Moviegoers to Hollywood: Make better movies!

The last three or four months have seen a remarkable sign of box-office slump: For sixteen consecutive weeks, domestic weekend box-office receipts have been lower than the corresponding weekends from the previous year, 2004. Added: That’s one week away from the record 17-week recession set in 1985 — "one box office record we don’t want," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian commented this week.

It’s not just that ticket sales are down — that’s been happening for at least three years. But because ticket prices continue to climb, Hollywood seldom takes in less  money each week on a year-over-year basis for more than two or three weeks in a row. (For example, during the same 16-week period in 2004, the weekend box office never dipped below 2003 levels for more than two consecutive weeks. Of course, as a friend of mine observed, the early part of last year might have been unusually strong due to the lingering effects of The Return of the King and the powerhouse presence of The Passion of the Christ.)

In any case, in the last 16 weeks not even the release of a the third and final Star Wars prequel could boost the box office to the levels it enjoyed a year ago. Nor could media blitzes, drummed-up controversies, or big names like Ron Howard, Russell Crowe, Adam Sandler, and Ridley Scott, Orlando Bloom pump movies like Cinderella Man, The Longest Yard, and Kingdom of Heaven to box-office success.

Hollywood execs, of course, are scrambling to point to all kinds of factors, from the continuing rise of DVDs and Internet use. But a few bold voices are wondering whether the problem isn’t the movies themselves. Amy Pascal, chairwoman of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s motion picture group, has a startling suggestion for Hollywood: Try making better films.

"We can give ourselves every excuse for people not showing up – change in population, the demographic, sequels, this and that," she said. "But people just want better movies."

Better movies. What a concept. Mrs. Pascal’s suggestion may not be the most popular advice in Hollywood — but it sounds pretty good to Paul Dergarabedian, who actually puts a positive spin on this view of things:

"It is much more chilling if there is a cultural shift in people staying away from movies… Quality is a fixable problem."

BatmanbeginsThe reason I’m mentioning this now is that this week a movie opens that could turn around the box-office slump… and certainly deserves to. Batman Begins is the best Hollywood studio film of the year so far, in addition to being one of the best super-hero movies of all time, and easily the best Batman movie ever.

Considering the years of trouble Warner Bros had even getting this picture made, what with directors, scripts and stars coming and going on a regular basis, it’s amazing that it turned out so well. In the end, they did everything right: Instead of a schlockmeister director like like Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, Batman and Robin), they got a gifted filmmaker, Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia); instead of casting a marquee name like George Clooney or Val Kilmer, they cast talented, brooding Christian Bale. And instead of making the villains the real stars of the film, they made the hero the star.

What’s more, the film has real-world relevance. The bad guys are a crypto-organization that wants to wage war on human decadence — but their methods include decapitating prisoners, instilling terror, and unleashing weapons of mass destruction on large metropolitan areas. Hm, sound familiar? 

It’s a terrific film, though some viewers, critics and otherwise, would apparently prefer a return to the first two Tim Burton films, and don’t know what to make of a story in which Batman’s parents were killed by somebody other than the Joker, or where the film is more interested in character development and moral themes than colorful villains, big explosions, and campy dialogue.

One caveat: If you decide to go see Batman Begins this weekend, don’t bring the kids. It’s way too dark and scary for young viewers (a mature 10 or 12 would be the cutoff in my book).

My Batman Begins review

Added: Will Batman rescue the box office? Get the story.

Other stories on the box office slump:  one | two

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

35 thoughts on “Moviegoers to Hollywood: Make better movies!”

  1. It just kills me that this movie and Star Wars isn’t made for kids. Have you been down the toy isle at Wal-Mart recently? And what is really sad is that my children seem to be the only ones in town who haven’t and won’t be seeing them.

  2. Because I’ve seen his review, this comment is not a dispute with Mr. Greydanus:
    Cinderella Man is truly a quality film. With caveats, I can strongly recommend it to families with more mature children. I have no idea why moviegoers are steering clear of it.

  3. Thanks, Dale, that’s a good point. Like you, I liked Cinderella Man quite a bit, and I was surprised that it did so poorly at the box office.
    But I like Batman Begins even better, and I hope it does great box office and convinces Hollywood to give talented filmmakers room to work on films like this more often.

  4. It just kills me that this movie and Star Wars isn’t made for kids. Have you been down the toy isle at Wal-Mart recently? And what is really sad is that my children seem to be the only ones in town who haven’t and won’t be seeing them.

    I feel your pain, Suzanne. Stay strong — my kids aren’t seeing them either. And while filmmakers have the right to target any audience they like, I agree that they way such films are being marketed and licensed can be truly reprehensible.

