THE MEG Opens Wide And Takes Huge $44.5m Bite From Weekend Box Office!

Of course it opened huge - Jason Statham is no slouch! Ok, the megalodon has something to do with it too.

THE MEG opened this past weekend to the tune of $44.5 million with the overseas markets yet to come on stream. That's an impressive debut. Rottentomatoes.com critics has the movie at a 49% rotten rating while audiences gave it a 61%. Personally I liked it. I still haven't seen it in 3D yet (*GASP* I know right?!), but I will in the coming week or so. I had to catch the flat version as it was the only screening at the time and I was on a tight schedule. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of those action scenes in 3D because I think they nailed it. Some excellent editing really brings the Meg into your lap - even in 2D.

China played a large part in the making of the movie (very evident from the credits and content) and should open amazingly well in that country. Seriously. AMAZINGLY well. And that's a good thing for Warner Bros. - THE MEG cost $130m to make.

I think Shark Week on the Discovery Channel helped the cause - they even had a show entitled "Megalodon: Fact vs. Fiction" to help feed the frenzy.

You know, we should look into using old dino-DNA to bring back Meg. I mean, what could go wrong?

THE MEG is now playing.

BOX OFFICE: Pixar's INCREDIBLES 2 Headed To Est $180m Weekend - An Animated Record!

Brad Bird's INCREDIBLES 2 looks to give FINDING DOREY (sorry DORY) a superhero punch to the box office chops. FINDING DORY has held the animated box office crown since 2016 with a take of $135m in its opening weekend, and now I2 is looking to land with an estimated $180m!

In fact, I2 more than doubled FINDING DORY's record Thursday night previews ($9.2m) with a staggering $18.5m.

With its A+ Cinema Score and a current 94% fresh on RottenTomatoes (audiences have it pegged at 90%), there really is nothing holding the sequel back from many, many more records. If you haven't seen it yet - it's definitely something to add to your things to see.

INCREDIBLES 2 is now playing.

Source: BoxOfficeMojo 

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM - Apparently At The Theater! Great Movie!!

I thoroughly enjoyed FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. It has enough Harry Potter DNA within it to give it some gravitas, yet it overflows with new ideas and dogma based on the magic community within North America.

The visual effects are jaw dropping in many scenes and some very imaginative minds were involved in creating them much to my pleasure! Good enough for an 'A' Cinema Score and Certified Fresh too.

If you are one of those movie goers who doesn't enjoy 3D unless it's dialed up a bit then you will enjoy BEASTS. In some areas, I felt it shouldn't be with so much depth, especially fast tracking scenes early on that may make you feel dizzy. But the movie as a whole does accomplish very nice things with 3D. I appreciated the effort. I felt the faces, even close up were superbly done.

BEASTS will apparently need more of those expanding suitcases for all the cash they are bringing in! $30 million on Friday to be exact - so that pegs the weekend at a potential $76m for the new "spinoff". Of course, being in the Potter universe doesn't hurt, does it? Clearly, sequels were set up as well. I am certainly looking forward to them.

And Eddie Redmayne? Superb as Newt Scamander!

Here's the movie's storyline:
The year is 1926 and Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident...were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM is playing now in RealD 3D.

World Box Office: THE FORCE AWAKENS vs. AVATAR? Forget it... Look At All That Cheddar.

As I've been postulating for weeks now (other than the fact I knew there was no way AVATAR 2 would hit its latest release date), there is no way STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS challenges James Cameron's AVATAR in worldwide box office. Let's face it, worldwide box office is the number that matters most and while the domestic record is an awesome achievement, it's only a third of what really matters or in SWTFA's case, half. Yes, TITANIC may sink, but AVATAR is quite safe.

Was there really any doubt about this? Not to me. There's the old description of a four quadrant movie that sort of fits both movies: Males under 25, Males over 25, Females under 25 and Females over 25. I think SWTFA delivers admirably on this, but not in the league of AVATAR. But of course there is much more to the story than just four quadrants.

Many will argue that shiny new 3D technology helped push AVATAR to dizzying heights and while that is true to some degree, SWTFA has nostalgia and an extremely well established fanbase and, count 'em, SIX previous feature releases. SWTFA also has 3D revenue in MORE theaters. AVATAR was an original work. That more than balances the scales.

