon.
• Anna Kendrick in a new Joe Swanberg movie called Happy Christmas.
The Green Inferno from Eli Roth, who has been MIA for way too long.
• The absolute batshit silly looking Grand Piano with Elijah Wood and John Cusack.

How about you?


Heath: For me, I'm looking forward to X-Men: Days of Future Past, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 22 Jump Street, Jane Got a Gun, A Fantastic Fear of Everything...that's the short list.

You know what movie I'm looking forward to in spite of myself? 300: Rise of an Empire. I thought the first 300 was pretty entertaining, though it's not something I revisit too often (it makes me feel like I need to work out). Also, some of the things Frank Miller has said in recent years have kind of ruined some of this movie for me. But I get a little psyched every time I see the trailer for this thing. The movie is totally unnecessary, but I do think those big, dumb movies have a place. There's something refreshing about a movie reveling in base sex and violence without any pretense of something akin to art. Also, I will watch Eva Green in ANYTHING, and I like her in the Gerard Butler role as the leader of an army. I'm expecting total ridiculousness, but so many movies turn out to be total ridiculousness anyway. At least this one is honest.


Then there's Noah. I'm not a huge fan of Darren Aronofsky, but I sure do love The Wrestler and I think he's going to bring an interesting take on the story that a lot of us grew up with (Jew and Gentile alike). The big budget epic aspect of this doesn't interest me much, but Russell Crowe and the idea of this director on a $130 million project does.
Transcendence, which is being directed by Christopher Nolan's cinematographer Wally Pfister, is something I'm curious about also. More interesting to me is that it's a Johnny Depp role that seems like something he did before Pirates of the Caribbean launched him into superstardom. I really, really miss "normal" Johnny Depp. I like Tonto and Captain Jack just fine, but the dude that made Dead Man and The Ninth Gate has been pretty much gone for the last 10 years. This could be a return of sorts. I hope it is. I'm cautiously optimistic about Dracula Untold. I like the cast of Luke Evans and Dominic Cooper (who may be one of those actors to find stardom in 2014), and the true story of Vlad Tepes has always been really interesting to me. The basis for Bram Stoker's novel, this Dracula is going to be something different than what we've seen for a long time. Plus, it's Universal, and while Universal lost most of the Monster Good Will I had for them with Van Helsing, they seem to be up to something different here. These days, different is good.

Now it’s word association time! What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I name these ten movies?

1) I, Frankenstein
2) Mr. Peabody & Sherman
3) Need for Speed
4) Veronica Mars
5) Nymphomaniac (Volume I and II)
6) Edge of Tomorrow
7) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
8) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
9) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I
10) Dumb and Dumber To

Adam:
1) I, Frankenstein: Why? Why? Why?

2) Mr. Peabody & Sherman: Is this from a book or something? I don't have kids so I guess I'm good skipping it, right?
3) Need for Speed: I'm embarrassed but I want to see this; mainly because there's no Fast & Furious in 2014. I don't get this Aaron Paul thing though. Yeah, Breaking Bad, but I don't know...it's Aaron Paul.
4) Veronica Mars: Never saw the TV show but I'm happy for its fans.
5) Nymphomaniac (Volume I and II): I’ll see it if only to say goodbye to Shia.
6) Edge of Tomorrow: Seems like a waste of Tom Cruise’s time. I’d rather see him in a movie for grown-ups.
7) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: I didn't see the greatness of the first one, but I'm curious enough to see the sequel.
8) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: I used to love the Turtles and this can't be any worse than TMNT, right? Then again, Michael Bay and Megan Fox (shudder).
9) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I: Looking forward to it. The cliffhanger in Catching Fire piqued my interest.
10) Dumb and Dumber To: I am hoping for the best. I love the original, but this took a long time to get together and that worries me. Also, it's a comedy sequel and we all know how those usually turn out.

Here are your 10 for word association.

1. Labor Day
2. The Lego Movie
3. The Monuments Men
4. Muppets Most Wanted
5. Maleficent
6. Jersey Boys
7. Transformers: Age of Extinction
8. The Expendables 3
9. Annie
10. Into the Woods

Heath:
1. Labor Day: Winslet and Brolin make every movie that they're in better. This could be great.
2. The Lego Movie: I will take my child to see it as long as I don't have to assemble anything. If not for her, though, I'd probably go my whole life and not see it.
3. The Monuments Men: VERY EXCITED. Like Saving Private Ryan without all the death. And with 100% more art. 

