Critics Consensus: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Hits the Skids

"The Secret World of Arrietty" is the most obvious choice for me but Undefeated and Bullhead look like good viewings as well!

Feb 16 - 04:36 PM

It'll be sad not to see "Arrietty" at #1 this week. But we love junk too much. It's hard to gauge "Bullhead", "Michael" and "In the Ice" because it's all from fresh talent. I probably won't be able to see "Bullhead" before the Oscars. Not really interested in "Undefeated". I'll definately check out "Thin Ice" as a rental, and I'm not swayed by the low Putin score. That rat bastard has it coming. Americans of Russo-descent who admire the man can kiss my ass. But let's see you try to drop me down some stairs or out a window. Budet Soprotivljat'sja, Comrade.

Feb 16 - 04:44 PM

Adam Jones

I think there is a good chance that Arrietty will be number 2 or 3 (Ghost Rider will easily win this weekend, and while I think This means War will tank, the Vow could have a strong enough hold to take the number 2 spot. Anime has been increasing in popularity in the United States, but it's still a niche market (althrough a rather big one). Studio Ghibli films are of such a quality that they can break through to a mainstream audience, but Americans still prefer American made movies to foreign made ones. At a minimum they need to be from English speaking countries, with the UK the biggest one.

Still, the chances are high that Arietty will be the highest grossing Studio Ghibli film in North America as this is a good weekend with no other family friendly fare out this week and some pretty good marketing by Disney for this film.

Feb 16 - 05:04 PM

Ramzi Kibbi

no there isnt its going to be like 7th or 8th with a gross of maximum 6 million

Feb 17 - 05:22 PM

You people all have gambling problems. Get help.

Feb 17 - 06:45 PM

Matthew Younker

Estimates say 9th place $6 million. Nice job

Feb 18 - 06:39 PM

"But we love junk too much" Very good point for there seems to be a great abundance for CGI and horror films performing well so far than well critical acclaimed films which all it means is that kids and teenagers have the most time to go the movies than the intelligent working parents. Like "Ponyo" or "Spirited Away" the reason why "The World of Arrrietty" may not perform well here as it should in North America is the fact that there's alot of 'misconception' among it's presentation that just because it's Japanese doesn't mean that that it's going to be spoken that way since parents don't often do there research when they want to bring there kids to see it as opposed to something coming out of Pixar or Disney! I remember reading somewhere about "The Artist" being shown in the UK and some of the audience members demanded there money back because they thought it was going to be a talking picture- some people! The other reason "The World Of ..." may not perform well here is the fact that pure Japan animation fans prefer to see the subtitled version despite it being well dubbed!

Feb 16 - 05:28 PM

King Simba

I don't think anyone's under the impression that Secret World of Arrietty is going to be in Japanese. The trailers established that well enough. I think it's simply because anime just doesn't sell well in the US. In fact, any animated movie that isn't sold as partly comedy typically struggles. Even science fiction and action animated films don't perform very well either.

Feb 16 - 11:57 PM

No matter how hard I try, I just can't get into anime. I've seen at least 4 Hayao Miyazaki films and they just don't do anything other than mildly entertain me. I've never gotten the craze about it. In my opinion, the animation is much worse and while the stories might be inventive and original, it's ruined by the animation to me. American audiences have a hard time embracing that because it's completely different than our particular brand of animation (Aladdin, Lion King). I won't hold anything against the film but, I will never see it because the animation bothers the hell out of me haha

Feb 17 - 07:50 AM

Another good point, King S. since they're alot of animation stuff always shown on tv 24 7, but as I recall some of the Disney old animat did perform well, the last Disney cartoon that performed well was "Princess and the Frog" 104 million in 2009 and "Lilo and Stitch" made 145 milllion in 2005, and then the rerelease of "The Lion King" in 3D which made an additonal 94 million dollars as opposed to "Spirited Away" which won the Oscar for best animated film in 2002 but can make 10 million dollars in North America as opposed to "it" being around the world 264 million dollars so in some retropects North Americans have the least amount of appreciation for Japan animation in comparison to the rest of the world! And the other thing to consider is the setting, that because it's Japanese young children would be incapable to understand it or that theirs a misconception that it's going to preach Japanese culture; a culture kids as well as parents would not conform to! And I want to tell you something, I was looking forward spending money to see "Spirited Away" on the theatre but because of the sh-tty box office take in the big cities, it never made it to my local area despite the high RT score!

