Updated with an interesting look at the logistics of a photoshoot, this one involving Jake.
Jake Gyllenhaal was a fun to work with, displaying a great sense of humor — he said he was “starring with May 28″ - making reference to the date of the release of “Prince of Persia” played huge on all of the posters and billboards around town — making a 10-minute shoot easier than usual.
We've definitely been on a Jake Gyllenhaal high the past few weeks, as Prince of Persia premiered across the globe, unleashing a storm of publicity. And while the U.S. box office returns for PoP are below expectations, the news overseas is much better. Fingers crossed that good word of mouth will keep PoP going in the States. It's a very fun movie, and Jake carries it beautifully - both literally and figuratively.
Though I'm sure he's disappointed that the movie is not a smash, Jake worked so hard to make and then promote PoP that I hope he is satisfied with a job well done. And I hope all of you have gone or will go to see the movie. It's a fun move and you will have a good time. Ignore the critics and the box office watchers and just have a good time. And please feel free to share your impressions.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ruled the international box office this weekend with an estimated gross of $59m. And Sex and the City 2 made a strong international start with big openings in the UK and Germany.
Prince of Persia took its weekend haul from 47 markets, ranking top in 41 of them, said distributor Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International (WDSMPI). The $59m take pushed the fantasy adventure’s running international total to $87.5m, 39% ahead of National Treasure in the same group of markets and time frame, 1% behind Iron Man and 24% behind Clash of the Titans.
The performance took Disney past $1bn in aggregate international grosses for the year, the earliest the company - which has now passed that mark for an industry-record 16 consecutive years - has ever achieved the feat.
Prince of Persia opened in Russia with an estimated $9.7m, topping the opening of Iron Man 2 by more than 30%, said WDSMPI, and almost doubling the opening take of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
In China, Prince opened with $8.1m, the second biggest opening (after Alice in Wonderland) Disney has ever had in the territory.
Prince opened top in France with $5.5m, beating the openings of 300 and Troy by almost 10%, according to WDSMPI, and that of Prince Caspian by nearly 20%.
The film’s chart-topping $4.3m opening in Korea almost matched the debut of Alice in Wonderland and beat the openings of 300 and Troy by 15%.
Mexico produced a chart-dominating $3.7m opening, 20% ahead of Troy but 25% behind Prince Caspian, which was a major hit in the country.
Australia produced a number one opening of $2.9m, matching the start in that market, said Disney, of The Mummy 3.
Prince was down only 20% in its second weekend in Germany, taking $2.3m for a total to date in the country of $7m. And it was up 9% in its second weekend in the UK, taking $2.2m for a territory total of $5.6m.
Yes, this interview is in Polish (I think), but you can sort of hear Jake underneath the translation. "Let's have some fun!" he declares and proceeds to amuse/frustrate the interviewer by insisting that Disney made a real dagger of time. He also answers the question of whether he's going back to school (not right now) and talks about kissing on screen, but I couldn't really make out that part. Jake thinks it's a good question whatever it was! Any Polish GBers out there?
Jake is a Maniac:
You have to go a few minutes in, but Jake also has some fun with this "reporter:"
Now that it's officially Celtics v. Lakers in the NBA Finals, Jake is going to have to keep his word and be true to his team. You can hear Jake asked about his basketball bigamy, as well as other topics in two ESPN podcasts.
In the second one, Jake talks a little bit more about the Damn Yankees project - one of the interviewers is especially enthusiastic and knowledgeable on the topic. You can also hear how ABC commentator and former coach Jeff van Gundy mocked Jake's PoP hair.
Jake is apparently back in LA and instead of taking it easy on this holiday weekend, he hit the gym. Rest up, Jake - you deserve it!
(Photos courtesy of IHJ)
57 comments:
That is really good news about the overseas BO! I was surprised when the weekend BO came out today, I thought that on Memorioal day weekends the weekend BO came out on Mondays?
Let's hope that Monday's numbers pushes Pop to #2. Not surprised that SATC2 dropped, from the reviews it sounds like shit.
Pop deserves better, It's a good, summer popcorn flick. Jake was wonderful as Dastan, everything that you would hope for. I don't understand some of the criticism from some that say he isn't right for the part, he's perfect. The parkour scenes and stunts were exciting and he had tons of chemistry with Gemma, who played the fiesty princess perfectly.
I had no problem with his accent at all, and he looked so amazing!
The supporting cast of Molina, Kingsley, Koebell , etc were standouts. The movie was visually stunning.
With the exception of a few intense scenes, it is a perfect movie to take the kids to,an alternative to S4.
I did have a problem with the sript, that was the week part and the editing was weird, but overall I enjoyed it.
I give it a B-.
I hope that Jake and everyone here at GB enjoy the Memorial weekend, GO Lakers!
I have to watch that video again, I hope someone here knows Polish!
I saw PoP this afternoon, and I was pleasantly surprised..... not by Jake, but that the movie was actually a little better than I expected. Yeah, the script was not great, and the camera work was too distracting IMO, but it was a fun adventure. Pretty much exactly what a summer popcorn movie should be.
