Spy Kids 3-D / Freaky Friday

[Peter Pirate]

Two new low budget offerings from Disney out soon, so I thought we could debate some more.

Spy Kids 3-D follows a real successfull original and an obviously successfulll enough sequel, but this time around they are adding 3-D which is relatively rare for theatres these days. Certainly it will be full of obvious 3-D tricks, but will it be enough? At least with the 3-D they are being somewhat novel in 2003. But answer me this, how will it translate to DVD sales? Will glasses have to be included?

Secondly, another remake of Freaky Friday. This time with 'big star' Jamie Lee Curtis & 'kid favorite' Lindsay Lohan. This seems like a can't miss moderate movie. After all, it's been done (in many carnations) 100 times. The formula is there, the actresses are big enough names and it couldn't have cost much to make.

There is certainly no future award winners here and no blockbusters, but will they 'fit the bill'? What do you think?

Any thoughts?

 

[Planogirl]

All I can go by is the 10 year old in my house who has proclaimed the 3-D Spykids "cool" and has been begging to see it. I haven't heard anything about Freaky Friday though.

I think that Spykids has a shot at some decent numbers due to the "wow!" factor. It's certainly going to catch people's attention at any rate. Freaky Friday could do Holes type numbers if it's well made that is IF this story hasn't been done too often.

But I could be wrong.

 

[crusader]

Well if they really were low budget then I don't see any problem with them being produced. Spy Kids is really stretching it with a third movie. Unless word gets out following opening weekend it will fade away very quickly. If the previews tell us anything (which in Pirates they didn't) this movie looks bad and Sly being in it is pretty lame indeed. I hope they break even at the very least or make a few mil in the process.

Freaky Friday appears to have a lesser fate being an old remake which not too many are familiar with, and judging from the previews it looked "cute". Seems geared toward the pre-adolescent/young teen audience which does like to hang out at the movies. As long as the picture is good it should do well.

 

[grinningghost]

It will be hard for me to objective when it comes to Spy Kids. I saw the original and thought it was horrible. It literally bored me to tears. But that's just me. Spy Kids is very successful as a family movie, which equals dollars at the box office. Blockbuster? I doubt that, but successful, sure.

Freaky Friday is a movie I would pay to see. I enjoyed the original with Jodie Foster, although I thought the second attempt was really lame. Lindsay Lohan is always a treat to watch, she's very talented for a young actress - and Jamie Lee Curtis already has a huge following. Seems no matter what, this movie will bring in more than enough to justify it's being made.

 

[Towncrier]

FYI - The 3-D effects will not translate at all to DVD.

 

[motaei]

Well, both my kids DS-10 & DD-8 have loved the Spy Kids movies & are really excited for the new release.

DD also wants to see Freaky Friday. (DS hasn't said anything yet) I actually never saw the original. But I figure with Jamie Lee Curtis, it can't go too wrong.

I, for one, am just happy that there are a rash of family movies over the last few years. There was too long of a stretch where movies were either geared towards just the kids (where mom & dad were bored to tears), or just the adults (violence & other unmentionables). The movie industry has finally woken up & seen that the money is with the families!!

 

[HusbandAlwaysWorking]

I saw Spy Kids 3-D "Game Over" yesterday with my DS (8). After 5 minutes, I wished is was "Movie Over!" My son loved it, but this is not a true assessment of the movie's quality. My son loves cereal commercials, too.

It was the worst movie I ever saw. There was no plot, no drama, no point to wasting $30 on tickets and popcorn. It was like being trapped in an arcade of hell.

If your kids are old enough to see this alone and you don't mind wasting money on a pointless movie, let them go alone. If you must accompany them, you have my sympathy.

I'm looking forward to seeing Freaky Friday. I loved the remake of Parent Trap, and have a feeling this will be equally entertaining.

 

[Planogirl]

I saw Spy Kids 3-D "Game Over" yesterday with my DS (8). After 5 minutes, I wished is was "Movie Over!"

I had the same problem with my 10 year old. He loved it and the kids around us seemed to love it too but I suspect that the parents were as unhappy as I was. A lady asked what we thought and I simply said it was a kid's movie while my son said it was the best Spy Kids movie he'd ever seen. Oh well, luckily they don't make these very often.

 

[goofy370]

I saw Freaky Friday at a sneak preview with my mom. She thought it was mucj better than the original with Jodie Foster. I also really liked it. It was funny and fresh, even though it's the same movie storyline.
However, she took my DS(5 & 7) to see Spy Kids 3d. The boys thought it was wonderful and my mom hated it. She also said it was like being trapped in a video game. My mom thought that it would be part of the story, but she said it was the whole movie.

If you have to pick, I would definately go and see Freaky Friday!

 

[HusbandAlwaysWorking]

The boys thought it was wonderful and my mom hated it. She also said it was like being trapped in a video game. My mom thought that it would be part of the story, but she said it was the whole movie.

Goofy370:

I had the exact same reaction as your Mom. I looked at my watch and noticed an hour had passed, and thought, "Wow, this is all that the movie is about?"

