Why did so many people go see 'G.I. Joe'?

Actually, I have no idea why "G.I Joe" was such a big draw. And I'm not sure I want to even think about it, since I'm heading up into the mountains for a few days away from the showbiz racket. My editors have promised that they will keep you entertained with lively blog posts from some of our other entertainment and pop-culture sites. Stay tuned. We'll have some surprising news to report after I get back.

Comments

[tv]

I think lots of people, including me, go see a movie every week. Now, I don't think you're going to get most to see Julie/Julia like I did, so what else is there? It's stinks how some weeks three or four movies open and you can't see them all and them some weeks like this one, are a snooze fest.

[Tweeb]

maybe SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT should go ahead and release New Moon EARLY....I bet they would get a lot of repeat fans with plenty o time and money on their hands.... ahem.... hint...hint....if it's ready already why not RELEASE the wolves?

[Dan]

Well, I went to see "G.I. Joe" in part because I got outvoted; I would rather have seen "Julie&Julia", but I'll still get out to see that one this weekend. However, I have found lately that I can't always trust the critics' perspective; Kenneth Turan waxed poetic about how smart and sophisticated "Duplicity" was, but I found it plodding at best, not to mention I was pretty irritated with the ending of the film. As a result of that and other less than stellar critics' picks, I find when critics band en masse to pan a film, it usually turns out to be the type of loud, popcorn-crunching summer film that I don't mind seeing.

[J]

Nostalgia, promise of romance, action, air-conditioning, junk food, and eight year old children who want to see a live-action cartoon and pester their parents to take them. A combination of any or all of these things.

[Ha ha!]

I went to see it for the big, dumb fun and the hot guys who were eye candy. However, Channing Tatum is dreadful. JGL was a hoot as the Doctor but at least we got to see his sweet face before the explosion. Overall, it was definitely better than Transformers and better than any of the last 3 Star Wars films. It was just a silly movie that was entertaining. You check your brain at the door.

[Magnus Riis]

Nostalgia + Sienna Miller in a tight leather outfit. Plus all the other stuff: Kinetic movement, visual effects, ninjas.

But most of all because of our own imaginations: If you had a budget as big as this, what angles, new camera movements, new ways of watching would you try to invent? What is up on the screen might be trivial, but the real cinema magic is the endless possibilities that big budget blockbusters like this help us imagine. It is not only the studios that underestimate the audience by making dumb movies. Also the critics underestimate the ability of the audience to surpass the movie itself.