How to Spend $20
By David Mumpower
June 21, 2011
BoxOfficeProphets.com
For people who want a movie that may remind them of Inception, The Matrix or The Thirteenth Floor (if a person can be reminded of a movie they don’t know): The Adjustment Bureau
While the first quarter of 2011 had a widely rejected slate of new movie offerings, there were still several worthy of some attention. Several of them are coincidentally (?) released this week, making it one of the best batches of new releases in many months if not a year or more.
The Adjustment Bureau is a title that is ostensibly a box office winner (it has earned $125 million worldwide against a $62 million budget) yet it feels like more of a box office disaster averted than a hit. For an imaginative science fiction project with an A-List actor such as Matt Damon, a $62 million domestic performance is something of a missed opportunity. Movie lovers should ignore this aspect of the reputation of the title, because The Adjustment Bureau is a very solid outing. It is simply a film that requires more work than usual on the part of the viewer and what we have seen with 2011 box office ticket sales is that in the war between art and commerce, art is getting its ass kicked. Again.
Given that the readers of BOP are a bit more discriminating in terms of pop culture taste, The Adjustment Bureau is right in your wheelhouse. It is currently fresh at Rotten Tomatoes with 72% of critics giving it the thumbs up. It has also been quite the discussion topic amongst our staff and while not all of us are sold on it, this is definitely a movie we encourage you to watch. If you don’t, you might as well buy a I Heart Fat Suit Comedies t-shirt. Better yet, get a tattoo of Big Momma on your neck.
For people watching with interest the shocking career ascension of Ed Helms: Cedar Rapids
A rite of passage for rising comedians is the small scale indie film that establishes their credibility. Recent examples of this are Will Ferrell’s work in the unheralded but wonderful Winter Passing and Steve Carell’s much more commercially viable outings in Little Miss Sunshine and Dan in Real Life. As we recently chronicled in Monday Morning Quarterback, Helms has startled Hollywood with his celebrated work in the two outings of The Hangover. He has become someone who has earned the right to higher profile acting gigs within the industry and while anyone who says they saw this coming for the bit actor on The Office is lying, it’s a remarkable feat on the whole.
Cedar Rapids is Helms’ small scale indie film that demonstrates he can find the core of a character while still mining the nature of small town America for big laughs. Helms portrays an insurance salesman who is given a primo assignment at a major insurance convention. This happens quickly because the company’s first choice for the assignment pulls a David Carradine. During the course of his preparation and attendance at the convention, Helms’ character learns how the corporate insurance industry works and he also finds some time to work blue a lot himself, which is fitting for a star of The Hangover. Most of the reviews of this film blithely state that Cedar Rapids is not an original concept, but those statements largely miss the point. The plot is just the framework to explore some very funny themes and the universally positive reception of the film (88% fresh among top critics at Rotten Tomatoes) reveals the underlying quality of the film. If Cedar Rapids had not been on your radar before now, it should be from this moment forward. This is one of the best movies of 2011 to date.
For people who know what it’s like to eat the vile cheese: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
The sequel to the popular boy movie from 2010 suffers from the same fate that so many sequels do. It lacks some of the heart and much of the humor of its predecessor. By this, I mean that while Diary of a Wimpy Kid is at its core one of the best representations of what it’s like to be a boy, Rodrick Rules is more of the same. It does not distinguish itself enough to create a memorable individual perception away from the first title. The end result is that Rodrick Rules was not as well reviewed, it did not earn as much at the box office and it will not be as positively remembered as the original. Still, it earned more than enough at the box office to justify further sequels, ones that will hopefully stand on their own merits more than Rodrick Rules. Of course, if you have a pre-teen boy, none of the above matters. If he has not seen the movie already, he will want to do so and even if he has, he will probably want to own the discs. Wimpy is in right now.
For people who remember to take deep breaths before saying long winded movie titles: HappyThankYouMorePlease
This former Sundance selection is more interesting due to its talent than its premise. The production synopsis describes this as “a group of 20-something New Yorkers struggling to figure out themselves”. The matrimonial hijinks of one of them meeting the future mother of their children may or may not be involved for this Josh Radnor vanity project, but if you can get past the fact that he seems to be making movies out of recycled How I Met Your Mother scripts, there is a lot of positive here. The cast is headlined by twin goddesses of love Malin Akerman (Watchmen) and Kate Mara (127 Hours) with Tony Hale (Arrested Development) and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) also onboard. As far as indie films go, this has one of the best casts in recent memory, which is enough for me to give it a shot. Your mileage may vary, especially if you are sick and tired of CBS jerking you around on the identity of the mother.
