Rolling Stone: The Travers Take

Mamma Mia! How Did This ABBA Assault Become a Hit on Screen, Stage and now CD?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:18:20 -0500

So I ask you: How did *Mamma Mia*, with film legend Meryl Streep trilling ABBA songs on screen, become a hit? And how did the director Phyllida Lloyd, who mounted the smash stage production that's still running on Broadway and all stops on the globe, allow Streep to sing her big number, "The Winner Takes It All," with her hair blowing in her face and mouth? Wait, I'm getting off track. How has *Mamma Mia!* managed to take in over $100 million at the movie box office? Is it the success of the stage show? Is it seeing Streep pull out all the stops? Is it female audiences starved for something about them that isn't *Sex and the City*? I can buy all those reasons. But please don't tell me it's the ABBA songs, sung bright (Streep, Christine Baranski), bad (Dominic Cooper) and bloody awful (PIerce Brosnan). On screen, at least, you have Greece and famous faces to distract you. But on CD the songs, overdubbed and overorchestrated, can drive you nuts. They sound like commercial jingles played on a continuous loop until you want to scream or leap off a tall building screaming, "MAKE IT STOP!" And yet the *Mamma Mia* soundtrack is currently the best selling CD in America. No shit. I want to know why. Watching Mamma Mia made me think of the state of the Broadway musical, the kind with original songs and not a jukebox compendium of ABBA, Billy Joel, Elvis or the Four Seasons. Is the original musical dead? The answer is NO, and I have three terrific examples, all available on CD:

"Tropic Thunder" Tops the Bat, but Can It Beat "Pineapple Express" as Best Comedy of the Summer?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:34:14 -0500

It had to happen, and now it has. *The Dark Knight* has lost the No. 1 spot after five weeks at the top. The victor is *Tropic Thunder*, Ben Stiller's comic bite on the Hollywood hand that feeds him. But don't get too excited. *The Dark Knight* took the No. 2 spot with $16.8 million, bringing its total so far to $471.5 million, passing the $461 million earned by the original *Stars Wars* to become—ta-da—the second biggest box-office hit in like EVER! Only *Titanic* with its $600 million total remains an obstacle—an insurmoutable one, I'd bet. But Stiller—the director, producer, co-writer and star— deserves his place in the summer box-office sun. There had been talks of picketing stemming from the use of the word "retard" in a scene in which Robert Downey, Jr., in blackface as an Aussie actor getting into character as a African-American soldier, tells Stiller about the dangers of going "full retard" if you want to win an Oscar. Nearly two dozen advocacy groups for the intellectually disabled protested. But the publicity made no dent at the box office, maybe because the target of the joke is not the mentally challenged but the egotism of Hollywood actors. *Tropic* wasn't able to match the $41.2 million five-day opening for *Pineapple Express* the previous week, and its $100 million production cost gives it a tougher time making a profit than *Pineapple*, which cost under $30 million. But consider another factoid: *Tropic Thunder* built its audience over the five days, while *Pineapple Express* dwindled, leaving us with the question that really counts:

Peter Travers Video Review: "Tropic Thunder" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:08:21 -0500

The summer is almost over, but the big ticket movies are still rolling out of Hollywood. This weekend pits the action satire Tropic Thunder against the Woody Allen sex comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Click above to see which flick Peter Travers would plunk down his movie dollars for if he had to pay for movies.

"Pineapple" Nearly Smokes the Batman, plus a Tribute to Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes on Screen

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:58:41 -0500

Box office news is still the same. Nothing can topple *The Dark Knight* from the No. 1 spot, though the stoner comedy *Pineapple Express*, which cost a mere $27 million to make, took in a smoking $40 million in just its first five days and easily finished at No. 2. Next week, Ben Stiller's *Tropic Thunder* hopes to catch the Knight slowing down in his fifth week. I think maybe. What's your guess? What I know for sure is that the shocking deaths of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes over the weekend represent a major loss to the entertainment world. That the two costarred in *Soul Men*, scheduled for release in November, is a tragic irony. And a good reason to recall the best of Hayes and Mac on film.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Best Performances

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:05:58 -0500

With Robert Downey Jr. on the cover of the current issue, Peter Travers takes a look at some of the actor's best work, from *Less Than Zero* and *Chaplin* to *Kiss Kiss Bang Bang* and *Zodiac* ("Nobody can do obsessed like Robert Downey Jr."). Plus, another look at Downey in *Iron Man*, where he gave a performance that reinvented the entire superhero genre. Click above to watch the video.

