Junior (1994) - Frank fun in outrageous Reitman comedy

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A great star trio join forces for hilarity on this cheeky poster for Ivan Reitman's Junior

When scientists Arbogast and Hesse's project gets shut down, the smaller of the two get the bright idea that the bigger (they are both male) should let himself become impregnated in the lab.

 

Junior is written by Chris Conrad (Love Thy Neighbor (1984, TV movie)) and Kevin Wade (Key Exchange (1985)) and directed by Ivan Reitman (Foxy Lady (1971)).

The plot outline above explains this film, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger (Dave (1993)) gets pregnant and gives birth. The odd couple Danny DeVito (Jack the Bear (1993)) and Schwarzenegger, under the competent leadership of Reitman, once again give vivid life to a simple low-brow comedy. Junior serves gender clichés one after the other, but these are given with such spunk and innocence that one has to enjoy it. There are no shortage of weird and gross scenes in Junior, (not surprisingly given the premise), but the film could have been more fun.

 

Related posts:

Ivan Reitman: Evolution (2001) - Reitman's sci-fi crazy-comedy is thoroughly entertaining

Ghostbusters II (1989) - Reitman's unjustifiably maligned sequel 
Ghostbusters (1984) - Reitman and Co. conjure up the gleeful pomp and circumstance of the 1980s  

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 60 mil. $

Box office: 108.4 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.80 times its cost)

[Junior was released 14 November (North America) and runs 109 minutes. Schwarzenegger was paid 15 mil. $ for his performance; Emma Thompson (Last Christmas (2019)) got 1.5 mil. $. Shooting took place from April - June 1994 in California, including in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The film opened #4, behind holdover hits The Santa Clause, Star Trek: Generations and Interview with the Vampire, to a 9.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#3-#5), grossing 36.7 mil. $ (33.9 % of the total gross). The film fared poorly compared to Reitman's preceding two Schwarzenegger vehicles, Twins (1988, also with DeVito) and Kindergarten Cop (1990), - both exceeded 200 mil. $ at the box office. The film was nominated for an Oscar: Best Song (Look What Love Has Done by Carole Bayer Sager, James Newton Howard, James Ingram and Patty Smyth), lost to Can You Feel the Love Tonight by Elton John and Tim Rice from The Lion King. It was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Reitman returned with Father's Day (1997). Schwarzenegger returned in T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996, short) and theatrically in Eraser (1996); DeVito in Get Shorty (1995). Junior is rotten at 55 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Junior?

The Iron Giant (1999) - Bird's heavily themed family animation debut

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A stylish and retro-cool poster for Brad Bird's The Iron Giant

1950s Maine, the United States: Boy Hogarth is mad about sci-fi magazines during the atomic scare period, when a giant robot from space lands in the forest near his home ...

 

The Iron Giant is written by Tim McCanlies (North Shore (1987)), Brent Forrester (Love (2016-18)) and great Montanan filmmaker, debuting co-writer/director Brad Bird (Ratatouille (2007)), loosely adapted from Ted Hughes' (The Hawk in the Rain (1957)) The Iron Man (1968).

Wonderful, inspired and deeply colorful and vivid animation, which is endowed with a keen comical eye and excellent voice performances from Eli Marienthal (American Pie (1999)), Jennifer Aniston (We're the Millers (2013)), Harry Connick Jr. (New in Town (2009)), and others.

The story's political angle, - weapon are evil and the state and authorities are deceitful, ignorant and hungry for wars, - is a bit too pregnant for a family film. The Iron Giant is nevertheless still a very special and delightful picture.