For people who prefer the older model of Taylor Lautner: The Eagle
Channing Tatum’s abs get transported by the second century in order to allow him to fight some sort of 300-ish war. He portrays a member of the Roman legion who is designated for assignment in Britain and this presumably causes him to move in slow motion and glisten sweat in his armor at several points and he probably goes topless more often than the less muscular average soldier of the era. The Eagle was a box office disappointment, failing to earn back its modest $25 million budget in domestic release. It’s also not particularly well reviewed, making this a project that is more popular with people who want to sexualize Channing Tatum than those who want quality movie fare. Still, if you are on the fence about this one, I should note that director Kevin Macdonald’s two most recent movies are The Last King of Scotland and State of Play. He has earned a certain amount of trust from me due to the top notch quality of both films, each of which made my top 10 for their year of release.
Pick of the week:
For people who like it when family members of Liam Neeson get Taken: Unknown
Okay, I don’t know for sure this is what happens in Unknown since the plot is unknowable. What we all know from watching the lead-up to the release of this movie is that the producers all but begged for people to consider this to be a de facto sequel to Taken. While the results were not quite as dramatic as was possible, audiences did demonstrate a willingness to give Neeson further respect as an action hero. Unknown earned a solid $63.9 million domestically and an even more impressive $135 million worldwide. That’s a tremendous take for a $40 million budget, meaning that Neeson has established himself as the best aging action star since Sean Connery. He’s having the career that Harrison Ford stopped having in the period between Air Force One and the fourth Indiana Jones film. Neeson’s recent resurgence as a box office draw is one of the most heartening stories I have chronicled during my dozen years covering the industry. He is legitimately in the conversation for best thespian in the world and now he’s an action hero to boot. It’s unfortunate that most of this happened after the untimely death of his wife, Natasha Richardson, whose skiing accident occurred right as Taken was exploding in popularity.
New releases for the week of June 21, 2011
DVD:
42nd Street: River to River
The Adjustment Bureau (DVD +)
The Adjustment Bureau (Widescreen)
Agatha Christie's Marple: Pale Horse
Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 5
Albino Alligator
Alphonso Bow
American Flag
Armitage: Movie Collection Armitage 111
Beautiful Girls
Bedways
Bending all the Rules
Beneath Loch Ness
Beowulf
The Best of Cheaters: Volume 1 (Uncensored)
Best Of Cheaters: Volume 2 (Uncensored)
Best Of Cheaters: Volume 3 (Uncensored)
Best of Cheaters: Volume 4 (Uncensored)
Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume Two
Black Rat
Bleach Box Set 9 (Uncut)
Blue Gender Collection / Warrior Movie Classic (Set)
Bob Dylan: Revealed
Bob Ross Joy of Painting Series: Lakes
Bob Ross Joy of Painting Series: Mountains
Born Innocent
Bunnyman
Cedar Rapids (Special Edition)
Cedar Rapids (Special Edition)
Cedar Rapids (Rental)
Cedar Rapids (Rental)
Ceremony (Widescreen)
Ceremony
Charlie Sheen: Born To Be Wild
Cheatin' Hearts
The Chi-Lites: Live in Norfolk 2005
The Closer: The Complete Sixth Season
Destination Inner Space
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Back-To-Back)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (DVD +)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Rental)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Side-By-Side)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Rental)
Ding Dong Dead
Dizzy Gillespie: In Redondo
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Drop: Live Action Movie (DVD +)
The Eagle (Unrated)
The Eagle (Unrated)
Eclipse Series 27: Raffaello Matarazzos Runaway Me
El Capo Part 1 (Spanish)
Elektra Luxx
Elvis Costello Spectacle: Season Two
Elvis Costello Spectacle: Season Two
Face Of The Screaming Werewolf
Family
Four Rooms
Four Tops: Live in Las Vegas
Frontline: Football High