4. Muppets Most Wanted: Reservedly excited. I loved the first one, and this one has Tom Hiddleston, but I'm nervous about the Gervais factor.
5. Maleficent: Yawn. I'm tired of Disney plumbing their animated classics for live-action "epics." HOWEVER: written by Paul Dini, one of my favorite writers of all time.
6. Jersey Boys: Movies based on musicals are ALWAYS good, oh, wait, I'm confused. They're NEVER good. I have no interest in this.
7. Transformers: Age of Extinction: I have residual love for the Transformers leftover from my childhood. There's a part of me who will always think that Optimus Prime is the coolest and that robots that turn into vehicles is the greatest thing ever. But come on, four of these mofos from the same director? I could go my whole life and never see another Michael Bay movie. I sure wish someone else were doing this. I never thought I'd say this, but I want more movies like GI Joe: Retaliation. Give me solid nostalgic action without oodles of misogyny, slow motion, and Zeus's butthole.
8. The Expendables 3: I really can't wait. I loved the first two, in spite of their flaws, because they play like love letters to the late '80s and early '90s, which is when I came of age with movies. It doesn't have to be perfect; I just want to see all my childhood action heroes one more time in the same movie. This could suck more than any movie in 2014 and I'd still probably love it because I'm so on board with what they're trying to do.
9. Annie: I don't think I'm the target audience for this movie. My only thought about this is that I'm glad Annie isn't one of Will Smith's kids. Particularly Jaden. Because that would be weird.
10. Into the Woods: Please, please, please don't let this suck, and please let Johnny Depp give an actual performance instead of putting on makeup, using an English accent, and laughing all the way to the bank. And if that IS what he's doing, then I hope he does it in a different way than what we've seen him do in all those other movies where he puts on makeup, uses and English accent, and laughs all the way to the bank.

By the way, Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a segment from the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon. It was called Improbable History and was about a very smart dog who was a professor and his pet boy. He'd take his boy throughout history and they would learn about the past while trying not to change it too much (come to think of it, it's a lot like Doctor Who). It was pretty cool, but this new movie looks like it's trying to ruin the idea.

Adam: Thanks for clarifying. Mr. Peabody & Sherman sounds like Cloudy with a Chance of Jimmy Neutrons. Why can’t they make a movie of Camp Candy? I’d go see that. I’d go even if they just strung together four episodes and projected it into movie theaters.

What are some of your fearless predictions for 2014? Leave your comments below.

37 comments:

  1. On a side note - just saw the nominees for the Oscar's. The best picture noms are a joke.

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    1. Uh, they all seem like the pretty obvious choices to me. I am also curious as to what you disagree with.

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    2. Sorry for the delayed response. I can't figure out to get notified when someone replies. John, that is exactly what bothers me is that they are all obvious choices. I think it's more of the fact that the Oscar's are only films that are submitted and not based on everything that was good. Not based on the collective movie making community as a whole. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but no mention of Upstream Color at all?! That was my favorite film of the year. No best cinematography nom for The Conjuring?! No best picture nomination for Ninja 2?! INSANE. Okay, kidding on that one of course, but I guess I just feel that the movies nominated leave me like - "Yeah, of course that's nominated". Maybe I need to stop being so bitter also :)

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  2. You guys are spot on in regards to Amazing Spider-Man 2. With the inclusion of Norman Osbourne, aren't there technically 4 villains in it? 3 1/2 at least, plus some teaser shots that allude to two other famous Web Head villains means this franchise is setting up a film with at least 5 1/2 bad guys. And the problem with Spider-Man 3 was that there were too many villains? It aggravates me, and I don't understand why so many people are getting excited for this just because Electro is in it.

    I'm not a huge monster fan, but I liked Pacific Rim and Monsters was a decent enough movie from a few years back, so I'm getting my hopes up that Godzilla will be good. I also had hopes that 22 Jump Street would continue the commentary on originality and action spoofs, but the trailer makes it look pretty bad at this point. I want to love How to Train Your Dragon 2, but without Chris Sanders helping to helm it I'm very nervous.