Here's why AVATAR will remain king of the world in my opinion:
1. James Cameron. The world loves him. They love his movies and love his environmental stance. That's a huge reason why AVATAR commanded the box office it did. SWTFA must measure up to this standard of relevance or fail in my opinion. Cameron is AVATAR's scientist to SWTFA's fantasy magic. It's a very interesting comparison to contrast AVATAR's environmental message to THE FORCE AWAKENS' well... force, and while I'm sure I'll hear from more Star Wars fans on this (I am one!), AVATAR much better aligns with true Science Fiction. Star Wars embraces the supernatural, albeit in a passionate, space opera setting. Don't underestimate the power of "James Cameron Presents". Just his name alone will bring in masses of people. Abrams is good and is getting better, but he doesn't command Cameron's respect yet in the theater - and very probably never will. Cameron IS Captain SciFi. I feel the pure SciFi play is a better option for box office when we're dealing with four quadrant movies.

2. Everyone can relate to AVATAR's story. Indigenous people's oppression. The environment. Corporate greed. Romance. The world responded to it. It had legs. With SWTFA however, the story continually evolves around the soap opera of grandparents, parents, siblings and children with unexpected gasps from audiences as lineages are revealed. There needs to be more at stake and more that relates to our world directly to connect as AVATAR has. THE FORCE AWAKENS needs more meat to move to the next level. Perhaps EP. VIII or the spin offs will.

3. The AVATAR sequels will punch up cinematic technology once again and potentially set the bar even higher in the coming years. You didn't think he was done with just 3D did you? You can bet Cameron will be marketing some new technology very, very hard for the sequels. AVATAR broke amazing ground with 3D, crossing the uncanny valley with photo realism, performance capture and virtual real-time cameras. You can expect more of the same for the sequels only with technology 10 years better. Imagine what he could and will do.

So if not SWTFA, then what will overtake AVATAR? AVATAR 2? Maybe. I suspect the movies will be BETTER than the original (as Cameron always shines in sequels) and will do massive box office, but AVATAR was a must see event for the world. It will be hard to replicate that again and re-energize that urgency. That being said, if there is one person in the world that can beat James Cameron, it's James Cameron. He's already proven that. And there's plenty of causes that are of urgent priority on this planet. Mine that cheddar.

THE MARTIAN Set To Overtake GLADIATOR As Ridley Scott's Top Box Office Draw

Ridley Scott has to be smiling broadly right now as his 3D space adventure THE MARTIAN continues to hold on to first place at the box office. In fact the Matt Damon starrer will overtake GLADIATOR as the top box office draw in all of Scott's releases sometime this week. THE MARTIAN currently stands at $182m and GLADIATOR did $188m worth of business back in 2000.

THE MARTIAN only dropped 27% this past weekend for an estimated take of $11.4m. Couple that with the bombs of SCOUT'S GUIDE, OUR BRAND IS CRISIS and BURNT (which I thought was very good) and voila - Martian Victory. Trouble is definitely on the horizon though as SPECTRE looms large this Friday. The latest James Bond installment just set records over in the UK during it's opening there. It'll open to huge business here as well and will hold it until THE HUNGER GAMES closes up shop with part 2 of MOCKINGJAY.

So congratulations to Ridley Scott for his achievement and continued success with 3D. An amazing accomplishment! Looking forward to ALIEN: PARADISE LOST and more native 3D from Scott and 3ality!!

3D Movie Review: JURASSIC WORLD: 8.8 Stars - 3D Box Office Explodes!!

This review is a bit late getting out I know, but I wanted to ensure I saw it again and I did - 3 times now (recently took the family)! It is indeed that great a movie and the 3D is well worth the extra surcharge at the box office. I personally guarantee it - and I've used my exclusive review format for you.

JURASSIC WORLD is continuing it's stellar success with 3D box office as audiences respond to the jawdropping 3D immersion in the movie. 47% of the box office continues to be 3D. Keep in mind that 3 out of the top 5 movies are 3D - including the top 2, and 5 out of the top 10. Massive numbers for 3D! As of yesterday JW sits at $981.3 million after just over a week in release - it WILL pass $1 billion today (~11 days). Stellar performance - and ANOTHER record as that bounty beats FURIOUS 7 (17 days) for fastest to $1 billion.

I'm astounded with the naysayers out there that continue to try and defend their positions on the movie. They say the CGI is rough, 3D isn't needed, poor character development, blah, blah, blah. I could go on. First of all I haven't seen the movie in 2D and won't until I get it on blu-ray. 3D is how to see it in theaters and if you don't you are truly missing out on the spectacle. Perhaps the CGI in 2D is not as impressive - that has happened before with me: I thought that the effects in a past movie viewed in 2D were unimpressive and not real enough, but when I saw THE EXACT SAME SCENES IN 3D - I was floored! Yes, sometimes visual effects are immensely better in three dimensions and that could be with JW because I see nothing wrong with the CGI performance. 3D does help with suspension of disbelief and in the case of JW - it's almost required.

