Box office Weekend 10/11 – 10/13/2019 via Box Office Mojo
In the face of three new wide releases, there was no dethroning Joker from the weekend’s top spot as the film not only topped the weekend box office domestically, internationally and worldwide, it has already generated over $543 million globally in just its first twelve days in global release. As for the newcomers, UAR’s The Addams Family led the way with a solid second place debut while Paramount’s Gemini Man and Lionsgate’s Jexi struggled to find an audience.
This was not a good opening week for the new films leaving a wide open field for Joker to dominate for a second week. On Friday we caught Gemini Man in 3D + HFR, Saturday date night watched Jexi and barely avoided sleep in the theater on Sunday with Addam’s Family (2019). Here they are ranked from our most entertained to least:
Jexi ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – a few funny jokes here and there from a mean funny phone OS named Jexi and a romcom with a little chemistry between a loser writer nerd and bike shop girl. Barely recommended.
Lee not only shot in 4K and 3D but also at an incredible frame rate of 120 frames per second (fps), five times the standard 24fps … it’s been the standard used by almost every single film ever been made since the 1930s.
While we pay a surcharge to see any movie that is not 2D, I felt it was important to see a movie that was shot in pure 3D in 3D and I was intrigued by the high frame rate (HFR). How would this look in the theater?
Kara and I were fans of the added experience of 4DX that we checked out in Las Vegas. We vowed to see more movies in 4DX in the future. Avatar is an example of a movie that was incredible in 3D. James Cameron didn’t just add on 3D in post production, he made the movie in 3D. When I first saw Avatar in the theater it was in 3D. So glad I did, because it blew me away. It reminded me, from a pure technology standpoint, of the first time in the 70s that I saw Star Wars.
Unfortunately, there are only 14 theaters in the US (none in Washington state) that can show this movie at 120 FPS. It is more likely that we’re watching at 60 FPS in Real 3D + HFR. I had to do some digging to figure out just how many FPS we’re watching it in? This post says Paramount is releasing the film in the following versions:
2D 4K 24fps *3D 2k 60fps HFR 3D 2k 120fps HFR Dolby Vision 3D 4k 120fps HFR
Poked around Regal Cinemas for details and didn’t find anything. Maybe somebody reading can confirm or deny? I can only guess based on my limited time sleuthing that Real 3D + HFR at Regal is the marked with asterisk above, as that is the lowest frame rate for 3D. That same post indicated that no home bluray or UHD players are currently capable of showing 3D 4K 120fps HFR, so there are basically no places on earth, as of this writing, that the movie can be shown in the native format the director Ang Lee shot the film. The closest anybody can come to seeing it that way is through the 14 theaters mentioned above. What a technical mess. Guess we’ll have to review the best frame rate in 3D that is closest to us, which appears to be 3D + HFR (60fps).
So, with Gemini Man we are reviewing the movie itself and how and/or if 3D + HFR added in some measurable or unique way to the film. What was the result?
If you clicked the link and saw the two stars out of five at the beginning of this post, you know we weren’t too psyched about the movie, but the visuals in 3D + HFR, especially in some of the action scenes were cool. If only the story had been more entertaining, this could have been something really exciting and groundbreaking.
Oh, and just can’t think of Will Smith being that compelling in any movie. I didn’t even like him that much in MIB.
As mentioned before, I try to avoid reading advance reviews, but can’t seem to avoid seeing the early Rotten Tomatoes critic score for movies opening for the coming weekend:
The critic early reviews are unflattering for Gemini Man, the strange looking Will Smith doppelganger action movie. I’m usually not in sync with the Rotten Tomatoes “pro” critics anyway, see Rambo: Last Blood and Ad Astra, so I’m not going to let these early negative reviews influence me.
Gemini Man trailer
I’ve seen this Gemini Man trailer more than any other in the last month. Hollywood is trying to pump us up big time here. Still, I watch this and think, “hmm, it looks OK.” I’m just not that excited. Maybe a 5 out of 10 on anticipation scale. I hope this movie has some good hooks and more than what’s shown in the trailer for action and blows me away. Nervous anticipation you might call this.
There aren’t any tomatometer scores in yet for Jexi or Addam’s Family, so let’s check them out.
Phil (Adam Devine) has a major dependency issue — he’s addicted to his phone. He has no friends, he has a job writing pop culture “Top 10” lists, and his love life is non-existent. But his Facebook status is about to change. When he is forced to upgrade his phone, the latest model comes with an unexpected feature… Jexi (Rose Byrne) — an A.I. life coach, virtual assistant and cheerleader.
Is it just me, or does this story sound similar to Her ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ starring Joaquin Phoenix? I wonder how many of these A.I computers will tell you how to live movies we’re going to see getting made? I know A.I is getting better, but the technology being this realistic is about as close as Star Trek’s famous transporter. Still, I’m not burned out by these type movies yet, so looking forward to watching this. Maybe it will be at least one I watch tomorrow.
Jexi (2019) trailer
I’m 4 out of 10 for anticipation seeing Jexi, Am thinking this will not be as funny as I want it to be. I’d rather see a great comedy than another drama like Her. But I’m keeping an open mind.
As for Addam’s Family? Didn’t realize this was going to be animated until very recently. For some reason — maybe it was just wishful thinking — I had hoped this would be live action. Not that I’m hating on animated films, but I just don’t get all that excited about most of them. Now, if they would go back to some of the Japanese and/or more adult-oriented animated films like Speed Racer, Heavy Metal, Beavis & Butthead Do America⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, The Simpsons Movie, etc, now these animated films I look most forward to seeing.,
The Addam’s Family (2019) trailer
Hmm, this trailer makes me about 2 out of 10 want to see this movie. Just not that excited or interested, but again, I’m going to go in and hope to be thoroughly entertained. The Peanut Butter Falcon trailers underwhelmed me, and yet that turned out to be our #1 movie in August 2019.
How much on scale of 1-10 anticipating the 10-10-19 movies?
Gemini Man – 5 /10
Jexi – 4/10
Addam’s Family – 2 / 10
Never know exactly how I’ll feel until after seeing the movie for the first time, but have a sinking suspicion that Jexi might turn out to be my unexpected favorite of the three, but I’m rooting for Gemini Man to be more entertaining than my gut is telling me it will be.
Regardless how entertaining these films turn out to be, Thursday is my favorite movie theater watching day of the week!
Are you looking forward to watching any of these three movies? If so, which one?
Movies, Movies, Movies 