Jake was a delight.... I thought he acquited himself beautifully as an action hero. No matter what happens with the box office, I'm guessing that this role will help his career going forward. He definitely broke out of the serious indie boy box with Dastan!
I thought he was very good in Zodiac, Rendition and Brothers. But to me, all those performances were "dry". It felt like they came from his head, not his heart. But as Dastan he just seemed so emotionally connected and freer, less constrained to me. Maybe it's just due to him having a "fun" role in a "fun" movie, but I think there's more to it than that. Whatever, I loved seeing that movie star charisma on screen again.
So happy to hear the good news about the overseas
BO. Believe me, I'm going to recommend PoP to everyone in my path! The friend I saw it with amazed me when she said she wanted to see PoP..... she used to be a big SATC fan. But feasting her eyes on hot Jake in the PoP ads pretty much rearranged her priorities! :)
This is good news, UV. I hope that number will increase.
We have to remember that the film has not opened in all markets, including Brazil. I think it will make a good box office in my country.
I knew SATC2 would be reduced after the numbers yesterday. This movie is a success just by their fan base as Twilight, but I think he will not win the public over the days.
I've read many positive comments on POP. Mostly people did not expect that the movie was so much fun.
Today, I went to the cinema to see Clash of the Titans. The movie is very very very bad. One of the worst I've ever seen in my life.
But Sam is hot!: P
I also saw the trailer of POP again and this time put the poster of POP beside the poster of Dr. Parnassus. Always good to see Jake and Heath side by side.
I saw these pictures on IHJ. Good to see Jake with friends.
I have to make a comment, what were those socks, Austin?
SATC2 is like a four-headed Hydra! And it won't "go away!" LOL!I've never seen such saturation advertising!
I hope Disney will pour it on! Now that PoP's opened, they need to do lots more TV ads over the next ten days, not less. I don't mind Shrek beatnig PoP, bcz I can understand it. But SATC? Ugh! (
We've "exorcised" SATC2 from our brains at my house! LOL!)
I hope Jake is feeling good about everything. He worked his butt off to make the movie, and he was a real "soldier," promoting it.
My oldest daughter's a major Harry Potter fan, and she wasn't very impressed with Mike Newell's directing on Goblet of Fire.
PoP did really well in Russia and China! Generally, the overseas numbers look pretty good. I think box office is down across the board for all movies the past two or three weeks.
I guess were looking at more than $90M for the entire weekend with worldwide grosses?
They showed a trailer different this time. I think it was the second trailer.
This was much better to see it on the big screen than the first.
Suvee, your comment reminiscent of PG. She said she felt that Jake was really enjoying himself. Very good to know.
Anyone else feel that?
Some good BO news. I always thought that Pop would do well overseas, now lets hope that WOM and legs will help Pop's BO here.
This really is just my thoughts, not a review, didn't want to make it spoilerish:
My BF and I saw it and we took his 12 year old niece. She was familiar with it due to the promo's on the Disney channel mostly. She enjoyed it for the most part,kept making cracks about it reminding her of Disney's Aladdin and referred to Tamina as Jasmine!
Jake was really good and convincing as the the handsome and dashing Dastan. He reminded me of Douglas Fairbanks, especially with the jumping (parkour).
When he said in interviews he had so much fun making this, you can see it. I loved Jake as Dastan, what a wonderful and fun part to play and such a change of pace.
I had a problem with the script as well or I should say lack of it and it definately had a Raiders feel to it but other than that I really enjoyed myself and will see it again.
My BF said that it was just Ok and his niece thought that the parkour scenes were cool and thought that Dastan and Tamina made a cute couple (They did!)
I really loved Molina, he was good as the comic relief. I think Ben was channelong Ming the Merciless at times!
So glad that he having down time in L.A. with friends although he didn't look too pleased.
Being a holiday time i always think people are going from one place to the other - spending time with families and going on picnic's and such. The main thing about that is it's a 4 day boxoffice total not a Friday through Sunday.
Of course SATC opened late Wed. and had all day Thursday and then this weekend and that pretty much should be it. Now some of those people should next go to POP.
It's not like POP is now not going to be shown anywhere. There is next weekend and the one after, etc.
When they did those early showings of POP to focus groups they had said it tested high with women.
Maybe they think its a computer game and its the kind of thing guys like and i probably wouldn't. Apparently not been paying much attention.
Suvee, your comment reminiscent of PG. She said she felt that Jake was really enjoying himself.
Haven't read PG's comment, so I don't know if we are saying the same thing. I just thought that his PoP performance was very intuitive and instinctive as opposed to those previous roles that seemed more intellectually driven (on Jake's part). I'm probably not doing a good job of expressing myself. But I know what I mean. :)
Thanks for the reviews, Extra, suvee and chica. I'm going to repost Sheba baby's and Dark Shadows from the previous post, in case people didn't see them.
Monica, that's cool that PoP and Parnassus are together. I never saw the PoP trailer in the theaters. I wish I had.
I realize from reading a lot of comments that the trailers for PoP were part of the problem. It was hard to tell at the time, since we were coming at the movie from a different perspective. Thrilled to finally see Jake in action. But apparently the trailers didn't convey the proper tone of the movie, which is a shame.