Feb 17 - 11:51 AM

Swampfox, lets' say that this kind of "animation" bothers you, so what you're suggesting is that you prefer old Disney style animation over the Japan animation-right! Then what this means is that the fact that much of the old style animation that involve many talking animals and talking immediate objects with alot of pointless singing appeals to you more than talking people which also means that you of the 1% percent out of the 99% prefer cartoons intended for "children" since that's all Disney 'does'(except for the odd one there unrelated to Disney like "Heavy Metal" made in 1981 and the "Dead Space" cartoons for instance) than seeing cartoons intended for adults since half of Japanese cartoons are "not' intended for children and are only intended for adults which includes "Naruto", "Death Note", "Bleach", "Akira", "Ghost In The Shell", and every Japanese vampire cartoon which includes "Vampire Hunter D" and "Blood", since the animation is pretty much the 'same' as Miyazaki's animation except that he's hand drawn every frame as opposed to others!

And if you play RPG's on your game council, a very high percentage of them are animated out of Japan which includes the .hack and the Final Fantasy series and Silent Hill to the Clock Tower ! In my opinion, you're either not being realistic or you don't know what you're saying!

Feb 17 - 12:24 PM

Well I'm pretty sure I do know what I'm talking about considering it's a matter of taste about what type of animation I enjoy. I don't like RPG's. I don't like Final Fantasy or any game similar to it. I stick to my FPS, Battlefield, Half Life, C:SS.

I do prefer the old Disney style because I grew up with it. As did nearly everyone in the United States. I'm 22 and I can still go back and watch Aladdin and the Lion King and enjoy them just as much as I do now. If a cartoon is done right, it can appeal to kids and adults alike. Pixar is a wonderful example of that. I also enjoy several different types of animation in the TV world as well. Family Guy, South Park, and Archer are all excellent in my opinion. Archer is my favorite show on television and has a very unique style of animation which is 200% geared towards adults and not children.

So don't presume I'm not being realistic when I am. It's called a difference in taste, and I don't enjoy Japanese animation. There's nothing wrong with that.

Feb 17 - 12:24 PM

King Simba

I never said 2-d animation was unpopular, what matters is how it's sold. Princess and the Frog had Disney going back to its fairy tale roots, which it's most well known for, plus it was sold as a light-hearted comedy. Similarly, Lilo and Stitch was also sold as a comedy, with the early teasers featuring Stitch interrupting classical scenes in some of Disney's most popular films, while all of the darker elements were downplayed in the trailers. On the other hand, Treasure Planet, which was sold as an epic action film ended up bombing horridly despite okay reviews. Animation seems to mainly do well when it's sold as a comedy (Even Pixar, despite their brand name, will advertise the more light hearted humor of their films rather than the darker themes, with Wall-e being a prime example where the trailers were nothing like the actual film)

Also, regarding Spirited Away, yes it made 264 mil WW, but nearly all of that came from its native Japan, so it wasn't just America where the film was barely noticed. Yeah, I agree that there are some cultural aspects that limited its appeal (unlike say Finding Nemo, where the story of the father looking for his son had universal appeal) but I also think it's simply because anime isn't that popular in a lot of places.

Feb 17 - 12:51 PM

But I'm not completely wrong though since FPS originally derived from Japan and you may have a point there's nothing wrong with your taste- it's just unusual but I shouldn't be surprised! And when you say that you can't stand Japan animation at all, this includes anything shown on tv, am I correct rated R or otherwise! Does this include all horror films based on Japan animation, just wondering?

