Robert De Niro's troublesome father routine rakes in the dough in the 'Meet the Parents' franchise, but unfortunately, the same mass appeal is not applied to this year's drama 'Being Flynn.' De Niro plays opposite Paul Dano as a washed up writer whose self-destructive habits have left the father and son pair without inspiration, direction, or — worst of all — that big of an audience. [Focus Features]
The stories of 'Cloud Atlas' span generations from the 1800s to the distant future. They hop from nation to nation across the world. They treasure the perspectives of men and women, old and young, people of all types. Unfortunately, the wide-reaching movie didn't win over people of all types, with its lengthy runtime and unorthodox format perhaps deterring some audiences. [Warner Bros Pictures]
Following in the footsteps of its 1995 predecessor 'Judge Dredd', this year's 'Dredd' (based more rigidly on the comic book source material than the first film) earned an unimpressive gross. However, unlike 'Judge Dredd', 'Dredd' has been enjoyed by fans and critics alike. [Lionsgate]
The beloved Steven Soderbergh filled his action picture with the likes of fan bait like Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, and Antonio Banderas, all stocked behind lead player Gina Carano. But not even this caliber of eye candy could marshal that big a theatrical intake for 'Haywire.' [Relativity Media]
Hoping to attract a wider base of viewers, Disney dropped the 'of Mars' at the end of the title, thinking that it would alienate those turned off by the sci-fi genre. Unfortunately, this fun and interesting movie was stuck with the bland, uninteresting, and hardly explanatory title 'John Carter'. Wasn't that already a Samuel Jackson movie? [Walt Disney Pictures]
Great performances and an interesting story, but not even the masterful Tom Hardy was able to turn audiences onto this Depression era crime drama. [The Weinstein Company]
Something in the past few years gave studios reason to believe that a live action Snow White movie would be a winner. Universal cranked out the reasonably successful but critically panned dark incarnation, 'Snow White and the Huntsman', while Relativity Media went the lighter, more comical, and more entertaining (albeit less financially fruitful) route with 'Mirror Mirror.' [Relativity Media]
In the vein of beloved stop motion horrors of the modern era — 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Coraline' — comes 'ParaNorman', which matches their flair for the macabre and heartwarming storytelling, but might have scared mass audiences away with its cavalcade of grotesque zombies. Funny, we all flock to them when they're NOT animated... [Focus Features]
Oliver Stone movies have been a cultural institution ever since he created the phenomenon that was 'Platoon.' His latest venture, 'Savages', reunites the director with some of his darkest, grittiest sensibilities that have flavored many of his past works... unfortunately, that brand of darkness isn't for everyone. [Universal Pictures]
Okay, this one's a no-brainer: a zany comedy about a bunch of nudist hippies is NOT going to appeal to everyone. But the great mind of David Wain instilled 'Wainderlust' with some of the funniest moments of the cinematic year. [Universal Pictures]