Bobbyanna - good to see you! I wondered if you'd run off with a Persian prince :)
SatC really is monstrous. I'm happy to see that it dropped so drastically. May the fall continue.
So happy about the overseas news. I guess doing that premiere in Moscow helped! I agree with what Monica (I think) said in the last post, that PoP should have had real premieres in more foreign countries. I hated the idea of the virtual premiere when it was announced, and in retrospect, I was right! lol
I know what you mean, suvee. I disagree in part, because I think Jake's acting, especially in Brothers, was heartfelt and moved me. I didn't find it dry at all.
But I do agree that PoP is just all about Jake seizing a role and having fun with it, beginning to end, in every aspect. It was great to see.
Ok,here is my review:
Jake made a perfect Prince: handsome & heroic. He and Gemma had a really nice chemistry. She was a bit annoying at first, but she won me over and I was rooting for Dastan and Tamina.
Molina stole a lot of the scenes, he was really funny , Ben played the typical Disney villian, and played it well.
The costumes and cinematography and soudtrack were outstanding and the stunts and parkour scenes were out of this world.
And unlike some movies where there are a lot of stunts, you can see that Jake did most of his own stunts and does a fantastic job.
There were parts where you can tell they must have edited it for time, some of the action scenes cut back and forth and lost the flow IMO.
Jake's accent was a bit off at times and the hair, well sometimes it looked just perfect, but there were some scenes where it looked like he was wearing extensions. Minor quibbles.
I can see the criticism of the script by the critics, but honestly It wasn't that bad to me anyway. My friends had a time following the plot but overall they gave it a thumbs up.
It's not a faithful adaption of the video game but Disney wasn't really selling it as such. The audience were really into it and the theater was full. Lots of kids and they really ate it up, they especially loved the ostrich racing scenes!
So I give Pop a solid B!
So Sheba, here is my marketing results are :
5/5 heard about Pop
4/5 heard of Jake
3/5 have seen Pop (the 3 saw it with me. They had to be talked into seeing it, but they enjoyed it)
I just saw Prince of Persia (SPOILER)
I'll tell you this. Just because it's Disney does NOT mean it's for kids. In fact I forgot it was a disney movie during 1/4 of the movie. A bit more bloodier, and a darker, less funnier tone than the Pirates films (even 2 and 3). If you think it should be PG rated then ratings are oficially dead.
I'd say overall this movie is actually faithful to the video game, in fact you won't think it's a game adaptation at all. You'll quite know the characters, but it's just an Old-fashion adventure film with the feel of Pirates, LOTR, and Aladdin. It's nothing like The Mummy like everyone says. Jake portrayed the The Prince surprisingly well. Almost like Heath Ledger as the Joker. Though his accent seemed a little unusual at first, but it gets better dramatically later on. He also did a lot of stunts himself. You'd HARDLY see any stuntmen doing any stunts. Oh, and the action is FANTASIC. Pretty fast, and real though the camera speed and angle change was a little too fast. Still I was really impressed for the most part. Especially with Dastan fighting Garsiv, the two whip dude, the snake guy, and his uncle Nizim. Gemma also does a fine performance as well. I like when she whines, acted feisty, and just plain cool. The acting was A class. There are times when they don't take things seriously, but when it get serious I was amazed on how they acted. I didn't had to be concerned with the lines too. Ben Kingsley was incredible aswell. The way he played the villain was a surprised for me. First you don't have much attention to him, then in 2/4 of the movie everything is revealed. I have to say, the way slit Tus's throat like nothing left a low of surprised gasps in the theater. He did a better performance in this film than Shutter Island. Also Alfred Molina was very funny. Kept whining about tax and he loved ostrich racing (he even kissed an ostriches neck)He also had a dark side as well which surprised me. He didn't do very much action (except punched Dastan), but he is funnier and more serious than Doc Oct in SM2. Along with many other splendid performances. This film also has one of the BIGGEST realistic environments I have ever seen in any movie. The story was also fine as well, I don't really understand what people said that it's too complicated. It does have a lot going on, but I think I was one of the few people that knows what's going on, and managed to keep up. The ending was also predictable, but worked out well just like the game (it shows flashback of the whole movie) and I wasn't confused at all. I think the problem was that the scenes felt very trimmed and too short. Like they were sort of rush to this situation to the next, and there is like A LOT of scenes that were deleted from what I've seen from the trailers, and featurettes. And about the "seen it before." I think that's sort of because of the screen color, the realistic environment that makes people part of that world, the tone of the acting, and it makes you think "this popcorn tastes familar." but It's hardly something that people have seen before.
After watching this movie you might go watch resident evil just to feel better from the cheesiness, but comparing this to other game adaptations is like comparing this to sh**. Not only is this by far the best game adaptation yet, but much better than Clash of the Titans, Robin Hood, and quite possibly Iron Man 2 IMO. Great popcorn flick! Though it a little too dark, and felt very rushed in the most parts. It only feel long because there was a lot of events.
Still I give it a solid B+. One of the better action/adventure films. I'll go see it again tomorrow.
Spoilers ahead:
I went to see PoP again tonight. I think it improves on repeat viewing.
