ROTTEN TOMATOES: Box Office Guru Preview: Rambo Leads Army of New Films Into Battle Comments

Box Office Guru Preview: Rambo Leads Army of New Films Into Battle

by Gitesh Pandya | January 24, 2008

Summary

The resurrection of yesterday's movie heroes continues with Sylvester Stallone's new film Rambo which finds the vet in Southeast Asia where he is pulled into another battle with baddies. The R-rated film from Lionsgate follows the actor's Rocky Balboa which defied the odds last winter to become both a critical and commercial success. Back to Article

(1-9 of 9 posts) | Reply

Boss Fan writes:
on Jan 24 2008 05:21 PM

I've been excited about Rambo for a long time. I know it won't be high art, but if it is exactly what one would expect walking into a Rambo movie, I'll be satisfied. Even in some of his worst films, Sly himself is usually better than the material. He always does more for the films than they do for him. He really is an under-rated actor. His fault for making stupid decisions when it comes to picking certain films, I guess, but he is consistently good and it looks as if with Rambo he knows exactly what anyone seeing a Rambo movie at this point would want. It might be dumb, but it won't be boring or half-a*sed.

As much as I hate to say it though, I think the analyst here is underestimating "Meet the Spartans" and "How She Move". He sites, without any real significant reasons why this case would be any different, all the films just like these movies that have become surprise blockbusters (and each year at this very same time nonetheless), but then lowballs these film's potential BO take. I hope he is right, but I have a feeling plenty of kids and stupid people are in the mood to see Britney kicked into a bottomless pit. As for the urban dance movies, I don't know why anyone was ever in the mood for those, but there has been one each year for the past five years that has become an inexplicable hit. Hell, it goes back to the days of "Breakin'" and "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo"! (God help me.) If these two do tank, the only reason will be because there is more competition this weekend than their counterparts faced in Januarys passed.

I like Diane Lane. Her new flick looks pretty middle of the road. I have some interest in it, but I feel like I've seen it before in various incarnations. Plus, these killer-thrillers have been letting me down on a regular basis lately (let me guess, twist/gotcha! ending?) I'll check it out at some point, but regardless of the film itself I'd like to see her open a movie all by herself to $10 million. That's solid, and she deserves some kudos.

And now we find out if "Cloverfield" has legs.....

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Poor_Frisco writes:
on Jan 24 2008 11:37 PM

i think i'll avoid all of this week's new offerings.
i wanna see the diving bell and the butterfly.
or possibly Cloverfield for a third time, there will be blood for a second time, or michael clayton for a second time.
happy january

(Reply to this)

dahluzz writes:
on Jan 25 2008 10:58 AM

In reply to this comment (#1517302)
it's really not that 'inexplicable' as to why the anual dance movie makes money. there a lot of black young people who like seeing movies and there are not that many movies that come out which feature a young black cast. many of these dance movies do. so when one comes out, a lot of black people relate to it and go to see it.

this also explains why tyler perry movies and 'the perfect holiday' and 'first sunday' make significant money. I'm not saying that black people only go to see movies with black people in them. However, it makes sense that because there are fewer films featuring predominantly black casts that when one comes out, it is especially popular among the black community.

In addition, these movies are the only ones depicting a burgeoning dance subculture. Anyone, regardless of race, who is into dance is going to see the movie because there are usually only one or two films each year that deal with the subject.

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Matanuki writes:
on Jan 25 2008 12:46 PM

In reply to this comment (#1520796)
What I'd like to see is more films with predimonantly black casts (I hate calling them "black movies") that also have great stories. I miss films like Mo Betta Blues, Eve's Bayou, To Sleep With Anger, Devil in a Blue Dress, A Raisin in The Sun, Jason's Lyric. These days it's mostly low brow exploitative dreck like Who's your Caddie? and First Sunday that pander to the lowest common denominator masquarading as representative of black interests.
It's why I can appreciate films like Antoine Fisher, The Great Debaters, and even Hustle & Flow. But we are offered so few each year, especially in the mainstream. Leaves a great deal to be desired.

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Boss Fan writes:
on Jan 25 2008 03:05 PM

In reply to this comment (#1520796)
Well, the problem is not that they don't appeal to a certain aspect of our culture, but that they suck. They are crappy movies, poorly written and poorly made. The reason it is surprising that they make money (the dance movies, and now that you mention it, the ones like "First Sunday" too) is not because I can't see their appeal, but because they are typically awful. And it%u2019s not because they are "black movies" that they are automatically a hit. Many of those flop on a regular basis ("Who's Your Cady?", et al). Comparing something like "Eve's Bayou" to "Little Man" just because they have predominantly black casts is still comparing apples and oranges. You might as well compare "The Godfather" to "Dude, Where's My Car?" because they both have casts made up primarily of white people. My point is not who the films are marketed to, but the quality of them. The annual dance flicks, the Tyler Perry shtick and the lame ghetto comedies are just tired retreads that indeed inexplicably make money. Bad movies, or at least ones that are essentially the same movie with a different title being released once (or multiple times) a year, are still bad movies, regardless of color.

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JUDGE DREDD writes:
on Jan 25 2008 04:30 PM

Most of the BAD RAMBO reviews are actually GREAT reviews, to the common man. The reviewers on RT, are magazine and Newspaper reviewers by the looks of em. And they are on the wrong side of the fence .

TOO GORY! TOO VIOLENT! Grow some Spine dammit! This aint no chick flick!

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Matanuki writes:
on Jan 25 2008 04:44 PM

In reply to this comment (#1522595)
Who you tellin', bat-fink! Man, that's the funniest thing. The negative reviews are actually funner reads than the positive reviews. To see these critics squirm are recoil from *gasp* violence in a Rambo movie! lol. Oh my, somebody call the thought police. You said it best, my friend. This most certainly ain't no chick flick. So count me in for the guilty pleasure, chief. In fact, this makes me that much more interested in his forthcoming take on Death Wish. It can't come soon enough.

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Matanuki writes:
on Jan 25 2008 05:33 PM

I wouldn't make that comparison. It of course would be an insult to even consider it. I am simply saying that we could do with more "Eve's Bayou"s, and fewer "Little Man"s.

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jeanpaul writes:
on Jan 29 2008 03:53 AM

JOHN RAMBO IS AN EXCELLENT AND ENGAGING ACTION/WAR MOVIE.

It's dark, it's voilent? Yes. But it's a well crafted, no hold barrs action movie starring the ultimate action warrior. It's engaging from start to end.

It's ending was very touching and heartfelt to me.
Welcome home, JOHN. You deserve to rest, at last.

Don't listen to the critics. They're all over "No country for old men"... and whoever I meet who has seen "No country" tells me it's a dissapointment on all levels. So the critics's opinions are truely crap, and that's being PROVEN at the Box-office.

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