The 2015 "Spy Craze" is ON...dear Bond laddies ;-)

145791014

Comments

  • Posts: 4,622
    I am looking forward to Spy. Looks entertaining.
    Not very interested in the Hanks film.Looks preachy but most of his serious movies are.
    To borrow from @Murdock.Looks like a library rental.
  • Posts: 686
    Summer Box Office Stumbles: Can ‘Jurassic World’ Save the Day? http://variety.com/2015/film/news/summer-box-office-jurassic-world-1201514112/
  • edited June 2015 Posts: 11,119
    Perdogg wrote: »
    Summer Box Office Stumbles: Can ‘Jurassic World’ Save the Day? http://variety.com/2015/film/news/summer-box-office-jurassic-world-1201514112/

    It's just way too early to say that the summer box office is stumbling. It's not even summer yet.

    But already two big movies have passed the $1.3 Billion Dollar global box office mark: "Furious 7" and "Avengers 2", which is quite an achievement.

    Also, it was predicted that May would be a slightly slower month with regard to box office returns.

    But now wait for the next wave of box office blasts. "Minions", "Jurassic World", "Inside-Out", "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation", "Ant-Man" and "Pixels" for instance. Of which the first two could very well be the 3rd and 4th movie to break the global $1 Billion box office mark.

    So there are absolutely no disappointments at this stage in box office returns. All predictions seem to become reality.


  • Posts: 686
    Perdogg wrote: »
    Summer Box Office Stumbles: Can ‘Jurassic World’ Save the Day? http://variety.com/2015/film/news/summer-box-office-jurassic-world-1201514112/

    It's just way too early to say that the summer box office is stumbling. It's not even summer yet.

    But already two big movies have passed the $1.3 Billion Dollar global box office mark: "Furious 7" and "Avengers 2", which is quite an achievement.

    Also, it was predicted that May would be a slightly slower month with regard to box office returns.

    But now wait for the next wave of box office blasts. "Minions", "Jurassic World", "Inside-Out", "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation", "Ant-Man" and "Pixels" for instance. Of which the first two could very well be the 3rd and 4th movie to break the global $1 Billion box office mark.

    So there are absolutely no disappointments at this stage in box office returns. All predictions seem to become reality.


    It is consider the summer in the US; From US Memorial day to US Labor day. The Summer movie season in the US starts the 4 weekend in May.
  • Posts: 11,119
    For that reason, I'm very interested to see what these six movies will do during this summer. I expect "Minions" and "Jurassic World" to accompany "Furious 7" and "Avengers 2" as 1-Billion-Dollar-family-members.:

    "Minions"
    "Jurassic World"
    "Inside-Out"
    "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation"
    "Ant-Man"
    "Pixels"

  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Chaps, allow me to submit my report on Spy. I've seen it, and the thing is, you never have to take it seriously and just expect some laughs out of it. Cutting to the chase, I enjoyed it a lot. It has a few plot twists, definitely wonderful aspects, and the first time, I've got to say, I actually liked Melissa McCarthy in a role. The funniest character in it, though, despite thinking he's being serious while he isn't, was Jason Statham. An overtly self-confident superspy who doesn't really have much of a role in it despite receiving the second top billing. Jude Law's role was also great, sort of parodying the generic Bond character, and he was really good at it, I've got to tell you. Rose Byrne, as a villainess, yet somewhat a second-rate antagonist left me speechless.

    Worth watching, fellas.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,341
    Not as supportive as @ClarkDevlin I do concur with his view that the film is worth going to. I did enjoy it, and indeed, Jason is the best thing in it. The plot is, indeed, more stable then you'd expect, with two proper twists that do fit in completely. I can imagine why people find Melissa McCarthy annoying and for those, you'll probably still find that at times, but the rest of the film more than makes up for it.
    And Rose Byrne sure does make up for that. As does another girl, who's name I forgot to check on the titles as they had some interesting descriptions there too. So it's worth sitting it all out. Yes, it is a fun movie to go to, even if it may/may not be a LOL film. (It wasn't for me).
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I'll probably check it out tomorrow (I'll admit to being a bit nervous - as I never thought I'd pay money to see McCarthy on the big screen). Will report back once done, hopefully favourably.
  • Posts: 686
    bondjames wrote: »
    I'll probably check it out tomorrow (I'll admit to being a bit nervous - as I never thought I'd pay money to see McCarthy on the big screen). Will report back once done, hopefully favourably.

    I guess a big screen is needed to see her. :)) I don't find her a bit amusing.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Those who have seen the film, did Jason Statham actually play a character who was a reminiscent of Sterling Archer? They definitely have shared similar attitudes.
  • Posts: 1,871
    Archer?...................... Statham is almost a carbon copy of Maxwell Smart. Envisions himself as the worlds top spy but is a complete bumbler. The only difference is that Max actually did win the day through his bumbling.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    delfloria wrote: »
    Archer?...................... Statham is almost a carbon copy of Maxwell Smart. Envisions himself as the worlds top spy but is a complete bumbler. The only difference is that Max actually did win the day through his bumbling.