A few points:
1. I wish Dastan's initial act of bravery was braver. I don't quite get why the King was so taken with him.
2. I wish we'd seen more of Dastan with his brothers and with Bis, the best friend. The brothers had great chemistry, as did Jake and Reece Ritchie. I hope we get to see more on the DVD, perhaps.
3. More importantly, I think the movie needed more of Dastan with Nizam. Juat like in the movie Brothers, I think the devastation of the betrayal (real in PoP and exaggerated in Brothers) would have more impact if we'd gotten to see the characters spend more time together.
That said, I think Jake does a great job conveying the love and trust he has for Nizam and the hurt at the betrayal.
I just love the scene at the market when Dastan hugs Nizam quickly but fiercely. Kingsley does a good job reacting - he didn't expect it because he knows he's betraying Dastan but he quickly recovers.
4. I read somewhere, I think on IMDB, that there is a scene with Dastan and Tamina that would have given the movie an R rating. Probably just a cruel rumor, but it's fun to imagine that on the DVD!
Speaking of the prince and princess, I read a couple of fun things about them:
1. Someone remarked that JG and GA have the kind of chemistry that old-fashioned movie stars had. Like if this were the 1930s or 40s, they'd be paired up in all sorts of studio pictures. Mayhbe even musicals. Hee.
2. This cracked me up:
There is nothing awkward about Gyllenhaal’s transformation into a kohl-eyed, sword-wielding, muscled champion fighting alongside the inhumanly beautiful Gemma Arterton. If these two had kids they wouldn’t need to worry about a stupid time-altering dagger full of creepy magic sand. They could rule through good-looks alone. And the great thing about Jake’s version of the action-hero is that there is something essentially real in Price Dasten that makes you actually care what happens to him.
Ruling the world by good looks. Yeah, I can see that :)
Updated the post with another youtube video and a couple of new shots from and a short account of a photoshoot. Interesting to see how these things come together.
Thanks UV - I always love to get those "background" information. And the pictures are wonderful.
Thanks to everyone for giving their impressions and thoughts on the film.
I also liked that the brothers were not just "bad" or "good" but shown as humans with all their feelings.
And since nobody mentions the ending I am probably the only one who has problems with it...:-)
"I read somewhere, I think on IMDB, that there is a scene with Dastan and Tamina that would have given the movie an R rating. Probably just a cruel rumor, but it's fun to imagine that on the DVD!"
This is one rumour I would have loved to come true...!
They did make a beautiful couple - I wouldn't mind seeing more either. I also felt Jake brought a lot of realism to his lines, and I got a twinge in my heart in the beginning, when Nizam pulled up the young Dastan onto the horse after the King found him, there was caring there. So the betrayal was all the worse. I was all set to not like Garsiv, but then....
It looked like to me the young Dastan put his life on the line to save the other boy, he might have been killed if the King hadn't arrived when he did! I do want to see it again.
Jake was very appealing and sexy in this role, he's got a simmering fire inside or something - hopefully we'll see it more in a sequel. Tamina was a lot more fiery than I would have imagined she would be in the beginning - when she called the invading army an army of illiterates (I don't remember the exact wording). I loved her costumes, she reminded me a little of a Liz Taylor Cleopatra with her teeny tiny waist in that metal corset or plate she was wearing around her waist and headdresses in the beginning. There was a lot of affection in the family, the brothers and the king. Just beautiful. :)
I loved reading the behind the scenes stuff on the photoshoot UV, thanks. I like the photos from the shoot, especially thew first one posted!
I like the #'s coming from the OS BO for POP. I think Pop will have decent legs, I don't know if that means a sequel, time will tell.
I saw Pop yesterday with my daughter. The theater was full except for the seats in the first row.
I liked this movie more than I thought I would because I usally don't go for these types of films.
Any lingering doubts about Jake being a action hero went out the window, he was wonderful!
He pulled it off, from the parkour scenes to the fight scenes with Garsiv, etc to his scenes with Gemma, who is as stunning as Jake! The audience applauded when they FINALLY kissed, LOL! And he did just fine with his accent, no problems.
The movie was pure fun but there were a few serious scenes with Ben/Nazim and he delivered there as well.I do wish they had more scenes, along with his brothers. I felt like some of that was edited for time, shame because I though that it would add more to Dastan's story.
The costumes, set designs, cinematography were incredible. I love Jake/Dastan on horseback, beautiful.
The script was weak and I didn't care for the ending but other than that, I had a blast and so did my daughter.
Suvee I understand what you are saying. Jake's other roles like Jarhead, BBM, Brothers, etc. reqired Jake to get into the "heads"of his characters, where I felt with Dastan he just was having fun because he didn't have to do this with Dastan IMO.
SATC2 is like a 4-headed hydra Bobbyanna! I wish the hell it would go away and it may based on the numbers this weekend.
I think it would be a good idea for Disney to kick in a part 2 promo for Pop.
I hope evryone here at GB has a safe Memorial day. Please remember all the men and women who have served and dediacted themselves to protecting our nation.
