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[Ridley327]

I'm not sad that Pacific Rim isn't doing well in the US; the writing has been on the wall for a while now that it didn't have a lot of elements that were going to connect with the average filmgoer. As much as the trailers have underwhelmed, I really don't know if there was a whole lot that they could have spoiled for the film that would really sell the film to them. The film is one huge love letter to certain types of genre filmmaking that don't have a big audience unless it's completely ingrained in our culture, like a Transformers or a Godzilla.

Like others have mentioned, I am sad that this means that it's extremely unlikely that you're going to see a lot of effort in getting these kinds of budgets for original ideas. It's not that Pacific Rim wouldn't be possible with half the budget, but after seeing the final results, I can't imagine it any other way.

On another note, I still have no idea how these Adam Sandler films cost so much fucking money to make; someone in another thread pointed out that That's My Boy cost $70 million, and unless Susan Sarandon and Vanilla Ice are more expensive than I give them credit for, I don't even know where that money went.

 

[jerry113]

It's still doing better than originally projected. Next weekend hopefully will be higher.

 

[ISOM]

Let's be thankful that we had a Pacific Rim in the first place.

As has been said, $180-200m budget, no bankable stars, brand new movie, no previous familiarity with mainstream audience, lesser known director. Whoever greenlit this thing was doing us a favour.

It was never going to do $70m+ in the first weekend. There aren't that many movies (that are not family movies or sequels) that do that these days. The Avengers doesn't count cause that had all the individual characters movies as build up.

And when you don't get that big weekend on the first weekend, there aren't as many people to spread WOM and it just spirals from there. Avatar, Titanic, these movies with massive legs are not of the norm.

Look at Real Steel - i thought that was great, but no one in the mainstream wants robots unless its got a name like Transformers.

Would I have preferred them to trim the budget back to $100m... hell no. We got a great movie and looks like we just have to buy a few more copies on bluray to get a sequel.

Hoping for $150m US and $300m worldwide as best case scenario.

How many times are people going to say that pacific rim failed because of no bankable stars? Did we not just see two movies bomb even though they had reliable blockbuster stars? After Earth(WIll Smith) and Lone Ranger(Johnny Depp), having star actors does not guarantee a hit. This was just a huge failure on the part of PR's advertising. A lot of average people didn't even know what the movie was about a week prior to it's release. Blockbuster movies can succeed without bankable actors and can fail with them, let's get past that talking point.

 

[Gorillaz]

How many times are people going to say that pacific rim failed because of no bankable stars? Did we not just see two movies bomb even though they had reliable blockbuster stars? After Earth(WIll Smith) and Lone Ranger(Johnny Depp), having star actors does not guarantee a hit. This was just a huge failure on the part of PR's advertising. A lot of average people didn't even know what the movie was about a week prior to it's release. Blockbuster movies can succeed without bankable actors and can fail with them, let's get past that talking point.

It failed for a number of reasons

Foggy marketing
No bankable hollywood heartthrob hero that girls will go crazy over
No bankable hollywood heartthrob female that guys will go crazy over
No Love story (this was the killer imo)

IT didn't follow the hollywood love archetype that superhero and other blockbusters basically live and worship. Like what Phoenix mentioned the lack of marketing for females hit it hard.

Personally I'm cool with it because I'm down for new and different films even with shitty marketing , but for the main audience who doesn't go to the movies unless it's a superhero movie,sequel or made by nolan/Cameron/Spielberg they usually are conservative


All I'm saying is and I'll repeat what everyone else said: Just be happy it exist.

 

[comedian]

How did Grown Ups 2 cost 80 million dollars

 

[xValentine]

just saw that Grown Ups 2 has a metacritic score of 20 and a user rating of 2.7 vs PR of 65 and user rating of 7.3 and still managed to get beat.

what is wrong with people?

That majority of people don't give a fuck about ratings and reviews?

 

[ISOM]

It failed for a number of reasons

Foggy marketing
No bankable hollywood heartthrob hero that girls will go crazy over
No bankable hollywood heartthrob female that guys will go crazy over
No Love story (this was the killer imo)

IT didn't follow the hollywood love archetype that superhero and other blockbusters basically live and worship. Like what Phoenix mentioned the lack of marketing for females hit it hard.

Personally I'm cool with it because I'm down for new and different films even with shitty marketing , but for the main audience who doesn't go to the movies unless it's a superhero movie,sequel or made by nolan/Cameron/Spielberg they usually are conservative


All I'm saying is and I'll repeat what everyone else said: Just be happy it exist.

The asian girl and the main lead wasn't a mini love story? I thought it was. As I said though, Pacific Rim was marketed horrible. People did not know what the movie was about a week prior to it's release, that tells me bad advertising.

 

[Oblivion]

No bankable hollywood heartthrob hero that girls will go crazy over

What? Didn't it have Jax from Sons of Anarchy? Dude's totally ripped!

