Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) - Franchise returns to creepy 1988-set beginnings

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A shade on the wall behind two children asleep provides chill factor on this poster for Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman's Paranormal Activity 3

We go back to the roots ... As a girl Katie's family was also plagued by the supernatural back in 1988.

Paranormal Activity 3 is written by Christopher Landon (Viral (2016)) and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Catfish (2010), both). It is the 3rd film in the Paranormal Activity franchise (2007-).

Chapter three also comes with its own story weaknesses. - For instance, the mentally awake viewer may rightly wonder how this gigantic home is possible with one home-owner apparently spending the days video-taping at home. Also; what happened to the girls' father?

The style of Paranormal is repetitive but also effective: It is creepy to see something homely so obviously assaulted by something unreal. SPOILER A girl in joined forced with evil spirit 'Toby' is frightening, and the witch ending is terrifying but very quickly over, unfortunately. 

Paranormal Activity 3, the franchise's highest-earning chapter, is almost at par with the original in terms of quality.

 

Related posts:

 

The Paranormal Activity franchise: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]  

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) or, Haunted California Idiots

Paranormal Activity (2007) - Peli's record-breaking found footage horror smash 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 207 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 41.4 times its cost)

[Paranormal Activity 3 premiered 14 October (Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival) and runs 84 minutes. Shooting took place from April - May 2001 in Los Angeles, California. The film opened #1 to a 52.5 mil. $ weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 104 mil. $ (50.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 16.9 mil. $ (8.2 %) and Germany with 8 mil. $ (3.9 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 1/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. Joost and Schulman returned with Metropolis II (2011, short), A Brief History of John Baldessari (2012, short) and theatrically with Paranormal Activity 4 (2012), the next in the franchise, after which another 3 movies have come out. Paranormal Activity 3 is fresh at 66 % with a 6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Paranormal Activity 3?

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) - Two Smiths inspire hearts and minds in true-story drama

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+ Best Biopic of the Year + Best San Francisco Movie of the Year + Deserved Hit of the Year

 

 

Hollywood father and son star Will Smith and co-star Jaden Smith in a cute moment make up this poster for Gabriele Muccino's The Pursuit of Happyness

 

In Reagan's 1980s America, we follow Chris Gardner, a savvy salesman in San Francisco, who struggles with selling a hopeless product and a wife who doesn't believe in him, attempting to keep alive his dream of a better life and be a good father to his son.

The Pursuit of Happyness is written by Steve Conrad (Wonder (2017)), based on the same-titled 2006 memoir by Chris Gardner and Quincy Troupe, and directed by Gabriele Muccino (Ecco Fatto (1998)).

Forget the sappy vibe that the poster erroneously creates: The Pursuit of Happyness is a wonderful, strong, human and very American film - about overcoming hard odds in life.

It is a film full of situations that this reviewer at least recognized from his own life, borne by an almost heroic trooper in Will Smith's (Ali (2001)) front and center performance. Jaden Smith (The Karate Kid (2010)) proves also a find as his son, - their interplay goes straight to the soft spot in the heart, and God bless them both for this film.

Thandiwe Newton (God's Country (2022)) is good at being the exhausted, sour wife here, although she at times over-plays it a bit. James Karen (The Return of the Living Dead (1985)) is especially good in a supporting part. The Pursuit of Happyness is soberly told with a good eye for details. The ending packs a strong emotional wallop, (and real-life Gardner actually walks by in its last fine shot.) It is an outstanding, uplifting film of survival and overcoming poverty and despair.

 

Related post:

 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 55 mil. $

Box office: 307.1 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 5.58 times its cost)

[The Pursuit of Happyness was released 15 December (North America, Mexico, Croatia) and runs 117 minutes. Shooting took place around September 2005 in California, including in San Francisco. Smith's profit participation deal reportedly netted him an incredible 71.4 mil. $ pay for the film. It opened #1 to a 26.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 5 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#2-#2-#3-#5), grossing 163.5 mil. $ (53.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 22.6 mil. $ (7.4 %) and Italy with 21.3 mil. $ (6.9 %). Smith was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, lost to Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland. The film was also nominated for a David di Donatello award, 2 Golden Globes, among other honors. It additionally made in excess of 90.5 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Muccino returned with 3 short, video and TV credits prior to his theatrical return with Seven Pounds (2008). Smith returned in I Am Legend (2007). The Pursuit of Happyness is fresh at 67 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Pursuit of Happyness?