 

Related posts:

Brad Bird: 2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - Cruise and Bird's phenomenal action spectacle 
The Incredibles (2004) - Unwanted animation action slam-dunk

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 50 mil. $

Box office: 31.7 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.63 times its cost)

[The Iron Giant premiered 31 July (USA) and runs 87 minutes. Bird was inspired by the murder of his sister, shot dead by her estranged husband, because Hughes' novel was a comforting tale for his children following their mother, poet Sylvia Plath's suicide. Production took place in Los Angeles, California. The film opened #9 to a 5.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, steadily declining from there to end with a 23.1 mil. $ (72.9 % of the total gross) gross. The flop was attributed to Warner Bros. lacking marketing campaign, apparently stemming from lack of faith in the film due to their failure with the preceding year's big animation Quest for Camelot (1998). The film won a BAFTA, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. IMDb's users have rated it in at the site's Top 250 at #239, sitting between Network (1976) and The Handmaiden (2016). Bird returned with The Incredibles (2004). Marienthal returned in 3 TV credits prior to his theatrical return in American Pie 2 (2001). The Iron Giant is certified fresh at 96 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Iron Giant?

Asteroid City (2023) - Enjoy Anderson's crisp star parade desert adventure from the comfort of a theater seat

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Post-card-like, pleasant, warm-colored poster high-lighting the long star cast for Wes Anderson's Asteroid City

In a tiny desert town in Arizona that's centered around its asteroid crater sight, an astronomical star-gazing event attracts a father of four and his off-spring, among other people, when an unforeseen occurrence forces them to share a week there together. Also, a story about the creation of this desert-plot, which is the material of a New York play.

 

Asteroid City is written by Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom (2012)) and Texan master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/directer Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket (1996)), whose 11th feature it is.

For the veteran Anderson-lover, the film is like a vintage serving of the singular American's style, universe and sensibilities, a delicious return to a peculiar world that most will be very pleased to spend some time in any day of the week. This time Anderson and Coppola's story is probably their most convoluted of plots to date due to its meta-textual layer: Edward Norton (Fight Club (1999)) is the playwright and Adrien Brody (The Pianist (2002)) the restless director of the desert-set play in the film's B/W framing story, with Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad (2008-13)) an amusing narrator. It is curious and has its strange attraction, but the main attraction, the spry, crisply colorful play reality in itself, that is the real dish in Asteroid City.

And a succulent one it is: Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore (1998)) is the recently widowed father grappling with his new role and relaying it to his children and father-in-law Tom Hanks (Philadelphia (1993)), also amusing. His role is in no way up to what is normally to be expected from a Hanks performance, but then Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)) gets even slighter bones to pick, and ditto for Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse (2019)) and Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)). It is somehow alright, since Anderson pics are like visits to a strange and privileged playhouse, where the creator's favorite friends usually are found, and many are they indeed.

As before, the focus is often on the adolescent formative age teenagers, but here also on the themes of the surrounding universe; space and the awareness of intelligent life elsewhere. The stylish panache, both in terms of production design, costumes, hair and Robert Yeoman's (Spy (2015)) striking images, are crowned in this film by Scarlett Johansson's (Lost in Translation (2003)) lovely performance as a 1950s movie star, (the clear referential connection is to Marilyn Monroe, and Johansson's brown hair color here is likely chosen for the connect not to be overly clear) , who also gets stuck in Asteroid City.

The emotions and depth don't reach the heights of Anderson's best films here, but Asteroid City is still a magical visit and very worth the prize of admission.

 

Related posts: 

Wes Anderson: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Top 10: The best adventure films reviewed by Film Excess to date
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - A very very good dream 
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - A 1960s island youth romance present 

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - Anderson's technically, visually admirable but a bit tiring animation 
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Anderson beautifies but still wins with India-journey favorite  

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 25 mil. $

Box office: 29.4 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Asteroid City premiered 23 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 105 minutes. Shooting took place from August - October 2021 in Arizona and in Madrid, Spain. The film opened #10 to an 853k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it still plays. It has yet to open in several big markets that are set for August and September. It lost the Palme D'Or to Anatomy of a Fall. Anderson returns with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023). Schwartzman has returned in a TV-series and a voice performance and is set to return with a physical theatrical performance in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023); Johansson has 6 upcoming films. Asteroid City is certified fresh at 73 % with a 6.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Asteroid City? 