  5. Steve, thanks for the tip on Batman Begins. I have always liked the character of Batman, but in my opinion the previous Batman movies are a series that started bad and only got worse. Therefore, I had no intention of giving this new Batman movie a chance — but now maybe I will.

  6. I also think that the price of pop and popcorn is really hurting ticket sales. I really like having a pop and something to eat when I watch a movie. There are movies I would have gone to see but with pop and popcorn being at least $7.00 when I could get it at home for less than a buck I only go when it’s a movie I REALLY want to see.

  7. Paul, I agree completely about the four earlier films. That’s why I’m so excited that the filmmakers decided on a cinematic reboot of Batman rather than a sequel or even prequel to the previous films.
    Batman Begins isn’t the fifth film in an existing franchise — it’s the first film in a new series. It ignores the previous films entirely… or rather, it blows them away. In fact, one could say hyperbolically that it isn’t the best Batman film, it’s the only Batman film! 🙂

  8. It’s the ONLY batman film 🙂
    A friend took her six year old niece who wasn’t scared, and understood what was going on. And wasn’t afraid to say so, with constant running commentary 😉
    In a world where child-safe means pedantic story telling and camp, I’d kind of rather have this be just a good “grownup” movie. I can always keep the DVD on the shelf till they’re ready to see it. I’d rather have them watching “smart” things later than safe, stupid stuff now.

  9. Isn’t Batman committing sin, from a Catholic perspective? He’s just a vigilante who has taken justice into his own hands.

  10. It depends on the continuity you’re following. In the commics it starts that way but he ends up with police protection. Don’t know about the movie…of course it could be argued that Gotham has failed (in the darker continuities) to fulfil its government obligation.

  11. “I’d kind of rather have this be just a good “grownup” movie.”
    Great! Let’s just not market every “Batman Begins” toy and “Star Wars” toy under the universe so that kids plead to see the movies.

  12. In a world where child-safe means pedantic story telling and camp, I’d kind of rather have this be just a good “grownup” movie.

    Whoa, cowboy. What world would that be? Obviously a world that doesn’t have movies like The Incredibles, The Story of the Weeping Camel, Holes, The Rookie…

    Isn’t Batman committing sin, from a Catholic perspective? He’s just a vigilante who has taken justice into his own hands.

    Actually, the film is very concerned about the dangers of vigilanteism. Batman is definitely intended to be a somewhat ambiguous character, not a totally pure character, but at the same time he’s very concerned to be about justice rather than revenge, to work to support and supplement the system rather than subvert or bypass it, etc. He believes in bringing criminals to trial, not in punishing them himself, etc.
    As far as Catholic theology goes, “vigilanteism” is not the name of a sin. There are times and circumstances in which individuals can be wholly justified in doing what is necessary to punish evildoers and protect the interests of society. Vigilanteism becomes wrong when society becomes sufficiently organized and efficient to see to these things on an institutional level and when it enacts laws against vigilanteism; but in a world where someone like Batman is necessary, a case can be made that what he is doing is not essentially wrong (though individual acts he commits may be wrong, just as individual acts committed by policemen or soldiers can be wrong).

  13. I really liked this film! Hands down one of the best but it does earn a PG13 film for violence and scary content. I am proud to say that the sexual content is almost nil, a rariety in Hollywood today. If the kids watch the cartoon and are ok, they may be fine with the movie. For the grown-ups, it is one of the finest action movies ever made. I saw it Tuesday night and can’t get the movie out of my head, meanwhile I want to see it again!
    Now, for the toys: I am an avid Batman collector and will probably purchase quite a few of the toys.

  14. “Vigilanteism becomes wrong when society becomes sufficiently organized and efficient to see to these things on an institutional level and when it enacts laws against vigilanteism; but in a world where someone like Batman is necessary, a case can be made that what he is doing is not essentially wrong”
    True. I suppose Batman can be compared to a neighborhood watch. They’re not on the watch to do anything, but if they see a crime in progress, they’re gonna do something about it (first by calling the police, obviously).

  15. . If the kids watch the cartoon and are ok, they may be fine with the movie. For the grown-ups, it is one of the finest action movies ever made. I saw it Tuesday night and can’t get the movie out of my head, meanwhile I want to see it again!
    Now, for the toys: I am an avid Batman collector and will probably purchase quite a few of the toys.

