public enemy returns Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Asian Cinema Scene: 'Public Enemy' Buoys Korea; China Loves 'Panda'
Filed under: Action », Animation », Comedy », Foreign Language », Box Office », Cinematical Indie »
A couple of weeks back, I wrote about the imminent release of three-quel Public Enemy Returns. Hopes were high that the Korean-made crime action comedy would enjoy a measure of success and thus buoy local filmmakers; Korean audiences have been avoiding local product for months.
Public Enemy Returns did indeed have a bountiful opening, grossing more than $7.2 million in its premiere weekend and smashing Get Smart, according to Box Office Mojo. In its second weekend, though, it fell victim to international action powerhouse Wanted, demonstrating that curving bullets and the even more curvaceous Angelina Jolie need fear no borders. Still, Public Enemy Returns has nothing to be ashamed of -- it made $4.7 million to Wanted's $5.4 million -- and provides hope that upcoming Korean movies such as The Good, the Bad, and the Weird, Sunny, and Eye for an Eye will find favor locally in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Kung Fu Panda has been warmly embraced by China, in the words of The Hollywood Reporter. With $14 million in box office receipts in its first ten days, the animated animal adventure has already been declared "the most successful foreign animated film in China," as claimed by a government news agency. If accurate, that gross would place the film practically neck and neck with Iron Man and the Chinese-made Kung Fu Dunk for the #3 box office position for the year so far. I haven't seen Panda yet; is this is a good thing or a bad thing from a cultural and/or cinematic standpoint?
Asian Cinema Scene: Will 'Public Enemy' Save Korea?
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Drama », Foreign Language », Cinematical Indie »
South Korean filmmakers are facing a box office crisis. "Local movies accounted for just 7.8% of the South Korean box office in May," The Hollywood Reporter noted, "the lowest level since records were started in 2000." Domestic film admissions are only half what they were two years ago. Therefore, hopes are high that tomorrow's release of Public Enemy Returns will start to lure audiences back into theaters.The original Public Enemy was a box office hit in 2002. Sol Kyung-gu starred as Detective Kang, an anti-heroic cop chasing a family man turned killer. Mixing comedy with bloody action, director Kang Woo-suk made a dark, funny and smart film, according to koreanfilm.org. Kang next made the terrific real-life drama Silmido (2003), the disappointing sequel Another Public Enemy (2005) and the poorly-received Hanbando (2006).
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
_thumbnail.jpg)
