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Tag: kung-fu-panda-3

  • Movie Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’

    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Arriving in theaters on Friday, March 8th, ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ marks the return of the animated adventures for Jack Black’s martial arts panda. Revisiting the Valley of Peace after nearly a decade, the movie will need to prove itself even more than your average sequel.

    Which has us asking, of course…

    Is ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ a Worthy Continuation of the Franchise?

    There is good news to report for ‘Kung Fu Panda’ fans (Fandas?) –– the new outing, the first since ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ in 2016 (not counting the TV spin-offs) is a frothy, diverting affair. While it suffers in not really having a great villain, the usual spirit of Kung Fu Panda lives on in this new offering.

    Somewhat naturally that has a lot to do with the effervescent charm of Jack Black, who fully inherits and powers the role, but he’s backed up by an able assortment of returning and new performers.

    Related Article: Jack Black Starring in Christmas Comedy ‘Dear Santa’ for The Farrelly Brothers

    Script and Direction

    Jack Black voices Po in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4', directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Jack Black voices Po in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’, directed by Mike Mitchell.

    The script, by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke shows the hallmarks of writers who have plenty of experience with this world and its characters. Both Aibel and Berger have scripted the other ‘Panda’ films, while Lemke has worked on a few DreamWorks Animation movies, but also has experience on the likes of ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Goosebumps’ (the latter starring Black).

    It is also helpful that while it certainly references the franchise’s past (the villain’s plot involves invoking old baddies to steal their powers and fighting styles to augment her own, and Po’s two dads receive their own subplot that eventually ties into the main story), it also has one eye on the future.

    Having Po facing the dilemma of giving up being the Dragon Warrior –– a role and responsibility he has less grown into than more grown comfortable with –– while also being tasked with choosing a successor is a helpful, organic framework with which to plot new storylines. Because you just know if this one is a success, DreamWorks will want more.

    Finally, it doesn’t hurt that the screenplay is light on its feet and features a number of solid gags, both one-off and runners that work well (one highlight is a guard at the big bad’s palace who points out the error in her plan until his colleagues demand he stops).

    Po (Jack Black) in 'Kung Fu Panda 4' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Po (Jack Black) in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    On the directing front, the movie’s in good hands with Mike Mitchell, who has plenty of experience on both the animated and live-action front and has proved to deliver regularly for DreamWorks.

    Here working with co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, he proves to be the right person to bring this latest film to life, working with the animation and tech teams to find creative ways to explore action set pieces and getting the best out of the voice cast. Particularly impressive is a sequence set in the Jade Palace, where Black’s Po confronts crafty, thieving fox Zhen (Awkwafina) and multiple priceless antiquities are put at risk.

    Yes, older audiences will see where the story is going from the minute the two leads meet, but the journey in this case is an engaging one.

    Performances

    (from left) Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    (from left) Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    With Black back in a role that he typically shines in, Po is his usual friendly, hungry self. There’s really not much to having the character work besides the actor’s energy and the occasional “Skidoosh!”, but Black makes it so that you’re happy following our hero along on his latest adventure.

    Awkwafina, meanwhile, has been proving her voice-acting mettle in the last few years, working on projects for Disney and Illumination. If she finds her way into an English dub of a Miyazaki movie, she’ll have worked for most of the major animation companies releasing movies in the States.

    Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Her Zhen is a lively, quick-witted type, the writers finding gags that work for her and the animators locking in on her offbeat energy.

    Viola Davis fares less well as the villainous Chameleon. Her role is very much a standard scheming baddie with a magic plot to harness powers and rule… well, everything. Davis brings her usual gravitas to the part, but aside from some fun abilities once she goes through with her scheme, Chameleon is less memorable than, say, Ian McShane’s Tai Lung (the baddie from the first movie, here drawn back from the spirit world).

    On the supporting front, the likes of Bryan Cranston, James Hong and Dustin Hoffman offer typically light-hearted spins on their characters’ schtick, while Ke Huy Quan makes an impression as Han, the king of thieves who factors into both Zhen’s backstory and the final act.

    ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’: Final Thoughts

    (from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    (from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Smartly focusing on just a few characters (some franchise faithful fans will be disappointed to learn that the Furious Five –– AKA the masters voiced by Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu are conveniently busy off on their own missions, though they do show up for near wordless cameos right at the end), ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ justifies this long-anticipated return to the venerable DreamWorks movie series, without too much of the cash-in effect.

    It suffers from a less-than-fantastic villain, but if we’re honest, the bad guys are usually an excuse to give Po his latest mission. And between Black, Awkwafina and some of the other cast, it’s more crowd-pleaser than animated slog.

    ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the story of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’?

    After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to… give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

    That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

    Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

    So, Po’s going to need some help…

    Who else is in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’?

    Alongside Black and Davis, the cast also includes Awkwafina, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan.

    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Kung Fu Panda 4′:

    Buy Jack Black Movies on Amazon

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  • What’s New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: June 27-July 3

    At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.

    New on DVD and Blu-ray

    “Kung Fu Panda 3”
    Join the ultimate band of kung fu pandas for the June 28 DVD/Blu-ray release of this blockbuster family film. An all-star vocal cast — Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Kate Hudson — combine for the third film in the franchise, following Po, his long-lost father, a bunch of adorable new panda friends, and a supernatural villain. The “Awesome Edition” bonus features include two all-new shorts, the sing-along “Everybody Loves a Panda Party,” “Po’s Posters of Awesomeness,” “Panda Paws,” “Make a Panda Party Paper Pal,” “Play Like a Panda,” “The Origin of ‘Skadoosh,’” and “Faux Paws Deleted Scenes.”

    “Eye in the Sky”
    Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) runs a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya; when she discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing, the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” But when pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a 9-year-old girl enters the kill zone, launching an ethical debate over “collateral damage” and the implications of modern warfare. The film is out on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand June 28, featuring two in-depth featurettes. FYI, this was the great Alan Rickman’s final on-screen performance, so consider watching it in his honor.

    Here’s the trailer:

    “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”
    Tina Fey heads an all-star cast (Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Alfred Molina) in this satirical war film based on real-life reporter Kim Barker’s memoir about covering conflict in the Middle East. The movie comes out on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand June 28, with more than 45 minutes of bonus features, including a making-of featurette, details on the real Kim Barker, and more.

    New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital

    “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
    Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot are available for download this week: Zack Snyder’s superhero faceoff arrives on Digital HD June 28, ahead of the Blu-ray and DVD releases July 19. Both the theatrical cut and the Ultimate Edition — with 30 minutes of new footage in an extended R-rated cut — will be available in this week’s digital release.

    Here’s the new trailer for the Ultimate Edition:

    “Confirmation”
    Head back to the early ’90s with Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce as they revive the contentious Supreme Court nomination hearings pitting Anita Hill v Judge Clarence Thomas. Watch the powerful drama — exploring sexual harassment, victims’s rights, and race relations — when it arrives on Digital HD on Monday, June 27; the release includes discussions with Washington and Pierce on the historical impact of the hearings, plus a “Character Spot” with cast members discussing their characters.

    “Suffragette” (HBO Now)
    HBO Now has a bunch of theatrical premieres coming in July, including “Jem and the Holograms” and “Vice” on July 1, “Suffragette” (with Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep) on July 2, and “Blackhat” (with Chris Hemsworth) on July 3. There’s also a long list of titles being added to the streaming service on July 1, so check out the full roundup.

    New on Netflix

    This week marks the start of a new month, and you know what that means — a ton of new titles are being added to Netflix as of July 1, and plenty of titles are going out the door. Some of the new additions include all three “Back to the Future” movies and the four “Lethal Weapon” movies. There are also some cool original series arriving this week…

    “Marcella” Season 1 (Netflix Original)
    Anna Friel stars in this British crime series that started airing in the U.K. in April and arrives on Netflix July 1. Friel’s former detective Marcella Backland is devastated when her husband leaves her and their two children. She ends up returning to the murder squad after 12 years away, but the serial killer she once investigated may be back, too. The series co-stars a who’s who of British TV, including “Downton Abbey” alum Laura Carmichael and “Game of Thrones” alum Harry Lloyd.