Full Frontal
Ghost In The Shell: Individual Eleven
Ghost In The Shell: Solid State Society
Ghost In The Shell: The Laughing Man
Girls Next Door UK: Babes, Bombshells & Hotties
Glory Daze
Grand Champion
Growth
HappyThankYouMorePlease
HappyThankYouMorePlease
Harvest
Here
Hip Hop's Power Couple: Jay Z & Beyonce
An Ideal Husband
The Island
Jillian Michaels: Get Fit & Fab
Johnny Thunders: What About Me? (Special Edition)
Just Write
Kanokon: The Complete Series
Keith Lowell Jenson: Double Plus Good
Kekkaishi Set 1
The Kid
Killer Stories: Crime of Torture & Horror
The Killing Machine
Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion Collection)
Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion Collection)
Larry Carlton & Sapphire Blues Band: Paris Concert
Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto: Live 2010
Lawn Boy
The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci
Louie: The Complete First Season (DVD +)
Louie: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray +)
Magical Witch Punie-Chan (Special Edition)
The Medallion
Medium: The Complete Series (Set)
Medium: The Final Season
Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (Widescreen)
Mega Python vs. Gatoroid
Mike Stern: Paris Concert
Miles Davis: Live at Montreux Highlights
The Minority
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Part 1
Monte Carlo
Muammar El-Qaddafi: King of Kings
Neil Young: Here We Are In The Years
Nickelodeon Big Box of Play Dates Vol. 2
Nickelodeon Favorites: Summer Vacation
Nona Hendryx: What's On Your Plate?
Off the Lip (R Rated Version)
One World Tour Europe
Paranormal Planet: Psychics & Supernatural
Phil Tarver: Place of Worship
Playing House
Poison (20th Anniversary Edition)
Porij Neoplasm
Priest Of Love
Priest Of Love
Prime of Your Life
Psycho Holocaust
Queenie
R&B's Lost Souls: Aaliyah & Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
Radiohead: Arms & Legs The Story So Far
Rap Sucks
Restoration
The Rig
Rio Conchos / Take A Hard Ride (Double Feature)
Rocko's Modern Life: Season One
The Romantic Englishwoman
The Romantic Englishwoman
Scenic Routes Around The World: Africa (DVD +)
Scenic Routes Around The World: Asia (DVD +)
Scenic Routes Around The World: Complete Series (Boxed Set)
Scenic Routes Around The World: Europe (DVD +)
Scenic Routes Around The World: Far East (DVD +)
Scenic Routes Around The World: South America (DVD +)
Scenic Routes Around The World: The Pacific (DVD +)
Sins
Split Estate
Squidbillies: Volume 4
Stonehenge Apocalypse
Stylistics Stylistics: Live In Norfolk 2005
Submarine: Hidden Hunter
Sunrise Earth: Greatest Hits East/West
Swedish Midsummer Sex Comedy
The Tell-Tale Heart / The Oval Portrait (Double Feature)
The Thorn Birds: The Complete Collection (Back-To-Back)
TNA: Lockdown 2011
Ultimate Death Match III
Under the Hammer
Unknown
Unknown
Van Von Hunter: Live Action Movie
Visioneers
Weapons Races: The History of Modern Warfare
White Zombie
William & Kate
Willie & the Poor Boys
Wired (Widescreen)
The Women in Cages Collection (Triple Feature)
WWE: Over the Limit 2011
WWE: Over the Limit 2011
Yesspeak: Yes 35th Anniversary (2 Disc Collector's Edition)
You Got Served: Beat the World
You Got Served: Beat the World (Widescreen)
You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle Collection 3 (Set)
Blu-Ray:
The Adjustment Bureau
Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 5
Bob Dylan: Revealed
Cedar Rapids
Ceremony
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Drop: Live Action Movie
The Eagle
Elvis Costello Spectacle: Season Two
Ghost In The Shell: Individual Eleven
Ghost In The Shell: Solid State Society
Ghost In The Shell: The Laughing Man
Growth
HappyThankYouMorePlease
The Island
The Killing Machine
Kiss Me Deadly
Louie: The Complete First Season
The Medallion
Mega Python vs. Gatoroid
Priest Of Love
The Rig
The Romantic Englishwoman
Scenic Routes Around The World: Africa
Scenic Routes Around The World: Asia
Scenic Routes Around The World: Europe
Scenic Routes Around The World: Far East
Scenic Routes Around The World: South America
Scenic Routes Around The World: The Pacific
Stonehenge Apocalypse
Unknown
WWE: Over the Limit 2011
You Got Served: Beat the World