Feb 17 - 01:03 PM

The comedy part didn't register well and I'm going to have to say that you could be right since there isn't a heck of alot of "comedy" routines shown on Miyazaki films but I think I was basing it on my own experience since I never laughed at a lot of Disney cartoons even though some of the things shown were supposed to be funny! That they may be funny to the child but sometimes not to the adults so good point- that and the build up!

Feb 17 - 01:21 PM

kyle T

Swapfox, this isn't meant to be offensive, but I think the fact that the style of animation gets in the way of you enjoying the story is much like when people say that subtitles in a foreign language film bothers them. Its something you gotta get over--most people don't but then they miss out on something great. At the same time, you may not enjoy every Anime movie/show, but there are thousands to choose from... if you've got netflix or hulu, give a few more a shot.

Feb 17 - 01:34 PM

I love foreign films with subtitles. Though, I have a hard time watching so many of them after all of my damn film classes. I don't view it as something I can "get over" because it's all visual. I enjoy reading subtitles, I hate watching dubbed films, it ruins the experience.

Visually speaking, I don't like the appeal of anime. If it's covering the whole screen I just can't deal with it. I don't doubt that there are a lot of great stories and great concepts within anime, I just can't get past it visually. I like Japanese related things such as Ninja Warrior, horror films, any type of Kung-Fu, and what not. I just don't enjoy their animation.

I know a lot of people that don't actually like Archer because the animation bothers them. Same thing with South Park.

I've tried Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I at least gave it a shot haha. It just doesn't appeal to me. I guess I just don't get it.

Feb 17 - 01:43 PM

Actually Swampfox, I know alot of people who're just like you when the only reason they would check it out is because they know someone that does and that someone happens to be me, but in actual reality, it's just not their thing as well they don't like RPG's either because they're too long and prefer "Third" or "First" person shooting games even though a good percentage of them are from Japan nor watch anything that's similar to Japanese animation. It's funny that 'I' don't notice any of them since they never bring it up except that if it gets mentioned on line, I'd feel the need to respond!

Feb 17 - 02:00 PM

Swamp, 'Kung Fu' isn't Japanese. Not that it matters. I've always loved Anime, going back to "Battle of the Planets" and "Tranzor Z", much less later stuff like "Voltron" and "Robotech", and so did many of my friends. So I honestly think you're all a little cracked in thinking that Americans just can't handle this stuff. "Transformers" was Japanese (Micromen), and it's idiotic to imagine "Thundercats" as not being heavily influenced by Anime. Ghibli and Miyazaki represent a far more humane and mature form of the genre. The stories and imagination of these films speak for themselves, but I can't see any hinderance in the beautiful animation that could be considered an irritant.

Feb 17 - 07:03 PM

I don't believe any of you people. IT'S A JEDI MIND TRICK! "These are not the cartoons you're looking for." 'Americans' (or Bush-style - 'Murkens') need to broaden their damn minds. Prove that whole 'freedom' thing. The society that has the most access to media, and the most luxury to enjoy it, simultaneously, and ironically, has the least amount of curiosity. So intellectually helpless with their 'decision fatigue' and no-brainer popcorn-gobbling WASTE of color and sound. Like those little snots this week tweeting about how they don't know who Paul McCartney is. Question - is it more or less effort to GOOGLE Paul McCartney or Tweet your ignorance to the world? Answer - you just don't give a shit! I don't care if anyone knows Paul McCartney or not, it's the habits that people reveal using these tools of information that is the most distressing. All of that is unrelated, except that too many of these teletubby-belly crap-crunchers in America are too well spoon-fed with what they're 'supposed' to enjoy, they forget about putting any effort into using their precious porcelain numb-skulls.