• Robert Downey Jr.: The Man Who Wasn't There

Peter Travers Video Review: "Pineapple Express"

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:57:25 -0500

What makes Pineapple Express, starring Freaks and Geeks castmates Seth Rogen and James Franco one of the greatest stoner movies of all time? Peter Travers breaks it all down in his weekly video review.

• Review: Pinapple Express (3.5 stars)
• Killer Buds: The Story Behind Pinapple Express
• The Stoner Movie Hall of Fame

Batman Wins Again, but Who Gives the Film's 2nd Best Performance?

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:32:36 -0500

These Monday box-office reports seem to be playing the same news on a continuous loop. Once again, *The Dark Knight* kills the competition. In its third week, Batman squeaked past the mucho-hyped debut of *The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor* to win the No. One spot. It's $42.5 million for the Mummy, $43.8 million for the Bat. Of course, *Tomb* should be entombed by next week when word of mouth kicks in about how tired and stupid the third *Mummy* flick is. *The Dark Knight*, now nearing $400 million at the ticket windows will still be raking it in. As it should. The triumph of the summer's best live-action movie brings up a crucial acting question that needs the asking:

Peter Travers Video Review: "The Mummy," "American Teen"

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:54:32 -0500

If the recent Indiana Jones movie was like a knock-off of an Indiana Jones movie, how bad is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor? Pretty bad. Peter Travers tackles Brendan Fraser's latest CGI-heavy archeology-action flick starring Maria Bello, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, as well as the recommended "American Teen," a documentary that follows five graduating students in Indiana that's like The Hills with a conscience and a sense of humor. • Review: American Teen (3 stars)

Holy Box Office! The Bat Beats All! But Can the Joker Beat Hannibal and Darth as the Best Movie Villain Ever?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:12:13 -0500

My Monday box-office reports seem to be running the same news on a continuous loop. Yes, it's *The Dark Knight* again.It's nice that Will Ferrell is back on his game, with *Step Brothers* grossing a solid $30 million, but do you really care that the second *X-Files* movie tanked with a paltry $10.2 or that women are still showing up in droves (or $17.8 million worth) to support the tin-eared *Mamma Mia*? In money terms, *The Dark Knight* is still the only game in town. Having already scored the best opening day ($67.2 million) and best opening weekend ($158.4 million) in history, the Batman movie now racks up best all-time second weekend ($75.6 million). Total take so far: $314.2 million. Want more? *The Dark Knight* is now the fastest movie ever to reach $100 million (2 days), $200 million (5 days) and $300 million (10 days). Can $400 million be far away, what with the repeat business? *Shrek 2* managed the trick in 43 days. Warner Bros thinks the Batman and his Joker will do it in 18 days. I wouldn't bet against it. The new goal is $500 million and maybe even a shot at the all-time domestic record—*Titanic* at $601 million. What do you think? What I'm thinking at this moment is this:

Peter Travers Video Review: "The X-Files," "Step Brothers"

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:37:03 -0500

In this week's video review, Peter Travers discusses The X-Files: I Want to Believe and Step Brothers. Click above for the Rolling Stone film critic's take on the revival of the cult sci-fi TV show and the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly buddy comedy. • Review: Step Brothers (2.5 stars) [Video: Pete Maiden]

Box Office Goes Batty: But Will "The Dark Knight" Be the Big Winner for the Summer and the Year?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:30:22 -0500

