I think it was the early marketing for the movie before they started shooting, where Johnson started using corporate speak with the FANS, claiming this was a "four quadrant" movie, as if the average person should ever care about such a thing. Using executive-speak to non-executives is such a gross breach of star/audience etiquette to me, and it only happens when you've lost touch with reality.
From what I understand, after a couple of flops Johnson met with his team to restructure his career, which is why he just shot an A24 movie. I'd like to think he's learned a little humility and is being sensible about his work instead of just phoning it in by doing some phony blockbuster with the same nobody directors. But if that's what happened, and he's gained a bit of perspective, it must suck to know, if you're Dwayne Johnson, that you're taking a healthier approach to your career, and yet because of the long incubation period of filmmaking, you still need to weather the storm of THIS grotesquerie that has yet to open. It's like committing a crime and then turning your life around, under the suspicion that the cops are right around the corner.
Breaking out my standard advice, you don't have to worry about ads if you're seeing a movie at Alamo. If you don't have an Alamo near you, move. If you can't move, raise several million dollars and ask them if you can open an Alamo franchise near you.
I'm glad that someone pushing Alamo Drafthouse finally acknowledged that there's not a location just anywhere. This was a lot more annoying back in like 2010 where they had like seven locations total.
I saw it yesterday with my 10 year-old son. He loved it and I didn't fall asleep - which is higher praise than it sounds. To be honest, and although I do like him in a lot of other roles, I didn't care for Simmons as Santa Claus. Maybe it's that he rarely cracks anything close to a smile. Maybe it's because I met him at a convention once and he was rather cold in person. If I'm going to get a gruff Santa, I prefer David Harbour's take last year in "Violent Night."
::When Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped, Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), the hardass director of Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, a secretive organization in charge of enforcing a peace treaty between mythical creatures and humanity. ::
And...does what, precisely? You wrote who she is, but not what she does in this particular case:
• Does she warn Drift that if he doesn't get Santa back by Christmas Eve, she'll have to cancel Christmas permanently?
• Does she get involved in the fight to rescue Santa even though that's not supposed to be her job?
• Is she secretly in an alliance with whoever did the Santanapping?
• Does she seem like a dull midlevel bureaucrat who suddenly shows up with a strike team at the climax to take out the insignificant henchpersons, then warns Drift and Jack "We were never here"?
• Is what she does supposed to be a spoiler, and by saying it out loud you'd be ruining the story?
Honestly, what does it matter? It's a background conflict that's just there to setup the Rock/Chris Evans bud cop dynamic and pad the runtime. Every part of this movie is perfunctory.
I watched this to cap off an otherwise superb Christmas day. The movie was... not completely devoid of charm but it absolutely was self-serious, without any whimsy and wonder and weirdly dry for a mismatched buddy cop holiday romp about rescuing Santa. And that's even before you realize it was from the director of Walk Hard and Jumanji 2 & 3, which was a winning combo with Dwayne.
Well,I suppose Mr. Simmons channeling his 'Whiplash' into this role is probably not gonna happen.Me seeing this movie probably won't happen,either.'Die Hard ',anyone?
Regarding the workaholic parent cliche in this movie, a snippet from Nabin serves as the page quote on the TV Tropes entry for it, which is named "When you coming home, Dad?"
""If you miss little Timmy's softball game even once, he'll end up a serial killer all because of your terrible parenting."
— Nathan Rabin explains the moral of North and the entire subgenre of what he calls "parenthood redemption comedies," The AV Club
"I only had any hope for Red One because it is directed by Jake Kasdan, son of legendary screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, whose first three screenplay credits are for Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Body Heat. That, friends, is a strong beginning."
Okay, but he also did "I Love You to Death" and "Dreamcatcher" - one of which I walked out on. I think Papa's good will ran out in the 80s.
I think it was the early marketing for the movie before they started shooting, where Johnson started using corporate speak with the FANS, claiming this was a "four quadrant" movie, as if the average person should ever care about such a thing. Using executive-speak to non-executives is such a gross breach of star/audience etiquette to me, and it only happens when you've lost touch with reality.
