Posted on 05/18/2008 1:11:41 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" dethroned "Iron Man" as ruler at the box office, pulling down $56.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Walt Disney Co.'s action sequel took in less domestically in its opening weekend than "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," which sold $65.6 million in North America in its debut weekend in December 2005. "Caspian" also raked in $20.7 million overseas.
But Disney expects the PG-rated movie, based on the C.S. Lewis fantasy series, to ride high through the coming Memorial Day weekend. The first "Narnia" tale grossed $745 million worldwide over its theatrical run.
"This is a film that we think is going to play all summer long and it's got nothing but school holidays in front of it," said Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group.
Disney is in pre-production on the third of the series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader," set for release in the summer of 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I just bought tickets for tonight.
Long. Boring. Hardly worth the effort to see. Wait for the DVD is my opinion.
Saw Iron Man last week and loved it. Don’t think I’ll see this. The only thing wrong with Iron Man was Gwyneth Paltrow. The WORST actress I’ve ever seen.
Awesome movie. The audience cheered at times. Go see it in the theater. :)
You obviously don't know me very well.
I took my family to see this movie last night. Excellent movie. The audience in clapped at the end, a rare enough occurence to be noteworthy.
Egad. Nothing personal. You look great in the trailers.
I took my daughter. It is real good.
I just watched Ebert & Roeper this morning. I don’t go along with everything Roeper and his guest buddy say, but from the preview clips I’ve seen so far, I’d tend to think they are pretty accurate when they describe this movie as having too many fights involving too many generic characters that the audience knows next to nothing about and doesn’t care about. They said that what took maybe a page or two in the original book has been stretched out to 10- or 15-minute CGI battles. Meanwhile, the development of the main characters suffered.
I’m not into fantasy too much anyway, so that’s another strike for me. But if enough human elements and character development were in it, I might go see a fantasy film anyway. Sounds like this isn’t it.
Ignore the detractors and malcontents. They probably like foreign films. You’ll love it.
I’ve got mixed feelings over this one Dawnsblood, on the one hand, CS Lewis was such a compelling writer and intellect, I’m quite happy to see his ideas and writings become movie successes..
On the other hand, the company that is making the lion’s share of profit holds all gay cruises and has Gay Weekends at it’s theme parks where stuff goes on that shocks the conscience..
I’m surprised you came away from the movie with that impression. It was exactly what it should have been for a children’s book. It was a little more lighthearted in a few places than I remember the book - but I loved it!
I knew it was long, but it didn’t feel quite as long as it was.
It was a little more “disney” than the previous one, I enjoyed it very much.
Conservative take on “Caspian”:
http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/
scroll down to read review.
I second that!
I took my daughter to see it yesterday. We loved it!
I was under the impression that Disney’s gay pandering ended after Walt’s nephew Roy Disney led that stockholder’s revolt that got Eisner booted.
Haven’t seen “Prince Caspian” yet, but I won’t hear a word against “Iron Man.”
It stays surprisingly close to the spirit of the Marvel Comics original vision. Tony Stark is a bad boy genius inventor who has taken his Dad’s company to amazing heights. The important thing to us is that just as the original Tony Stark made his wonder weapons strictly to be used in the fight against godless communism so to does our hero mean for his killing machines to be used in the GWOT. Like the original, Stark is wounded and captured in an ambush while on a demonstration tour in the Near East and forced to labor for an evil warlord of nebulous affiliation. With the help of another captured scientist, he instead constructs the prototype of his suit and uses it to fight his way out. His new friend sacrifices his life to buy him time.
Director John Favreau is a crafty one (by the way he plays Stark’s driver, you’ll recognize him as the main character in 1995’s “Swingers”). He wants to sell tickets, not pander to his friends prejudices, but at the same time, he does not want to risk being Van Goughed either, so he walks a fine line. Tony Stark is a patriot and the U.S. military is the good guys. However, the middle-eastern baddies are not made islamists and an evil conspiracy at home accounts for his sighting of his company’s weapons being in the hands of the enemy. I won’t be spoiling anything if I mention Jeff Bridges does a great villain turn. Of course, any character named “Obadiah Stane” has to turn out evil.
For the life of me, I don’t know why so many people love to hate Gwyneth Paltrow. Yes, I’ve read a few interviews and she ain’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, plus she has all the usual lib opinions but she does a good enough job of playing a smart chick in the movies. Like her mother, she seems to be maturing gracefully.
Indeed. My apologies Prince.
If you loved the first one, you’ll most likely love this one. I thought the first was pretty good, this one was pretty good, too.
“Iron Man” was fantastic. “Indy” next week!!
We are planning on seeing Prince Caspian tomorrow.
I agree, Iron Man was good.