    All in all I'm not very excited for this summer, but I'm looking forward to Christopher Nolan tapping into his inner Malick for Interstellar and I have high hopes for Grand Budapest Hotel. But I have no fearless predictions, everything I've seen so far is just kind of... meh.

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    1. Who are all these villains you are referring to? I only know of Rhino, Electro and Osbourne/Goblin.
      While I prefer them to use existing characters when the story needs a role to be played, but the problems comes in when they feel every preexisting character needs to be done"justice" and translated faithfully resulting in too much unnecessary exposition and back story. I think Zsasz in Batman Begins was great and im glad they used him rather than a generic thug. Im hoping Rhino or some of these others you mention are along those lines, rather than Venom or Sandman from S3

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    3. I think there's a shot that has Doc Ock's tentacles and Vulture's wings in the background. Not sure that they'll be in the movie, but they're definitely leading to something that is dangerously flirting with overkill. You make a good point about Zsasz, that would be pretty cool if they did that with these villains. I doubt it since they got Giamatti, but one can always hope

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    4. "And the problem with Spider-Man 3 was that there were too many villains?"

      No, the problems with SM3 were: the hero was a dull putz, his girlfriend was an even duller putz, the two of them had zero chemistry, Aunt May only spoke in fortune-cookie old lady wisdom, a disastrous marriage-ambitions subplot that felt transplanted from the 1950s, a pointless retconning of Uncle Ben's death, a love interest distraction that was more appealing than MJ and who vanished two-thirds of the way through the movie, a momentum-murdering amnesia plot, being the third straight movie in which MJ can't make up her mind about whose girlfriend she wants to be, the third straight movie in which MJ has to be rescued in the finale, the alien symbiote just happening to plop down to Earth right next to Spider-Man, and J. Jonah Jameson not yelling anymore.

      Oh, and about those villains: two were pretty sympathetic and the third (when without the symbiote) was pitiable, meaning that none had any menace to them, none were villains we were really rooting to see bested, and they didn't really have anything to do with each other, either.

      ASM2, on the other hand, has a far better Peter, a far better primary love interest, huge chemistry between them, a much more human Aunt May, and villains who actually have plot reasons for associating.

      Lumping these two movies together on the basis of multiple villains, in other words, is lazy and frivolous.

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  3. Michael Keaton is the only reason "RoboCop" even remotely interests me. I'm also pretty sure (enough to have a $20 bet with a buddy) that the shot in all the trailers/commercials of RoboCop jumping and striking a pose in his silver suit from the original film is the very last shot of the remake (i.e. by the end of the narrative he's earned the suit), and that the studio marketing people put it in all the ads to entice fans of the original to watch it. Cynical much?

    And BTW, Tom Hanks, Robert Redford and Oscar Isaac not nominated for Best Actor, or "Inside Llewyn Davis" for Best Picture, should be crimes. I would be madder than usual at Academy snubs except (a) it was a pretty stacked year so I'm cutting them some slack and (b) seriously, 'F' the Oscars.

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    1. I agree on Hanks and Isaac. I am more than fine with no Redford. I will go on my rant if you want to hear it. Let me know :-)

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    2. No Hanks nomination seriously threw me for a loop. I was sure he was a lock for a nomination. Eh, whatever.

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    3. Pay attention to Redford's face in All is Lost. He never changes his f-ing expression. I don't get why people are saying it's this tour de force performance. He also doesn't curse until 70 minutes into the movie. If that happened to anyone in real life, they would be swearing within 70 seconds and not stop until they were either rescued or dead.

      I didn't like All is Lost. At all. AT ALL. I was rooting for the ocean at a certain point.

      Also, Redford'ds character is pretentiously called "our man". No one cleared this with me. He's not my man. No sir. No sir indeed.

      That movie is a hurricane of balls.

      Just my opinion. If you like it, I'm happy that you like it.

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    4. The Oscars is an insight into how the "in crowd" of Hollywood think not a reflection of any sort of quality.
      Although there were some great movies this year, of which I need to see much more of.
      F The Oscars.