The 3D conversion is not perfect, but certainly great enough to have a very good time at the show for 99% of audiences. I know what to look for as I have said many times before but for the masses it's perfectly fine. And as I say, 3D is required viewing for the movie - especially as it amps up the visual effects and let's face it, we're going to see dinosaurs here so the CGI and suspension of disbelief is very important. Native 3D still would have been a better choice by the filmmakers. One conversion error was trying to draw the audiences eye to the two boys in the massive crowd as they enter the main park building - they started far too early doing that so the boys appear to float above the others temporarily. Also it highlights the fact that the child actors were waiting for a cue to action before moving within the crowd (my interpretation anyway). So that brought me out of the movie. HOWEVER, other times the conversion seemed to take the time to do things right - like the close attention to detail when the screen was divided many times by thin lines (wires or plant branches) - usually in cheap conversions you can see ugly distortion there as automated conversions can't handle it. These JW scenes definitely had human hands touch them, to clean that up - well done!

Yes character development was not that great, but we're here to see dinosaurs so I cut Trevorrow significant slack in this department. We cared about the kids and they were the linchpin in this movie just as the original JURASSIC PARK. And the story was geared around the dinos again - so whatever. It's a popcorn movie, not freakin' GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.

Probably the best thing about the movie was the Sound / Score. I thought it was perfect and a further tribute to the original movie. Plenty of "easter eggs" in JW referring back to JP - I won't spoil them, but keep an eye out! And they're not silly references either - some play a key role. Others are just meant as a smile as you nod your head.

Definitely see this movie in 3D and on the largest screen you can. These dinos are meant to be HUGE. Don't make a mistake and just see it in 2D - the world agrees; 3D is how to see it. If you have any questions about the movie before seeing it - the comments are open! :-)

JURASSIC WORLD is NOW PLAYING.

More Details On JURASSIC WORLD'S 3D Performance From RealD!!

JURASSIC WORLD IN 3D SINKS ITS TEETH INTO APPROXIMATELY 48% OF ESTIMATED $204.6 MILLION DOMESTIC OPENING WEEKEND

RealD 3D Equipped Theaters Generated An Estimated $71 Million Of Which $10 Million Was From RealD 3D Equipped PLF Auditoriums

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 14, 2015) – RealD Inc. (NYSE: RLD) announced today that Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s epic action-adventure, Jurassic World, continued the strong performance of recent 3D titles in the marketplace generating approximately 48% of its domestic opening weekend gross on 3D equipped screens. RealD 3D accounted for an estimated $71 million of the weekend’s total box office. RealD 3D equipped PLF auditoriums were also in high demand, delivering $10 million of the opening weekend’s total.

In addition to its record-breaking box office distinctions and achievements, Jurassic World is the highest grossing domestic debut ever for RealD. The film surpassed the first movie in The Avengers franchise, which earned more than $70 million in RealD ticket sales in May, 2012.

“Jurassic World’s dino-sized debut is another strong indication that moviegoers want excellent 3D experiences and the studios are providing the best 3D offerings in years…maybe ever,” said Anthony Marcoly, President of Worldwide Cinema at RealD. “2015 will be remembered as a watershed year for this format with one of the strongest 3D slates we have ever seen.”

“Jurassic World in 3D is a fantastic experience which brings the audience closer to the action," said Nicholas Carpou, President of Domestic Distribution for Universal Pictures. "It is no surprise to us that audiences are responding in big numbers to this fantastic film."

Even Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow believes the moviegoing experience is enhanced when his film is seen in 3D. Said Trevorrow, “My goal with this movie was always to make sure Jurassic World felt like a real place and in 3D you feel like you are there… For us, it was about creating the most visceral, immersive experience possible. And this kind of technology (3D) does what I hope the whole movie does, which is make everyone in the audience—regardless of their age—feel like a kid again.”

Recent 3D successes worldwide have included San Andreas, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Avengers: Age of Ultron, among others. Upcoming this summer and through the end of the year, there is growing excitement for 3D motion pictures as diverse as Inside Out, Terminator: Genisys, Minions, The Walk, The Martian, Pixels, Pan, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, among others.

The world’s most widely used 3D cinema technology, RealD 3D is installed in more than 26,500 auditoriums by approximately 1,200 exhibitors in 72 countries around the world.

