‘Up’ reviews foreshadow box office smash
In "Up," a house gets carried away by balloons.
I checked on Rotten Tomatoes today for ‘Up’ reviews, and sure enough, it looks like Pixar’s still got it. Any film that gets 97 percent positive reviews is sure to bring in massive amounts of cash at the box office.
I’m sure you’ll see some big numbers when it comes to same day cash after “Up” opens Friday. Here are some things critics had to say in their “Up” reviews:
Stephen Witty, Newark Star-Ledger
“Up,” the latest lovely fantasy from the artists at Disney’s Pixar animation, it’s a truly fantastic adventure — a lighter-than-air daydream about a cranky widower (the voice of Ed Asner), a chubby boy and their amazing journey.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
Things are looking Up. The buoyant Pixar escapade soars, and our hearts along with it. An optimistic tale about a pessimistic septuagenarian, this lovely film darts unpredictably between comedy and adventure, defying gravity and age.
How much do I love this movie? If it were mathematically possible, I’d give it five stars out of four.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
This film is lovely in attitude and execution. In a world that sometimes seems filled with mean people, mean institutions and mean humor, “Up” is friendly, affirming and deeply moving. It’s funny, too, but never at anyone’s expense.
They’re in the money
Pixar has proven itself, time and time again, to be a huge crowd-pleaser and moneymaker. Its first release, “Toy Story,” cost $30 million to make, and it nearly made back its production costs on its opening weekend in 1995, pulling in $29 million.
Overall, “Toy Story” grossed $354 million worldwide, which proved more than enough to get Pixar rolling on its next project: “A Bug’s Life.”
Buggin’ for cash
“A Bug’s Life,” the 1998 film about an ant who seeks to defend his colony against grasshoppers, featured the voices of Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Drefus and Kevin Spacey.
“A Bug’s Life” did equally as well as “Toy Story,” though it did cost a tad more to make. Of course, Pixar had a lot more money to work with this time. With a budget of $45 million, “A Bug’s Life” made $363 million.
Long story short
Let’s just say that film costs continued to rise, but so did box office earnings, and Pixar was officially rolling in it all along. Box office earnings peaked in 2003 with “Finding Nemo,” which brought in a ridiculous $865 million. The film was the company’s longest yet, and it won Best Animated Feature. It cost $94 million.
Budget versus earnings for “Finding Nemo” compared to Pixar’s 2006 film “Cars” proved that what you make isn’t always proportionate to what you spend in the film business. “Cars” was the company’s most expensive film at the time with a budget of $120 million. It made $465 million at the box office — a phenomenal number for an animated film. It just pales in comparison to the $865 million “Finding Nemo” pulled in.
That’s a wrap
Pixar’s moneymaking madness has continued to climb back up since “Cars.” In 2007, “Ratatouille” made $620 million as adults and children all over the world poured into theaters for a taste. Even “WALL-E,” which broke many traditional barriers in children’s films with its sparse script, made $534 million.
That brings us up to date on the Pixar saga. Friday, the story continues as “Up” hits theaters and “Up” reviews fill the streets and the blogosphere.