 

[Gorillaz]

How did Grown Ups 2 cost 80 million dollars

you really think all 80 mill went all to the production of the movie?

The asian girl and the main lead wasn't a mini love story? I thought it was. As I said though, Pacific Rim was marketed horrible. People did not know what the movie was about a week prior to it's release, that tells me bad advertising.

What? Didn't it have Jax from Sons of Anarchy? Dude's totally ripped!

Mako was barely pushed in the marketing of the film in the first place and even then it wasn't "in your face" like most films do nowadays. One of the theories of why marketing was weak was also due to Legendary and WB splitting up and this being there last film with them. So not surprised WB was moving it's feet slow with this especially after bombing the airwaves with MoS stuff. Also a movie like this is hard to sell without giving out the good fights

Jax is familar..kind of. This is just my story, but when I saw him I was like "oh yea thats the one dude from that good show". Maybe it's different for people but he isn't silver screen big yet. Soon tho

 

[JJD]

Damn...Guillermo is never going to have a chance to do In the Mountains of Madness...

 

[Amalthea]

Let's see it positive, from now on we'll only get product placement filled sequels of toy- and comic-franchise based movies for ever and ever and ever.
Yay!

Wait...

 

[AdventureRacing]

Perhaps if they were going to rely 100% on foreign audiences to make a profit they shouldn't have made all the other countries robots total shit. That was one of the interesting things to me when the movie came out, the different types of robots from around the world.

Edit: They could have actually pushed that angle. The best robot was from Australia and i was interested to see him in action. In the end you barely even got to see him on screen. Then they picked 2 non aussie actors with terrible accents and made one of them into a huge fucking asshole as well. Not surprised that the movie bombed badly here (not saying that's the only reason).

Let's see it positive, from now on we'll only get product placement filled sequels of toy- and comic-franchise based movies for ever and ever and ever.
Yay!

Wait...

I don't like the lack of variety but a lot of those comic book movies are better than pacific rim. I mean it's not like pacific rim is the height of creativity anyway. You can lament the failure of new ideas and franchises but there are much better examples than this.

 

[Discotheque]

Damn...Guillermo is never going to have a chance to do In the Mountains of Madness...

good. he'd butcher it anyways. i'm sad that pacific rim isn't doing so well but keep the man away from lovecraft. yeah he's a fan of a million different things but it doesn't mean he can handle them well.

 

[timetokill]

My girlfriend wants me to see grown ups 2 with her tomorrow.

Sorry guys

I haven't even seen the first one :lol

Man, if a girl I was dating wanted to see Grown Ups 2 that would be the end of the relationship. No joke. Ain't nobody got time for that. I'll accept watching or taking part in things that aren't my cup of tea as long as they are good on some level. But we're talking about a fucking 7% on RT here.


Anyway, tell her you can't see Grown Ups 2 with her because you haven't seen the first one and you'll be completely lost on the assuredly intricate storyline and clever callback jokes.

 

[JJD]

good. he'd butcher it anyways. i'm sad that pacific rim isn't doing so well but keep the man away from lovecraft. yeah he's a fan of a million different things but it doesn't mean he can handle them well.

I just want a moderately budget, well made Lovecraft film.

Outside of Guillermo I can't think of a single one decent filmmaker interested in adapting his works.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

I am sooooooo glad that this transformers knock off is failing.

Good show for Despicable me and Grown Ups 2.

MOS will not hit $300 confirmed and it is great.

 

[Jimrpg]

How many times are people going to say that pacific rim failed because of no bankable stars? Did we not just see two movies bomb even though they had reliable blockbuster stars? After Earth(WIll Smith) and Lone Ranger(Johnny Depp), having star actors does not guarantee a hit. This was just a huge failure on the part of PR's advertising. A lot of average people didn't even know what the movie was about a week prior to it's release. Blockbuster movies can succeed without bankable actors and can fail with them, let's get past that talking point.

I know what you are saying but having no stars didn't help the mainstream audience particularly when they are searching for reasons to see something on the weekend. I agree with you that the marketing failed. The marketing material really didn't do anything to differentiate this movie to Transformers, and after the last two Transformers stinkers I don't think it won any good will from the mainstream audience.

 

[fallagin]

Dang, that is a crappy box office for pacific rim. Truly a shame.

 

[Jimrpg]

I am sooooooo glad that this transformers knock off is failing.

Good show for Despicable me and Grown Ups 2.

MOS will not hit $300 confirmed and it is great.

Yes because its great when 'good movies' do poorly. Particularly something like PR where there has been pretty good feedback on GAF versus something like the transformers sequels which were really bad and made money cause of the hype.

 

[AdventureRacing]

Yes because its great when 'good movies' do poorly. Particularly something like PR where there has been pretty good feedback on GAF versus something like the transformers sequels which were really bad and made money cause of the hype.