Just went on Huffington Post Entertainment. Maybe i shouldn't of read the comments. Didn't know, as one said, how Jake is very unpopular. Someone said BBM was ruined because of his bad performance.
But a while back when it was sure he would be in it read a fairly long rant from someone who talked about what a bad actor he was, all wrong for the role and went on about how the only person for it was a great actor like Orlando Blume. Blume was mentioned in one of these i just saw, so wonder if it might be that same person making the various comments.
Of course they don't know about the world box-office.
Have to keep bringing up Johnny Depp because for years you could say he was an unpopular actor because he never had any box-office hits. But everyone knew he was a good actor.
And lots of people wait until moves are on DVD.
pop was a very fun movie to watch and jake did a fantastic job i also had some problem with the script and i do think at the begining where they were showing young dastan i felt that that he really didnt do anything too heroic maybe should of had more scences with young dastan anyway it was an good movie and my daughter who was with really liked it too and yes im dsiappointed in the us BO BUT GLAD ABOUT THE OVERSEAS BO hopefully pop will do better next week just glad satc didnt get fist anyway i plan on seeing pop again tomorrow
1. I wish Dastan's initial act of bravery was braver. I don't quite get why the King was so taken with him.
The lad young Dastan "saves" in the marketplace is a young Bis. Obviously Bis has some connection to the Royal Palace before Dastan saves his head/hand (I can't remember) from the chopping block, thus impressing the King.
Two things: I wish we knew what Bis' connection to the King/Royal Palace was and I wish they had cast a curly haired lad for that role - would have made it easier to understand Dastan's and Bis' BFFery in later scenes.
"Didn't know, as one said, how Jake is very unpopular. Someone said BBM was ruined because of his bad performance."
Jake is unpopular - haven´t you watched the Wonder Con videos, the promotion interviews for PoP, the reactions from the audience or blogs like Popsugar and ONTD??
Jake won everyone over with his charme and charisma.
Jake is also respected among the business people and among his colleagues.
PoPs not doing well at the Box Office has nothing to do with Jake - he did a fine job and worked his ass up to promote the film.
Who cares if some idiots (especially on sites like Huffington Post - the equivalent of idiotic comments) don´t like Jake or think he cannot act.
I agree with Suvee and Tweety that Jakes last movies like "ZODIAC", "Rendition" and "Brothers" are serious films which you don´t only watch to be entertained but they make you think. And reading Jakes interviews during that time they obviously made him think and ask questions too.
So PoP is more "mindless fun" (I don´t mean this in a negative way) - you just watch and have fun and this was Jakes intention- jumping, running, swordfighting and getting the girl in the end. IMO we will see him more often in some in those "having fun" movies in the future.
I like his wide range of different films and projects and I hope he continues to surprise us. arthouse-like films I
It's not like this was the only week POP was going to be out - they're not suddenly pulling it from the screens. There are still people who are going to be seeing it and it will be making more money. Its total in world count will pay for it and more.
I'd made the Huffington Post comment (tho i do look at their political stuff more than entertainment, etc.) because the person writing it I felt was someone I'd seen before making comments about Olando Bloom should of had the role. He's a great actor, Jake isn't. I think she sees Jake and Orlando as "rivals" or something and so she's trying to make Jake look as bad as she can. It mainly just makes it seem just like that and has nothing to do with talent, etc.
Good point Carla.
I am very busy at the moment for comment.
BOM:
Domestic Total as of May. 31, 2010: $37,800,000
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic: $37,800,000 28.4%
+ Foreign: $95,500,000 71.6%
The film grossed more than 8 million just on Monday in foreign countries, which is too much for one day that is not holiday.
The next and last big market for POP is Brazil. Fingers crossed for it to be a success here too.
Those are great overseas box office numbers, Monica. And apparently, the Prince is big in India :)
Hope those numbers hold. And this one - according to initial estimates, PoP beat SatC for the 4-day weekend. It's pretty close and could change. And PoP's number is still disappointing. But it would make me smile if it holds.
FL, I assumed the little kid was Bis. But I had no idea he was connected to the court. I thought Dastan referred to him as a fellow orphna later on. And he's one of Dastan's "pack of rabble."
This is another example of how I wish we had gotten more time with Dastan and his cohorts.
Anon, I'm not sure why you keep bringing up Huffington. I understand if it's a site you visit, it's annoying to read that stuff about Jake. But if you check twitter of FB, where for the most part people are posting under their own accounts, you'll see an explosion of Jake love. It's quite incredible, actually.
There are some of the usual comments relating to BBM, etc. But for the most part, people love Jake and Dastan.
SPOILERS ahead:
Carla, I didn't mind the ending but I saw a lot of complaints about it. What didn't you like - the fact that Tamina, et al., didn't remember what happened?
I thought it was intriguing and also a clear set up for a sequel, which I dearly hope we'll get though I know it's looking unlikely.
Chica, loved the report from your niece. Too bad your BF wasn't more entertained by it, but he's a good man to go :)
Sheba baby, you mentioned the hair! They really did Jake a disservice in some scenes! The one I noted especially is the iconic moment when he stands on the plank above Alamut. It's such a big moment, and his hair looks terrible!
