This weekend has already brought junket screenings of Rob Marshall’s “Nine,” so we can’t call it “unseen” anymore. Then again, everyone has signed agreements not to discuss (even trigger happy HFPA types), so we can still safely call it “awaited.” Screenings of “The Lovely Bones” may or may not be set prior to the big London unveiling on the 24th, while “Invictus” is expected to start rolling out next week. “Avatar,” meanwhile, has nearly another month before we get a look.
The question is, which one is going to miss and miss big? Perhaps the answer is none, I don’t know, but we’re in that dangerous territory where anticipation could kill the impact and/or something might just fall on its face, much like we’ve seen over and over again in the past with countless other pretenders. If you have an opinion, let us know in the what that is. Come on back here with further thoughts if you wish.
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62 responses to “POLL: Which of the big awaited titles do you expect to underwhelm the most?”
I think Avatar is going to underwhelm. I am not buying it as an awards contender, what with the seemingly weak story. I also see it underwhelming at the box office. Sure, the visuals are revolutionary, but so was Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
Also, after the cold reception of Changeling and Gran Torino, I don’t know if Invictus is the lock everyone thinks.
I hope the best for three of them. I’d like Marshall to strike harder and deeper than he did with ‘Chicago’, I’d love for Jackson to walk through dark domestic terrain again and succeed, and I’d ADORE IT if Cameron kept batting 1000.
I could care less for ‘Invictus’.
“[S]eemingly weak story” begins to describe many an awards contender. Just saying…
Are journalists not allowed to say anything what so ever about nine? if so until when?
December. The 14th is the trade review date. Someone always jumps the gun, though. Egos. Complexes. Etc.
I don’t know which one of the 4 (if any) won’t cut it.
For me, I’m least looking forward to ‘Invictus’.
“Seemingly weak story” is too nice. Trite, cliche, seen-it-a-thousand-times-and-didn’t-like-it-any-of-those-times. South Park’s most recent episode effectively skewered Avatar in a gag. Dances With Smurfs indeed.
Kris, I think a lot of Oscar contenders are weak, but from what I understand of Avatar, it is a bare-bones story with amazing 3D visuals. Can you be nominated without an acting or screenplay nod to propel you?
I just watched “The Lives of Others” for the first time. Suddenly everything from this year’s crop of award hopefuls seems underwhelming…
***Can you be nominated without an acting or screenplay nod to propel you?***
Yes, and it’s happened many times when there were only five nominees.
I think both Invictus and Avator will underwhelm me but Invictus will still get nominated
Are you not aloud to even say like a sentence about the films quality?
Personally I’m most excited for the Lovely Bones, I love Peter Jackson’s work and I think he could make something great out of the source material. I’m also excited for Avatar due to the “ground breaking special effects” and I can’t to see cameron return to filmmaking, I’ve never seen a film of his I’ve disliked so far. Invictus looks okay from the trailer and i usually like Eastwood, but I absolutely hated Gran Torino I hope he can come back strong after that mess. I’m most hesitant about Nine, I’m not a huge fan of Chicago and this looks somewhat similar, i hope its an improvement.
Speaking English, I only found two for the decade: Master and Commander and the Two Towers. Russell Crowe was on the bubble, so really The Two Towers is really the only example.
I’d have to say Nine, simply because as a potential contender for Picture, Director, Adapted, Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress(es) it seems like it’s got the most to lose.
I don’t like to think such things.
I’m most excited about The Lovely Bones because I find the subject matter the most intriguing. Also, it’s nice to see a film that boasts a little originality, and imagination, so count me in to check out Avatar.
Up in the Air is at the top of my list however.
Kris…did you like Parnassus at all?? Whose performance impressed you the most in the film??
Avatar
I don’t want Nine to underwhelm. I want it to fail.
I think Nine could get scathing reviews and still get in. This is the Weinstein Company, after all.
Would it be too pessimistic to say that I predict that of the four only ‘The Lovely Bones’ will not underwhelm.
david: Parnassus didn’t really work at all, but the best performance was far and away Ledger’s. He’s actually quite amazing, I’d say.
If I have to vote, I’m saying Nine. But I don’t think any of them will.
I love Eastwood’s movies… but I want to see Invictus failing.
I’m loving the photos of Nine, but I want to fail too.
I already want to see Avatar, but I’d rather prefer to see it out of the 10… and why is all that… ?
Because I want to see District 9 being nominated as Best Picture.
I already saw Inglorious Basterds and Up, and D9 is so much better than that 2 (for me, of score).
In other aspects, yesterday I saw Lars and the real girl, and I was totally blown away by the performances and the terrific script. Later I found that Ryan Gosling wasn’t nominated and I just couldn’t believe that the Academmy make that horrible mistake…
Kris, what were your top 5 leading actors on 2007??
Invictus.
Eastwood directing, Freeman playing an important real life figure–screamed Oscar-bait, more so than Amelia ever did.
Speaking of failures, anyone else watching January Jones on SNL? Yikes (so far)…
Im ready for the Clint/Oscar infatuation to stop so Id love to see Invictus fail.
Nine I think will be a great lead performance by DDL and ofcourse a directors showcase. But I think all the actresses are going to get lost in the mix.
The Lovely Bones actually looks great but the subject matter could turn people off… and this one seems to have the furthest to fall.
