Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom Of Doom
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The Playlist0 commentslike4tweet23
'Rango' Takes Best Animated Film At The Annie Awards
While it's pretty much an inevitability that "Rango" will take Best Animated Film at the Oscars in a few weeks, the film received another boost this weekend at the Annie Awards.
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The Playlist14 commentslike0tweet0
Weekend Box-Office: Is 'Green Lantern' The End Of The Superhero Gravy Train?
Perspective is necessary. $53 million is a whole lotta money. $53 million could buy several houses, it could feed many people, it could save lives. $53 million is also a pretty good opening for a somewhat higher-budgeted film, provided advertising isn’t through the roof and there aren’t a massive am...
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The Playlist10 commentslike0tweet0
Weekend Box Office: 'Super 8' Is A Super Performer For Paramount, 'Judy Moody' Has A Bummer Summer
Call this one a victory for Paramount, and a big one at that. “Super 8,” which opened to $37 million, was advertised with only the slightest of peekaboos, an ad campaign that played less coy and more stubbornly mysterious. While the film was pitched on the name of Steven Spielberg, the filmmaker has...
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The Playlist13 commentslike0tweet0
Weekend Box Office: $56 Million 'First Class' Opening Isn't X-actly What Fox Had In Mind
As the only major opening of the week, it was not a surprise to see “X-Men: First Class” reign with a $56 million total. For those keeping track at home (why are you doing this?), this is the lowest-scoring opening weekend for any of the four films in the “X-Men” series save for the eleven-year old ...
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The Playlist2 commentslike0tweet0
Tim Burton Won't Use 3D For 'Dark Shadows'; Is The Format Falling Out Of Favor?
But Confirms 'Frankenweenie' Will Be In 3D As PlannedIf anyone knows how to wring a buck out of 3D it's Disney and Tim Burton. The pair combined and brought in $1 billion fucking dollars with "Alice In Wonderland" last year, a post-converted abomination that even in 2D would have been painful. Regar...
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The Playlist39 commentslike0tweet0
Weekend Box Office: Despite All Warnings, Everybody Sees 'The Hangover Part II'
In the future, sequels to all our popular films will not require writers, directors, or even new talent. Sure, they might re-hire some of the people responsible for the first film, but by and large, the leading users of Xerox technology will be Hollywood executives. At least, that’s if the mammoth opening for “The Hangover Part II” is any indication, as the film took advantage of the holiday weekend to score an expected $137 million over this five day period. Critics seemed to do everything short of design spreadsheets to illustrate just how Todd Phillips and company were replicating the exact story of the first film (arguably, the marketing ...
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The Playlist0 commentslike1937tweet88
Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger Talk 'Kung Fu Panda 2' & Their Plans For 'King Lear'-Like 'Candyland'
Unlike another sequel opening in theaters nationwide this weekend (which, come to think of it, does feature a humanistic animal as one of its characters), "Kung Fu Panda 2" actually delivers on the chop-socky fun of the original. With an even more epic scope and a darker sensibility, both thematical...
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The Playlist3 commentslike0tweet0
In Theaters: Finish Him! 'Kung Fu Panda 2' Karate Chops 'The Hangover Part II'
The summer of sequels begins in earnest as two box office behemoths of years past hope that audience goodwill and fond memories translate into ticket sales. "The Hangover Part II" does its 'Hangover' thing, this time in Bangkok! And "Kung Fu Panda 2" hi-yahs onto screens with a stacked roster of all-star voice talent. Annnnd, oh my god, talk about burying the lede! Fuckin' "The Tree of Life" starts its roll out! Terry Malick! Brad Pitt! Sean Penn! Dinosaurs! At least 15 of you just wet yourselves. I know you. I know you Playlist readers, and your love of T. Malick. With good reason. Will it be everything you dreamed of and more? I really hope...
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The Playlist0 commentslike0tweet0
Review: 'Kung Fu Panda 2' Is A Fast & Furry Action Adventure
Brad Bird, genius director of "The Iron Giant," "Ratatouille," and "The Incredibles," is fond of saying that animation isn't a genre, it's an art form. His point is that there can be animated versions of a wide array of cinematic genres – thrillers, say, or maybe westerns or even romantic comedies. He's right, of course; it's just that most animated movies that aren't made by Bird's compatriots at Pixar aim for that broad, middle-of-the-road buddy comedy bulls-eye. Which is why, when DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda" was released in 2008, it was sort of shocking. Not because it was particularly revolutionary looking, and not because its ...
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The Playlist12 commentslike0tweet0
Which Summer Films Won't Make You Feel Like You've Been Lobotomized? The May-August Movies: Part 1
Something's in the air. The days are getting longer. The weather's getting warmer. Your IQ is dropping by the day. That's right, it's the start of the summer movie season! The critical darlings that get you through the winter moments are a thing of the past, replaced by CGI-packed blockbusters, come...
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