Dark Shadow, I was also surprised at the level of violence for a Disney film. Not so much in gore, but body count. Dastan took out a lot of folks, and pretty much everyone he loves dies at some point!
I forgot to do the count on Sheba's marketing survey. I didn't persuade anyone to go, but 5/10 people I asked had heard of PoP.
Tamina was a lot more fiery than I would have imagined she would be in the beginning - when she called the invading army an army of illiterates (I don't remember the exact wording).
Cathy, some of Tamina's lines were awkward, I thought. She had to do to much exposition. But I loved the illiterate line, which I had seen a critic mock. It made me laugh.
according to eonline pop overtook satc for second place pop pulled in 37.8 million to 37.1 mil for satc great news
Have the tv on this early afternoon and was somewhere else in the house and I thought i heard something that sounded POP - went to look and it was. It was an ad during a soap opera and of course had a Dastan-Tamina theme and a few fight scenes. An audience that needs to be told - see, you should go see this movie.
But I loved the illiterate line, which I had seen a critic mock. It made me laugh.
Me too! :) lol
I'm going to have to try to see it again, because I've forgotten some. Sorry for any spoilers I may have posted earlier, but I was trying to jot down a few impressions before I had to leave, and I got a little carried away. :)
Great news about the box office numbers, too!
From twitter.
Worlds colliding
BillyMorrison Prince Of Persia right now.....let's see if I am entertained.... http://yfrog.com/3mp0lbj
Yay, Pop beat SATC2 for the #2 spot! It's close but i'll take it.
The OS BO has been really impressive too!
I saw yesterday for the second time PoP but in IMAX! Fantastic!!! Oh! Full Full cinema!!!
How great that you saw Pop twice Leonor, and the 2nd time in IMAX!!
It looks like WOM is helping Pop!
Jake at one of his CZ:
Jake Gyllenhaal was at the whole foods down the street on Glendale!
about 2 hours ago via Echofon
Don't worry about the spoilers, Cathy. I think most people realize there will be some. It's just nice to give a little warning.
Thanks for the tweet sighting, Tweety. I think I saw one yesterday for LA Mill. So Jake has indeed returned to the CZ.
I (sort of) read a German article in which Jake confirms the CZ by saying that whenever he's in a strange city, the first thing he dies is check out the market days! I saw another on ihj where I think he says he believes in true love and happily ever after. And that true love defeats all obstacles.
We'll have to get Carla to read the whole articles.
Leonor, how cool that you got to see it in IMAX. And sold out theater. Even better. Thanks for the report. So glad you enjoyed it.
I envy those of you that saw PoP in full theaters, or as some of you have mentioned, with a vocal and engaged audience.
We went to an early Sunday matinee..... there were maybe 30 people other than my friend and I. And absolutely no audience reaction. No laughing at the funny parts, no gasps, no nothing. Kind of a bummer. But there was only one kid in the audience so maybe that was a factor.
After the disappointing numbers over the weekend, this is indeed good news(the OS BO). They were predicting 40-45 million in the US, so it fell short but it creeped into 2nd place.
I saw it over the weekend and I liked it, more so than IM2 or RH. I never played the VG so I can't say that it was or wasn't a faithful adaption but for pure entertainment, fun and action I would recommend it to anyone that asks if it's good or not.
Jake did a great job, no complaints on my end. Gemma, Ben and Alfred all did a fine job as well.
I think I mentioned previously that too many script writers will spoil a script and that applies here. Not sure if Newell was the right director for this movie.
I did hear a few people in the audience saying that this should have been in 3D. I disagree. With the exception of jacking up the ticket price, it would have added nothing to the movie.
I should have added that the only problems I had with it was the wobbly script and maybe a different director would have pumped a bit more energy into the film. I did enjoy it, it was good but not great, better than any of the other movies I saw in the last few months.
I hope Jake doesn't shy away from doing an action type role like this again because he was quite good.
I'm home after spending the last few days at the beach, a few bar-b-q's and of course seeing the prince on the big screen!
I'm exhausted now, so I will have to give my review/thoughts later but i can tell you that I fangirled bigtime over Mr G::))
Thanks for the link for the behind the scenes of that photoshoot UV. That photographer is incredible if that's the result of a 10 min shoot, the photos are beautiful. Of course it helps that Jake was the subject!!
Read some of the reviews here, thanks! And the BO is looking a bit better now isn't it??
Yes to the criticisms on the script and Jake's hair!The shorter, jagged look was much more effective than the fakey flowing locks.
"some of Tamina's lines were awkward, I thought. She had to do to much exposition." Exactly.
I also wish there'd been more attention given to building key relationships Nizam/Dastan. I'd especially like to have seen more interaction between Dastan and his band of rabble,including Bis.
I noticed several awkward moments in the directing. In at least three or four instances, I got the impression people were waiting for a cue,or for their "turn" to enter a scene or to execute some action.
I thought the ending was fine in theory, but awkward in execution.
Overall, I'd give it a 6.8-7 out of 10.
We've had some pretty bad storms today, so I was without power for about 7 hours. Luckily, my brother lives nearby and wasn't affected. Hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day. I'm delighted that PoP beat SATC2!