    “Marco Polo” Season 2 (Netflix Original)
    Power has a price. The 10 episodes of “Marco Polo” Season 2 arrive on Netflix July 1. Check out the trailer below to see the escalating battle for the Mongol empire.

    “A Very Secret Service” Season 1 (Netflix Original)
    You don’t have to wait for July to start streaming a new series. Here’s the synopsis for this French series, available June 30: “At the height of the Cold War in 1960, André Merlaux joins the French Secret Service and contends with enemies both foreign and bureaucratic.”

    TV Worth Watching

    “The Great British Baking Show” (Friday on PBS at 9 p.m.)
    The most magically delicious competition show — always sweet, never bitter — returns July 1! This season already aired last year in the U.K. (as Series 6), but it’s just Season 3 to the PBS audience. In Friday’s premiere, 12 amateur bakers attempt to make Madeira cake, frosted walnut cake, and black forest gateau. Also, we’re guessing, judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood will offer some frosty glares of disapproval, and hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins will present some quality “walnut” innuendo.

    “Zoo” (Tuesday on CBS at 9 p.m.)
    Here’s what you can expect from the special two-hour premiere of “Zoo” Season 2, which includes episodes titled “The Day of the Beast” and “Caraquet”: Following the dramatic shift in violent animal behavior, the team attempts to rescue Jamie and the leopard whose DNA may hold the key to curing the animal crisis. Also, the team discovers a shocking mutation that threatens the life of one of their own.”

    “Frontline: Policing the Police” (Tuesday on PBS at 10 p.m.)
    This new documentary takes viewers inside the police department in Newark, N.J., which Frontline describes as “a poor city plagued by violent crime, where the victims and perpetrators are usually black, and the police force itself is largely black and Latino.” The special examines the challenges of trying to change how officers operate in this community after decades of mutual mistrust. You can check out the intriguing doc on PBS June 28 or online at pbs.org/frontline/film/policing-the-police.

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  • ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Directors Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Nelson

    "Kung Fu Panda 3" directors Jennifer Nelson and Alessandro Carloni
    “Kung Fu Panda 3” directors Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Nelson

    “Kung Fu Panda 3” directors Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Nelson reveal how their childhood passions for drawing and storytelling — plus much hard work — led them to animated features. “I think the important thing about being a director is that people don’t walk in and their first job is a director,” says Nelson. “You have to earn it.”

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  • ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Compositors Erik Tillmans, Jason Stovall

    Erik Stillmans and Jason Stovall of "Kung Fu Panda 3"
    Erik Tillmans and Jason Stovall of “Kung Fu Panda 3”

    Find out about the art and science of compositing from Erik Tillmans and Jason Stovall, whose work had them digitally combining many pieces of artwork into final images for “Kung Fu Panda 3”

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  • ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Previsualization Artist Hamilton Lewis

    Hamilton Lewis, previsualization artist for "Kung Fu Panda 3"
    Hamilton Lewis, previsualization artist for “Kung Fu Panda 3”

    Hamilton Lewis of “Kung Fu Panda 3” shows how a previsualization artist works in an animated feature. A “Previs Artist” helps the director place animated characters within a scene and decide on the proper camera angles and movements.

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  • ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Effects Sequence Lead Matt Titus

    Matt Titus, Effects Sequence Lead for 'Kung Fu Panda 3'
    Matt Titus, Effects Sequence Lead for ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’

    Matt Titus of “Kung Fu Panda 3” explains how the Effects Sequence Lead helps develop special effects and lead teams of artists adding those effects to animated sequences in a movie.

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  • Why ‘Deadpool’ Is Unstoppable at the Box Office

    No one expects much to happen at the box office in February. And that’s how we get a surprise smash like “Deadpool.”

