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Box Office: Little Fockers Bring Holiday Cheer

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:00:00 PST

Little Fockers earned top honors at the box office this weekend, but the victory wasn't so sweet. Overall, the holiday weekend estimates were down 45% from last year (which included juggernauts Avatar and Sherlock Holmes). The third Meet the Parents film took in $34 million, followed by the debut of the Coen brothers' True Grit with $25.6 million. Last week's champ, Tron: Legacy, finished third with $20.1 million, followed by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at $10.8 million. To close out the top five, Yogi Bear finished with $8.8 million.

As for other note-worthy performances (both good and bad): Gulliver's Travels suffered (perhaps from abysmal reviews) opened with a mere $7.2 million. On the other hand, The King's Speech reaped the benefits of a wider release, climbing from No. 11 to No. 14 with $4.5 million.

Watch, Pass, or Rent Movie Reviews: Gulliver's Travels

PopSugarTV — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 07:14:00 PST

Are you planning a trip to the movies this weekend? New release Gulliver's Travels is lumbering into theaters, but should you spend your hard-earned money on it? Watch the video review here for advice, and for even more help, check out my holiday movie guide, too!

Gulliver's Travels: One Bad Trip

Shannon Vestal — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 02:00:00 PST

I had hoped that a modernization of Jonathan's Swift classic Gulliver's Travels would be an opportunity to introduce a younger audience to the tale. I was skeptical but optimistic when Jack Black, the king of butt-crack humor, was cast in the title role in the 2010 version. Black plays Lemuel Gulliver, a mail room clerk for a big-city newspaper. His career and love life are stalled until a coworker tells him he's already hit his peak. Spurred on to make a change, Gulliver accidentally signs up for a writing assignment from the travel editor, his crush Darcy (Amanda Peet).

Alarmingly, the assignment is in the Bermuda Triangle, and after embarking on the dangerous-sounding adventure, Gulliver ends up in a monster storm and wakes up on the island of Lilliput. As the story goes, he's the tallest man among a populace of tiny people and is imprisoned as a beast until he proves useful to the Lilliputians. The literary framework of the story provides lots of chances to update it - make it newer, funnier, more current - but the effort falls as hard as the clumsy Gulliver.

To find out why I didn't enjoy Gulliver's Travels, just

read more. Plenty of kids' films can please their younger demographic while entertaining the grown-up audience that accompanies them, but Gulliver panders only to the folks who don't see a fart joke coming a mile away. With that said, the first act is actually mildly funny, but once the fantasy element begins, all the laughs are dependent on the cheapest of setups, like Gulliver peeing on a castle inferno, showering the cast with bright yellow liquid. It's not too often you get to see literal potty humor, but there it is. Black is, unfortunately, the perfect choice to fill the shoes of the giant man-boy, but it's disappointing to see him playing a caricature of himself. It's even more disheartening to see actors I normally love down to this level. Jason Segel as a Lilliputian with a terrible British accent is particularly awful, while Amanda Peet looks genuinely pained to be involved in the film at all. And if I ever want to take her seriously again, I'm just going to have to put the vision of Emily Blunt punching someone and then saying "Boosh!" out of my mind. Gulliver's Travels is a failure as an update and a comedy; it exploits its source material and cast, and it tests its audience's patience with its abysmal humor. I've warned you: don't take this trip.

Video: Jason Segel Wants Batman Role & Ryan Reynolds's Abs

PopSugar — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:04:00 PST

While out promoting Gulliver's Travels, Jason Segel tells us why he'd make a great Batman villain and explains how Ryan Reynolds's hot body factors into his New Year's resolution.

Your Holiday Movie Guide: What to See and Who to Take

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:45:13 PST

If you're heading to theaters with loved ones over the holiday break, it's important to choose just the right film. After all, you wouldn't take your grandmother to see Black Swan, would you? That's why I've put together this handy guide to help ward off any potential movie mishaps. To find out which films best suit the various friends and family in your life, just keep reading!

Video: Emily Blunt Talks Muppet Movie and Jason Segel Cries Over Kermit

PopSugar — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:06:39 PST

Emily Blunt and Jason Segel sneak in some Muppets movie talk while walking the red carpet at the Gulliver's Travels premiere in LA with Jack Black.

Emily Blunt Teams Up With Funnymen Jack Black and Jason Segel at the Gulliver's Travels Premiere

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:40:00 PST

Emily Blunt joined her comical costars Jack Black and Jason Segel on Saturday morning at the Hollywood premiere of Gulliver's Travels. The family film marks the first time the trio has worked together, but they'll be teaming up again soon in Jason's Muppets Movie. Jason, who wrangled both Emily and Jack into making cameos in his passion project, told us Miss Piggy is a bit of a "diva" on set. Meanwhile, Emily said Ralph was her favorite Muppet to work with on the shoot. The holidays were another much talked-about topic on the red carpet. Emily revealed that she'll spend the season in Boston, her husband John Krasinski's hometown, and the newlyweds were spotted on a flight back East that very evening. Check out today's PopSugar Rush for even more from the red carpet!

Which December Release Are You Most Excited to See?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:30:09 PST

You can always tell the holidays are upon us when the movie releases kick into high gear. And this December, there are a ton of flicks headed to theaters. You have big name leads (Angelina, Reese, Johnny, and Gwyneth just to name a few), award season contenders (Black Swan's already received a ton of buzz), and at least one futuristic blockbuster to choose from. Though none of these films really scream 'tis the season, we're excited for them nonetheless. Take a look at this list, and tell us which is your must see this month!

Movie Preview: Jack Black Goes Gulliver

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:30:00 PDT

Whether or not you've actually read Jonathan's Swift's Gulliver's Travels, you're probably familiar with the novel's most famous imagery: a giant man being held captive by tiny people. The story has had countless adaptations (the one I remember most is the TV version starring Ted Danson), and now Jack Black takes on the Lilliputians in the upcoming modern-day retelling of the tale.

This time around, Lemuel Gulliver (Black) is a bottom feeder at a travel writing company who decides to take on his first real assignment in order to impress a fellow co-worker (Amanda Peet). You can guess what happens next: an investigation into the Bermuda Triangle goes awry, and Gulliver ends up all tied up on the island of Lilliput. We don't get to see much of the actual adventure in the trailer (even co-stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt only make very brief appearances here), but it gives a pretty good taste of what we can expect: classic Jack Black trying to befriend tiny humans. I didn't find the preview to be particularly side-splitting, but I'll keep an eye on it since I kinda love the cast. Check it out for yourself when you

Buzz News Roundup, 4/29

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:30:24 PDT

Chris Noth and the other men of Sex and the City - Evan Handler and David Eigenberg - are officially signed on for the Sex and the City sequel. - E!
Amanda Peet has joined Jack Black in the modern-day Gulliver's Travels movie. - The Hollywood Reporter
Sit Down, Shut Up is the latest show to be moved out of its time slot; it will now air Sundays at 7. - TV.com
Two bits of animation news: Wallace and Gromit creator Aardman Features is at work on two new films, while a children's book series by Ricky Gervais is also coming to the big screen. - Variety
Rick Springfield will guest-star as himself on the upcoming season of Californication. - Entertainment Weekly
Creed is reuniting for an album and tour. - Billboard
NBC has renewed the Celebrity Apprentice for 2010. - Zap2it

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