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) - Shrinking kids movie is less fun than you thought it was

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Bright family-oriented fun is promised on this poster for Joe Johnston's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

An inventor father's latest shrinking machine is recklessly stashed in the family's attic, so that a wayward basketball starts a fateful shrinking of both his and the neighbors' kids!

 

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is written by Ed Naha (Omega Doom (1996)) and Tom Schulman (What About Bob? (1991)), with Stuart Gordon (The Dentist (1996)) and Brian Yuzna (From Beyond (1986)) contributing story elements, and directed by debuting Joe Johnston (The Pagemaster (1994)).

An imaginative adventure especially for smaller children (ages up to 12), the film's great quality is its impressive special effects that are a mix of robotic animals, stop motion and green screen, among other techniques. Unfortunately the kid actors are not very good, nor very well-cast, - and neither are the adults!

The few fun moments arise when Rick Moranis (Big Bully (1996)) and his wife look for their spawn in the lawn. The story and style seems to be going for a Spielbergian brand of movie magic, but the adventure is too constricted, and the big emotions are blanked out, maybe also to hit an 'undisturbing' and 'safe' Disney tone for the movie. The result is sweet but also artificial, as when the parents are not too upset by their progeny's new ant-size state, and when the surrounding conflicts (the neighbor father has to accept his son, who also is tasked with romanticizing the neighboring daughter) are resolved in the end without any real reason being given, except for the fact that the kids have been shrunk, - and of course more importantly that the movie formula dictates it.

 

Related posts:

  

Joe Johnston: 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] 

The Wolfman (2010) - Johnston's luxurious, effects-driven remake 

Hidalgo (2004) - More respectable than rousing

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 18 mil. $

Box office: 222.7 mil. $

=  Mega-hit (returned 12.37 times its cost)

[Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was released 23 June (North America) and runs 93 minutes. Gordon dropped out of directing due to illness. Shooting took place from January - July 1988 in Mexico City, Mexico. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Batman, to a 14.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 4 weekend in the top 5 (#2-#3-#3-#4), grossing 130.7 mil. $ (58.7 % of the total gross). The film's foreign gross figures have regrettably not been made public. The film won a BAFTA, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The film's success spun a theatrical sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), a video sequel, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997), a Disney attraction and a TV-series. Johnston returned with The Rocketeer (1991). Moranis returned in Bobby Brown: On Our Own (1989, music video) and theatrically in Parenthood (1989). Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is fresh at 78 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids? 

Home (2015) - Not much sense to DreamWorks' silly alien romp

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An instantly likable, cute, purple alien character with a snug housecat on its head makes up this poster for Tim Johnson's Home

An unpopular alien, who has made problems for his equals, bands up with a little girl, who has gotten lost from her mother here on earth.

 

Home is written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember (Get Smart (2008), both), based on the children's book The True Meaning of Smekday (2007) by Adam Rex (Smek for President (2015)), and directed by great Chicagoan filmmaker Tim Johnson (Antz (1998)).

The silly Boov alien race has somehow overtaken earth here in Home, and that is just one of the many things that aren't explained in it. The film is more invested in being a colorful mix of bright eye candy with patches of comedy and up-tempo music, where inquisitive questions are barred at the door; just brainless good times here. The film embraces the time it is made in for better and worse, so that when it still attempts to straddle a well of themes, it comes off as both superficial and dishonest. The questions can't be bridled by the thinking mind: Why this and why that, one can't help but wonder, - SPOILER and in particular; why do the entire Boov race suddenly go nuts for our ill-faring purple friend towards the end? Their conversion from unsympathetic bullies in the beginning is also unexplained.