About RealD Inc.
RealD is a leading global licensor of 3D and other visual technologies. RealD's extensive intellectual property portfolio is and can be used in applications that enable a premium viewing experience in the theater, the home and elsewhere. RealD’s core business is the licensing of RealD Cinema Systems and the product sale of RealD eyewear to motion picture exhibitors to enable a premium viewing experience for 3D motion pictures and alternative 3D content in the theater.

RealD was founded in 2003 and has offices in Beverly Hills, California; Boulder, Colorado; London, United Kingdom; Moscow, Russia; Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; Tokyo, Japan; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more information, please visit our website at www.reald.com.

About Jurassic World
In the new film, when the massive and mysterious Indominus rex stages an escape and disappears into the jungle, order turns to mayhem and guests turn into prey. Dinosaurs escape into the open, skies and water to engage in an all-out war for survival, and no corner within the world’s greatest theme park is safe anymore.

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong and Irrfan Khan star in the 3D epic action-adventure that is directed by Colin Trevorrow and based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The screenplay is by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Derek Connolly & Trevorrow, and the story is by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley are producers. Steven Spielberg and Thomas Tull are executive producers. For more information on the movie, please visit www.jurassicworld.com

Will update you as I get more information!!

Monster Opening Coming For JURASSIC WORLD

JURASSIC WORLD will be taking a huge bite out of the box office this coming weekend - but just how huge? HUGE. Estimates are now pegging the opening at $115 million and while still behind FURIOUS 7 and AGE OF ULTRON it's still a massive opening. I look for it to do more than that - in the $125 million range because I feel the 3D surcharge uplift will be greater than expected.

If you haven't secured your IMAX or premium large format 3D screen now for the weekend, do it SOON. It will be selling out and you don't want to miss this event.

From THR: "Fandango reports that the latest chapter in the “Jurassic Park” franchise is outselling all major 2014 summer blockbusters — a group that includes “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” — at the same point in those film’s sales cycles. The picture accounts for over 90% of all weekend ticket sales."

Here's the movie's storyline:
Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers.

JURASSIC WORLD opens this Friday!

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Throws Down Gauntlet, But Original Holds Box Office Opening Title

Yes, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is a force at the box office and justifiably so. It's an amazing movie - again offering up superb editing and character development despite the fact that this assemble cast is not only large, but growing. Was it perfect? No. More on that in my review coming up, but DEFINITELY worth while going to see. It's one of Marvel's top 5 movies.

Ultron opened to $187.7 million in North America, shy of the original's $207.4 million). Yes, the original had the uniqueness of being the first to show off all these heroes on the same screen, but I think even more importantly the villain was well known and adored. Loki. Ultron, while a fairly cool concept was not up to the Loki standard in my opinion. More on that this week.

Internationally Ultron is cleaning up! It's raked in $439 million and it hasn't even opened in China yet, the world's second largest (and soon to be largest) market. Japan's opening is coming up as well.

In total AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON has amassed a staggering $626.7 million already. One would think it has a lock on the yearly box office crown - but not so fast, or should I say fast and furious - FURIOUS 7 has hit $1.43 billion worldwide. I don't think it will have a problem surmounting that figure and perhaps hitting $1.5 or $1.6 billion worldwide, overtaking the original AVENGERS - good enough for third place behind the rare air of James Cameron's space: TITANIC and AVATAR. But we'll see. China will play a huge role in this.

One more movie to throw into the yearly competition is of course STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. That movie is just plain scary when it comes to projecting box office. It could be up in the top 2 of all time.

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Eying $1 Billion - Opens To $50m In China!

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES has opened to $49.5m in China which is just about as much as the first Hobbit movie made during it's entire run in the country! Goes to show the recognition that the movie brings now to the Chinese as well as the further development of the theater industry there - especially 3D. With FIVE ARMIES being made in native 3D with world leading 3ality Technica rigs, these box office results underscore what great movie making can achieve.

Peter Jackson's finale to the Hobbit trilogy has raked in $866 million worldwide as of now and as China is it's last major market the echos of the release may be enough to push it to the magic billion dollar mark despite being obviously snubbed by the Academy for Oscars this year. The movie only managed to be nominated for Sound Editing. How it is not at least nominated for Visual Effects is beyond me.

Will THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES hit $1 billion? Will we ever return to Middle-earth again any time soon? I'd dearly love to see some spin offs from these movies - character origins stories, adventures and the like. I doubt the Tolkien estate would allow it, but there would definitely be a huge market for it. Even a bridge movie bringing Legolas together with Strider as described at the end of the movie would be huge.

Can't wait to get the extended trilogy versions on Blu-ray! All the behind the scenes action is what I really enjoy in these boxed sets. Stay tuned for further box office updates!