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  4. I'm totally with you on being excited for Gone Girl, Jupiter Ascending, Enemy and Interstellar, Adam. These are several of my most anticipated movies of 2014, too, and movies by directors from whom I would probably watch just about anything.

    Regarding 22 Jump Street, I'm most definitely hopeful and looking forward to it, but in all liklihood, it will just suffer the same fate of being inferior to the original that all other comedy sequels do. I don't think I've even seen the trailer yet, but it doesn't sound good.

    Also, Heath, the Lego Movie doesn't appeal to you, huh? I feel as though it looks like it has the potential to be one of the funnier movies of the year. :-\

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    1. I've seen no trailers. In fact, I've seen almost nothing from it. But truth be told, LEGO animation makes me a little queasy. I can't explain it. I'm open to it, though. And I'll watch it with a plastic bag, just in case I need to honk.

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    2. I would check out the trailer if you have a chance. I guess for me, Will Arnett doing the voice of Lego Batman, plus the movie being written and directed by the guys who did 21 Jump Street, are two big reasons the movie has my attention and excitement. It looks hilarious to me.

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    3. Okay, I watched the trailer (just for you). It's cool, and it looks fine. I didn't wet myself, but the night is young. I will say, it looks funnier than I expected a family-aimed movie to be these days. Cut to a few months from now when I'm wearing a LEGO movie t-shirt and building the Millenium Falcon out of little bricks.

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    4. Heh, thank you for humoring me. As I said, I just feel like it has potential with the talent behind it, and the trailer did make me laugh and say "that looks awesome!" We shall see if that was the correct response fairly soon!

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  5. Nice back and forth, quick discussion of things which emulates how I idealize my interactions with movie friends. However, you committed a little peeve of mine. Instead of discussing the anticipated quality of Guardians of the Galaxy, you just predicted it would bomb. Come on! Do you think it will be good? Do you want to see it? Adam said he wanted to, but what about you, Heath?

    In addition, you predicted it was too weird, but then later said that odd movies would be appreciated (in reference to Dracula Untold). Goofy superhero comedy to burst the serious bubble after all the blockbusters that came before? Seems plausible.

    I'm pulling for anything the Wachowski's do as well. They take risks and make interesting movies.

    Lastly, what does Adam mean when he says "goodbye to Shia" in reference to Nymphomaniac? Think this movie will be his last gasp as a legit actor?

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    1. Thanks for the comment. I actually really want to see Nymphomaniac because even when he's not good (e.g. Manderlay), Von Trier movie's are so nuts that they're worth watching.

      RE: Shia, if I'm holding him to his word, he's retired from public life so he's not acting anymore I assume?

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    2. Hm, I'm not up on my Shia news I guess. Agreed about Von Trier, although the running time of Nymphomaniac does make me cringe a little. Four hours of discomfort, awkward sex, and weirdness ...

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    3. I didn't take his statement about retiring from public life to be that he was not going to act anymore, but maybe that's exactly what he means. Is it wrong that I hope it is?

      He also could have meant that he was retiring from his boy band, Public Life.

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  6. Okay, about Guardians of the Galaxy...the end of Thor 2 left me in abject horror. But it has Vin Diesel and a killer raccoon...so...I'm willing to give it a shot. It's outside my comfort zone, that's all. But it's those movies outside my comfort zone that usually surprise me. So looking at it that way, Guardians of the Galaxy could be my favorite movie of the year. I just expect absolutely nothing from it. Maybe that's a good thing. I hope it is indeed goofy superhero fun. But I assure you that I will go into it open minded.

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    1. The James Gunn factor is the main selling point for me. Im interested but keeping my expectations in check.

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  7. Main prediction for me is Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
    I love Rise despite its many flaws, and with Oldman on board I think its already on track to be an improvement. I just hope they keep the Apes' emotional arc as tight as the first.

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    1. I hope they spend more money on the F/X or make it more practical. The thing that held me back from liking 'Rise' was how cartoonish the apes were when they were in wide shots, moving around. In close-up they were great.

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    2. Oh really? I got sucked in completely.
      My fear though is that Dawn will have inferior F/X due to a shorter production schedule, which was the reason the original director left. Fingers crossed.