Just got the HD DVD for Transformers...has anyone seen “Run Lola, Run” which is currently on Blu-Ray???
You thought her character was smart? Could have fooled me..oh, yea...Tony Stark says so...Plus, she can’t walk in heels and say lines at the same time. It’s not her politics..she’s yet another parrot. She just cannot act.
After I read the review at Boxofficemojo, I decided I absolutely HAD to see this.
Their reviewer hates Christian movies and reviews only secular, godless, progressive movies favorably. His review drips with disdain as anything Christian is obviously stupid and irrational.
Here are a few lines...
“I hated the first movie, which I thought was a boring slice of propaganda. I expected to hate this one, too. The good news is that Caspian is less horrifying and more logical, which is to say more linear—this is religious allegory and none of it makes sense—with an exciting opening and a galloping escape into the woods by the handsome young prince, Caspian (Ben Barnes).”
The only thing he liked about the movie was the witch, who he said was “at least coherent”.
‘Prince Caspian’ pushes ‘Iron Man’ off throne
I hate when that happens.
I had not heard that, if so it would be a good turn I think for the Disney Brand Name at least, I know they have to fill the parks somehow but that is simply unacceptable.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a lousy actress and a scrawny, ugly mischling to boot!
Whoa. According to that website, they’re talking about a remake of “Red Dawn”. The very idea makes me cringe. There is no way in hell that Hollywood would make a movie that portrays Americans as the good guys, so you know they would find a way to blame everything on the US. They will mutilate that movie.
CS Lewis knocks comic book icon!
I’d recommend this for all Freepers and their kids.
Loved it!
How does Iron Man use the throne anyway? Does he have a little door in the back?
I’m going to see it shortly!
Will report back afterwards!
;0)
The suit is panelized (think armor).
We went to the first showing at an all-digital theatre. The audience applauded at the end, which I haven’t seen done since the 70s. There was so much to see that I’d like to see it again. Minimally, I’ll buy the DVD, and rent the HD version from iTunes. One would have to have seen the first one to understand this one.
The only thing she said was, "One drop of blood" over and over. That's coherent?
You haven’t seen Transformers until you see it at an IMAX theater. When I saw it in IMAX was just one of 7 total.
I’d like to get in on a remake of Red Dawn.
Just got back from the early sunday matinee. Theater was half-full, which was more than I expected. Lots of laughter; the kids seemed to be really enjoying it. The mouse steals the show - biggest laugh was his handling of the cat. Actually had trouble catching some of the dialogue because people were either laughing or cheering.
I thought the battle scenes were a bit exhausting - after the third one, it got a little tedious, reminding me somewhat of the second LOTR movie with the nighttime battle scenes that went on forever. But the kids are great in this, and the CGI is stunning. I regretted not seeing Wardrobe in the theater, so I’m glad I went to see this one on the big screen. (BTW, I have avoided Hollywood movies like the plague. Haven’t been to a cinema in over three years.)It’s worth it. Go see it.
I saw “Run Lola Run.” It’s good; different, but good. It’s worth a Netflix slot.
I guess it’s like Obama worship. I don’t think he says anything coherent at all, just repeats “hope” and “change”. But the Obama maniacs think he’s got a plan to create a utopia.
Different strokes for different folks
Epic, exciting. Well worth spending the $18.75 for 2 ticket, and one large popcorn and soda. Also worth purchasing the DVD for visiting grandkids.
My husband and I watched it this afternoon. When I asked him how he liked it he said, "It's a keeper." That is high praise for him.
Yes, they probably will. Oh, how I loathe Hollywood.
Good flick. Doesn’t follow the book as closely as LWW, but the battle scenes are excellent.
A thumbs up from RD.
I LOVED it!!
The mouse is hilarious!
A keeper!
Haven't seen the movie yet, but I loved her in "A Perfect Murder."
I third it. Plus, in the tradition of Meryl Streep and Hillary Skank, she turns me off-big time.
Just saw “Caspian” today and “Iron Man” on friday. Both good, but Iron Man takes the prize in my book. Much more exciting and, I mean, who doesn’t want one of those awesome suits of armor?
Must have been particularly urgent...
See my post #46. One of the women in movies today I can’t stand-and they are legion. What in the name of God ever happened to acresses like Sophia Loren, the young Shelly Winters, SusaN HAYWARD, Ann Sothern, Eve Arden, Jayne Mansfield, Gina Lollobrigida,etc;? Actresses in film used to turn me on when I’d go to the movies-now they turn me off.
For those who have grown up on Narnia each of the films is a "must see"...
Although I admit Caspian is the weakest of the seven.
Full Disclosure: When oh When will someone ever make a movie out of The Phantom Tollbooth?
Cheers!
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