    The saga of the pan-sexual superhero, which broke all kinds of box office records when it premiered last weekend, had a 58 percent drop this weekend (on par with most comic book movies) and still easily topped the box office with an estimated $55 million. In 10 days, “Deadpool” has racked up $235.4 million to become the highest grossing movie from the “X-Men” universe. It’s also the fastest R-rated movie to $200 million (nine days) and well on its way to being the highest-grossing R-rated title ever. These figures are even more impressive considering that none of those tickets had 3D surcharges.

    “Kung Fu Panda 3” is displaying strong holding power as well. In its fourth weekend, the threequel finished in second place with an estimated $12.5 million. It’s earned $117.1 million to date, in no small part because of smart timing on the part of distributor 20th Century Fox — aside from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” it’s the only family-friendly film currently in wide release. Fox also has the top two movies this weekend.

    How are other films supposed to compete with these two that have staked out so much turf at the multiplex? Well, there are other niches to be served, and this weekend’s three new wide releases each experiment with a novel approach to reaching them.
    “Risen,” which opened in third, is unusual for a Christian-themed movie. It has a clever premise — it’s a police procedural set in biblical Jerusalem, about a Roman officer charged with finding the body of Jesus after the crucifixion, a task complicated by the corpse’s rumored resurrection. It has a fairly sizable budget by Christian movie standards (a reported $20 million). It’s earned middling reviews from critics that are still better than the usually dismissive reviews that such films usually receive.

    Finally, it has a major distributor behind it (Sony), which gave it a very wide release (2,915 screens) and which seems to have marketed it smartly enough to cross over beyond the Christian-movie audience to general viewers. (Getting a PG-13 rating was a good move, one that would indicate to weekend thriller-goers that “Risen” actually has some grit.) As a result, “Risen” opened slightly better than predicted, with an estimated $11.8 million. Word-of-mouth is very good, as measured by an A- grade at CinemaScore. It should hold up well over Lent, even though there will be other movies targeting the same audience, since “Risen” was first out of the gate.

    “The Witch” also enjoyed success, more than some may have expected since it is a period horror movie about Puritans in the witch-trial era. The film’s creepy take on the material, and meticulous attention to historical detail, helped it win big among the film buffs at Sundance last year. Critics raved too, giving the movie an 88 at Rotten Tomatoes.
    All that acclaim is unusual for a horror film, and it led indie distributor A24 to go all out with its first big wide release for “The Witch.” Opening on 2,045 screens, “Witch” earned an estimated $8.7 million, good for fourth place. It also had the best per-screen average ($4,245) of any new wide release this weekend. Paradoxically, “Witch” didn’t impress ticketbuyers nearly as much as it did the critics; it earned a poor grade (C-) at CinemaScore. Guess the chilly atmospherics that impressed the reviewers didn’t do much for a horror audience that prefers frequent jolts and gore.

    Still, as experiments in thinking outside the box office box, “Risen” and “Witch” fared better than “Race.”

    The Jesse Owens biopic/sports drama seemed well-timed for Black History Month. Indeed, those who did buy tickets seemed to find it inspirational, giving it an A at CinemaScore. But they had to be drawn to the theater first, and that’s where the Olympic runner’s story stumbled.

    “Race” was widely expected to open in fourth place at around $9 million. But it didn’t even crack the top five. It opened instead in sixth place with an estimated $7.3 million. Whether the very good word-of-mouth “Race” earned will be enough to overcome its weak opening, the coming weeks will tell.

    Nonetheless, at least the studios are trying something different. If only they would do that year round.
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  • Box Office: Why Moviegoers Are Tired of Zombies and Nicholas Sparks

    Sure, it’s hard to guess which movies will be big enough draws to pull people away from their living rooms on Super Bowl weekend. But the studios were wrong about nearly every new offering this weekend, and so were the box office analysts.