Home conjures up a utopian, harmonious, multi-cultural world, - but it is actually funny along the silly way, - Jim Parsons (A Kid Like Jake (2018)) voicing is inspired, - and that is its saving grace.

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 135 mil. $

Box office: 386 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.85 times its cost)

[Home premiered 7 March (Boulder International Film Festival, Colorado) and runs 94 minutes. Production took place in California. The film opened #1 to a 52.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 5 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#2-#4-#4-#5). grossing 177.3 mil. $ (45.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 38.8 mil. $ (10.1 %) and China with 27.7 mil. $ (7.2 %). It was reported that DreamWorks spent an amount similar to the cost of the film for prints and advertising it. A hand-drawn spin-off series, Home: Adventures with Tip and Oh (2016-18) was produced without the voice stars for Netflix by DreamWorks Animation. Johnson returned with 2 shorts but has not returned with a feature yet; instead he has turned to executive producing. Parsons returned in Visions (2015). Home is rotten at 52 % with a 5.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Home?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) - Jennings' odd Brit adaptation space romcom adventure

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A man and a robot have their thumbs out on a spaceship runway on this poster for Garth Jennings' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

A Brit (Martin Freeman (Carnage (2017))) named Arthur Dent flies around space looking for the meaning of life (it seems?), as he falls in love (with a very blue-eyed Zooey Deschanel (Eulogy (2004))) and gets planet-builder Slartibartfast (Bill Nighy (Stormbreaker (2006))) to recreate earth, which he accidentally destroyed.

 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is written by Douglas Adams (Doctor Who (1979-83)) and Karey Kilpatrick (Chicken Run (2000)), based on Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise, which began in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy, and directed by debuting music video artist Garth Jennings (Sing (2016)).

It starts fantastically with a sequence about the superior, planetary knowledge of dolphins and a warning to us about the impending end of the earth. Freeman is fun as the cautious über-Brit protagonist, who for some reason flies around in space.

There are good-looking Vogon suits (the alien villains of the piece) and an impressive but mostly wasted cast. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is enormously strange; an impressive, big bowl of twaddle.

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 50 mil. $

Box office: 104.4 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.08 times its cost)

[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy premiered 20 April (London) and runs 109 minutes. A theatrical adaptation had been in the works since the franchise's beginning in the 1970s and continued after Adams' death in 2001, with the script taking its basis in his already created ideas and characters. Shooting took place from April - August 2004 in Spain and the UK, including London and Wales. The film opened #1 to a 21.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another weekend in the top 5 (#3) and grossed 51 mil. $ (48.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 20.3 mil. $ (19.4 %) and Germany with 8.1 mil. $ (7.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, corresponding with this one. Jennings returned with Supergrass: Low C (2005, music video), Beck: Hell Yes (2005, music video) and theatrically with Son of Rambow (2007). Freeman returned in The Robinsons (2005, TV-series), Round About Five (2005, short) and theatrically in Confetti (2006). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is fresh at 60 % with a 6.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? 

Howard the Duck (1986) - Legendary flop is more duck than turkey

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The duck called Howard is lounged with a Rolling Stones magazine on this colorful poster for Willard Huyck's Howard the Duck

From Duckworld lands Howard the Duck on earth, where he gets a girlfriend from a rock band and tries to get back home. - But a dark emperor stands in his way!

Howard the Duck is written by co-writer/producer Gloria Katz (American Graffiti (1973)) and co-writer/director Willard Huyck (French Postcards (1979)), based on the Marvel Comics character created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik in 1973.