Feb 17 - 10:50 AM

Kyle Nuss

I am a little surprised that Ghost Rider didn't screen for critics. Even though the film will probably be received well by the audience, its going to get killed by the critics.

Feb 16 - 04:53 PM

Nelson Verdejo

i just saw it ... its as bad as the first one, but only a tiny notch above it because this one at least has some more violence and Blackout is slightly more menacing as a villain than Blackheart ... there is some fight in the villains here unlike the first one where they die so easily, but the movie as a whole is bad and instantly forgettable ... doesn't do the Ghost Rider character justice whatsoever

Feb 16 - 11:54 PM

Jesse Meehl

Um...even in early screenings fans were panning GR, not just critics

Feb 17 - 08:51 PM

Adam Jones

Why would Ghost Rider pre-screen for the UK but not the US? Its kinda of strange.

On the other hand, the first Ghost Rider was trash and this sequel is basically s%^$. It wont get a 0% but I wouldn't be surprised to see it get under 5%.

This Mean's War didn't look impressive to me in the trailers and commercials, but too bad that it's getting poor reviews as well. The whole concept seems kinda stupid.

The Secret World of Arrietty seems like a great family film, and it's the only one out this weekend too, so this is the best time for Studio Ghibli to make a good mark in the North American market (I believe this film was already released in Europe last year). Seems similar to Ponyo in that it's appeal geared more towards children (with classics like Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky having epic stories that can appeal to adults and Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies dealing with more mature subject matter). However it does seem more tolerable for adults than Ponyo was, having older protagonists. I hope it does well.

Feb 16 - 04:59 PM

Jake Peffer

I saw This Means War about a month ago and honestly I don't think it deserves a 25%. It's certainly not the best movie ever made but it's an enjoyable movie and one that you wouldn't say was a bad choice to see but probably wouldn't ever buy it or watch it again. I'd give it a 6/10.

Feb 16 - 05:03 PM

Bradley J

The Secret World of Arrietty for me this week!

Feb 16 - 05:30 PM

Zachary Perlmutter

Same. And I hope it does well too...

Feb 16 - 05:55 PM

I'm hoping that enough people will go and see it to make it to my local area!

Feb 17 - 12:25 PM

I always thought GR2 looked like dogshit from the first trailer... why were people excited for this, exactly?

Feb 16 - 06:07 PM

John Hurson

Well, far be it for me to speak for "people", but the appeal for me lay in the on-location shooting and the stunt work. I 've grown really weary of these real world/cartoon mash-ups where actual people are interacting with entirely digital ones, while walking back and forth between the real world & a cartoon digital world. It's a nice change to see real people doing real things in the real world, with just enough digital effects to flavor the action. Ghost Rider:Spirt of Vengeance may still be a terrible film, but the above mentioned elements are the draw for me.

Feb 17 - 05:26 AM

The draw for me is Neveldine/Taylor. They have an absolute batshit insane imagination and I'm captivated by it. If anyone could do Ghostrider justice, it would be those 2.

Feb 17 - 07:50 AM

Alexander Sciury

I knew GR2 was going to get bad reviews, it just looked really bad.
This Means War's premise actually sounded like it could be pretty good, but the trailer killed any hope I had of seeing.
The Secret World of Arrietty is getting pretty great reviews, but it's not my kind of movie.
So nothing for me this weekend.
I hope Chronicle holds up pretty well in it's 3rd weekend, I saw it this week, and I loved it. I had high expectations going in, and it was as good, if not better than I expected. I'm going to see it again for a 2nd time sometime in the next week.

Feb 16 - 06:29 PM

Kadeem Stewart

First things first:

1. So what if Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance isn't screened for critics.

2, Don't trust them.

3. If you're not a fan of the franchise, then screw yourself.

Like it or not, Ghost Rider 2 is way better than the first one.

Feb 16 - 06:32 PM

Ah, Kadeem, the troll with the worst taste in movies on RT.

Feb 16 - 08:22 PM

Kadeem Stewart

Like I said, screw U as in yourself, Watcher.

