A Spirited Perfect Ten

[WDW1974]

I venture to speculate that the reason they're dragging their feet is because they don't know what they're doing....

Nah, they know ... or know most of it. The upcoming quarter is when the money is scheduled to start flowing, so they'll know exactly what they have to play with.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Nah, they know ... or know most of it. The upcoming quarter is when the money is scheduled to start flowing, so they'll know exactly what they have to play with.

Alas the current regime lacks that creative je ne ce quois that give spark to imagination, creativity and the wonder that is the human soul.

These "gentlemen" know nothing beyond dollars, cents, and their spreadsheets.

So while they will have a budget to play with, will they have something worthy of the name Disney?

 

[WDW1974]

The way Disney operates, if it doesn't hit their desired metrics then it is a flop.

Sadly, this is true to a large extent.

If Disney's internal projection for the weekend was say ... $207 million and the film 'only' does $194 million then, internally at least, it's viewed as 'a disappointment.'

 

[spacemt354]

I'll admit it: I'm burned out on Marvel's product. Even if I wanted to see the Avengers sequel, I'd need to go back and do homework to catch up with the "universe." There's just too much that the audience is supposed to know (Infinity stones? Quicksilver? Vision (is that like the eye doctor superhero)? Scarlet something? Never heard of any of 'em.)

Based on what I've read, it sounds like the narrative is getting more and more convoluted. If you stop following the series, you can't just jump back in without being lost.

In one of the threads around here Harry Potter came up as a comparison with the Marvel movies. One of the things Potter had going for it was there was a clear confrontation that everything was building towards: Harry versus Voldemort (who now occupies the governor's mansion in Tallahassee).

What are these Marvel films moving toward? It seems like there's never an end to the story -- the story just expands and continues to introduce more characters. It just seems like a factory producing an endless stream of CGI fights and a handful of character moments.

I liked Guardians of the Galaxy a lot, but only because it felt like a standalone film. If the sequel pulls that story further into the Marvel universe, I probably won't be as impressed.

I think the doing homework aspect, while true, is a bit exaggerated. A non-follower may not pick up every Easter egg and little nod throughout the film, but most of the plots are pretty straightforward for the common audience.

If you only saw The Avengers, you won't be lost, but as I said before, you might not understand every little reference. But if you're going into Age of Ultron as your first film, you will be completely lost. I feel like this is true for anything though. If you walked into Harry Potter 7, or LoTR, anyone would be lost because they aren't stand-alone films. It's part of a series.

The Marvel movies are moving towards Avengers (and many others) vs Thanos...the big bad in the MCU. That's what Avengers Infinity War part 1 and 2 is all about. It's explained in GotG and Avengers 2, but the 6 infinity stones are the most powerful things in the universe, and the infinity gauntlet is a glove that holds them. If one acquires all 6 and places them in the glove, they basically control the universe.

If you like GotG, it will most likely become less and less stand-alone, given that Thanos was in the original, he's likely to appear again in a bigger role. And eventually it is assumed the Guardians will team up with the Avengers in the Infinity War films.

 

[WDW1974]

View attachment 91707

"See that guy? The guy in the jorts? I hate that guy!"

Hey, to be fair, only Michael has seen me in shorts (not jorts ... even better ... 80s turquoise Ocean Pacific shorts!) once and that was the first time he ever met me ... 26 years ago at the opening of The Disney-MGM Studios. And my legs (back then at least) were ... FABULOUS!!!

 

[WDW1974]

"See that stripper in the Yoda dress? My wife wore that to the Oscars"

Second best to @Lee's!

 

[WDW1974]

I just can't.......

What a set up.

You can ... and you know you want to!

 

[PhotoDave219]

Sadly, this is true to a large extent.

If Disney's internal projection for the weekend was say ... $207 million and the film 'only' does $194 million then, internally at least, it's viewed as 'a disappointment.'

If Disney expected an opening over $200M then their internal analysis truly is delusional.

Between over saturation and bunch of other factors (sports!) .... not to mention they killed their own buzz by releasing the SW trailer two weeks ago, they should be happy with the second-largest opening ever. Behind themselves.

 

[Absimilliard]

I was part of BOCOG during the Beijing Olympiad, and I admit to not paying a huge amount of attention to what beverages were served/known. My feeling was, and locals told me as much, that the people didn't really see what the difference was between Coke and Pepsi BRANDS. But Pepsi is much better known as whole in the mainland because it was there before Coke due to Pepsi owning (at the time) KFC and Pizza Hut (which are both huge over there).

The thing that is strange here, that, again, the financial press opts to ignore is that Coke has a contract for exclusive worldwide rights to be the official soft drinks of the Disney Parks (there is a partial exception in Japan where Coke and Kirin split rights). I know Coke wanted this contract and expected it to expand their BRAND penetration in China. It just wasn't open because someone (Stanley Cheung, perhaps?) ordained that Pepsi would be the official soft drink. I'm sure that everyone who bothered to look at the press release that I linked to showed that Paul Candland's 'face' was played up and the big news of Stanley's HUGE new role at Disney was played down. Strange again?

And, yes, Pepsi was once served right alongside Coke at WDW and DL. Can you imagine going into a QSR at WDW today and having Coke, Pepsi, Tab, Fanta Orange, Fanta Root Beer and Sprite as your choices? Now imagine how workers would be able to figure out what cola-colored beverage was which. Yet, they did (only in some locations as some were Coke and Pepsi exclusive). This all changed in 1982 when EPCOT Center debuted and Coke first snagged the worldwide exclusive deal.