Patch Adams (1998) - Rousing Williams performance steers Shadyac's sentimental biopic

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A child puts a clown nose on star Robin Williams' warm, endeared face on this bright poster for Tom Shadyac's Patch Adams

 

Following a suicidal personal crisis in a mental hospital Hunter Adams learns which direction his life should take: As a doctor he wants to make the ill laugh and meet them as fellow human beings. But this brings him on a collision course with the norms in his profession.

 

Patch Adams is written by Steve Oederkerk (Bruce Almighty (2003)), based on the book Gesundheit! (1998) by the real-life Patch Adams and Maureen Mylander, and directed by Virginian master filmmaker Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)), whose 4th feature it is.

Robin Williams (Bicentennial Man (1999)) carries this film, and he makes 'Patch' a moving acquaintance. Patch Adams is more dramatic than most Shadyac films: Monica Potter (Boston Legal (2004-05)) gives a good supporting performance as Patch's girlfriend, and what happens to her in the film is heavy. You'll need a hard heart not to feel the laughter and well-being spread in many scenes. Bob Gunton (Royal Pains (2010-16)) is fine as a doctor antagonist, and Michael Jeter (Jurassic Park III (2001)) and others are good in small parts. 

Patch Adams is excessively sentimental but lovely all the same. A couple of Patch's gags in the film are made in an exaggerated version, (one involves enormous women's legs made of papier-mâché at the medical school; another an entire pool filled with spaghetti), and the exaggeration for emphasis is a bit ridiculous. Patch Adams is all about Williams, whose face here expresses that special wealth of emotion that made him so unique and beloved.

 

Related posts:

 

Tom Shadyac: The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Evan Almighty (2007) - Shadyac's monumentally miscalculated sequel/professional gravestone (hope not) 

Bruce Almighty (2003) - Carrey makes laughter in well-made what-if-you-were-God-comedy

1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) - 6th gear Jim Carrey smacker

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 50-90 mil. $ (different accounts)

Box office: 202.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.88 times its cost)

[Patch Adams premiered 21 October (USA) and runs 115 minutes. Williams was reportedly paid 21 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took  place from February - June 1998 in North Carolina and California. The film opened #1 to a 25.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend at #1 and then another 5 in the top 5 (#2-#2-#2-#2-#3), grossing 135 mil. $ (66.8 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for the Best Score - Comedy/Musical Oscar (Marc Shaiman (Bros (2022))), lost to Stephen Warbeck for Shakespeare in Love. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 1.5/4 star review, translating to 3 notches under this one. Shadyac returned with Dragonfly (2002). Williams returned in One Saturday Morning (1998, TV-series), L.A. Doctors (1999, TV-series) and theatrically in Jakob the Liar (1999). Patch Adams is rotten at 21 % with a 4.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Patch Adams? 

The Nun II (2023) or, Nun 2: Second to Nun!

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The titular nun in the confession box looking less than saintly on this dark poster for Michael Chaves' The Nun II

Sister Irene leads a quiet convent life, when she is once again tasked with dealing with the lethal demon nun Valak, who seems to be sweeping across Europe, leaving behind a trail of satanic-themed deaths.

 

The Nun II is written by Ian Goldberg (Eli (2019)), Richard Naing (The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)) and Akela Cooper (M3GAN (2022)) and directed by Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona (2019)). It is the 8th film in the Conjuring universe and the sequel to spin-off The Nun (2018).

Quality plummets here in a strictly commercially mandated followup that lacks the Gothic luster and gloomy fun of the first film by Corin Hardy. Chaves' modus operandi is to quickly set up characters and situations without much believability, inherent interest or audience investment, and then to attack them; either killing them in death scenes that usually last less than 10 seconds, or to menace them for longer, - mostly if they are young females, - in which case they get expanded screen time to scream, scream, - and then to scream some more.

The film may be a scary experience for young first-timer audiences in the horror genre, but for veteran fright fans, it is regrettably a quite tiring chore to sit through. The appealing Taissa Farmiga (The Long Dumb Road (2018)) is trapped in a cynical and boring contraption here. A cast of young characters with perfect skin and perfectly plucked eyebrows attempt various European accents while failing miserably at presenting any semblance of authenticity as a present day version of 1956 Europe. No story or character details are followed up. The nun doesn't get really scary scenes that stand out. She is overcome with a nonsensical story of religious magic, and her backstory remains unexplored, despite it being the obvious place to go for a Nun movie.

The first film's unconvincing but model-looking Jonas Bloquet (Par le Sang (2018)) is brought back for a bigger, central role in the new film that also fails to deliver scares or rack up interest. Basically his lamely friendly boarding school repairman becomes overtaken by a demon at times. It is unclear whether he is overtaken by Valak the nun, because she is also busy spreading frenzied terror on her own elsewhere. 