GOLD! THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Will Open $75M+, Already At $122M+ Overseas - Over 70% Of Total From 3D Screens!

This is it guys. The last trip we will have to Middle-earth for a long time. So go out and enjoy it! Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES opened last night to massive midnight screenings and is projected to hit north of $75 million for the weekend. Add on the $122 million it has already made overseas and we're well on our way to another gigantic release for Tolkien's imagination. Well mostly Tolkien and some kind liberty by a fella known as Peter Jackson.

After seeing the first two releases in this franchise series, it really makes me wonder what Guillermo del Toro's versions would have been like. More practical effects I'm sure, but what would be the big differences? I'm hoping that perhaps some of those concepts get included in the upcoming trilogy blu-ray set for THE HOBBIT next year. They've got my money already, but that would be the icing on the cake.

Back to the matter at hand - I won't be able to see the finale until the weekend, but Tim says he's seen it already so it will be great to see his review on the movie and the native 3D. Mine will be coming forthwith! Can't wait to see all that native 3D goodness, all from the amazing 3D rigs of 3ality Technica. Bring it on!

Here's the movie's storyline:
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES is now playing in 3D, HFR 3D, IMAX 3D and flat.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Soars For Top Box Office Again!

Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY took in another $16m this weekend for it's third non-consecutive, weekend box office crown. That makes $280m so far with $305m forecast domestically. Worldwide GOTG has taken $554m and counting.

I've seen this movie three times already, once with my daughter who I wanted to introduce to the brand as potentially her generation's STAR WARS. I feel the movie is that important.

Audiences shelled out $12m for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES' second place showing - another 3D movie. I haven't seen this yet, but hope to in the coming weeks. It dropped 30% from last weekend and has accumulated a nice $162m thus far.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR has bottomed out already and has only a fraction of what the original made. I feel for Robert Rodriguez who I admire as a filmmaker.

Can GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY hold on again for a fourth first place victory? Stay tuned!

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Top GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY For Top Box Office

Movie patrons shelled out more this past weekend for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES than Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY but we'll see what happens as time marches on between these two huge 3D movies. I haven't seen TMNT yet, but it is in the cards.

TMNT took in $65.6 million making it the fourth highest grossing movie opening weekend in August of all time. It's probably the best cross over that producer Michael Bay could have entertained at this level - plenty of brand power and hungry for CGI.

Paramount stepped up almost immediately upon word of the solid box office returns to announce a sequel is in the works with an anticipated release date of June 3, 2016.

GUARDIANS remains a juggernaut. It has topped $314 million worldwide already and is still expanding into new markets. Look for standard Tier A returns for Marvel at the end of the run. Another grand slam.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES just topped $500 million worldwide and will easily top $400 million overseas to pad the final tally. Native 3D doesn't get better than the high standard set by  the DAWN 3D team and 3ality Technica! See it again!!

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION Opens Tomorrow! $100M Opening Forecast!!

3D Rig Technician Celine Tricart

Looks like Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION will be the first movie of the year to break the $100M opening barrier. Tracking is through the roof for the $165M budgeted movie and we all know Mark Wahlberg is solid in bringing in the numbers.

Note that the run time of the movie is nearly 3 hours which will limit screenings somewhat though AVATAR was also in the same ball park and that didn't seem to be affected ;-) Further, no other movies are opening this weekend.

We will definitely see the impact of the Chinese market with this release as it was a joint production, marketing will be strong, and Chinese actors and skylines are involved. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers from China rival or even surpass domestic. We'll have a better idea tomorrow night.

Speaking of domestic box office, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION opens in 4200 theaters (353 in IMAX 3D) and is tracking on par or above CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER ($95M opening).

I'm leaving you with some images of 3ality Technica's native 3D camera rigs in action on the production - it doesn't get any better than this! Get ready for some Michael Bay explosions and Mark Walhberg expletives! :-)

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION opens tomorrow!!

Click to enlarge photos

Movie Review - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, 9.2 Stars! Spoiler Protected, $300M Opening!

Yes, the hype is real. Get out and see CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER and see it on the largest 3D screen possible. The story alone is worth the price of admission and it's not your typical superhero one trick pony. It's rare that a story like this makes it's way on the screen in this genre, but MAN, I'm hoping for more.

3D is playing a huge role with this Cap release. 40% of all screenings were in 3D and the box office showed it with $96.2 million from the US and Canada this weekend. And the all important overseas markets delivered on all cylinders too with a blammo $207 million! Cap 2 is April's largest opening EVER.