I really enjoyed the mix of Coca Cola and Kirin drinks at Tokyo Disney. In between Coca Cola "Qoo" Orange and Kirin Orange, I was very happy. They do a great job dividing the various drinks among locations. At World Bazaar Eastside Cafe, I drank a lot of Kirin Orange since refills were offered. Meanwhile, at the Diamond Horseshoe, it was Qoo Orange that I drank a gallon of.

I don't mind Coca Cola or Pepsi exclusivity contracts, but I wish we had more choice.

Coca Cola sponsors Space Mountain at TDL and the promo video in the waiting line is amazing! What is incredible: it ties into the attraction.

It starts playing shortly after the video starts.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Oh for crying out loud, Orlando will never be Tokyo.

Get over it.

For numerous reasons, WDW will never be DL, TDL, HKDL, SDL or DLP.

Four parks, one world and some atrocious management.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Second best to @Lee's!

Thanks. I still wonder what JFB's boots would look like if they were pushed back over...... (WHOA! Danger! NSFW!)

 

[Cesar R M]

Stitch Encounter is a clone of an existing attraction at WDS (Paris) and HKDL - it's like Turtle Talk, only Stitch.

just seen a video of it, seems pretty simple.
For little kids it seems.
kinda cute.

 

[Cesar R M]

How about Avengers 2 underperforming?

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4058&p=.htm

just returned from seeing that movie. It is definitively weaker than the 1st.
Way too many characters. and the jokes are completely badly placed compared to the 1st.

what I really like, was the reveal of ...

Spoiler: we know already...

the infinity stones and the future.

The Mind Stone is on Vision
The Destruction stone is under the Nova Corps
The Teseract should be in Asgard.
The other stone is on The Collector's.

and as other said.. the strength of the Avengers is pretty much on the worldwide market.

 

[Cesar R M]

Universal will want to rethink their Avengers E ticket proposal now for sure. RIP Marvel

I was going to say, they are terribly concerned as they roll around in their pile of cash.

Then I remembered these guys are so rich that "money" isn't the game. Numbers are the game. And then I pictured a guy in a suit taking a dive off the 7th floor of TWDC corporate headquarters.

you mean like Gabe Newell's from STEAM/Valve?

Disney was 200 million while most publications were 210 to 215 million. All believed it would easily surpass the first.

The question is..
will the worldwide market compensate?

Just look at the last Transformers Movie.

 

[Cesar R M]

Who said it needed to be family friendly? It's not called the Forbidden Forest for nothing you know. I could see it now, being attacked by AA Trolls, Giants, Werewolves etc.......... Amazing Spiders could be left out since they're covered in Forbidden Journey and they do seem to keep to that one area of the forest.

The Ministry of Magic as a lot of areas they can use.

From the department of Mysteries to the Main hall (for the battle between Albus and Voldemort)

 

[Cesar R M]

Bob: "... and thats our studio plan through 2020."

Michael: "Thats nice, Bob but have you stepped foot in a theme park?"

"only for announcements Mike".

 

[Cesar R M]

I would agree with all of the above really. I loved Guardians. But it did feel like a complete story ...one that could have a sequel or two, but one in which an entire story arc was successfully told. Avengers runs long ... and I read that Whedon cut over half an hour from the film (it will be on the DVD that every fanboi will purchase). How much of that is setting up the next 11 films that I might have no desire to see? I might be a fan of the Guardians or Iron Man ... but have zero interest in any other property they put out.

While Potter certainly told a story that was not contained in any one film, I'd venture to say most people went in as fans or became them. And it had a very specific length. There weren't going to be 15 films. And if say 3rd and 4th installments crashed and burned, then the saga of The Boy Who Lived would have cinematically died even if it went on and on in literary form.

Look at the James Bond films. You can pick any one and see it and appreciate it regardless of whether you have been watching every film since Dr. No ... or For Your Eyes Only or etc. Sure, certain characters reappeared, but you certainly didn't have to know backstories to appreciate the escapist entertainment you were viewing.

I think that's fine for some TV shows (Lost, X-Files, Sopranos, Breaking Bad to name some), but I don't want to make a commitment to watching every film through Phase VII of the MCU just to understand a superhero film I just paid $15 (or $6.50 as I go on special Tuesdays!) to sit through.

if what you say about the director cutting so much from the movie is true.. then that makes sense.
Because a lot of scenes seems/feel shoehorned in or just.. out of place.
like something was missing.

 

[ford91exploder]

The way Disney operates, if it doesn't hit their desired metrics then it is a flop.

Exactly now I think we need to worry about the upcoming slate of films. Not being a insider I have no access to what Disney thought the targets should be but I'm guessing somewhere between 200-300 million was their US box office target for the weekend.

Went to the local IMAX theater on Saturday and while the theater was fairly full there were empty seats at the 6pm showing

 

[ford91exploder]

Alas the current regime lacks that creative je ne ce quois that give spark to imagination, creativity and the wonder that is the human soul.

These "gentlemen" know nothing beyond dollars, cents, and their spreadsheets.

So while they will have a budget to play with, will they have something worthy of the name Disney?

No

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I wonder how Avengers 2 did compared to the first one in number of tickets sold. The bloom is off of the 3D rose now even more so than it was three years ago. I myself saw it in 3D only because the time was better for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have paid the premium.