It is a really strange and childish vision, which has become an incredibly thorough but completely demographic-less explosion of color with groundbreaking visual effects, a rad villain (Jeffrey Jones' (Valmont (1989)) character becomes Dark Overlord of the Universe) and monster. There's also an impressive ultralight flight chase sequence and many fine, bizarre moments, even if the duck-related humor is likely to cause a mild headache. Howard the Duck is a unique film to be sure.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 37 mil. $

Box office: 37.9 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.02 times its cost)

[Howard the Duck was released 1 August (North America) and runs 111 minutes. Executive producer George Lucas was reportedly the one who drew attention to Marvel's duck character and suggested to make the film as a live-action rather than an animation. Shooting took place from November 1985 - March 1986 in California, including in San Francisco. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Aliens and fellow new release Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, to a 5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 16.2 mil. $ (42.7 % of the total gross). Universal production chief Frank Price was reportedly fired over the film's disastrous flop; and Lucas had to sell his company's CGI animation arm to Apple Computer's Steve Jobs, - the company which later became Pixar Animation Studios. The film made in excess of 1 mil. $ on its 2011 DVD release. Huyck never directed again but did write a few screenplays, mostly for TV movies. Lea Thompson (Thin Ice (2011)) returned in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987); Tim Robbins (Dark Waters (2019)) in Saturday Night Live (1986, TV-series) and theatrically in Five Corners (1987); and Jones in The Pest (1997). Howard the Duck is rotten at 13 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Howard the Duck?

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) - Hollow 3D entertainment for the whole family

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Strange characters lure on this colorful poster for Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon's Monsters vs. Aliens

A newly-wed woman, who is immediately disappointed gravely by her husband, becomes infected with an alien substance, which makes her a giant, and along with three other monsters she attempts to create harmony in the galaxy.

 

Monsters vs. Aliens is written by Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky (The Rocker (2008), both) and co-writer/co-director Rob Letterman (Shark Tale (2004)), who directed it with great Texan filmmaker Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2 (2004)).

The outline above is crudely put the premise of this lovely, loud 3D-focused animation, which undoubtedly won some when seen in 3D in a cinema. For in spite of the many talents involved, the story of Monsters vs. Aliens doesn't have the heart of a Toy Story (1995) or the humor of a Kung Fu Panda (2008).

One doesn't stop to get much out of the monster characters, inspired by 1950s and 60s monster movie creatures. Monsters vs. Aliens is fast forgotten but alright as harmless entertainment, - SPOILER right up until the point when the heroine finally throws her husband to the end of the world for being a douche! - That's one way to do it!

 

Related posts:

 

Rob Letterman: Goosebumps (2015) - Enthusiastic cast carry Letterman's CGI adventure 

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 

Gulliver's Travels (2010) or, Gulliver's Travesty

Conrad Vernon: Sausage Party (2016) - One outrageous, funny, horny adult animation (co-director)

Shrek 2 (2004) - Fun and adventure reign supreme in tremendous family animation romp (co-writer/co-director) 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 175 mil. $

Box office: 381.5 mil. $ 

=  Flop (returned 2.18 times its cost)

[Monsters vs. Aliens premiered 9 March (Berlin, Germany) and runs 94 minutes. It is DreamWorks Animation's first film produced in stereoscopic 3D - rather than converting the film into 3D in post production - which added 15 mil. $ to its cost. The film opened #1 to a 59.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 5 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3-#3-#4-X-#5), grossing 198.3 mil. $ (52 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 34.9 mil. $ (9.1 %) and Australia with 16.2 mil. $ (5.1 %). It was the 2nd highest-grossing animated movie of the year behind Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Letterman returned with Gulliver's Travels (2010); Vernon with Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012). Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies (2017-19)), who voices Ginormica, returned in How Do You Know (2010). Monsters vs. Aliens is fresh at 73 % with a 6.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Monsters vs. Aliens? 

Muppets from Space (1999) - Under-appreciated Muppet funfest

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Muppets ascend to space on this funny poster for Tim Hill's Muppets from Space

Gonzo doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere, until he realizes that the reason must be that he hails from space!

 

Muppets from Space is written by Jerry Juhl (The Muppet Movie (1979)), Joey Mazzarino (Kidding (2018-20)) and Ken Kaufman (In the Army Now (1994)) and directed by Tim Hill (Hop (2011)).