I love how CATWS philosophy is political but still with tons of action. Marvel is definitely on to something by building each standalone movie with a different tone. For example GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY will have much more humor built into it than the other Marvel franchise movies - it's brilliant.

I have two sore points that I have to get out of the way first and then on to focusing on the brilliance of this movie. Note that I have typed out the spoilers in white text below, so you will have to simply highlight those areas to read them if you have already seen the movie.

WARNING SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE:
What bothered me about this movie and it's not even addressed - which really gets under my skin, is that this is a MAJOR, MAJOR attack on S.H.E.I.L.D. and the world at large - huge in scale and in fact does warrant all the Avengers assembling once again!! This is not a Cap only adventure we're talking about. Nick Fury was considered DEAD. One second from Hydra domination. Where on earth was Tony Stark? The Hulk? Hawkeye? I can understand Thor being hard to get a hold of, but even he would monitor something like this! All we get is Cap and Black Widow. Look, all I'm asking for is an explanation. Remind us that all of Stark's suits are gone. That Bruce Banner is perhaps hiding again. That Hawkeye has residual brain issues from being tapped in THE AVENGERS. :-) C'mon.

Secondly is the loss of suspension of disbelief when Hydra shows up in a super old computer system. I call BS on that one. And anyone in information technology would too - which happens to make up a LOT of this movie's target audience. A sentient computer? I don't care who is in it. Sentient? That won't happen for another 25-25 years! Moving on...

END OF SPOILERS

Here's the storyline for the movie:
After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.

So yes, the story was amazing - worth a 94% for their efforts. A treat. Acting was up to standard and because of the talent involved (Redford et al) I gave it a 92% delivery. Character development wasn't as strong (88%) as the original Cap movie, but it didn't need to be as his origins had already been done. Loved what they did with the Winter Soldier. I had some trouble with suspension of disbelief (84%) as I have outlined in the spoiler section - therefore can't go into details. Suffice to say it wasn't an overly jarring experience, but noteworthy.

The Russos did an amazing job directing the movie (93%) and apparently they are approached for the next Cap as well. Good! The sound and score (91%) are what I expect from a Marvel production - amazing! Cinematography was better than average (92%) with the cityscapes playing interesting roles in the movie. The visual effects were marvel standard as well - meaning, WOW (97%). Very well done.

Finally the 3D was a little less than what I anticipated, but still clearly top notch and well worth seeing in 3D. I think that unless my 3D score is down around 70% - you need to see any superhero genre movie in 3D. It really delivers what the directors and writers want to you. The movie was definitely planned in 3D and deftly delivered in a post production 3D effort from Stereo D. One shot in particular I loved and that's a shot of Steve Rogers talking and the city background is all out of focus - a beautiful depth of field shot and with the 3D applied was almost like art. Stunning shot. It's the little things like that. Go see this movie!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is now playing in 3D, IMAX 3D and flat.

The Force Of GRAVITY: $500 Million In Box Office And Still Climbing

What can I say that I haven't said already? If you haven't seen GRAVITY yet in theaters, get out and enjoy. Beyond that, what a remarkable achievement for Alfonso Cuaron and Warner Bros. The movie will hit $500 million in worldwide box office this weekend and is still drawing in the crowds and has already pulled ahead of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS in receipts.

Look for GRAVITY to hit ~$260 million domestically and ~$300 million in foreign markets for a nice ~$560 million take PLUS CHINA. I haven't included China in the mix here but I expect big things from them, especially with their IMAX screens. Is expecting a $600 million a long shot? I don't think so. We'll see.

Anyway, I'm just so thrilled with the success of a movie that deserves to be successful! Cuaron nailed it. I wish the movie was longer because the time just flies when you're watching it, but really - it's a masterpiece.

We need more original stories like this with near perfect 3D and acting!

THOR: THE DARK WORLD Hammers The Box Office !

Can Marvel do no wrong? Seriously. They are kings of the box office, they have a recently renewed TV series with AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. and just signed a deal with Netflix to have four of their characters (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones) with separate series culminating in a crossover series entitled THE DEFENDERS, all of which is based in Hell's Kitchen, NYC.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD continues in the Marvel tradition of kick ass action, great storytelling, compelling characters all in a solid 3D conversion (haven't seen it yet, but my assumption based on previous productions). Of course being a follow up to THE AVENGERS doesn't hurt as IRON MAN 3 can attest with it's $1.2 billion take (that's fifth best EVER). So we'll see where Thor 2 goes. It has already hit $140 million worldwide with only one day reporting in North America. My projection is $90 million for the weekend domestically.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

For all of our THOR 2 coverage, click here. And here's the link for all of our Marvel coverage!

