JOE brings you the run-down, the low-down and the ups and downs of the top 5 films in this week’s Irish Box Office (5/7 – 7/7) with thanks to Magnet.
This weeks it’s all about Gru and his millions and millions of minute little Minions.
1. Despicable Me 2 
How much of your lovely money they took: €2, 054,716
The animated sequel to 2010’s incredibly popular Despicable Me has arrived just in time for the end of school term so you can safely lock your kids/nieces/nephews/people you just don’t like in the cinema for the foreseeable future.
Steve Carell voices Gru, the ex-super-villain turned father to three adopted daughters. He’s forced to come out of retirement though when Agent Wilde (the always funny Kristen Wiig) and the Anti-Villain League need him to get to the bottom of a mysterious lab theft.
This film is all about the hilarious Minions though and, because they’re one of the main reasons the 2010 film did so well first time round, they’ll actually be getting their own spin-off movie next year.
Just look how widdle and cute they are. Everybody say “Awwwwwwwwwwww.”
2. Now You See Me
How much of your lovely money they took: €253,117
Now You See Me tells the tale of four amazingly talented magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and cheaper-than-James-Franco-knockoff Dave Franco) whose goal it is to balance the scales of justice by using their magic to steal from the rich and give back to the swindled – thier audiences.
This silly but fun film is the sexiest bit of onscreen magic you’ve seen since beautiful assistant Debbie McGee looked after Paul Daniel’s wand.
Magic is all about misdirection though and the main problem with Now You See Me is that it’s often misdirected by its helmer Louis Leterrier. As Morgan Freeman says in his obligatory voice over at the the beginning of the trailer, “come in close, because the more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you.” That’s the thing with the film though, don’t look too close or pay too much attention because that’s exactly what will take the fun out of it.
On the plus side though it does have a scene where a grizzled, no-nonsense cop gets to say the line: “Abracadabra, you’re off the case.” Amazing.
Check out JOE’s interview with the star of the film, Jesse Eisenberg, where the world’s most famous Mark Zuckerberg impersonator goes on to name-drop Irish Mentalist of the Year Keith Barry and even compliments us on our impeccable fashion sense, all because we just happen to dress amazingly like him.
We knew it was a good idea to steal clothes from his luggage the night before…
3. The Internship 
How much of your lovely money they took: €155,821
Why did you go and see this film? Why?
The once always watchable Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan team up again for The Internship, eight years after the excellent Wedding Crashers. Unfortunately though, this time round the same magic just hasn’t happened so it’s best you give this latest film a miss.
The two lads lose their jobs slap-bang in the middle of the recession and so have to search for a new line of work. They’re out of ideas until it hits them, why not apply for the titular Internship at Google or, as it’s referred to constantly in the film, “the greatest place to work on Earth.”
Essentially a two hour ad for the one of the biggest Internet giants in the world, The Internship is unfunny and unnecessary. Plus Wilson and Vaughan just look so old and unhealthy. In fact, we’re pretty worried about their well-being so we’re off to phone the doctor to go check in on them. It’s never good when the actors look like a Madam Tussaud’s wax work version of themselves.
Folks, all you really have to do is Google this film and you’ll see how bad the reviews are. Don’t bother.
4. World War Z
How much of your lovely money they took: €1,129,098
Based on the Max “son of Mel” Brooks 2006 book of the same name, World War Z (Zed?/Zee?/text speak for multiple World Warz?) is the Brad Pitt zombie apocalypse action thriller that has been absolutely dogged by production problems and numerous re-writes.
A Messianic Pitt is Gerry Lane, a former UN operative who specialises in crisis management. With greasy hair.
Happily living at home with his wife Karen (Mireille Enos) and two kids, Gerry is called out of his self-imposed retirement to try and save the day when a huge zombie pandemic ferociously spirals out of control and threatens to engulf the planet by turning everyone into the nasty, unfriendly undead.
We’re pretty sure that qualifies as a crisis that needs to be managed alright.
Although horror purists will cry foul at the physics-defying zombies, World War Z is a decent mix of well-executed action and suspense, with director Marc Forster doing a good job of proving that a can of soda pop rolling across a floor menacingly can be a million more times scarier than 1000 zombies sprinting towards you.
Then again, the can of soda pop won’t try to bite your eyes out. So, pros and cons really.
World War Z is by no means the best zombie/action/Brad Pitt film ever but it is an entertaining trip to the cinema and, although it has been noticably affected by its production development troubles, it certainly hasn’t been ruined by it.
5. This Is The End 
How much of your lovely money they took: €431, 899
Based on a 2007 short film written by and starring Seth Rogen and real-life best pal Jay Baruchel, This Is The End is an apocalyptic comedy that brilliantly plays on the personas of the two leads, as well as the personas of their fellow Hollywood celebrities.
James Franco, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and scene-stealer supremo Craig Robinson join the two original lads to lampoon the complete shit out of all things La La Land, all while simultaneously trying to survive the mysterious end of the world event that has them holed up together in Franco’s luxurious gaff.
Take a bow Rihanna, Emma Watson and Michael Cera in particular, who all give brilliantly hilarious cameo accounts of themselves in the flick.
A big part of enjoying this overtly silly production is embracing just how ridiculous it is. The “characters” may be the actors actually playing themselves, but it’s very much a piss-take. Expecting anything resembling a smart, linear narrative is pointless – this has more dick jokes than a bunch of clowns in a sauna.
Rogen and his other best bud Evan Goldberg do a solid job for their first feature directing, both not afraid to take calculated comedic risks and push the boundaries of crassness.
But there’s actually a sweet story and its core and that sweetness underlines this very funny comedy all the way through.
When a new release reminds you of films like Ghostbusters and other classic comedies of the 80s, then you know you’re on to a guaranteed winner so go and fu*kin’ see this film. Please.
There you have it folks. If you want to find out more about any of the movie mentioned above make sure you have the best broadband in town when you’re doing it. The lads over at Magnet should be able to help thanks to their 70mb fatpipe broadband.
Source: Irish Film Board and Rentrak. Correct as of 9th July 2013.
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