    I'll second that. Just saw it and enjoyed it. I can't say it's fantastic or anything, but I certainly had more fun in the theatre than I did during Kingsman (which I also enjoyed, but was somewhat uncomfortable with).

    SPY starts off very well. Somewhere in the middle McCarthy gets a little crude with her jokes but the tone was still acceptable (I've never really seen any of her movies, so don't know if this is her shtick). Also, three things surprised me during the film:

    1. Rose Byrne was just as crude as McCarthy. She was a hoot
    2. Miranda Hart cracked me up
    3. I heard more women laughing during the crude bits than men

    Definitely recommended.

    One thing that came to mind while watching this.......we can never go back to the larger than life, overblown Bonds. If we did, it would be ripped to shreds by the imitator crew, who are getting better and better. I found myself actually looking forward to the darker, noir spy universe that SP is likely to bring in November.
  • Posts: 725
    Saw Spy this weekend and was very surprised about the plot. It was a genuine spy film, with MM, of all people, playing the hero. It was funny, not hysterically so, but again the real emphasis was on the spy stuff. It was in many ways very much a Bond tribute, as it copied many Bond tropes but I thought done with respect, unlike some other films that are exploiting Bond films sometimes more with ridicule than affection. I thought Rose Byrne was terrific, Statham was funny in his send up of his action work. Law looked like he was trying to audition for Bond. Good luck on that. They have their ensemble cast in play to start a franchise. If you are taking kids, watch out for the crude language, I guess that's what sells for comedies these days. It just seemed unnecessary as the film could have easily succeeded without it.
  • Posts: 11,119
    Sjee, these are busy times for fans of spy movies, wouldn't you say :-P
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    smitty wrote: »
    Saw Spy this weekend and was very surprised about the plot. It was a genuine spy film, with MM, of all people, playing the hero. It was funny, not hysterically so, but again the real emphasis was on the spy stuff. It was in many ways very much a Bond tribute, as it copied many Bond tropes but I thought done with respect, unlike some other films that are exploiting Bond films sometimes more with ridicule than affection. I thought Rose Byrne was terrific, Statham was funny in his send up of his action work. Law looked like he was trying to audition for Bond. Good luck on that. They have their ensemble cast in play to start a franchise. If you are taking kids, watch out for the crude language, I guess that's what sells for comedies these days. It just seemed unnecessary as the film could have easily succeeded without it.
    I guess this one sums up the impression that the film left upon me.
  • Posts: 150
    Just a note on locations in this year's spy films: Kingsman: London, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: London and Italy (Rome included), M:I- Rogue Nation: London, Morocco, Austria, SPECTRE: London, Rome, Austria, Morocco, Mexico. Bond has the most, but the genre's geography this year is rather coincidentally restricted...
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Kingsman also included Argentina, Kentucky/USA as well as Switzerland.
  • Posts: 150
    Kingsman also included Argentina, Kentucky/USA as well as Switzerland.
    thnx @ClarkDevlin, I got the info from IMDB, don't remember the film that well

  • Posts: 1,871
    The latest trailer from U.N.C.L.E.
  • Posts: 11,119
    delfloria wrote: »
    The latest trailer from U.N.C.L.E.

    Shall I be very honest now? I think "The Man From UNCLE" could be a surprise hit for Warner Brothers. Another completely new original film that could earn as much as $500 Million worldwide.

    And in all honesty? I prefer the full trailer of "UNCLE" over the full trailer of "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation". There's this wunderful 1960's vibe with this movie, that makes me look slightly more forward to "UNCLE" than to "Rogue Nation". This will be a must-see for me!
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Well, UNCLE isn't a completely new original film. It's an adaptation of the series created and established by Sam Rolfe. As long as it's based on someone else's work to which the production or the studio doesn't own the intellectual property of, I don't think we could class the material as original.

    But, I do agree for the rest. It's definitely going to be a spectacular movie with an amazing cast. Guy Ritchie hardly disappoints.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Man From Uncle is shaping up nicely, I'll admit that.

    I think $500m is certainly possible. I'm a 60's genre freak, so I'm looking forward to this one quite a lot.
  • Posts: 11,119
    bondjames wrote: »
    Man From Uncle is shaping up nicely, I'll admit that.

    I think $500m is certainly possible. I'm a 60's genre freak, so I'm looking forward to this one quite a lot.

    More so than "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" ;-)?
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    bondjames wrote: »
    Man From Uncle is shaping up nicely, I'll admit that.

    I think $500m is certainly possible. I'm a 60's genre freak, so I'm looking forward to this one quite a lot.

    More so than "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" ;-)?

    That's a tough question @Gustav_Graves. If I'm being honest, I have to say.......well, yes. It's the tailoring, the class, the women, the 60's elegance. I'm a sucker for it every time.