Another reaction: I learned that Hollywood will act in anything for money. I think each major star only worked one half day, tops, on the movie. Selma Hyack (spelling-?) was dreadful. My area newspaper gave this movie 3 stars (out of a possible 4. I'm suspicious...who is encouraging these ratings? It is unthinkable that any respected critic would award more than 1/2 star.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that for Spykids targeted audience it was made well. It definitely was not made with anyone but kids in mind and so far, they all seem to like it.

I disliked all of the well-known actors too with one exception. I liked Ricardo Montalban for some reason. He somehow manages to still be charming even in a silly role like he had. And George Clooney and Bill Paxton? What a waste!

 

[WDWfanatic288]

I saw Freaky Friday on a sneak preview on Wednesday and it was good! very funny and at times the whole theatre was laughing out loud
I haven't seen any of the Spy Kids movies yet...I need to see them so I can see the 3rd one...I wanna see how 3-D it really is

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I agree about Ricardo!!!! We saw this today... yes, my older two have been begging to go see it and it was a "need to get out of the house so DH can sleep after working all night 16hr shift before going in for another 16hr shift" kind of evening. So we went.
The kids loved it. The youngest was so bored she wanted to go to the "potty" about 5 times and I was happy to oblige in taking her. LOL I also looked at my watch a few times- and that's a sure sign that I'm not interested in the movie. But for some reason I had the same thoughts about Ricardo Montalban (sp?) - I perked up when he was on screen. Is that weird? Or is it just that I used to watch fantasy island many moons ago? I have no idea.
LOL

I don't know if that movie will be a great hit- but it will probably do okay. I know our movie theatre wasn't sold out- and that's how I can usually tell if a movie is going to do great. Took me days and coming in MANY hours early to buy Finding Nemo tickets. LOL
It was pretty packed though- just barely found the last 4 seats together so we could sit together! *phew*

I really hate 3-D movies by the way. Just something about the glasses gets on my nerves. They don't seem to work right with my eyes or something. Maybe it's because we had to sit on the side rows so we were looking at the screen at an angle? But in any case- it didn't really look 3-D to me. I could tell when things were supposed to be coming out at us- but they weren't really. Certainly nothing like Muppets at WDW. LOL

My kids give it a thumbs up- want to see it again. I said you're kidding right??? LOL
I give it a thumbs down. Borrrring. Thanking my lucky stars we went matinee so it was only $2 each.
LOL

 

[motaei]

Thanks for the reviews. DH has tollerated the first two Spy Kids, but it sounds like he would go out of his mind with this one. So it will just be me & the kids this time. (DH fell asleep during Lilo & Stitch & walked out during Rugrats in Paris....I can't take him anywhere He did like Finding Nemo though!!) I will look forward to Ricardo, as I too watched Fantasy Island way back then.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Well.... now that you mention it... if your husband is at all into "games" he might like this one better.
??? Who knows. LOL My husband MIGHT have liked this one better than the others- who knows.... he's just an overgrown kid sometimes. LOL
(ps. My husband was bored to almost tears with Rugrats- LOL but he's watched Lilo and Stitch with the kids here at home about a bazillion times. I'm not sure if he likes it alright- or if our youngest just has him wrapped tightly around her little finger. I'm thinking the latter. LOL)

 

[Planogirl]

That's funny because my husband sleeps through a part of almost all of the movies that he goes to. Only the LOTR movies get his full attention but then he's a big Tolkien fan.

We had sold out shows for Spykids but we went to the very popular Tinseltown on the tollway (to those who live in the area ). I still think it will do alright just based on the kids' reactions.

 

[motaei]

Actually, DH HATES gaming - "turns your brain to mush". Anyway, if I can sit through the Pokemon movies, I can sit through a bad Spy Kids movie. Mom RULES!!!

 

[scooby-the-doo]

Spy Kids 3D, $33 million dollar weekend. Beating Tomb Raider in the process.

Un-bel-ievable.

 

[Planogirl]

Yes, the kids are definitely driving this one. But the good news is that Pirates is number 2 but then there are 4 movies practically tied. And LXG and 28 Days Later are still hanging in there. Here's the top list from Yahoo without totals:

1 Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over DIM $32,500,000
2 Pirates of the Caribbean BV $22,400,000
3 Bad Boys II SONY $22,000,000
4 Lara Croft Tomb Raider PARA $21,760,000
5 Seabiscuit UNIV $21,500,000
6 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines WB $5,040,000
7 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen FOX $4,860,000
8 Johnny English UNIV $4,300,000
9 Finding Nemo DISNEY/PIXAR $4,000,000
10 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde MGM $2,650,000
11 28 Days Later FOX SEARCH $2,290,000
12 How to Deal NL $2,250,000

 

[Peter Pirate]

I think that Spy Kids earning over half of its costs (63M) in its first weekend take (32.5M) is a real good sign. Certainly ALL indications appear to be that this is just a kids movie, but still it appears to be a good kids movie. I believe this too, will be a success and the Spy Kids trilogy will have been a very good investment for Disney...

All indications of Freaky Friday appear very good. I know my daughters groups (both the 10 & 14 year olds) are very anxious to see this. The older kids seem to remember Lindsay Lohan from The Parent Trap remake (which was really good, IMO). I'm not sure what the breakeven is on FF yet, but I think this should be a winner!