From what I understand, after a couple of flops Johnson met with his team to restructure his career, which is why he just shot an A24 movie. I'd like to think he's learned a little humility and is being sensible about his work instead of just phoning it in by doing some phony blockbuster with the same nobody directors. But if that's what happened, and he's gained a bit of perspective, it must suck to know, if you're Dwayne Johnson, that you're taking a healthier approach to your career, and yet because of the long incubation period of filmmaking, you still need to weather the storm of THIS grotesquerie that has yet to open. It's like committing a crime and then turning your life around, under the suspicion that the cops are right around the corner.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
Breaking out my standard advice, you don't have to worry about ads if you're seeing a movie at Alamo. If you don't have an Alamo near you, move. If you can't move, raise several million dollars and ask them if you can open an Alamo franchise near you.
I'm glad that someone pushing Alamo Drafthouse finally acknowledged that there's not a location just anywhere. This was a lot more annoying back in like 2010 where they had like seven locations total.
Also ask them to put better seats in their chairs—the one we have in Downtown Manhattan's seats are almost impossible to get out of!
Can't wait to not watch this.
Why wait? I'm not watching it right now!
Me as well! Boom!
I saw it yesterday with my 10 year-old son. He loved it and I didn't fall asleep - which is higher praise than it sounds. To be honest, and although I do like him in a lot of other roles, I didn't care for Simmons as Santa Claus. Maybe it's that he rarely cracks anything close to a smile. Maybe it's because I met him at a convention once and he was rather cold in person. If I'm going to get a gruff Santa, I prefer David Harbour's take last year in "Violent Night."
::When Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped, Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), the hardass director of Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, a secretive organization in charge of enforcing a peace treaty between mythical creatures and humanity. ::
And...does what, precisely? You wrote who she is, but not what she does in this particular case:
• Does she warn Drift that if he doesn't get Santa back by Christmas Eve, she'll have to cancel Christmas permanently?
• Does she get involved in the fight to rescue Santa even though that's not supposed to be her job?
• Is she secretly in an alliance with whoever did the Santanapping?
• Does she seem like a dull midlevel bureaucrat who suddenly shows up with a strike team at the climax to take out the insignificant henchpersons, then warns Drift and Jack "We were never here"?
• Is what she does supposed to be a spoiler, and by saying it out loud you'd be ruining the story?
Details, Nabin! We Want Details!
He was so bored by the movie he couldn't finish the thought.
Well, THAT I can believe!
It's just one of those things, drives me nuts when a sentence is incomplete....
Honestly, what does it matter? It's a background conflict that's just there to setup the Rock/Chris Evans bud cop dynamic and pad the runtime. Every part of this movie is perfunctory.
Or at least, one more verb.
I’d say Chris Evans losing streak continues as well.
I watched this to cap off an otherwise superb Christmas day. The movie was... not completely devoid of charm but it absolutely was self-serious, without any whimsy and wonder and weirdly dry for a mismatched buddy cop holiday romp about rescuing Santa. And that's even before you realize it was from the director of Walk Hard and Jumanji 2 & 3, which was a winning combo with Dwayne.
Well,I suppose Mr. Simmons channeling his 'Whiplash' into this role is probably not gonna happen.Me seeing this movie probably won't happen,either.'Die Hard ',anyone?
Regarding the workaholic parent cliche in this movie, a snippet from Nabin serves as the page quote on the TV Tropes entry for it, which is named "When you coming home, Dad?"
""If you miss little Timmy's softball game even once, he'll end up a serial killer all because of your terrible parenting."
— Nathan Rabin explains the moral of North and the entire subgenre of what he calls "parenthood redemption comedies," The AV Club
"I only had any hope for Red One because it is directed by Jake Kasdan, son of legendary screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, whose first three screenplay credits are for Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Body Heat. That, friends, is a strong beginning."
Okay, but he also did "I Love You to Death" and "Dreamcatcher" - one of which I walked out on. I think Papa's good will ran out in the 80s.
I like "I Love You to Death" and "Dreamcatcher" is a hoot. It's so bad it's kind of great.
Grand Canyon?
And ya, it's a crime that there's so many commercials. I lost count at 17 the other day waiting patiently to see Smile 2. ugh.