This weekend is all about second chances, with two tarnished movie names seeking just a little bit of box-office redemption. The results don’t seem all that hard to predict….
* As noted by our own Jason Zingale, the rebooted “The Incredible Hulk” was marked by back stage power struggles, not a new phenomenon when actor and semi-inevitable pseudonymous co-screenwriter Edward Norton is involved in a production. Still, from the sound of things, the film will be a hit. While Norton has admitted to fighting Marvel Studios on behalf of his and director Louis Leterrier’s somewhat longer original cut of the film, it sounds now as if that fuss will only add to the film’s commercial potential when the inevitable DVD director’s/star’s cut makes it way to your local big-box outlet just in time for a big green Christmas. The second film from the now self-contained superhero filmmaking outfit really does look like another box-office winner, turning the financial frowns generated by Ang Lee’s uneven “The Hulk” upside down.
Specifically, while reviews don’t drive superhero flicks, good ones certainly didn’t hurt “Iron Man.” In this case, the positive response is likely somewhat boosted by low expectations — generated not only by the prior film, but also by the fact that director Leterrier is no critical fave. Most critics seem pleasantly surprised, but make a point of emphasizing that “The Incredible Hulk” is not quite up to the same level of quality of director as Jon Favreau’s likably character-driven superhero hit — A.O. Scott calls this “the Adequate Hulk” and Robert Wilonsky, a bit more positive deems it “the Pretty Good Hulk.” (The headline writer came up with “The Not-Terrible Hulk.”) Nevertheless, between the reviews and the studio tracking reported by Variety, the film clearly appears to be a more than acceptable means of separating fanboys and more general audiences from their entertainment dollars, while generating interest in a later DVD purchase — or two. All in all, it spells good times for Marvel Studios and Big Greenie.
* Fiscal redemption may be a lot harder to come by for this weekend’s other major new release, “The Happening,” in which people spontaneously off themselves for reasons unknown. The newest film from the most famous director ever with an unpronounceable/unspellable name, acclaimed tyro writer-director turned critical punching bag M. Night Shyamalan, stands unreviewed by Bullz-Eye, though from what the mighty Tomatometer tells us, it sounds like our critics might not be missing much. On the other hand, Manohla Dargis finally persuades me she really is as good a writer as my fellow cinephiles say she is, with her spirited, if qualified, defense and this crackerjack doozy of an opening graph:
The knives had been out and sharpened long before M. Night Shyamalan’s latest movie, “The Happening,” opened on Friday. A fine craftsman with aspirations to the canon, this would-be auteur has, in the last few years, experienced a sensational fall from critical and commercial grace, partly through his own doing — by making bad movies and then, even after those movies failed, by continuing to feed his ego publicly — and partly through the entertainment media that, once they smell weakness, will always bite the hand they once slathered in drool.
Accurately stated, I fear, when it comes to the gentlefolk of the press. As for audiences, while the still rising star of Mark Wahlberg and the genuine appeal of costars John Leguizamo and the usually wonderful Zooey Deschanel (not so much here, says Dargis and every other review I looked at) won’t hurt, I’m sixth-sensing another big disappointment here. Certainly, it’s a little strange to hear the studio making a big deal in their advertising about this being Shyamalan’s first R-rated film, as if a little extra blood and maybe an F-word or two was reason enough to plop down $10-15.
It’s a classic case of trying to turn a liability into an asset, but with Shymalan’s brand set as a not quite master of politely old-fashioned thrills and chills, the gorehounds aren’t going to be coming out for this one. Also, there’s the issue of the title and a certain lesser-known hit by the Supremes sure to kill any sense of horror in those who grew up hearing it, which I discuss over at my other blogging home. In any case, there are any number of strong flicks in competition, most especially the well-regarded family-friendly “Kung Fu Panda,” so “The Happening” will be lucky to come in the top 5.
* It’s looking like a quiet Father’s Day weekend in Lake Indiewood, where the men are not always good looking but the reviews are all above average. However, the (so far) 100% Tomatometer latest from the Duplass Brothers looks promising. Their “The Puffy Chair” is one of the cornerstones of the so-called mumblecore movement, and “Baghead” the comedic, semi-horror flick about the indie film biz, debuting in — where else — Austin, Texas — sounds like fun, if only for another chance to see the fetching Greta Gerwig from the controversially low-key “Hannah Takes the Stairs.” Say what you will about the film (which I quite liked but I could imagine hating, if I disliked the sound of neurotic people talking), she’s a cutie.