    Ha! Thanks for the reality check on the toys, Michael. However, on the other point I must differ. Not that there won’t be the occasional young child who can handle it, but the nightmarish imagery associated with Ra’s al Ghul’s and the Scarecrow’s hallucinatory fear-toxin — and scenes like Batman terrifying a confession out of a corrupt cop — will be too much for most under 10 or 12 (and not even all of those).

  16. Just saw it, and I liked very much with one exception. Why must all the fight scenes be filmed with superquick cutting? Makes me long for the days when Erroll Flynn and Basil Rathbone would go at with rapiers drawn and be filmed full length. Not anymore.

  17. Many things are regarded as a chance to show off your cameras.
    For instance, during the opening ceremonies at the Atlanta Olympics, I noticed how often they zoomed on something designed for distance viewing. And performances of The Nutcracker don’t really call for close-ups.
    Nothing particular about fight scenes.
    (Though my sister who fences can’t watch the Adventures of Robin Hood because she knows that Rathbone would have skewered Flynn. 0:)

  18. Just saw it, and I liked very much with one exception. Why must all the fight scenes be filmed with superquick cutting? Makes me long for the days when Erroll Flynn and Basil Rathbone would go at with rapiers drawn and be filmed full length. Not anymore.

    In my review I complained about the same thing. Actually there is a well-established tradition in modern cinema of clearly photographed fight scenes, especially in Asian film. Jackie Chan’s First Strike is a good crossover point of entry for newcomers.
    I think in Batman they were trying to emphasize that Batman’s method was never to allow his opponents even to get a good look at him, let alone lay a fist on him. I can even give them that approach for the first fight scene. After that, though, they should have let us have a good look, at least once.

  19. I note that The Pirate of the Caribbean has some nice fights. My sister was willing to observe that they were nicely staged. 😉

  20. Steven,
    Thank you for your wonderful website. As a person who use to go see a couple movies a month, I rarely go as much these days. But with the help of your website, I have been leaving movie theaters more satisfied recently, particularly yesterday after seing Batman Begins. I thought it was really well done, and it didn’t try to rush things into a 2 hour movie. It was also nice to see some character development for once in an “action” movie. Thanks again and God Bless.

  21. I totally agree with the marketing thing – this is NOT a kid’s film! Buy the 3 volumes of the Batman animated series out now & watch them with your kids, ‘cos they’re really great. But I wouldn’t take a kid younger than 13 to this . . . maybe older, depending on the kid. It’s a very intense & frightening film.
    I’m a huge Batman fan who really disliked the Burton/Schumacher films intensely. (Bat-nipples? Eww!) I love the new film & have seen it twice already. And I’m sure I’ll go again this week & definitely see it in Imax when it finally arrives in Sacramento next month. It’s a smart film with nary a sour note in any of the lead performances (Holmes telegraphs a scene very late in the film but otherwise, she’s pitch perfect). It makes some very subtle comments on fatherhood, both regarding Thomas Wayne & Alfred in regards to Bruce. You mentioned in your review, Steven, the bit about compassion & that aspect of Bruce’s character really stayed with me. I also liked the bits about masks & escalation toward the end – very nicely done. Some writers *get* Batman & some *get* Bruce but very few are able to write both equally well as Goyer & Nolan have. (Jeph Loeb comes to mind.) Bale nails both aspects of the character decisively but, when he dons the cowl, he becomes truly . . . other. It’s very effective & powerful. I can’t imagine another films this Summer that will equal Batman Begins. And I haven’t been this excieted about a movie since Return of the King. (OK . . . Incredibles, too!)
    Now . . . bring on Joker & Two-Face! Goyer has said that these are the villians he & Nolan have plotted out for the next 2 films & I can’t wait to see what they’ll be like in the realistic Gotham they’ve created!
    Support this film, folks – it’s about as good as it gets!

  22. When moviemakers make adult films directed at a child audience, the result is usually something like Phantom Menace. I saw the first Star Wars when I was 7, if Jar-Jar Binks had been in that movie, I would have hated it for the same reasons I hated the Ewoks, because I didn’t like characters and stories so blatantly meant to appeal to little kids. There is nothing in the world more unappealing to a little kid than being treated like one, especially by a movie, it’s insulting. 7-year-olds aren’t stupid, they’re just young. My nephew has seen the new Batman and Star Wars, he loved them. Anyway, I think it’s refreshing to see some film makers take off their little cotton mittens and make enjoyable movies again.

  23. I LOVED Batman Begins, cant say enough good things. But, It was a lot darker than the other 4 films, And I would not take my little brother with me. (The mistake I made with Star Wars, yeah 5 year old Sammy probably couldnt handle the melting people. Mom swore never again to send Sam to a movie without previewing or asking an older kid about content)

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