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Someone's probably getting something repo'd, anyway.

Kim Hollis: Repo Men, a dystopian sci-fi thriller starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker, bombed with $6.1 million. Why do you think this one failed?

Josh Spiegel: Though I'm sure there are many factors (including this one: does Forest Whitaker's presence alongside Jude Law - an actor I like, mind you - scream must-see to anyone?), this is the big one for me: I had almost no idea what this movie was about. For the last couple of months, I saw a poster for this movie at most theaters, but the ads gave nothing away. Sometimes, sure, that strategy works for a movie. Unfortunately, Repo Men didn't seem like a movie whose content deserved the give-nothing-away advertising. What's more, once the ads started giving away some plot, all the movie seemed like was a dark comedy of...some kind. Blame the marketing.

Michael Lynderey: The trailers were okay, but there's nothing about this film that jumps out and really grabs you - or at least, not enough to overcome the lack of strong box office draws, the generally unenthused reviewers, and the oversaturation of depressing futuristic science fiction (at an absolutely inexplicable $93 million, Book of Eli may have really emptied the piggy-bank on that one). I feel for Forest Whitaker, though - here's a guy who got two fairly visible roles in the span of two weeks, but they both opened with basically the same blah-inducing number.

Daron Aldridge: The absence of marketing is my scapegoat because I think that there is enough of a hook/twist on the story that was left too ambiguous. If this one had been a bit more clearly sold to potential viewers then they might have been able to wring out enough to put the opening weekend into eight figures. Similar to my previous assessment of Aniston, aside from Sherlock Holmes and Cold Mountain, Jude Law's films vastly underperform when he has a prominent or lead part. While I enjoy his performances typically, audiences just don't clamor for the next Jude Law film they way the studios would like. I second your sympathy for Forest, Michael. It makes me sad.





Jim Van Nest: I think I missed the marketing for this one. I saw a couple of commercials, but only a few days before the film opened. I asked a bunch of people I know and only a few of them have even heard of this movie. Hard to sell out a theater when no one knows it's there.

Reagen Sulewski: I have to concur with those who say the "what the hell is this about?" factor was high with this one. Universal seemed to be utterly at a loss as to how to sell this, and tonally it was all over the place. Stringing random images and actors saying declarative sentences is no way to sell a high-concept movie.

Jason Lee: Agree with Reagen. There is no possible way to A) explain B) sell this movie in 30 seconds. No wonder people stayed away.

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