    The only new release that performed as expected was the Coen Brothers‘ period Hollywood spoof “Hail, Caesar!“, debuting in second place with an estimated $11.4 million. That’s pretty weak, even for filmmakers as cultish as the Coens. Yet it was still far better than this weekend’s other new wide releases, “The Choice” and “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” — both of which opened well below expectations. It’s enough to make you wonder if moviegoers have lost interest in both Nicholas Sparks and zombies.
    Sparks, the novelist whose tearjerking romances have been adapted into such hits as “The Notebook,” used to be one of Hollywood’s most reliable brands, generating 11 movies over the past 17 years. His “Dear John” opened on Super Bowl weekend six years ago with $30.5 million and became his second biggest hit. So maybe it wasn’t a big stretch to think “The Choice” would be smart “chick-flick” counterprogramming to this weekend’s testosterone fest.

    But Sparks’ movies have been on a downward trend in recent years. 2014’s “The Best of Me” and 2015’s “The Longest Ride” were his lowest openers and lowest overall grossers — until now. “Choice” premiered in fifth place with $6.1 million. Blame poor reviews and a lack of star power to attract audiences.
    As for “Zombies,” there was enough precedent behind it for pundits to place it on top of their predictions for the weekend, guessing it would take in at least $12 million. Seth Grahame-Smith’s Jane Austen spoof had been a bestseller in 2009. Star Lily James‘ “Cinderella” was a female-audience hit around this time last year. The romantic comedy/zombie tale “Warm Bodies” did well on Super Bowl weekend three years ago, opening with $20.4 million toward an eventual $117.0 million worldwide gross. And women like both horror movies and Jane Austen.
    Lily James (center) and Bella Heathcote (left) in Screen Gems' PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES.So, why did “Pride” fail to crack the top five, debuting with just an estimated $5.2 million, less than half of what experts predicted? Audiences didn’t think much of it, giving it an underwhelming B- CinemaScore. And critics didn’t think much of it either, with its 41 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. James isn’t really a box office draw; the success of “Cinderella” owes less to the “Downton Abbey” alumna than to Disney’s brand and marketing. Period horror also hasn’t been as big a draw lately as studios had hoped — (cough) “Crimson Peak.”

    Another factor worth noting is that competition from holdovers remained strong. “Kung Fu Panda 3” held the top spot ($21 million) and “The Revenant” topped $150 million in domestic earnings with a third place finish of $7.1 million. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” in fourth place with an estimated $6.9 million, became the first movie to earn more than $900 million in North America and the third to earn more than $2 billion worldwide. All three of these holdovers saw modest declines of less than 50 percent from the previous weekend. All three also have strong guy appeal (though in the case of “Panda,” the guys may be dads dragged to the cartoon by their kids).
    Which brings us to the other factor: maybe the idea of female-oriented counterprogramming on Super Bowl weekend is outdated. Aside from “Dear John,” “Warm Bodies,” and 2008’s “Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both Worlds Concert Tour” (still the best Super Bowl weekend debut ever, at $31.1 million), there’s not an extensive history of women-targeted films performing well opposite the Super Bowl.

    Maybe more women enjoy football than Hollywood conventional wisdom believes. Even if not, it’s almost never a good idea to open two films at once that are chasing the same audience. Given a choice between “The Choice” and “Zombies,” it shouldn’t be surprising that many women would choose the Broncos and Panthers instead.
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  • Box Office: Why ‘Finest Hours’ and ‘Jane Got a Gun’ Fell Way Short This Weekend

    The math doesn’t add up.

    This has been a surprisingly strong January at the box office, with Hollywood raking in more than $1 billion during a month that’s traditionally a big post-holiday let-down at the multiplex. This weekend’s take was 20 percent above last weekend’s. So why do this weekend’s four new releases seem like such box office disappointments?