Dubious CGI aside this is a really wonderful and enormously funny Muppets movie, the 6th in the franchise's theatrical films, coming after Muppet Treasure Island (1996). I find it nice and refreshing that the filmmakers keep their film free of having to make 'relevant commentary' on current events, which ensures that Muppets live in their very own, parallel, wacky Muppet world.

The lovely puppets and an excess of funny inventions and lines are also helped along by Jeffrey Tambor (Branded (2012)) as a kooky villain, Andie McDowell (Magic Mike XXL (2015)) as a TV-reporter, Rob Schneider (Top Cat (2011)), Kathy Griffin (Run Ronnie Run (2002)), Ray Liotta (The Iceman (2012)) and many more game actors, - and even more funk hit songs. Muppets from Space is a wonderful film. 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 24 mil. $

Box office: 22.3 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.92 times its cost)

[Muppets from Space was released 14 July (USA) and runs 87 minutes. Shooting took place from November 1998 - January 1999 in North Carolina. It is the first Muppets movie not to be a musical; the first since creator Jim Henson's death and the last theatrical Muppet movie with Frank Oz voicing Miss Piggy. The film opened #10 to a 4.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 16.6 mil. $ ( 74.4 % of the total gross). Oz distanced himself from the film in a 2000 interview. The Muppets didn't return to the big screen until The Muppets (2011), after Disney had purchased the franchise in 2004. Hill returned with Cousin Skeeter (2001, TV-series) and theatrically with Max Keeble's Big Move (2001). Tambor returned in Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999); McDowell in The Muse (1999). Muppets from Space is fresh at 63 % with a 6.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Muppets from Space? 

Galaxy Quest (1999) - Conventions restrain Parisot's SF convention satire

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A space exploration shoots out of a giant TV set in space on this poster for Dean Parisot's Galaxy Quest

The stars of Star Trek-reminiscent sci-fi TV-series Galaxy Quest are worn down, when they get abducted by actual aliens, who wrongfully assess them to be actual space heroes.

 

Galaxy Quest is written by David Howard (Trek: The Movie (2018)) and Robert Gordon (Men in Black II (2002)) and directed by Dean Parisot (Home Fries (1998)).

The very funny premise is not translated into enough laughs in this witty space outing. Instead of leading the characters into some really grotesque scenes and some madness, Galaxy Quest sticks to corny, personal developments and its sci-fi plot, which runs out of motivation, when the space-locked stars get detailed survival advice from their cute teenage fanboy on earth (debuting Justin Long (Comet (2014))). Galaxy Quest is also visibly impressed with its own CGI effects, which feels dated.

Sigourney Weaver (You Again (2010)) is wasted in a bra. But there is some fun to be had in Galaxy Quest.

 

Related post:

 

Dean Parisot: Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) - Powerhouses Carrey and Leoni buoy Parisot's uneven farce

 

 

Watch  a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 45 mil. $

Box office: 90.6 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.01 times its cost)

[Galaxy Quest was released 23 December (Canada) and runs 102 minutes. Harold Ramis was initially slated to direct but left due to lack of belief in Tim Allen (Toy Story 2 (1999)) as a lead. Allen was paid 2 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from April - August 1999 in Utah and California, including Los Angeles. The film opened #7 to a 7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent a weekend at #5 two weeks later and grossed 71.5 mil. $ (78.9 % of the total gross). DreamWorks' CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg reportedly apologized personally to Parisot for failing to market the film properly. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to two notches over this one. Sequel talks have been persistent but have not resulted in anything. Parisot returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, Fun with Dick and Jane (2005). Allen returned in Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001); Weaver in Company Man (2000); and Alan Rickman (Love Actually (2003)) with a voice performance in A Fish Tale (2000), then in Texas: In Demand (2000, video short) and with a physical theatrical performance in Blow Dry (2001). Galaxy Quest is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Galaxy Quest?