Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Bomb That Wasn't...


Oh, it's going to make less than the last film...

Oh, it shows that there is a downward spiral for the last few Pixar films...

The domestic box office for it is going to be way below what it was for "Cars"...

This is clearly Pixar's first flop...

These are all variations on statements made about "Ratatouille".

What we are talking about here is a movie that has grossed over 400 million dollars. And it still has quite a few territories to open up in. When it's finished the grosses should match or exceed that of "Cars"...

The domestic take will come in under what "Cars" had, but the international take will come in over that. Remy was a hit in America, but it's a much bigger one overseas.

There was a term coined decades ago by a Senator from New York named Daniel Patrick Monahan... he wrote a book that used the term: "Defining deviancy down". What it basically meant was that we were taking crimes and decriminalizing them so as to make that behavior less of a stigma and while doing so making it appear the reduction of crime was taking place. It was a way of dealing with problems by avoidance... if you legalize it, you don't have to address it's societal impact. To me, this way of dealing with Pixar films of late is a form of this.

When you have to change the definition of film being a disappointment or even in some cases a bomb/flop to be a film that makes upwards of close to half a billion... well, you're pretty much defining success downward.

Where does it say that every film has to make more than the last? They're all different and appeal to varying groups of people. It simply is ridiculous to think every one will make more than the last. It's expecting disaster even when it doesn't appear. It's being excessively negative about something for the simple sake of it. I realize that the last couple films the Lamp has made have made less than the previous ones. My response...

So???

When they have a real stinker come out. One that doesn't generate hundreds of millions of dollars, one that sucks more cash than it takes in, one that is overwhelmingly abandoned by the critics... well, then give me a call. Otherwise, you're simply participating in a form of incestual "Pixar Bashing"...

I've said it before, but it always bares repeating. Life is difficult. Being negative is EASY. Being positive is hard... The more you work at being negative and miserable, the more it will reflect on you and your outlook of life. Don't be part of this. Don't fall victim to it. Live life. Enjoy it. And go see "Ratatouille" again just to see that even a rat knows how to live life better than most human beings. That was one of the messages I found in the film that was so positive... be yourself. Don't conform to what society wants you to be. Don't let others define you. And most of all...

Enjoy the world around you. It's actually fun to do so. Imagine that...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where is your source for someone calling Ratatouille a bomb?! I think you're just making this stuff up. No one ever said it was a bomb!

Anonymous said...

Honor is right, anonymous. Don't believe him? Believe this...

And I know it's being technical, but he said it was called a flop, not a bomb. Perhaps you should read the article a little more before ranting.

Anonymous said...

Wow... that was a quick response.

Um. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Just because a movie is a box office hit doesn't mean its good. Many outside influences can effect ticket sales. The fact that Pixar has a successful record probably has helped their last few films. I think this posts also discounts the issue of personal taste. Some people might see a high-grossing movie and not like it. It has nothing to do with a dismal 'i hate everything' outlook on life as you imply.

Anonymous said...

I believe the whole post of Honor's article was that so many people seem to be trying to discount it as a hit even though it has made far more money than most films out this year. He wasn't trying to say it was everyones taste. Although, it was one of the best reviewed movies this year by critics. It seems most of the negativity is coming from people online. Even the article that Fineaus quoted used Jim Hill as its reasoning that Ratatouille was a flop. Not exactly the best place to go if you want to hear the glass is half empty kind of thing.

Unknown said...

Hasn't Jim Hill been predicting disaster for Pixar for quite a while?

Kevbot said...

I know this comment is over a year late, but I've been reading your old entries and am loving them. What's the Mouse's take on Ratatouille now that the film is the third-largest grossing Pixar film ever? I've been reading a lot of conflicting reports about how people inside the company are upset that it didn't do better, and ddin't place in the top 5 of 2007. Thoughts?