THOR: THE DARK WORLD is now playing!

STALINGRAD 3D Grabs Over $8 Million More With China Opening - $60 Million Worldwide !

Fedor Bondarchuk’s 3D World War II movie STALINGRAD is posting exceptional numbers overseas. First it set records in Russia and the Ukraine and now it has landed in China. Over the first four days of release, STALINGRAD has gated $8.3 million from 7,013 screens, beating the openings of PEARL HARBOR and WAR HORSE.

Screenings continue in Russia as well, bringing in another $2.8 million making it's take on Russian soil $47.8 million with an additional $3.3 million in the Ukraine.

Total box office to date is ~$60 million and is Russian's entry for Foreign Language Oscar.

I know the folks over 3ality Technica are very proud of the movie and it's continued success! In fact I recently conducted an interview with Steve Schklair, 3D producer on the movie (also CEO of 3ality) and I will have that up shortly for you.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Written by Ilya Tilkin and Sergey Snezhkin and directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, STALINGRAD is set in 1942, when invading German troops were in control of the Volga River. A group of Soviet soldiers finds a young woman trapped behind enemy lines and works to protect her. Thomas Kretschmann and Yanina Studilina star.

Watch the trailer for STALINGRAD 3D here.

Source: Variety

GRAVITY Continues To Hold Altitude - Scorching Hot $40 Million Projected Second Re-entry!

Ok, that title doesn't really make sense - holding altitude and also going into re-entry. But it SOUNDS cool. :-)

Remember the original estimate for GRAVITY's opening weekend last week? $40 million, that's right. I said more like $50 million and that hit instead. Why did I think that high a number? Because of the IMAX and 3D surcharges that would be underestimated.

Now the projected earning for GRAVITY in its second weekend is pegged at... $40 million and I think that's about right - maybe $45m. Remember IMAX took in about 20% of the box office take from only 10% of the theaters so I'm thinking that the people that put off seeing the movie in the first weekend due to sold out IMAX venues will definitely be hitting it this weekend while its still scorching hot.

GRAVITY has legs. It'll be with us for a long time and it's primed for awards too. The movie has already pulled in $107 million in under a week worldwide.

You don't need to have an apple fall on your head to know if you haven't discovered GRAVITY yet, you need to get out there and do it! More numbers soon...

Movie Review: GRAVITY - 9.7 Stars, Spoiler Free!

Jaw-dropping! Worth every cent for a ticket to see this thing on the largest 3D screen possible. You WILL feel like an astronaut - and who doesn't want to feel like an astronaut?

This is a SPOILER-FREE review. Please note that the comments are NOT spoiler free and everyone has virtual free reign to discuss the movie.

GRAVITY pays homage to the dangerous careers that astronauts have, the incessant need that humans have to explore and adapt to change. It also pays homage to Apollo 13 (and all the men and women who have given their lives in the name of space exploration), to mothers, to women explorers and the tenacity it takes to survive and overcome the odds.

To date, GRAVITY has pulled in just under $100 million worldwide - and it just opened!

Let's get into the review's breakdown of the movie:

Story - 98%. The amazing thing about this ORIGINAL work is that most of the story is told visually. For me and for many, that is the way to win over an audience and young filmmakers would do well to emulate this accomplishment. I won't say more at this point other than to emphasis that the whole thing was an original script, something we could use a whole lot more of these days. I love that Alfonso was in this project from day 1 with co-writing (with his son) it right straight through to the end. This is definitely Cuaron at his best!

So why not give it 100%? Some issues in the story would be in how certain astronauts would have reacted to events as they unfold - keep in mind that these are not average people off the street. They are highly qualified and TRAINED individuals and scientists. Emergencies are prepared for through training and psychological assessments done long ago to ensure the best possible scenarios as far as human selection are concerned for these missions. I felt not all of this was addressed in totality here. I won't go into specifics so there are no spoilers, and one of you may convince me otherwise with something I missed in the moment. We can discuss in the spoiler filled comments.

What I loved was visual storytelling. Symbolism is definitely at play a great deal in the movie - keep your eye open for hints to get you thinking about birth, the meaning of life, parenting - especially motherhood and the oneness of being human across all races. GRAVITY's story is extremely well told, but it's told in such a VISUAL way that everyone can and will have a slightly different take on the whole film. It's a unifying film though - don't get me wrong. It celebrates the differences in the human race but also what ties us inextricably together. But due to the visual storytelling nature of the production, it will be uniquely special to YOU. Oscar? Perhaps.