Avatar is not going to dissapoint but quite possibly be the “Dark Knight” of the year.
January Jones is beautiful but hope she doesnt try movies!
The trailer for “The Lovely Bones” looks awful, so I’m betting that one underwhelms.
I’d say Invictus. I’m really looking forward to all four of these films, but I’m still thinking that Invictus could end up being a bit “meh”
Whatever people say, I think The Lovely Bones is going to hit BIG when nominations are announced.
Big miss? Invictus could only be a actors show and Avatar may be a bit too FX.
Nine… It will be big in artistic categories and maybe even some tech. It will have at least that.
Invictus
matt damon+freeman
Nine…that is all…
Probably Invictus.
I think Avatar. I don’t see it getting an acting, writing, or direction nomination which would kill it’s chances at being a serious BP contender.
I think all of the “big four” will underwhelm and then it will become a three horse race between Precious, Hurt Locker and Up In The Air.
NINE because I already saw it and was underwhelmed.
I feel that Invictus will be the one that is given a mostly indifferent reception upon its release, but with the power of Eastwood, Freeman, and Warner Bros it’ll probably overcome that.
I think its obvious that Avatar, while clearly a visual marvel, will have the uphill battle towards a BP nom. As others have said, its chances at acting, directing, and writing noms don’t look very promising, at least until we see more. Also, District 9 seems to being giving it quite a run for its money as the sci-fi pick of the year. If there is one, that is.
They all have the potential to rock our socks off…and they all have the potential to crash and burn. I think the one that’s skating on thin ice is “Avatar,” as it had the most buzz a year ago but has lost a great deal of steam since then (which shouldn’t be happening as we get closer to the release date). Being a sci-fi movie also doesn’t help…especially when two other good sci-fi movies have come out this year (“Star Trek” and “District 9”). It’s gonna have to be damn-near brilliant to get back on the ground it had last year.
“Invictus” is also treading on thin ice…we’ve been here before, where Eastwood was “guaranteed” a lock because he had a movie coming out in December…and it didn’t pan out too good last year. It also doesn’t help that “Invictus” looks to be the least interesting movie he’s done in the past few years.
“Nine” could be disappointing, but not to the extent of the other two…the thing with musicals is that there ALWAYS seems to be someone championing them (ex: despite poor reviews for “The Phantom of the Opera,” there were some who were still predicting it could pull an upset). And while the movie itself might not be good in the long-run, I could see a lot of people happy just watching Penelope Cruz shakin’ what her momma gave her ;)
“The Lovely Bones” seems like the safest of the 4, probably because the source material was a big hit and the Jackson team has already proven that they are adept at adapting popular material. It may not prove to be as epic as his other work from this decade, but it also looks like it’s the one with the least uphill battle.
i have the most faith in the lovely bones, i feel avatar has the most chance to make the biggest impact, didnt like chicago so im reserved on nine, and i trust Clint Eastwood
I reckon “Nine” will be the exact movie everyone suspects it will be. That means for some – you know the ones – it will be disappointing, for others – the ones who think “Chicago”‘s BP win was worthy – will love it and everyone else will be “it was good, but not great.”
“Invictus” will disappoint only to those who can’t quite there minds around Clint Eastwood. And even if it’s dirge like “Flags of Our Fathers” all the critics will somehow find a way of praising it to the high heavens.
“The Lovely Bones” I think will surprise because expectations seem so low.
“Avatar” will come out smelling the best, but 2009 is a much different time to 1998 and the nay-sayers will be far more vocal than they were with “Titanic” because, well, they can be.
Avatar = king kong
INVICTUS looked like cry freedom all over again,I expect it tooo fail and freeman simply looked and sounded like freeman.
One of Brazil’s most famous film critic saw NINE yesterday. She loved it and said it was a WONDERFUL FILM. She was surprised about DayLewis singing and dancing abilities, said women have never been more beautifully filmmed in recent years, and Fellini would be proud.
But she can’t say more than that.
Nine has been screening for a while so we would know by now if it is bad. From my estimations, it is at least a 7/10 but it is all a matter of how people react to it.
I want ‘The Lovely Bones’ to be extremely successful. I could care less about ‘Nine’. I think that will underwhelm tremendously.
I’m really looking forward to “The Lovely Bones.” The book was awesome – and I think that Peter Jackson is the right director for the movie.
I’m predicting that “The Lovely Bones” could break huge. Jackson/Walsh have a pretty damn good track record. The source material is amazing. Did the person who thinks the trailer sucks read the book? I’m trusting Jackson on Wahlberg, but the rest of the casting is effing brilliant, especially Sarandon and Imperioli. The Oscars may not be so Precious after all.
Hate to say this but, should that happen? How long will it take before the race card is played? Two films involving tragic teens.
By the way, why in hell is Jackson not listed under potential Best Director??? That’s like suggesting a Scorsese flick as Best Picture but not nominating Marty. Jackson is one of the most individual artists around. Like it or not, his films looks like nobody else’s. Rob Marshall doesn’t hold a candle to Jackson.
I hope The Lovely Bones or Nine save us from Precious.
If financially, then NINE.
If critically, then possibly AVATAR.
If awards-wise, then THE LOVELY BONES.
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