While Tropic Thunder collects great reviews and knocks The Dark Knight from the top of the box office list, something else has occurred ...
Wall-E nosed past Kung Fu Panda for top animation domestic box office bragging rights in 2008.
As of Wednesday, the Wallster had $211,834,786 in the storage unit after 48 days of release, and Panda had $211,577,666 after 69 days. And since the Pixar epic is in more than four times as many theatres as Kung Fu Panda (1803 vs. 408) this margin will increase.
Which flick will ultimately be the most profitable? I sure as hell don't know. (We'll have to wait for foreign totals, won't we?) What I do know is that my great hope that Space Chimps would overtake both of them is (apparently) dead.
So I lose the bet with the seventeen-year-old, and have to buy him the 'Vette he's been eyeballing.*
* Not.
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22 comments:
Kung Fu Panda
Production Budget: $130 million
Wall-e
Production Budget: $180 million
Yesss.
There is that wrinkle, isn't there?
I would give the oscar to Kung Fu Panda, regardless of any monetary result.
...and I would give it to the movie that isn't another formulaic talking animal release. But thats just me, I like films that take risks and further the medium.
KFP is still by far the more profitable film not just domestic but globally. WALL-E has a great first act and technically fantastic but even a die hard pixar fan like myself must admit to the more entertaining film this year as being KFP.
...and I would give it to the movie that isn't another formulaic talking animal release. But thats just me, I like films that take risks and further the medium."
So you didn't see KFP?
I like films that are entertaining and have beauty & heart, which KFP did just as much as the other one. The proof is that Wall-e was promoted wall to wall and got glowing reviews and did very well.
KFP didn't get a tenth of the push but it made just as much money which tells me that it's great by moviegoer's standards: a lot of repeat business and great word of mouth.
Let's face facts: if KFP was made by Pixar-same film-the same people who diss it would love it.
Put it this way: I look forward to the Kung Fu Panda sequel (especially if the leopard comes back and redeems himself. That's the natural next part of the tale IMO). I can't imagine feeling the same eagerness for a second Wall*e. Unless I'm in dire need of another nap. And I'm a great admirer of Pixar. But its last 3 films - Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall*E, have left me dissatisfied as a viewer. I'd like Pixar films to be fun again, not just occasionally awe-inspiring between long stretches of ennui. Speaking of sequels, wasn't there going to be another Incredibles?
Wall-E took more risks than KFP...and failed. Horribly.
The last 2/3rds of the movie are borderline unwatchable. Dreadful, boring, monotonous, utterly lacking in appeal, heart, good pacing, or any reason to care about what was happening onscreen. Only the first 35 minutes were good (and they were very, very good).
So no, Wall-E doesn't deserve the Oscar. It may have reached further, but it didn't succeed. The Oscar deserves to go to the film that actually succeeded on every level, and KFP did just that.
"
Wall-E took more risks than KFP...and failed. Horribly. "
Should I thank you for grossly misrepresenting reality?
Because I'm laughing at you.
Wall*E did JUST AS WELL as KFP, and it took risks. So I like it more. KFP was the same old thing. I did see it, but I didn't have to because Dreamworks will be putting out the exact same movie next summer. Same formula.
Wall*E was dreamed up by an artist. KFP was concocted by a studio executive, and it shows. The story is flawed in that there was plenty of conflict about the characters, many character's motives were never clear, and the resolution comes about with consummate Deus Ex-Machina.
You didn't like Wall*E. Great. I liked it because it was different AND it was entertaining. By reaching further, it did succeed. It certainly didn't have an A-List celebrity like Jack Black to promote it on "Regis and Kelly".
...and out come the Dreamworks cretins.
Wall-E did "just as well". Ok, you're talking financially. I'm talking enjoyment level, succesful story-wise, and entertainment-wise. While KFP may have some mild story flaws, it is solid overall. The reason Wall-E was a disappointment is because it has story flaws you can drive an ocean liner through.
After he leaves Earth, Wall-E ceases to be the main character, and essentially becomes irrelevant to the rest of the film. Instead, the story shifts to the humans, whom we never grow to care about, and who do essentially nothing to resolve their own problem. Combined with endless, monotonous chase scenes, and a love chemistry that never actually blossoms, and you are left with a serious disappointment, certainly by Pixar standards.
I couldn't possibly care less who or what you laugh at. If you think Wall-E as a whole was a terrific story, I can only roll my eyes incredulously at your obviously mis-tuned story sense. And for the record, I don't work at Dreamworks, but rather, their rival.
...and out come the Pixar snobs.
"KFP didn't get a tenth of the push "
What are you joking? Have you had a bag on your head for the last year and a half?
As with all Dreamworks releases, the marketing for KFP was humungous. As big, if not bigger than Wall*E and, like mentioned above, with top notch celebrities to endorse it.
Not for one second do I think "Wall-e" cost $180 million.
But I (and most) do think Wall-e is a far, FAR superior film to Kung Fu Panda. Stronger story, storytelling, characters, and artistry all the way around. It's immersive, vs. Kung Fu's pleasant diversion.
Your right WALL-E didn't cost 180M it cost 234Mil with the reported P&A costs.
That is a really big price tag.
Yes, and Kung Fu Panda cost about the same. At least Wall-e will turn a profit. The film is doing well, the toys are selling like gangbusters. Not too many kungfu panda toys out there.
They're both fine films, but the concensus (worldwide) seems to be that people will still be watching and talking about "Wall-e" for a very long time.
>The last 2/3rds of the movie are borderline unwatchable. Dreadful, boring, monotonous, utterly lacking in appeal, heart, good pacing, or any reason to care about what was happening onscreen.<
Yeah, thanks for writing what I've been thinking...it was almost as if it was a tutorial on "how to waste 40 minutes of screen time"...simply mollify the audience with bright, shiny images"
Too bad this "bait and switch" technique actually works with audiences. Justin, San Jose.
I'm glad they both did well at the BO. It only costs me $8 to go see them no matter what they cost to make. A bargain really.
But KFP had to work harder. It had to make up for BM.
Why is anonymous arguing so vehemently with himself? It is pretty entertaining (at least as entertaining as Gollum's fractured argument with himself), so I'm not complaining.
Another reason why animation should never be looked at as a genre, but rather a medium. The two films are great, but incomparable.
KFP was always going to be more entertaining. Martial arts, comedy, great character designs, you cannot go wrong. And this was marketed hard since last year, this wasn't some indie feature that nobody knew about.
Wall-E had an infinitely more marketable main character than Ratatouille did so people naturally thought Pixar + marketable character = box office gold. Plus, from the commercials, it looked as if Wall-E was going to be a cute robot and a happy story all throughout. When it produced much less than that and people found out it was more serious than a robot just playing with headphones, people started coming out of the woodwork saying it was horrible, boring, etc.
Personally couldn't care less if a movie is a Pixar film or not, but saying that only Pixar snobs liked this is just as insulting as saying only Dreamworks fans hate this. This was a wonderful film which is deserving of any praise it gets. The great thing about the film is that it provoked many different reactions, and just because some personally laughed more watching KFP does not automatically make anybody who liked Wall-E better a snob.
what a sad display this is. the two petulant camps bikering at each other like two spoiled little brats.
Both films had virtues and shortcomings, but both did quite well at the BO.
shame on Pixarians and DW-ians...blah! Oh well, you know what I mean....
R.
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