Feb 16 - 09:17 PM

"U" is not a proper noun (never mind the fact that it's a letter, not a word), and therefore should not be capitalized. Though it stands to reason that someone with a taste in movies that shitty should also have bad grammar. Those two aspects are pretty much mutually inclusive.

Feb 16 - 10:40 PM

And again The Watcher feels the need to be the arbiter of good comments. Dispensing his educated brand of justice on unsuspecting reviewers....do you steal candy from babys too ?

Feb 17 - 01:36 PM

Nope, Ap Sirius, I don't like candy. Also, regardless of what pitiful defense and snarky little comments you might put up in support of a piece of shit, or what colorful little dresses you might put upon its shoulders, a piece of shit's a piece of shit, end of story. But then, I wouldn't expect anything less of you: purveyor of awful taste.

Feb 17 - 03:26 PM

wow ...I changed my mind...I think your anger is because you had your candy stolen from you as a child....sry oh all knowing one

Feb 17 - 03:50 PM

How did you get that I'm angry? lol That's pretty much the "calm down, bro" quasi-retort people use when they have nothing clever to say. Why so sirius?
Point being, as I said before, you can dress up a piece of shit however you want, doesn't change the fact that it is what it is. I have critics and good taste on my side - you can't win. All you can do is try be cute with your responses, but it doesn't change anything.

Feb 17 - 05:17 PM

I dont know what kind of world you grew up in but calling people trolls and pieces of shit usually comes from an angry spirit. I dont need a PHD to see that. Can you say passive aggressive ? I think not.

Feb 17 - 06:42 PM

Manuel Granados

Why would he say passive aggresive? He's being aggressive. If you are going to use terms, please do it right, otherwise you are just being a troll.

Feb 17 - 08:29 PM

Children, children, children...

Feb 17 - 10:13 PM

1 - It's called being openly aggressive, there's nothing passive about calling you a moron.
2 - You must also be semi-illiterate, because I never called any person a piece of shit, I called Ghost Rider 2 and bad movies in general pieces of shit, which they are. If you wanna make a point, at least make sure you're getting your facts right. Idiot.

Feb 17 - 10:16 PM

Also, the reason I called Kadeem a troll is because of this comment, and I quote: "If you're not a fan of the franchise, then screw yourself." Most people are not fans of this series, and so he just told the majority of users on this site to "screw" themselves. That is called being a troll. Silly Sirius, always jumping into the fire without first understanding what the hell's going on.

Feb 17 - 10:20 PM

Grendal Sven

And as usual the one who has been trolled can do naught but revert to "grammar nazi" in self defense. Really, we are not writing prize winning news articles here, it's a goddamn comments section on movies. Now get over URself!

Feb 18 - 05:40 AM

I was using passive agressive in an ironic sense....but I guess you will correct me on this too, seeing how you feel you are better than everyone else......grammer nazi...lol...I like that one Grendal

Feb 18 - 10:42 AM

So.. you absolutely cannot dispute anything that I said above, and your only method of defense is to call me a grammar Nazi, which you didn't even come up with? Cool, I'll take that as a victory, then.

@Grendal - Defending a troll, huh? You pretty much admitted it in your comment, and Ap was kind enough to thank you for it. Funny.

Feb 18 - 11:46 AM

I wasnt calling you a grammar nazi...I was laughing at Grendals use of it....And I didnt realize this site was a competition...If it is then you can pick up your medal on the way out the door

Feb 18 - 05:36 PM

scifi mark

you do realize the troll has beat you at least this time. Just by responding once they have won

Feb 20 - 11:55 AM

John Festle

How is that a troll comment? Jw

Feb 17 - 12:43 AM

Kadeem Stewart

Because The watcher is a complete fagate. A jackass like him doesn't even know about god superhero and video game movies. So he needs to kiss my ass if he makes another comment.

Feb 17 - 06:21 PM