Much better films than PR have performed poorly at the box office. I agree that this is a general concern with cinema but i'm not sure why people are acting like this movie in particular bombing is a big deal.

 

[Toxi]

There are plenty of good movies that are failures.

There certainly aren't many good monster movies that are failures.

I am sooooooo glad that this transformers knock off is failing.

You have a Riddick avatar, so I know you're just messing with us.

 

[timetokill]

Much better films than PR have performed poorly at the box office. I agree that this is a general concern with cinema but i'm not sure why people are acting like this movie in particular bombing is a big deal.

If a great big-budget war film that bombs at the box office, it doesn't mean the end of big-budget war films in general.

After Pacific Rim, do you think a studio is going to greenlight a big budget mecha/kaiju movie anytime soon... or ever?

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

Yes because its great when 'good movies' do poorly. Particularly something like PR where there has been pretty good feedback on GAF versus something like the transformers sequels which were really bad and made money cause of the hype.

Shit movie bombing is always good. Besides since when Gaf is the measure for good movies taste and all.

 

[Jimrpg]

Much better films than PR have performed poorly at the box office. I agree that this is a general concern with cinema but i'm not sure why people are acting like this movie in particular bombing is a big deal.

A lot of people have been saying that they didn't think they would see a movie like this in their lifetime. For these fans its a big deal.

I think its a case of some fans finally getting the movie they deserve but at the same time the box office numbers showing that its really just the fans who have gone out to see the movie on opening weekend so its a big disappointment I suppose.

I mean thinking about it, im imagining someone like the Train Man in Densha Otaku the geek in that Japanese TV series, finally getting the treatment they've so long coveted only to realise that no one else is really on the same wavelength, that is kind of sad.

 

[Jimrpg]

Shit movie bombing is always good. Besides since when Gaf is the measure for good movies taste and all.

but this time I believe in Gaf..... :S

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

I don't see what is so crappy about Despicable Me 2

Some people in this thread need to check their salt levels and stop acting like their personal taste is on a higher plane of existence than everyone else's

Very well said.

 

[Timbuktu]

I mean thinking about it, im imagining someone like the Train Man in Densha Otaku the geek in that Japanese TV series, finally getting the treatment they've so long coveted only to realise that no one else is really on the same wavelength, that is kind of sad.

At the same time, you know that the same people would be devastated if PR did somehow become a big hit and get taken in by the 'mainstream'. It is sorta nice to think that you see value in something most people don't recognise.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Shame. Pacific Rim was pretty fun. Not as fun as The Lone Ranger which is (not quite this year's John Carter) probably the biggest shame so far in terms of box office this year.

FYI Disco - I was on the fence about The Lone Ranger until I saw your impressions a week back, so thank you. I agreed with pretty much everything. Movie was a barrel of fun - especially the last twenty minutes. It also saw Zimmer apparently giving a shit again. Film felt like they made a movie inspired by the opening of The Last Crusade.

 

[ISOM]

I am sooooooo glad that this transformers knock off is failing.

Good show for Despicable me and Grown Ups 2.

MOS will not hit $300 confirmed and it is great.

Transformer knockoff? What?! This movie has nothing to do with transformers other than big robots. A director can't make robots fighting in a movie anymore or it will be a transformer knock is what you are saying?

 

[Toxi]

Shit movie bombing is always good.

Nah, I don't see Grown Ups 2 bombing any time in the future. Maybe the next sequel will be the bomba.

It is sorta nice to think that you see value in something most people don't recognise.

Isn't this the beginning of the path to the hipster side of the force?

Shame. Pacific Rim was pretty fun. Not as fun as The Lone Ranger which is (not quite this year's John Carter) probably the biggest shame so far in terms of box office this year.

FYI Disco - I was on the fence about The Lone Ranger until I saw your impressions a week back, so thank you. I agreed with pretty much everything. Movie was a barrel of fun - especially the last twenty minutes. It also saw Zimmer apparently giving a shit again. Film felt like they made a movie inspired by the opening of The Last Crusade.

I keep hearing these good things about the Lone Ranger and they are tempting me.

I'll go see that stupid film. Hope it's worth it.

 

[ElbowRocket]

To me it doesn't look like PR is bombing at all I mean It sure looks like it will make its budget 3 times over overseas.

For all the haters of PR I have no words to describe my hate for you.

 

[TheWraith]

If a great big-budget war film that bombs at the box office, it doesn't mean the end of big-budget war films in general.

Again, it might not be doing that great at the box office IN THE US. But that doesn't make it at a "bomb".

 

[Bearthgar]

I really wish Pacific Rim had better marketing. Most of my movie watching happens with my wife and it's been a really really tough sell thus far.

 

[Cheebo]

Again, it might not be doing that great at the box office IN THE US. But that doesn't make it at a "bomb".