The fright scenes are fast and rely heavily on CGI, mostly to little effect besides incessant screaming from the girls on-screen. The danger scenes lack originality and directorial vision. But despite the lowly movie at hand, its impressive commercial results mean that we might as well start bracing for more nun-sense to come.

Related posts:

Conjuring franchise: 2019 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2019 in films - according to Film Excess

Annabelle Comes Home (2019) or, Annabelle: Bored to Death! 
The Nun (2018) - Hardy succeeds with old-timey Gothic horror on FX steroids
Annabelle: Creation (2017) - Sandberg's orphanage doll prequel is slow but rewarding

The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Wan's sequel is a long horror treat with terrifying periods 
Annabelle (2014) - Leonetti's creepy if derivative Conjuring spin-off

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
The Conjuring (2013) - Best horror film in 7 years  

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 38 mil. $

Box office: 205.3 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say but already a big hit (has returned 5.40 times its cost to date)

[The Nun II was released 6 September (Indonesia, Mexico, Uruguay, Philippines) and runs 110 minutes. Shooting took place around October 2022 in France. The film opened #1 to a 32.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it has currently held #1 for its first 3 straight weekends. The film has one slated market left to open in; Japan on October 13. Chaves does not have his next gig announced yet. Farmiga is slated to return in a feature titled She Taught Love. The Nun II is rotten at 52 % with a 5.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Nun II? 

The Closet/Le Placard (2001) - Clever direction and fired up stars make bouncy comedy hit

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Three good-humored stars in suits make up most of this fun-teasing poster for Francis Veber's The Closet

A boring accountant is about to get sacked, until his neighbor help him to 'become' a closeted homosexual, - naturally meaning that he then cannot get sacked!

 

The Closet is written and directed by Francis Veber (The Toy/Le Jouet (1976)). The title is a literal translation of the original French title.

It is a blend of a classical mix-up comedy and a sex comedy, which thank God already feels quite antiquated in its way of dealing with people being gay. Everyone behaves more or less hysterically when confronted with the (fake) news, and the story had definitely not gone down nicely if it wasn't for the lovely and very game cast:

Especially excellent is Daniel Auteuil (Happy End (2017)) and Gérard Depardieu (Thalasso (2019)) as the homophobic co-worker, who discovers a new side of himself. 

Although the concept in The Closet is tongue-in-cheek heightened reality, the clever direction and performances succeed in making it screwball-like and a lot of fun.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 14.5 mil. $

Box office: 50.1 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.45 times its cost)

[The Closet was released 17 January (France, Belgium, Switzerland) and runs 84 minutes. Shooting took place in France, including in Paris. The film opened #30 to a 180k $ first weekend in 37 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #17 and in 145 theaters, grossing 6.6 mil. $ (13.2 % of the total gross). Its biggest market was France, where it was the year's 3rd highest-grossing home title, making around 25 mil. $ from approximately 5 mil. admissions. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Veber returned with Ruby & Quentin/Tais-Tou! (2003). Auteuil returned in Vajont - La Diga del Disonore (2001); Depardieu in Concorrenza Sleale (2001). The Closet is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Closet?

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) - Tired franchise looks for Fountain of Youth

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With new stars stepping up alongside franchise cornerstone Johnny Depp, a traditionally adventure-promising poster for Rob Marshall's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Captain Jack Sparrow appears in London, where he helps his first mate Gibbs escape and start on a new adventure, - this time to find the Fountain of Youth!

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (The Lone Ranger (2013), both)), loosely based on the novel On Stranger Tides (1987) by Tim Powers (Powers of Two (2004)), and directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago (2002)). It is the 4th film in the Pirates franchise (2003; 2006; 2007).

Johnny Depp's (Transcendance (2014)) Sparrow act is getting a bit old, and although there is still some fun left in the character, in the film's best lines, On Stranger Tides doesn't add anything considerable new, which makes it feel as if it runs down-hill in neutral gear, figuratively speaking.

Penélope Cruz (Sahara (2005)) is sexy but confused in a story without any semblance of reality to it, while Geoffrey Rush (The Best Offer (2013)) again succeeds in blowing worthwhile life into his character, Captain Barbossa. When the musical theme plays, one might almost forgive that there is no really good story at play here, and sure in glimpses the handsome animation (costly VFX take over large parts of the film) and great hair- and makeup jobs can be appreciated, - but none of these elements can save this heavily loaded and simultaneously light-as-a-fly sequel. Another problem is that the post-climactic scenes feel endless. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a failed attempt at resurrecting the series after the dreadful third film, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).

