2010 marks the year that 20th Century Fox hits rock bottom. With this movie, if you can even call this a movie, Fox has become a degenerate studio catering to drooling imbeciles with any lack of taste for films in general.
Before I review this film in proper, let me list down Fox's 'achievements' for 2010: 1. John Davis. Enough said. This so-called 'uber-producer' who produces schlock for 20th Century Fox and its incumbent incompetent chairman, Tom Rothman, is no Jerry Bruckheimer or Brian Grazer. Look at his list of crap-fest. Garfield? Dr Dolittle? Marmaduke? Norbit? Daddy Day Camp? And now this? He must be the king of talking animal flicks and that includes Jack Black. Can someone please stop him from producing anymore nonsensical rubbish? 2. Tom Rothman. The man responsible for micromanaging and mismanaging every single Fox misfire this year. Stipulating all films to run under 2 hours? Prince Caspian was a masterpiece at 140 minutes and Dawn Treader sunk under its light weight at 110 minutes. Same goes for X3. Whatever happened to the 131 minute of a superhero epic we got for X2? Changing the title of 'Knight and Day'? And now a marketing executive takes the blame for the film's underwhelming box office returns? Real smooth, Tom, real smooth. Way to go for being a great helmsman in charge.
3. Every flick that 20th Century Fox put out somehow fizzled at the box office. A-Team, Knight and Day, Marmaduke, Wall Street, Percy Jackson. Not a good lineup considering that the studio is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Not one classic. In comparison, look at Paramount's 1987's lineup for its 75th Anniversary. The Untouchables, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Fatal Attraction, Beverly Hills Cop 2. Now, this is the way to go! I digress. Now back to Gulliver's Travels. The biggest problem with this flick is that everything about it is cringe-worthy. 'Gavatar'? 'Homages' to practically all successful Fox movies? This is pure shameless self-promotion and self-aggrandizement I have ever seen. If this is a contemporary update of Swift's classic novel, it has failed utterly and miserably.
Jack Black's ego is the problem here. He's still acting as a good-for-nothing slacker who plays rock music all day long. Basically, he's a momma's boy who has yet to grow up. Trying to play off his 'School of Rock' persona, I guess he wants to cater to the young. I mean, the breakout into the rock number at the end of the film, serves as an embarrassing reminder that Black needs to find an exit fast.
Emily Blunt is being reduced to nothing more than a pea-brained princess whose intelligence rivals that of Hugh Laurie's 'Prince mini-brain' in the Blackadder series. What a disappointing turn from a hugely talented actress.
Jason Segal is still holding on to a job? All in all, a really awful cinematic experience. Extremely forgettable. This film should be analysed in film classes or even in movie executive conference rooms as to how not to make a film.
Before I review this film in proper, let me list down Fox's 'achievements' for 2010: 1. John Davis. Enough said. This so-called 'uber-producer' who produces schlock for 20th Century Fox and its incumbent incompetent chairman, Tom Rothman, is no Jerry Bruckheimer or Brian Grazer. Look at his list of crap-fest. Garfield? Dr Dolittle? Marmaduke? Norbit? Daddy Day Camp? And now this? He must be the king of talking animal flicks and that includes Jack Black. Can someone please stop him from producing anymore nonsensical rubbish? 2. Tom Rothman. The man responsible for micromanaging and mismanaging every single Fox misfire this year. Stipulating all films to run under 2 hours? Prince Caspian was a masterpiece at 140 minutes and Dawn Treader sunk under its light weight at 110 minutes. Same goes for X3. Whatever happened to the 131 minute of a superhero epic we got for X2? Changing the title of 'Knight and Day'? And now a marketing executive takes the blame for the film's underwhelming box office returns? Real smooth, Tom, real smooth. Way to go for being a great helmsman in charge.
3. Every flick that 20th Century Fox put out somehow fizzled at the box office. A-Team, Knight and Day, Marmaduke, Wall Street, Percy Jackson. Not a good lineup considering that the studio is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Not one classic. In comparison, look at Paramount's 1987's lineup for its 75th Anniversary. The Untouchables, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Fatal Attraction, Beverly Hills Cop 2. Now, this is the way to go! I digress. Now back to Gulliver's Travels. The biggest problem with this flick is that everything about it is cringe-worthy. 'Gavatar'? 'Homages' to practically all successful Fox movies? This is pure shameless self-promotion and self-aggrandizement I have ever seen. If this is a contemporary update of Swift's classic novel, it has failed utterly and miserably.
Jack Black's ego is the problem here. He's still acting as a good-for-nothing slacker who plays rock music all day long. Basically, he's a momma's boy who has yet to grow up. Trying to play off his 'School of Rock' persona, I guess he wants to cater to the young. I mean, the breakout into the rock number at the end of the film, serves as an embarrassing reminder that Black needs to find an exit fast.
Emily Blunt is being reduced to nothing more than a pea-brained princess whose intelligence rivals that of Hugh Laurie's 'Prince mini-brain' in the Blackadder series. What a disappointing turn from a hugely talented actress.
Jason Segal is still holding on to a job? All in all, a really awful cinematic experience. Extremely forgettable. This film should be analysed in film classes or even in movie executive conference rooms as to how not to make a film.
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