DECEMBER
With CGI dominating children's entertainment in 2006 it was strange to see
Aardman Animations get in on the act with Flushed Away. Aardman usual work
with plasticine (they're the minds behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run)
so their first foray into CGI was a dangerous step. The film ended up doing
poorly in the US and only slightly better on home turf, which is frustrating
because it's actually one of the better CGI animations of 2006.
Jack Black's bad year continued post-Nacho Libre with Tenacious D In The
Pick Of Destiny. It should have been a comedy rock version of The Blues
Brothers, but it just failed to take flight. Black seems to work best when
he's reigned in by a director (School Of Rock) or circumvents his crazy
man-child shtick completely (King Kong).
Happy Feet was the undoubted star of kid's films this year - a surprise hit
from the director of Mad Max(!) about singing penguins. It charmed the world
and even kept Bond off the Number 1 spot in the US. The black-and-white
rotters!
Disposable entertainment came along in the shape of Eragon, one of
relatively few Christmas releases designed to do as much business as Narnia
or Harry Potter. It failed simply because it's not very good - a soulless,
pointless, Star Wars retread littered with bad performances.
A slight reprieve came in the form of A Night At The Museum which, despite
coming from Shawn Levy (hack director of Cheaper By The Dozen and the
terrible Pink Panther remake) was perhaps the most solid live-action family
release for the holidays. Ben Stiller starred as a security man who works in
a museum where all the exhibits come to life at night. The movie has its
share of problems, but it's mostly a fun yet forgettable diversion perfect
to take kids to on Boxing Day.
Overall, the box office chart for 2006 (based on worldwide takings) was
as follows:
- 1. Pirates Of The Caribbean 2
- 2. The Da Vinci Code
- 3. Ice Age 2
- 4. Cars
- 5. X-Men III
- 6. Casino Royale
- 7. Mission Impossible III
- 8. Superman Returns
- 9. Over The Hedge
- 10. The Devil Wears Prada
But 2006 is, like, so last year. What goodies await us in 2007? Well, my
personal picks of stuff to look out for are in Part Four.
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