Speed Ratings

I thought it would be a cute idea to give lightning fast film reviews. It is kind of like speed dating version film critiquing. I have seen a few movies over the past month.

22 Jump Street
Not as funny as the original. The movie is saved by the excellent facial expressions of Ice Cube and the chemistry between Tatum and Hill. Verdict: Skip This

Maleficent
Visually stunning. Angelina Jolie is a force of nature as the titled character. It was a refreshing and darker take on a classic tale. Verdict: Must See

X-Men: Days of Future Past
I had high expectations and this film delivered. It was everything a summer blockbuster should be-funny, smart and action packed. The best film of the summer so far. Verdict: Must See

Neighbors
Funny and smart. Verdict: Must see

Belle

 Powerful and beautiful. One of the best movies of the year. Verdict: Must see

The Way Way Back
Heartwarming. Absolutely brilliant. Verdict: Rent this

May's Lackluster Performance

I do not believe the movie executives are quite thrilled with how their films are performing at the box office. Each weekend highly anticipated films open with stellar numbers but plummet the following weekend. At this rate none of the films that opened last month will gross more than $250 million at the US box office. What is going on with the movie going public? Are they not satisfied with the films coming at them? Maybe it is the cinemas being saturated with films. That each week, the audience wants to play with the new and shiny toy.  The key to having a successful film is not how you start but how you finish. You want people coming to see your movie weeks after it was released.

Take a look at The Amazing Spider-Man 2 which is a reboot from the highly successful Spider-Man trilogy. I was disappointed with the first film and I had no interest in seeing this sequel. It looks like I was not the only one. Even though it is performing well overseas, Sony can't be happy with its under-performance in the domestic box office. I can't see the film making over $200 million at the US box office. If the number holds up The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will the least successful Spider-Man film Sony has ever released.

Even with strong word of mouth X-Men: Days of Future Past had a steep drop in its second weekend. It is important to note the film has out grossed its predecessor and is tracking higher than Captain America: The Winter Solider. I am a bit disappointed at the numbers but I know the true test will be next weekend. I believe that over the course of the summer X-Men will balance out and finish strong. It has a chance of grossing north of $210 million but I can't foresee it grossing more than $220 million at the domestic box office.

One of the biggest shocks for me was the success of Godzilla. Out of all the films that opened last month it had the biggest opening weekend. I believe its' performance after that is indicative on the word of mouth from viewers. Its' performance these past two weekends have been anything but worthwhile. When the summer has ended, it will be one of the biggest surprises of the summer.

Neighbors and independent films like Chef and Belle have buck against the trend and performed stellar at the box office. It will be interesting to see how Maleficent performs during the course of the summer. It is estimated that the film grossed over $70 million domestic and $100 million international. That is a strong opening weekend but the true test is the second weekend. Will Maleficent have strong legs or will its' gross be front loaded?

Disclaimer: My analysis is based off numbers at Box Office Mojo and Box Office Guru.