Not Seeing "Pirates of the Caribbean 3"
Coming into the Memorial Day weekend, I was planning on seeing "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End."
But I'd been hearing some bad buzz about the latest Cap'n Jack Sparrow adventure. And a nonwriter friend of a nonwriter acquaintance who stayed up late to see the film on Thursday night said it was "stupid."
IMHO, Hollywood has entered a phase where story quality is even less imortant than in the past, while squeezing as much money as possible out of a film franchise has become an even higher priority. I believe that when a story is well done, other things, like box office success will come as a consequence.
Disney and the other studios seem to believe that all they need to do nowadays is slap together some special effects, a fast-paced music score, action set pieces galore, offer it to the masses who're starving for entertainment, then sit back and rake in the dough.
I for one want to save my $$$ and time. I've got DVDs of "Heroes," some other good TV shows, and any number of good films I can watch over the weekend--when I'm not working, writing, doing chores, etc.
I know millions of people in the US and around the world will flock to theatres and set new box office records (till the next big blockbuster gets released).
It'd be interesting to see what'd happen if the masses didn't see POTC 3 and other blockbuster flops. I'd imagine that the studios would start caring more about the quality of the films they're greenlighting then.
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14 comments:
Well, I didn't see #2, so it's doubtful I'll see #3. I did see #1 and liked
it well enough, but only that.
Oz
I won't see #3. #1 was just adequate. #2 was dreadful, and the
cliffhanger ending pissed me off.
I wouldn't lump all Hollywood product together, though. I saw Walk the
Line last night -- terrific script, great acting. Loved it.
Kelly
Well, I went to see #3 already and absolutely loved it. I think what
bothers people about it is that it is no longer a kids movie, and you
actually need to think a bit. It's not just a simple over-the-top pirate flick with special effects and gag reels. In fact, I would say all of that stuff is more or less missing from this one, or at the very least is
upstaged by a darker, more realistic story. The plot lines - and there are quite a few of them - are all necessary I think and quite sophisticated, so you do need to pay attention. For better or worse, this is not typical
Disney fare where you can turn your mind off and just coast through. Several times I was reminded of the latter half of "War and Peace" (the not
boring part:) ) in that the writers and directors have had the courage to say "hey look, we know its going to be longer, but ... nothing happens in a vacuum" and then show us the ramifications.
My feelings on the trilogy are that number 1 was fun bubble-gum for the mind, number 2 didn't know who to cater to ... the adults it eventually wants to draw or the children who need funny antics and silliness ... and as such didn't do either, and number 3 was made with a clear direction, feel,
and purpose, all of which were done well.
Oh yes, and as to what the critics say these days ... They said Spiderman 3 was good and oh my dear lord, that movie was AWFUL, even to my husband who thinks Spiderman can do no wrong. :)
If I see it, it will be on DVD. I haven't seen 2 though. I thought 1 was ok, but not fabulous enough to get really excited over the sequels.
Lately I've been rewatching Babylon 5 and, knowing what is coming, I find the foreshadowing and story arcs very well done.
I'd much rather see something with a good story and good acting than lots of flashy effects and marketing.
I thought the first one would have been standard stock trash if not for Johnny Depp. He's really a good actor and makes just about anything he's in at least mildly entertaining. I liked the scenes with him, of which there were thankfully a lot. But that's as far as I went with the series. I am not planning on seeing the third.
I admit to be a little repulsed by the studio’s money-madness, but that’s Hollywood.
I love Depp’s performance. And no, it hasn’t gotten old.
And I even disagree with the Knightley and whats-is-name deniers. I think the movies have been amazingly well-cast.
Beyond that, I’m a struggling screenwriter. Rossio and Elliott provide an unprecedented amount of information about behind-the-scenes of both the movie and, more importantly, the screenwriting process.
Strikes me as a good use of my time. For a screenwriter, anyway.
So I watch those movies as both a fan and a fledgling.
I’ll definitely see it. Though finances will dictate whether on the big or small screen.
Gotta see it! I'd miss not seeing what happens to them. The characters are entirely the reason to see it. The plot does leave me wanting, but overall, It's been a helluva ride!
Rossio and Elliot are good, but there's a difference between "concept" and "execution."
IMHO, POTC 3's concept was sabotaged by too many storylines and characters. "Execution"wise the production was hampered by the overloaded and unfocused script.
Shrek 3 is even more of a mess...
For me, POTC 1 was the best and sadly we're seeing each installment get progressively worse.
I want to enjoy the POTC films, but the studio execs, producers, etc. have messed the franchise up IMHO.
Sadly, IMHO, in the case of POTC 3, Shrek 3, Legend of Zorro, and many other films, the execution wasn't there.
And the story concepts needed work, some more development, others cutting.
seeing it first chance i get this weekend. not only do i love potc, but i think that due to the success of 1 & 2, it's one of those flicks that should be seen by every aspiring screenwriter.
I doubt I'll see it unless it's on TV when I'm in a hotel or something. I didn't see the second one. Which I could rent for a buck.
I rather liked the first one, but what I liked were the special effects (some of that stuff like the underwater views of ship hulls and the guys turning to skeletons only in the moonlight patches were really inspired). I liked Johnnn Depp. Most people do most of the time, no?
But the script was no big deal. (And it was written by the guys who wrote Shrek--which very much WAS a big deal, a brilliant screenplay.) I hated the tired, fucking HW ending of "We're all pirates" (Yeah and Whoopi Goldberg is really a nun and we're all gay and we're all black and....)
Of course it was based on an amusement park ride, but it was still a third rate script made into an almost first rate movie.
Here's the question: if Depp hadn't been in it, would it have been the big hit it was? If Depp hadn't been in the sequel, would anybody of bothered?
I'm talking adults, here. Kids is another story.
By the way, story quality will ALWAYS come second to making money. No reason why it shouldn't: films are made to make money, not be literature. The trick is writing a good story that will make money: which good stories generally do.
I'll wait for the video. I didn't like that one much, and if the reviews are any indication, I won't like AWE either.
It is true that the box office split is based on a sliding scale where later weeks give more moneys to the theater owners.
The spilt is negotiated on a per picture deal so with a big movie like P3 the distributor might get to keep the lions share for several weeks.
well that gives me high hopes if and whenI see the film. I heard it was a dark drama. Darker than the other two.
I saw POTC 3. I very much liked the first two. This third had some good scenes, but as a whole, there was little coherent story, and so was a disappointment. Other than the pretty good "dream" sequences by Jack Sparrow, there wasn't much new or interesting, and outside those dream sequences Sparrow was pretty uninteresting compared to the two previous movies. Oh well, there's a whole lot of other "popcorn" movies coming up soon that I'm looking forward to.
-Larry Hodges
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