Box Office Review: May 2012

This summer's blockbuster season definitely started out with a series of hits and misses.  However, the total domestic box office gross for the month will end up just north of $1 billion, potentially passing May 2009 to become the second highest grossing May of all time.

What worked:

The Avengers.
With a domestic gross of $527 million and a worldwide total of $1.3 billion, this is easily the biggest success story of the month, and also the year so far. Avengers' gross has made 2012 the first year to possibly out-gross 2009, currently the highest grossing year of all time.  Also thrown in are a handful of all time records and the potential to dethrone Titanic as the second-highest domestic gross of all time.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
The perfect counterprogramming to Avengers.  This quirky geriatric British comedy dominated in limited release, making $10 million in three weeks.  Factor in the recent nationwide expansion, which has already brought the film to $20 million, and this could potentially reach $40 million or more before its run ends.

Moonrise Kingdom.
Wes Anderson's newest film broke the record for best limited indie opening by grossing over half a million dollars.  Will that be enough of a push to help this become Anderson's highest grossing film?  I think so, but we won't know for sure until its currently unscheduled nationwide release.

What didn't:

Battleship.
The second $200 million flop of the year.  It is somewhat redeemed by its foreign haul, but domestically it just couldn't compete with fellow alien action films Avengers and MIB3.

Dark Shadows.
Burton and Depp's most recent collaboration made nowhere near as much Alice in Wonderland's impressive domestic haul of $334 million and has only passed its $150 million budget thanks to a decent foreign gross.  However, it could have done much worse considering that it opened in the shadow of Avengers.

Honorable mentions:

Men in Black 3.
Although MIB3 had the highest opening weekend of its franchise, it should have made much more than $69 million due to the combination of being Will Smith's first film in four years, the third film of a successful franchise (the first two films grossed a total $440 million domestically), and the film with the widest release during the four day holiday weekend.  What's most impressive is the film's foreign opening weekend of $130 million.


Think Like A Man.
Think was released in April, but the $12 million dollar film grossed $27 million in May, outgrossing Wrath of the Titans while approaching a final gross of $90 million.



 

Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows (2012)
Directed by Tim Burton

In its opening weekend, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's eighth collaboration made only $29 million, which makes it the eleventh biggest opening weekend of 2012.  In its defense, not even a Norse god can stand up to the Avengers.  Any chance of Shadows making a profit on its $150 million budget was swallowed up by Disney's fifth billion dollar film.

I haven't seen its source material, but Burton's film, especially the performances in it, does a good job of evoking the style of a 70's cult classic.  The film is cheesy, over the top, and funny.  Depp expertly channels the essence of the vampire-out-of-water, yet is able to maintain his humanity through his onscreen chemistry with all of the adult female characters.  That man is a ladykiller, even after being dead for 196 years.  How does he do it?

However, I found part of the performances to be quite distracting.  I will preface this by saying that I adore Helena and Eva, but their American accents left much to be desired.  Beyond this fact, the performances were spot on, even though the camp was so thick you could smell it.

The final word: If you're a big fan of Tim Burton you've probably already seen it.  If you aren't you should be, so catch a matinee showing for a fun time and some good laughs.

3 out of 5 stars.
Viewed May 15, 2012 at Mt. Pleasant Cinema 6.

May 2012 Preview!

Here is a quick list of the films I plan to see in the month of May:

The Avengers
Duh.  We already have tickets to see the midnight release.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Sounds a little odd, but check out the trailer.  Maggie Smith, Judi Dench,  Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and the kid from Slumdog Millionaire star in a quirky British comedy.  What more could you want?

Dark Shadows
Burton + Depp = almost every good film ever made.  Amiright?

Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson. Need I say more? 

Fish Tank and Melancholia
Two films I missed out on during their theatrical releases which are now on Netflix.
One tells the story of an angry teenaged Londoner who treats the world the same way it treats her.  Co-starring Michael Fassbender and a horse (insert inappropriate joke here).
The other tells the story of an angry woman whose wedding day gets overshadowed by the end of days.  Not your typical angry bride film though, as it is directed by the previously mentioned Lars von Trier.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Yes I saw it in the theater, but I've been needing to practice being patient.  And Gary Oldman should win the Best Badass in Glasses Oscar every year.

That's about all that I can think of for now.
Have a suggestion of a film for me to watch? Please share below!