"What didn't you like - the fact that Tamina, et al., didn't remember what happened?"
It is difficult to explain for me - but Dastan has lost his friend, his whole family and Tamina - and then - bang!- they are all alive again and living happily after...Everything that happened was obliterated and the problem was solved in five minutes. It gave me a kind of dissatisfaction.
The german "Gala" article has some of the same stuff we have already heard/read:
- MArtha Plimpton being his first love
- Hair washing / conditioning story " I should publish a DVD"...
- He is a family man, likes to cook and to grow his own vegetables, spending time with friends
- Date/Dinner with his lady does not mean only to cook but first buying the food together, getting inspired while buying what to cook - the whole process is very romantic.
- cooking is his obsession - his private library contains mostly cooking books - modern and historical ones
- his parents were always cooking themselves with fresh ingredients bought on the market - then he says that he first asks about the market days when being in a new town.
- Atticus is with him during shootings
IMO the most interesting part:
He starts thinking about his life - he will be 30 soon and works as an actor for the half of his life:
"Ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich dringend eine andere Richtung einschlagen sollte."
"I have the feeling it is time to follow a different track"
The interviewer asks what it could be and then he mentions his family again and that it could be the time for him to start his own family...
Last question they ask about his ring - he says it has the words "Carpe Diem" engraved.
I was just able to read through the "Glamour" article - mostly recycled nonsense, but some funny tidbits.
The comments are obviously second hand.
"Persia" is trending on twitter again. Its 10 to 1 positive reactions! Jake is number 4 on the iMDB STARmeter which shows how much interest there is and PoP is number 2 for the MOVIEmeter :D
http://www.imdb.com/chart/
Movies that are (and stories too) Sci-fi (tho this one isn't) or Fantasy (would put it in that category) are meant to have you suspend belief. Just go with the story and they can pretty much do what they want.
Love Buffy. At the end of that Spike dies..but when "Angel" starts the next season...in a swirl of whatever he appears again..Yea, Spike is back.
The fantasy of POP (I know..besides Jake) is the Dagger. It can stop time. Is that plausable? No...
The James Bond with Daniel Craig. The early scenes when they are jumping (yes..Parkour) and going through this long chase. If anyone did that in real life they'd probably be killed. But you go along with it.
I'll be careful about spoilers ITF! :)
Donnie Darko was sort of like that - time changed, or our hero changed events and nobody remembered! I have to say, I found very few flaws with Prince of Persia. I loved Tamina and her dialogue (and her costumes!) she was that way, a bit haughty (it was very amusing), and Dastan is not the only one who learns a lesson or two. I loved how passionate she was, her eyes teary. I loved the ending, because Dastan has the secret of knowing what Tamina as yet does not. He was a great romantic figure, I thought. I went to a matinee - the theater wasn't chock full, but it was mostly made up of young guys, I saw a father and son, a mother an her sons, teenage girls. You didn't hear a peep out of the kids once the movie started.
The characters were all relatively complex for an action movie. It would be nice to know about Dastan and his rabble band. Maybe in upcoming sequels (I hope) we'll get to fill in the blanks a little. I look at the first PoP as an overview, setting the stage. Robin Hood was a prequel, which was an excellent idea because people are more familiar with the story. With PoP, it's brand new. Great news about the box office too! :)
^^***Possible spoilers***
He knows what it's like to have kissed her, that he's already kissed her in another time and she doesn't know this (maybe consciously she does?). Very romantic. I loved when he was motioning for her to come with him ("are you going to just talk or are you coming with me?") or some such wording.
Date/Dinner with his lady does not mean only to cook but first buying the food together, getting inspired while buying what to cook - the whole process is very romantic.
Sigh. What could be nicer. :)
- cooking is his obsession - his private library contains mostly cooking books - modern and historical ones
I'm sure he has lots of cookbooks but we know he's very well read. We've seen pictures of him with books that aren't cookbooks and he mentioned now and then what he had been reading.
See where the percentage of males seeing POP was 60% .. that's got to change. Maybe for a number of women who don't go into depth about what movies are out they probably see POP as a game movie and something that only guys would be interested in.(like some guys wouldn't see SATC - and figure after this week most people won't).
Yes, Donnie Darko. As has been said, with any fantsy type film you have to suspend belief. You can't look at it like you are watching a "true to life movie".
Annie
Spoilers ahead:
Carla, thanks so much for the translation. I really didn't expect you to do that, but I appreciate it :)
Love the part about cooking for a date and going with the date to buy everything beforehand. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a day!
I thought I read something about him wanting to change the direction or path of his life but couldn't be sure of the translation. That is, indeed, intriguing, Carla. Jake seems more than ready to start a family. Hope he can soon.
About the movie ending - I agree that it's a bit of a letdown that all of the momentous events are wiped out. But since I liked the brothers and Bis, I was happy they survived. I was also happy we got to at least see Dastan react to each death, though a little more angst would always be welcome.
It's an intriguing set up that Dastan has all these memories of Tamina, and she has none of him. In a way, it's cheating, giving him an advantage. But I didn't mind it as a set up for Part 2, which I hope against hope we will actually see someday.