Acting - 94%. What can I say? Sandra Bullock gives an amazing visceral performance. She was perfectly cast I believe and a solid choice for the role. One can wonder how Angelina Jolie would have performed in the role but there's no need. Bullock nailed it. She brought a believe ability factor to the role that I don't think anyone else could have achieved. And as I will say below, the suspension of disbelief in this movie is it's greatest achievement and Bullock contributed marvelously to the outcome. Oscar? Perhaps.

George Clooney play a pivotal role in this thing. He has the presence that the movie needed and anchored the believably to large extent as well.

Character Development - 92%. More time could have been spent here but I think that given the nature of the cinematography (extremely long shots) and the almost real-time nature of the pacing it makes it very difficult to weave in memories or flashbacks, etc to solidify visually this type of development. Alfonso Cuaron used everything that was available to him though - photographs, character storytelling, excellent character banter and so on. I'd love to give more percentage accomplished in this category but I can't. Do we see a change in Bullock's character? Oh yes. I see awards in her near future again.

Suspension of Disbelief - 100%. GRAVITY's greatest achievement! It's here that I wish I hadn't seen any trailers, featurettes or behind the scenes shots because those were the only moments were suspension of disbelief was broken for me. I have a problem with that sometimes and as an aspiring filmmaker myself it is hard to look and analyse how a scene was shot and made. But for the vast majority of you - GRAVITY is a trip to space that you will feel as if you are really there.

Directing - 98%. Alfonso Cuaron just solidified his position as one of the greatest directors we have today. His boldness and eye for the human condition in adversity is one of his strongest suits. His stewardship of this movie that almost didn't get made so many times in itself is a testament to his confidence in himself and the people around him to get the job done.

Cuaron's signature long scenes are definitely in the movie and dramatically pulls you into the action and the inaction of various scenes. You won't want to blink! It's amazing really. Cuaron is essentially the best at this device and it works.

If I could define Cuaron's career to date in one word it would be VISION. For me, that's the most important element of the movie (which includes his vision for the original story to begin with). Oscar? Yes.

Sound / Score - 98%. Stephen Price (THE WORLD'S END) did a remarkable job with GRAVITY. At times it wasn't what music was playing but the lack of sound altogether! I think that elegance is as much the story here as the composing. Price's score did indeed have a huge part to play in the stellar achievement in suspension of disbelief. Everything just sucked you in. Sound. Score. 3D. Cinematography. Long scenes. The list goes on. Stunning results. Oscar? Perhaps.

Cinematography - 100%. Emmanuel Lubezki (THE TREE OF LIFE, CHILDREN OF MEN) just completely overwhelmed in this movie! Perfect score. Again the superlative I want to use is jaw-dropping. Lubezki is able to not only work within the scope of Cuaron's unique fashion of storytelling, but also keeps everything beautifully balanced as a natural extension of our own eyesight. I'm sure Lubezki must have worked closely with Prime Focus to pull off the 3D results in post production as well because there wasn't any trouble spots that I could detect at all anywhere. More on the in the 3D portion. Hats off Emmanuel! Oscar? Yes.

Visual / Special Effects / Stunts - 100%. Another perfect score! Anyone who reads MarketSaw knows that I don't throw out perfect scores randomly. They are RARE and with good reason. If I give a 100% mark it's because I think it will hold up to the best of the best not only now but in the future. It's a classic in other words and really should be the subject of master classes in filmmaking the world around. I couldn't stick around to watch all the credits unfortunately this time around (I will with the next viewing!) but I think Framestore did the lions-share of the hands on work. Kudos!! Weightlessness shots - AMAZING! The explosion portions were thrilling to watch with the 3D immersion and the human element involved thrown in. Oscar? Yes.

Stereoscopic 3D - 98%. What can I say other than this is the finest 3D conversion I have ever seen. Well done Prime Focus! If there was an Oscar for 3D? Yes.

I still think there were times were shooting natively would have produced better results, and I'm thinking specifically during the interior moments. Also I am of the opinion that the threshold could have been pushed a bit further on some of the exterior shots as well - I found my eyes to be very well rested throughout the movie so there was some room to play with in my opinion. I especially enjoyed the end shot (no spoiler) where they dialed in 3D a fair amount for that crescendo of emotion. Well done. Very well done.

However I will say that this is definitely the bar for 3D conversion. THE AVENGERS was absolutely great 3D. GRAVITY is better. Stereo D, it's your move!

GRAVITY is now playing! What are you waiting for? This is an event and a must see!