Valiant? What???

Originally Posted By mickeyfan04

The last thing I knew, the next big Disney animated feature was going to be Chicken Little. Then, BOOM! Here comes another movie of a little bird trying to save the world. No extended previews or anything. I didn't even know they were making such a film. Is it just my ignorance, or did it take anyone else by surprise?

 

Originally Posted By DlandDug

Disney didn't actually make Valiant. They are just releasing it.

 

Originally Posted By cheesybaby

And they are releasing it in the dog days of summer with moderate marketing. Expectations are low.

 

Originally Posted By tonyanton

I wish they would have released it under the Touchstone label instead of further confusing what constitutes actual Disney Animation.

 

Originally Posted By ej

Produced at Vanguard studios in England, with Disney investing about half the production costs. Disney has distribution, licensing and merchandising rights. There are several more films under development under the same deal.

 

Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs

But the important question is... will there be adequate Villain merchandise for this film? And how about Chicken Little? And Cars?

 

Originally Posted By jdub

"From the producers of 'Shrek' and 'Shrek 2'."

THAT'S a marketing campaign? And if the trailer shows the best of what they've got-- I hope they get back into the good graces of Pixar.

 

Originally Posted By narkspud

>>Is it just my ignorance, or did it take anyone else by surprise?<<

It's been much discussed on this forum, but not elsewhere. It was released in the UK some months ago, and the reviewers there flamed it to a crisp. Initial release in the US was supposed to be in April, and there is considerable speculation that the delay was because it sucks so much.

Of course, with Madagascar doing so well, it's quite possible that people will go see ANYTHING CG, no matter how lousy it is.

 

Originally Posted By Santa Monica

The next movie under the Vanguard deal is Happily N'Ever After, I believe.

And my friends, that looks even worse... Even worse than that Barnyard movie coming up.

 

Originally Posted By t1lersm0m

<<"From the producers of 'Shrek' and 'Shrek 2'."

THAT'S a marketing campaign? And if the trailer shows the best of what they've got-- I hope they get back into the good graces of Pixar.>>

I know, I was completely confused too! I thought it was being released by Dreamworks. Then I go to IMDB and see that it's a Disney film? I'm confused. LOL

 

Originally Posted By greenbean

<<THAT'S a marketing campaign? And if the trailer shows the best of what they've got-- I hope they get back into the good graces of Pixar.>>

I found this on another website. It's a longer trailer. As far as marketing goes - I see a preview for this movie everytime i turn the TV on, so i think awareness is there..

<a href="http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=8248" target="_blank">http://www.joblo.com/index.php
?id=8248</a>

 

Originally Posted By gurgitoy2

I saw a preview for that "Barnyard" movie too and it made me cringe. I think the public will tire of CGI after enough of these stinkers.

 

Originally Posted By ToonKirby

My review is now posted:

<a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID509500.asp" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/N
ews-ID509500.asp</a>

 

Originally Posted By narkspud

Sounds like it's everything we had heard it would be. Thanks for the review.

It's times like these that my intention of going to see every animated feature that comes out, starts to look like not such a good idea. Ah well, durn the torpedos . . . .

 

Originally Posted By HRM

>>Produced at Vanguard studios in England, with Disney investing about half the production costs. Disney has distribution, licensing and merchandising rights. There are several more films under development under the same deal.<<

If I remember correctly, Disney entered into this relationship right at the beginning of the Pixar discord. Disney hadn't yet ramped-up their own CGI only studios and wanted to find and fund the next "Pixar".

Oh well, to mix upcoming movie metaphors... hope the sky isn'T falling on Dinsey's Theatre animation efforts this year...

 

Originally Posted By Sapphire

Boy, Disney just decided to sit out this summer, didn't they? Have ANY Disney/Touchstone movies grossed more than about $60 million since the season started? They didn't have a true bonafide hit, and this isn't going to help matters.

 

Originally Posted By AladdinAZ

Is this Michael Eisner's idea of giving Disney and us "the bird" before he exits?

 

Originally Posted By narkspud

>>Is this Michael Eisner's idea of giving Disney and us "the bird" before he exits?<<

Hee hee. Oh, I'm sure he has something more spectacular in mind for that. Besides, this is just the bird before the bird, if you get my drift.

This was actually Eisner's idea of showing those upppity know-it-alls at Pixar that it was possible to make a CGI movie just as good and just as successful as theirs for a small fraction of the budget. Guess he showed them, eh?

<----- nervously watching Box Office Mojo in hopes that people will have enough sense to stay home, like they did for, uhhh, Dukes of Hazard?

 

Originally Posted By Jafar30

The website boxoffice prophets did they're prediction for Valiant this weekend:

"The third opener of this weekend looks to be the first out-right CGI-flop, putting the lie to the somewhat bizarre notion that it was the CGI that drove the success of Pixar, and to a lesser extent, Dreamworks animated films. Valiant is one of Disney's attempts to step out into the CGI world sans-Pixar, and they appear to have botched it badly (wait, instead for this fall's Chicken Little). They appear to know it as well, releasing it on just over 2,000 screens and pretending the film is a secret. If you've seen an ad for this film, call Buena Vista Studios and collect your prize.

Set in World War II, Valiant focuses on a group of carrier pigeons that deliver vital messages to the front. One little pigeon (voiced by Ewan McGregor) might be too small for the force, but has a big heart. Can he come through when it counts? Is theater popcorn overpriced? The voice cast is rounded out by a large number of British character actors and comedians, including John Cleese, Tim Curry and Ricky Gervais, but even George Clooney, Tom Hanks and Jim Carrey couldn't help a film as buried as this one is. Consider the theatrical release an extended ad for the DVD, and give it $6 million for the weekend."

 

Originally Posted By Santa Monica

<<<----- nervously watching Box Office Mojo in hopes that people will have enough sense to stay home, like they did for, uhhh, Dukes of Hazard?>>

An amazing $1.8 million on Friday!

Go Disney!