*The Dark Knight* shattered records over the weekend. The second installment in director Christopher Nolan's Batman series grossed $158.3 million, which flew past *Spider-Man 3*, the previous (and undeserved) gold standard with $151.1 million. *The Dark Knight* also hit the sales record books for single-day ($66.4 million), midnight screening ($18.5 million) and IMAX debut ($6.2 million). I couldn't be happier. It's satisfying when a comic-book movie this compelling and complex touches a universal chord. Success, as always, also inspires mucho bitching. Parents fear that the PG-13 film is too dark for their little ones (duh?) and what with brutal scenes like the pencil in the forehead they wonder if it's really not a popcorn movie for the whole family (double duh?). And then there are questions actually worth the asking, such as:

Peter Travers Video Review: "The Dark Knight"

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:15:14 -0500

In this week's video review, Peter Travers gives his endorsement to the highly anticipated The Dark Knight, the Batman movie featuring Heath Ledger's much-buzzed-about final performance as the Joker. Click above for the Rolling Stone film critic's full review. • Review: The Dark Knight (3.5 stars)

"Bank Job" on DVD: Does It Rank with the Top 5 Robbery Flicks?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:23:58 -0500

The big news, actually the only big news, on DVD this week is the Two-Disc Special Edition of *The Bank Job*, a juicy, fact-based caper movie that drew a decent cult following when it was released in February. For you slackers, here's a chance to catch up. In 1971, a robbery took place at Lloyds Bank in London that involved a royal sex scandal. The thieves, played here by Brit athlete and model turned credible actor Jason Statham, seductive Saffron Burrows and the cream of Brit character actors, are hustled into robbing the place by higher-ups who are using them just to get their hands on incriminating photos in a deposit box. Director Roger Donaldson keeps the suspense crackling. In my original review, I wrote that after seeing this movie you'll want to know more about the bank job that literally did shake the empire. Thanks to DVD my wish has come true. On both the standard DVD and Blu-ray editions, you get a fifteen-minute (it's not enough) featurette that focuses on the real-life crime, using historical footage and comments from historians and the original cops on the case. Yes, the movie exaggerates, but it's too much fun to bitch about. And watching it again got me thinking of my favorite bank robbery movies. Here's my Top 5. Let me know if you disagree or if I've left anything out, and whether you think *The Bank Job* belongs in their classy, larcenous company.

"Hellboy II" Fires Up the Box Office, But Is It Better Than the First One?

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:59:36 -0500

During the walk up to this week's highly anticipated opening of *The Dark Knight* and presumably the shattering of a few box-office records, *Hellboy II: The Golden Army* managed to take the No. 1 spot with $35.9 million. That's chump change compared to *Iron Man, Indy 4, Hancock* and *Wall-E*, but the victory must taste sweet for *Hellboy II* director Guillermo del Toro. Sony, the studio which released the original *Hellboy* in 2004, passed on the sequel, perhaps put off by the modest $23.2 million *Hellboy* opening in 2004. Bad decision. *Hellboy* was a hit on DVD, and del Toro's career is soaring thanks to *Pan's Labyrinth* and his upcoming job directing *The Hobbit*. Universal, going with talent (always a smart move), went to bat with del Toro on *Hellboy II* and saw the opening grosses nearly double, pushing it toward the $100 million blockbuster mark. The first *Hellboy* grossed only $59 million. Look out for a second *Hellboy* sequel. Up for discussion today, other than the Eddie Murphy issue—Is his his career tanking what with the laugh-free *Meet Dave* taking in a pitiful $5.3 million or is he just suffering a temporary setback—are these hellish questions:

Peter Travers Video Review: "Hellboy" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth"

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:03:30 -0500

This weekend brings two new effects-heavy adventures to your local cinema in the form of Guilermo Del Toro's monster mash *Hellboy II: The Golden Army* and the kid-friendly 3D romp *Journey to the Center of the Earth*. Which one deserves your rapt attention more, and is either one better than *WALL•E*? Click above for the *Rolling Stone* film critic's take on this weekend's offerings. • Review: *Hellboy II: The Golden Army* • Review: *Journey to the Center of the Earth*

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