Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi (2017) (spoilers free to be seen)

[kunedog]

Okay, just to give the nitpickers and critics alike a fair shake, I went to see it again today. Funny thing is the second time around, I loved it. You and your whole damn army of nitpickers can have a go at this movie all day long but in the end, you still have a hugely dramatic, hugely emotional, very tense, very action-packed and fun experience.

Glad you got a movie you liked.  I don't intend to demean that any more than I would demean the experience of someone who genuinely enjoys Batman vs Superman.

But it's not a stretch to observe that TLJ's box office profile is similar to BvS (which also made a profit BTW), and speculate about whether it could also lead to a Justice League style disaster (and what it would take to avoid that).

[Pak-Man]

Even after those drops, Star Wars made more money in week 5 than Superman v Batman made in week 2. Heck, it made more cumulative money than the entire theatrical run by the second week. The drop may be steep, but when you're starting at 220 million, you can afford to shed a few viewers.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

I could be wrong but I don't think she ever opened her eyes.

I don't remember seeing her open her eyes, just her finger twitch to indicate she's waking up. And then her eyes are open when we see she's flying in space.

Her eyes were closed in the first closeup of her face, then they cut to her hand moving, then they cut back to her face and I she opens her eyes, then they start the flying.   Maybe they were already open when they cut back to her face but I thought they showed her opening them, anyway there is certainly a closeup of her face with her eyes open before they pull away to do the flying part.

She's using magic to pull her back onto a ship, but her opening her eyes is too much?

No, her opening her eyes was not what I was nit picking, read a few more posts back.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

Even after those drops, Star Wars made more money in week 5 than Superman v Batman made in week 2. Heck, it made more cumulative money than the entire theatrical run by the second week. The drop may be steep, but when you're starting at 220 million, you can afford to shed a few viewers.

Looking back at the competition for Force Awakens and Rouge One there was nothing like Jumanji up against either of them, so that has to be taken into consideration, people that might have gone to see Last Jedi a second or third time might be going to that instead.

[Edward J Grug III]

No, her opening her eyes was not what I was nit picking, read a few more posts back.

?

Both times I got nit-picky during that scene with Leia and it took me out of the movie, they did a good job showing the ice crystals forming on her skin, but then she opened her eyes and nothing happened to them, the moisture on the eyes should have started forming ice crystals immediately.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

No, her opening her eyes was not what I was nit picking, read a few more posts back.

?

Both times I got nit-picky during that scene with Leia and it took me out of the movie, they did a good job showing the ice crystals forming on her skin, but then she opened her eyes and nothing happened to them, the moisture on the eyes should have started forming ice crystals immediately.

The lack of ice crystals is what I was nit picking, not the fact that she opened her eyes.

[Edward J Grug III]

That is some next level pedanticism.

[Kete]

Even after those drops, Star Wars made more money in week 5 than Superman v Batman made in week 2. Heck, it made more cumulative money than the entire theatrical run by the second week. The drop may be steep, but when you're starting at 220 million, you can afford to shed a few viewers.

Looking back at the competition for Force Awakens and Rouge One there was nothing like Jumanji up against either of them, so that has to be taken into consideration, people that might have gone to see Last Jedi a second or third time might be going to that instead.

But it's only the number 6 domestic movie of all time.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

That is some next level pedanticism.

It's called paying attention.  They started out creating ice crystals on her skin, so the first thought is "they are going to do a proper scene with a person blown into space", then they quit doing that with her eyes so that flash of disappointment took me out of the movie for a moment.  Star Wars has never been big on using real physics so it shouldn't have been a surprise that they didn't follow through, but it's not easy to constantly remind oneself this is Star Wars, ignore the physics.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

Even after those drops, Star Wars made more money in week 5 than Superman v Batman made in week 2. Heck, it made more cumulative money than the entire theatrical run by the second week. The drop may be steep, but when you're starting at 220 million, you can afford to shed a few viewers.

Looking back at the competition for Force Awakens and Rouge One there was nothing like Jumanji up against either of them, so that has to be taken into consideration, people that might have gone to see Last Jedi a second or third time might be going to that instead.

But it's only the number 6 domestic movie of all time.

Exactly, if it can't pass Jurassic World it's a complete disaster.  They should just give up making these Star Wars films before things get even worse.

[Pak-Man]

If it keeps this up, the next one will only be the 12th highest grossing movie ever made. Putting it right over (Checks) Star Wars!

[kunedog]

Even after those drops, Star Wars made more money in week 5 than Superman v Batman made in week 2. Heck, it made more cumulative money than the entire theatrical run by the second week. The drop may be steep, but when you're starting at 220 million, you can afford to shed a few viewers.

I concede it's on a different scale, but the profile is still similar.  The only figure that's come in above projections is that $220M opening, which is largely attributable to satisfaction with Force Awakens or (IMO inflated) critical praise.  Every number since then (i.e. since Last Jedi has had to stand on its own merits) has been a disappointment.

But it's only the number 6 domestic movie of all time.

Exactly, if it can't pass Jurassic World it's a complete disaster.  They should just give up making these Star Wars films before things get even worse.

Even with the hyperbole, y'all pretty much nailed it (though I'd change "disaster" to "disappointment" and "give up making" to "fix").  The projections were $800M domestic (#2, far above Jurassic World) and $1.6B worldwide (#5, right on JW's heels).

Here's a great vid on how the entire DCEU (except Wonder Woman) culminated in an "unmitigated disaster":

Anyone who doesn't understand how a movie can be a disappointment despite earning a profit should watch it, and pay close attention when he talks about the high cost of "damaging the IP."  Aside from what it's done to the current trilogy, I doubt TLJ is doing merchandise sales any favors (except maybe porgs).

Solo is looking a lot like Justice League with its leadership changes and reshoots and spiraling costs.  TLJ made things worse by souring audience expectations and (IMO) what trust they had left in critics.

Oh well, at least Solo should be safe from the harm TLJ inflicted by severing its story, and AFAIK Episode 9 is still a blank slate.

[Pak-Man]

Now I know, from doing my list of movies that were box office flops, that there are a lot of reasons a movie can be considered a failure, despite making a profit, but there is no way on earth Disney is looking at this and saying, "Yeah it was the biggest movie of the year, but it should have been bigger."

Also merchandise sales are not hurting. Try finding a 3.75 inch figure that isn't Rose. (Poor Rose. I rescued one just because she deserves better. I understand why kids wouldn't be scrambling for her, but she's one of my favorite additions to the new trilogy.)

[kunedog]

"Biggest movie of the year" is another bare minimum expected milestone for a Star Wars film.  Only Attack of the Clones failed to meet it (because it went up against unprecedented blockbuster Spiderman in 2002).

Fair enough about the merchandise.  That was my opinion and I don't have numbers one way or the other.

[Darth Geek]

That is some next level pedanticism.

It's called paying attention.  They started out creating ice crystals on her skin, so the first thought is "they are going to do a proper scene with a person blown into space", then they quit doing that with her eyes so that flash of disappointment took me out of the movie for a moment.  Star Wars has never been big on using real physics so it shouldn't have been a surprise that they didn't follow through, but it's not easy to constantly remind oneself this is Star Wars, ignore the physics.

By the time she has opened her eyes she has started to use The Force to protect herself.