    Well, okay, two of them — “Fifty Shades of Black” and “Jane Got a Gun,” really are disappointments. The other two — “Kung Fu Panda 3” and “The Finest Hours,” may just be the victims of overinflated expectations. We have to keep remembering: this is still January, box office no-man’s-land. Expecting too much of certain movies because other similar movies did okay at this time of year is foolish.
    Really, the makers of “Panda 3” should be pretty happy with the movie’s estimated $41.0 million take, even though that opening is on the lower-end of expectations. After all, it is a third installment and it comes nearly five years after the last one (an eternity for the kid-movie audience). That it did as well as it did — debuting at No. 1, claiming the third-biggest January opening ever — is a tribute to the strength of the franchise, the film’s positive reviews, and the weakness of the competition. It’s still the lowest opening of the three “Kung Fu Panda” movies, but the first two opened in the summer, not in the dead of January.

    Similarly, hopes were overly high for “Finest Hours.” Despite the seemingly crowd-pleasing storyline and period setting of this “Perfect Storm”-esque true story of a harrowing Coast Guard rescue at sea, “Hours” came in fourth place with $10.3 million. That total is well below expectations, and doesn’t bode well for the film to recoup its estimated $70 million production budget.

    So why did “Finest” sink? While Chris Pine is the lead in this ensemble, he is not a box office draw outside of playing Captain Kirk. And the actors surrounding him also lack the star wattage to put butts in seats. The movie got only middling reviews, which hurts when you’re trying to attract an older audience. And the “Finest Hours” audience was definitely older, with Disney estimating that 82 percent of the viewers were over 25. It’s pretty hard to generate a blockbuster without having some youth appeal.
    Imitating the successes of Januaries past was also a problem for Marlon Wayans, whose horror spoof “A Haunted House” was a hit three years ago at this time. Still, despite predictions in the $10-11 million range, he couldn’t duplicate that success with his latest spoof, “Fifty Shades of Black,” which opened in ninth place with an estimated $6.2 million. It didn’t help that Wayans was competing for the same audiences who are seeing holdovers “Ride Along 2” and “Dirty Grandpa.” But what hurt the movie the most was probably its terrible reviews and weak word-of-mouth, as measured by a C grade at CinemaScore.

    The saddest entry of the weekend is “Jane Got a Gun,” the Natalie Portman western with a notoriously troubled production history. Portman, who co-produced and stars in the film, shepherded it through three years of cast and director changes, a distributor bankruptcy, and multiple release date delays. Still, no one thought the film would open higher than seven figures. But it didn’t even reach that bar.

    Despite opening on 1,210 screens, “Jane” debuted at No. 17 with just an estimated $803,000. Not that average moviegoers cared about or even knew about the movie’s unfortunate backstory. But distributor The Weinstein Company, which attached trailers for “Jane” to “The Hateful Eight,” should have known better than to release Portman’s western so soon after Tarantino’s, not to mention putting it up against the period Frontier piece “The Revenant.” (Which, in its sixth weekend, still pulled in an estimated $12.4 million, good for second place.)
    Plus, “Jane” is competing not just with other horse operas, but also with all the Oscar-nominated movies that are dominating the art-houses because — all together now — it’s January. And those movies are doing reasonably well. In fact, none of the holdovers in the top 15 slots on the chart lost more than 39 percent of last week’s business. The fact that there wasn’t a huge East Coast blizzard or NFL playoffs this weekend certainly helped, but still, such strong legs are a sign of good health for the box office overall.

    On the whole, domestic sales this January are 3 percent ahead of where they were at this time last year. We didn’t have an “American Sniper” this January, but we did have “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which more than made up for it. So, on balance, the month looks better than this weekend’s new releases would suggest. Still, Hollywood will surely be happy to see January end and will cross its fingers for February’s groundhogs to predict an early spring.
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  • The 12 Best Animated Movie Sequels Ever Made

    %Slideshow-360726%You know what’s weird about sequels to animated features? There aren’t that many of them.

    Maybe that’s because kids are happy enough to watch “Frozen” for the 487th time that they don’t really need a sequel. Nonetheless, we’ll be getting a whole bunch of them this year, including “Finding Dory” and this week’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” (opening Jan. 29).

    And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some animated sequels have actually been very good, amplifying the original story and finding new depth in the characters, in ways fans might not have imagined. Here are 12 of the best Toons Part II (and beyond).