 

Related posts:

 

Pirates franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) - Disney's tentpole franchise implodes

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - Wild ruckus in Verbinski's entertaining first Pirates sequel 

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) - Verbinski's sprawling Disney swashbuckler is a prime summer spectacle

Rob Marshall: Nine (2009) - Stars and robes save Marshall's Italian fantasy

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 378.5 mil. $

Box office: 1,046.7 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.76 times its cost)

[Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides premiered 7 May (Disneyland Anaheim, California) and runs 137 minutes. Depp was paid 55.5 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from June - November 2010 in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and in London, England. Despite aims at lowering the film's cost from the previous two back-to-back shot films' budgets, 3D-camera shot On Stranger Tides' budget ballooned to the point where it became the costliest film ever made at the time. The cost fell from 410.6 mil. $ due to a 32.1 mil. $ tax rebate in England. The film opened #1 to a 90.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4-#5), grossing 241 mil. $ (23 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 108.8 mil. $ (10.4 %) and China with 70 mil. $ (6.7 %). It was the 3rd highest-grossing film of the year, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. It additionally made in excess of 102 mil. $ on the North-American home video market. The franchise returned with Depp and Rush in the 5th film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), the last Pirates film to date. Marshall returned with Into the Woods (2014). Depp returned in The Rum Diary (2011); Rush in Green Lantern (2011); Cruz in To Rome with Love (2012); and Ian McShane (Hellboy (2019)) in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is rotten at 33 % with a 5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? 

Pain & Gain (2013) - Bay succeeds with smaller scope testosterone-fueled true-crime

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Three Hollywood beefcakes against the Stars and Stripes make up this poster for Michael Bay's Pain & Gain

Daniel Lugo is an ambitious bodybuilder and trainer in Miami, Florida, who wants more and makes a plan of how he's going to get it: With two compadres he intends to kidnap a rich man and steal everything he owns.

 

Pain & Gain is written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (You Kill Me (2007), both), based on a 1999 series of Miami New Times articles about the real-life Sun Gym gang written by Pete Collins. The film is directed by Michael Bay (Bad Boys (1995)).

Bay appropriates a Goodfellas (1990)-like approach to this incredible, more or less true crime story, which succeeds largely thanks to a tremendous cast: Dwayne Johnson (The Other Guys (2010)) is charismatic and funny as a neo-Christian coke-head, and Anthony Mackie (Seberg (2019)) and Mark Wahlberg (Planet of the Apes (2001)) give themselves 100 % as the Stooges-like gang's other two knucklehead members. Tony Shalhoub (Rosy (2018)) is frenetic as one unsympathetic victim; Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids (2011)) is funny; Rob Cordry (80 for Brady (2023)) is cool; and Ed Harris (Absolute Power (1997)) is perfect as the detective who becomes the group's downfall.

Photographed (by Ben Seresin (The Mummy (2017)) with the expected visual flair and eye for details of excess from the sickly Miami life. A part of the fun in Pain & Gain is undeniably in poor taste, (SPOILER especially the chainsaw scene), but since it is a Bay picture about criminal bodybuilders in Miami, this reservation seems pointless. The film gets a bit lost in all the points of its outrageous story and thereby grows long. Yet it remains very entertaining as a dark-humored crime dramedy.

 

Related posts:

 

Michael Bay: 13 Hours/13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) - Bay portrays controversial recent history in generally thrilling actioner 

Pearl Harbor (2001) - Bay's stuffed war melodrama baloney 

Armageddon (1998) or, Macho Men Save Earth From Disaster!  

Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Bad Boys (1995) - Bay's successful buddy cop debut is still fun

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 26 mil. $

Box office: 87.3 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.35 times its cost)

[Pain & Gain premiered 11 April (Miami, Florida) and runs 129 minutes. Shooting took place from April - June 2012 in Miami, Florida. The film opened #1 to a 20.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3-#4), grossing 49.8 mil. $ (57 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Russia with 7.2 mil. $ (8.2 %) and Germany with 6.2 mil. $ (7.1 %). Sun Gym gang victim Mark Schiller sued over his portrayal in the film, and Paramount paid him an undisclosed sum to drop the suit. Bay returned with Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014). Johnson returned in Fast & Furious 6 (2013); Wahlberg in 2 Guns (2013). Pain & Gain is rotten at 50 % with a 5.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Pain & Gain?