It isn't doing good overseas either outside of Asia. It outright bombed in Australia. Based on its budget it needs about 400 mil to make a profit. Which it won't get close to hitting.

To me it doesn't look like PR is bombing at all I mean It sure looks like it will make its budget 3 times over overseas.

For all the haters of PR I have no words to describe my hate for you.

3 times overseas? It won't top 200 mil overseas based on how it opened.



People are really in denial about this. We got a great movie, but we aren't getting a sequel. Time to accept it and move on.

 

[wrowa]

I'm just now realizing that Despicable Me 2 is outgrossing Monster University, worldwide even. A Pixar movie beaten by some other CG movie... I always thought that was unthinkable.

 

[AdventureRacing]

I'm just now realizing that Despicable Me 2 is outgrossing Monster University, worldwide even. A Pixar movie beaten by some other CG movie... I always thought that was unthinkable.

Pretty sure this happens all the time. Pixar movies aren't necessarily the highest grossing.

 

[SkyMasterson]

Worst case scenario, we don't get a sequel to PR and Del Toro has to make a Transformers movie to greenlight his next project.

Sounds good to me.

I plan on seeing PR a second time, this time in IMAX 3D and then probably just get the blu-ray(hopefully extended) and just be happy with what we got.

Also, how is the 3D? I heard the fight scenes were all rendered with 3D in mind.

 

[DarkFlow]

Shit movie bombing is always good. Besides since when Gaf is the measure for good movies taste and all.

I have learned to just go the opposite of anything you say.

 

[G-Fex]

Phoenician must be trolling

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Why american moviegoers love Adam Sandler so much? Honestly, it's some kind of abusive relationship?

The sad thing about him is that he's actually talented, or used to be (i.e. Punch-Drunk Love). Sandler's figured out how to make the most amount of money out of the least amount of effort. You kinda have to respect the effectiveness, if nothing else.

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

The good news is that Pacific Rim was Del Toro's largest opening every in front of Hellboy 2!!! That's exciting, right?


Okay, so we won't get a sequel to Pacific Rim. That's okay. The film didn't really need a sequel. Del Toro can still make Hellboy 3 and I'm sure that would get greenlit for half the budget of Pacific Rim.

 

[qindarka]

I'm just now realizing that Despicable Me 2 is outgrossing Monster University, worldwide even. A Pixar movie beaten by some other CG movie... I always thought that was unthinkable.

The Ice Age sequels and Dreamworks movies such as the Madagascar/Shrek/Kung Fu Panda franchises often make equivalent or superior numbers to Pixar films.

The unthinkable will only happen when a WDAS movie earns more money than a Pixar one.

 

[kurahador]

Okay, so we won't get a sequel to Pacific Rim. That's okay. The film didn't really need a sequel. Del Toro can still make Hellboy 3 and I'm sure that would get greenlit for half the budget of Pacific Rim.

Didn't GDT said he need about 160m for Hellboy 3?

 

[Crisco]

Yeah, PRs marketing was awful. Most of my coworkers didn't even know it existed until I told them. Ah well, it'll be a great a demo disc for home theater due to all the night scenes and bass. Should sell great on Blu-ray.

 

[kswiston]

3 times overseas? It won't top 200 mil overseas based on how it opened.

I'd make a forum bet on >$200M overseas for Pacific Rim. The movie just made over $50M this weekend and still has major openings in future weeks.

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

Didn't GDT said he need about 160m for Hellboy 3?

Really?

The first two had budgets under $100m. I can't see a sequel needing that much. But regardless, I'm not in need of a new hellboy movie I'd rather see gdt do something original again. Something more in the vein of pans labyrinth.

 

[thefro]

just saw that Grown Ups 2 has a metacritic score of 20 and a user rating of 2.7 vs PR of 65 and user rating of 7.3 and still managed to get beat.

what is wrong with people?

To be fair, I've seen a lot of mad fanboys downrating Grown Ups 2 and giving it 0s. The whole IMDB board for Grown Ups 2 has basically been taken over by angry Pacific Rim fans.

 

[kurahador]

Really?

The first two had budgets under $100m. I can't see a sequel needing that much. But regardless, I'm not in need of a new hellboy movie I'd rather see gdt do something original again. Something more in the vein of pans labyrinth.

Yeah, it's to properly showcase the destructions hinted in the first 2 movies.

 

[andycapps]

I expect Pacific Rim to have decent legs based on good word of mouth from those that saw it this weekend. It will also do really well when it comes out on Blu-ray. I know I'll be buying it.

 

[WordAssassin]

Anecdotal but I went to a PR IMAX 3D screening at 4:50 on Sunday and it was absolutely packed, with people cheering and clapping after each victory and big event. I'd really like to believe that it'll have good word of mouth to carry it through next weekend.