Suvee, I'm sorry you didn't see it with an energetic crowd. Or a crowd at all :(
I hope the twittering and other WOM will keep the PoP numbers steady/higher.
Cathy, the kids at the show I saw were also very quiet and attentive. Good sign. (Unless they were asleep, lol!)
yea the ending could possibly be the set up for a sequel i read on another blog with the good overseas bo the possibilty for a sequel is pretty good i think disney figured pop would do better overseas anyway im just glad pop beat out satc which i think is a good sign
had extra on this morning and they were interviewing someone from satc in front of some windows i think probably was in times square any way in the background across the street thaere was a bill board for pop which kept appearing int he shot just thought it was kinda funny oh it was a movie blog i read about the sequel possiblity
Thanks for the translation Carla!
That sounds so romantic buying and then cooking for a date. Jake is at the age where he wants to settle down and start a family IMO.He probably sees his friends starting to settle down, Reese wasn't the one but he thought so at the time.
Saw Pop over the holiday with a friend and had a great time! The theater was about 75% full and most of the audience were teenagers, a mix of boys and girls and a few families.
I really loved Jake as Dastan, he was charming, romantic and fun. Loved Gemma as Tamina, fiesty and strong. I thnk it's important that that image is presented on the big screen, even in a fantasy film.
I loved their back and forth banter, they had really nice chemistry. The costumes in this movie were just stunning.
The action scenes were not graphic at all. I really liked the knife thrower, too bad he wasn't on as much as I liked and The Hassassins were scary enough.
I wish there more scenes of Dastan and his brothers Tus and Garsiv. A little bit more back story on young Dastan would have helped some(with his friend Bis).
When they invaded the Holy city looking for the hidden weapons, I said ah, a flashback to Bush and his search for weapons of Mass destruction!
The parkour scenes were so much fun and exciting and Jake did most of the stunts!
The score by Gregson-Williams was excellent and the song , I Remain by Alanis was perfect.
Jake looked incredible but I did have a few issues with his hair like some others did.
Kingsley as Nizan was fantastic and i loved his scenes with Jake, which had a Shakespearean feel to them.
I love Molina in anything, and he didn't disappoint me here. His talk about taxes and such reminded me of the tea baggers, ha, ha!! Wished he had more screen time as well.
I didn't have a problem with the ending and the fact that Taminia didn't remember anything. They were most likely setting it up for a sequel. I hope we do get to see it, but I'm not sure based on the domestic box office.
It was hard to read the audience response to it at times. They laughed during the orstrich racing, cheered a bit when Dastan and Tamina kissed, were really into the the parkour scenes and reacted and some groaned at the ending. But there was a lot of silence, just quiet.
There was some applause at the end, I did as well as my friend because we really enjoyed it.
I hope the BO picks up over here becasue I think that this is really a fun movie. I know it sounds weird but I was really so proud of Jake up there, he was just incredible.
OT: Noooooo!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/al-gore-tipper-gore-separ_n_596199.html
i heard that this morning definitely a big surpise too dab i wonder what went wrong
I SAW that, OONP!!! So sad. Forty years is more than a lifetime!
Also, thanks for reminding me. In all the critiquing, I forgot about the soundtrack. I loved it!!! I enjoyed Alanis, too, even tho I thought a few weeks ago that I wouldn't.
It really does make a difference when you see it in a full or almost full house. We got the cute audience response, the applause, for The Kiss as well. (It wasn't as much kiss as I'd hope for:()
One of my favorite scenes was when he touched her cheek and said they'd be together again or something. "This won't be the last time we'll be together" ???
I did love how the camera toyed with the possibility of a kiss several times, before the actual event. The audience laughed when Toby Kibbell said "Go up there or I'll do it myself!" at the end, too.
Odd, sad news from the Gores. But I hope they'll both be happier? I remember they had troubles before, no?
Thanks for mentioning the music, OONP and Bobbyanna. I really liked the score and wondered what others thought. Just read some scathing reviews on IMDb, of course. So it's good to hear what normal folks thought.
I didn't mind the references to WMD because it wasn't too heavy-handed. Though not exactly subtle, either. I wonder if that was always part of Mechner's story.
The tax stuff with Molina was all hilarious. He really was great.
Bobbyanna, I Loved it when he touched her cheek, too.
As for the kiss - was it different in the previews from the movie or just a different angle? I keep forgetting to look at the trailer to check.
Mary, that's funny about Extra. Glad PoP squeezed its way in. SatC doesn't need any more publicity!
**possible spoilers**
I loved the score! The way the film opens is really very beautiful, and the theme is very Lawrence of Arabia-ish. I have always loved Alanis' song too. I keep thinking of different parts of the film over time. :) I even loved the Hassansins, really quite elegant, as far as villains go. ;) I loved the comparison with whirling sand dervishes. There's a lot of beauty to this film. Lots of action scenes. There were cheers when I went to see it too. :)
yay for cheers :)
Still on the fence about the Alanis song, but I like it more than I did when I first heard it.
The Hassansins were cool but almost a little too mysterious.
Quick new post. Not a lot happening but thought we needed a new one.
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