    Don't get me wrong, I will get my action fix from MI5 and am seriously looking forward to that as well, but I sort of know what to expect from it. I find Uncle intriguing because I really don't know how it's going to end up if that makes any sense......there's an element of mystery (no pun intended).
  • Posts: 11,119
    bondjames wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Man From Uncle is shaping up nicely, I'll admit that.

    I think $500m is certainly possible. I'm a 60's genre freak, so I'm looking forward to this one quite a lot.

    More so than "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" ;-)?

    That's a tough question @Gustav_Graves. If I'm being honest, I have to say.......well, yes. It's the tailoring, the class, the women, the 60's elegance. I'm a sucker for it every time.

    Don't get me wrong, I will get my action fix from MI5 and am seriously looking forward to that as well, but I sort of know what to expect from it. I find Uncle intriguing because I really don't know how it's going to end up if that makes any sense......there's an element of mystery (no pun intended).

    Same here. And in this particular case, I could see a surprise hit coming, much like the first "Sherlock Holmes" movie ($525 Million worldwide). And it will play only four weeks after "Rogue Nation". Now this is a scenario that should not entirely favour "Mission: Impossible".
  • Posts: 709
    Same here. And in this particular case, I could see a surprise hit coming, much like the first "Sherlock Holmes" movie ($525 Million worldwide). And it will play only four weeks after "Rogue Nation". Now this is a scenario that should not entirely favour "Mission: Impossible".

    I don't see it happening. First, let me say I'm going to see UNCLE and I'm not dissing the film, but purely from a box office standpoint, I don't see it doing that well. Why?

    -Poor release date. Two weeks after Mission impossible in the US, same day as Straight outta Compton (which will be huge amongst certain sections of the audience), and opening just as the late August box office slump kicks in as kids go back to school/college. You cited Sherlock Holmes, but that was a very different release date - Christmas, where multiple films can, and will, do well at once as families descend en masse to the theatre. UNCLE is opening exactly when families leave the theatres en masse.

    -No stars. I honestly doubt most people could pick Cavill and Hammer out of a lineup or could even tell which one is which. They just aren't box office draws.

    -60s make it a period piece, which is automatically going to turn some people off. You might scoff, but that's the way it is. It's kind of a niche appeal, and teens aren't going to relate.

    -Spy fatigue. This is coming at the tail end of a string of spy movies - Kingsman, Spy, and Mission impossible playing at the same time. Could result in a "Ehh, another one of these?" type reactions. (NB this will not apply to SPECTRE, as the King of the genre!)

    I think a best case scenario is Bourne legacy numbers (another spy movie that opened in mid-August), it made $276 worldwide.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    You may be right @dinovelvet, although I think Uncle should surpass Bourne Legacy, which didn't get good word of mouth. The 60's perspective/glamour may actually bring in some of the Mad Men crowd (and there are many fans of this genre believe me...I'm not the only one....)

    Ultimately, imho, Man from Uncle is all about establishing the franchise. Like Batman Begins, it is more important that the film critically sets a high standard, rather than do amazingly at the box office, so that they can build from there for the next one and the one after etc. etc.
  • Posts: 11,119
    I heard the same things about "Kingsman" Some here on the forum said the movie should be lucky if it earns an 'OK' $250 Million. Mostly due to its lacklustre February premiere month and premiering at exactly the same day as "Fifty Shades Of Grey". Well, we know how "Kingsman" grossed eventually: $405 Million, thanks to strong reviews, a good but not terrific cast and strong holdover.
  • Posts: 709
    I heard the same things about "Kingsman" Some here on the forum said the movie should be lucky if it earns an 'OK' $250 Million. Mostly due to its lacklustre February premiere month and premiering at exactly the same day as "Fifty Shades Of Grey". Well, we know how "Kingsman" grossed eventually: $405 Million, thanks to strong reviews, a good but not terrific cast and strong holdover.

    Kingsman was well received critically (surprisingly so) which certainly helped it. It also had stylish comic book action and a unique idea to it that was easily sellable, that I don't see in UNCLE. I guess this brings up another potential strike against UNCLE - it has no unique hook, really.

    Kingsman had the idea of a street kid becoming a Bond style agent. That's a hook.
    Spy had a fat middle aged woman (humorously, I guess) becoming a Bond style agent. That's a hook.
    MI has Tom Cruise doing huge stunts, with a breathtaking shot of him hanging onto a plane as it takes off. People will show up for that scene alone.

    UNCLE has...what, exactly? Two spies, they're doing some stuff, there's some driving, and Hugh Grant is there for some reason...er...plot? Villain?
    Again, I don't mean to criticize the movie too much, I'm going to see it, but can't really see it breaking out in any way. Reviews will have to be really good.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Uncle has two sexy women in it, and I'm going to see it for that reason, among others. They're my bait, or hook. Hopefully, some pimply faced kids also find that appealing and also come to the theatre :)
Sign In or Register to comment.