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  8. Nice talk Adam and Heath, wanted to chime in with my own thoughts...

    Best Superhero movie: I;m actually going against you guys and think Guardians of the Galaxy will BE the best movie even if it doesn't do the best numbers wise, its got a concept that seems a bit more out there and fun. As for numbers wise the power of Captain America Winter Soldier will reign supreme, I can just imagine the clueless theatregoer "Uh yes 2 for Captain Winter please"

    BTW F Spiderman 2, I am not going to see it but I hope there aren't too many lines like "Your in for a real shock!!" and "Take a look at the power bill"

    Also the Robocop trailer has become a joke between my girlfriend and me "Honey you don't have the boxset of Short Circuit, what are you robophobic?"

    Also is the Raid 2 really 148 minutes, if its even half of the last movie's level of badassery thats spectacular. Also Need for Speed looks pretty great and by all reports is refreshingly full of practical effects, as long as I can tell what's going on that's really what I need.

    Also I am with Heath on Expendables 3, and something in my gut tells me this is the one they nail completely, having a fresh director on set gives me hope for this one.

    Last thing, did we really need a Mr Peabody and Sherman movie? For those of you with kids do ANY of your kids even see those cartoons? If you want to make a movie out of an old cartoon series can't we do Mr. T instead, I am sure the studio could afford the paycheck, come on who here doesn't want to see Mr T and his gymanstic team take down a crime syndicate on the BIG SCREEN?!

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    1. We still watch Rocky and Bullwinkle in my house, so my step-daughter knows who Mr. Peabody and Sherman are, and likes that segment from the cartoon. But she has expressed no interest in the new movie. Also, we watch tons of older stuff in our house (my step-daughter loves Charlie Chaplin and I Love Lucy) but I know we're not the status quo. I have no idea who this new movie is for, unless they're trying to re-introduce it to a new generation.

      I'd be totally on board with a Mr. T. movie. Then they could bring back that breakfast cereal as a tie-in.

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  9. One quick thing, I will try and stop saying "Also" so much, that's just bad writing.

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  10. I’m surprised Heath didn’t mention The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 as one of the highest grossing movies for 2014. Just last week Catching Fire passed Iron Man 3 to be the #1 of 2013. The general consensus is everybody liked it more than the original so I can see Mockingjay having a fanbase that will get it close to one of those $200 million Avengers-like opening weekends. The Hunger Games movies appeal to a lot of demographics and even a cynical jerk like me in his mid-30’s. Outside of some bad buzz or having the lousy 3rd movie curse, Mockingjay will at least be in the top five at the box office for the year.

    Like Heath, I also give Guardians of the Galaxy a shot for the same reasons & it has one of my favorite pro wrestlers in Dave Bautista. He was actually good in his small role in Riddick.

    I’ll be there on the opening weekend for The Raid 2 but I can’t see it having the non-stop intensity & energy of the original at 148 minutes!

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    1. Wow, I didn't realize Catching Fire was doing so well. Worth noting that it is #1 just in the US whereas it's #3 worldwide behind Iron Man 3 and Despicable Me 2. I agree that Mockingjay should be near the top next year, but how do these Part 1 of 2 final movies go? Harry Potter 7 p1 was actually down slightly compared to HP6 (down domestically - up internationally) and p2 was the big money maker. I'm too lazy to look up other examples, so I'll just muse that Mockingjay won't be as monstrous as expected as people will wait for part 2 to come out in droves.

      Not sure if I'll get tempted back into the theater again, though. I didn't really like Catching Fire. Perhaps if a lady friend asks me ...

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  11. Great call on the similarity between Doctor Who and Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Heath. When I tried to explain the old Rocky & Bullwinkle segment to my friend, he said, "oh, so it's Dogtor Who?" Had never thought of it like that until he said it; though, in fairness to MP&S, it predates Doctor Who by a few years.

    I'm willing to give anything animated with Patrick Warburton's voice a shot. Cautiously optimistic for that movie.

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    1. I'm down with Warburton in almost anything, too. And good call on the timeline of Mr. Peabody totally beating Doctor Who. Cuz it did.

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