Welcome to Boom, Bust, or Meh, ladies and gentlemen! This is where we focus on five films released during the month and have some fun predicting their success! As with every BBoM article, each film receives one of the following scores from each participating GUG film critic:
Boom: A film you’ll remember for the rest of the year.
Bust: A film you’ll regret watching.
Meh: A film that entertains during the moment, but has no lasting impact.
At the end of each month, each of the films will be arbitrarily judged and the critic’s ongoing tally will be updated (the score is written beside their name: correct predictions – incorrect predictions).
Let’s see what March has to offer after we look at last month’s results!
The Results
Before we get to our film predictions, let us take a look at the outcome of our February predictions!
1. Moonfall – Bust
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 38%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 69%
IMDB Score: 5.3
Box Office
Production Budget: $140 million
Worldwide: $38 million
Juliana: While some audiences managed to find Moonfall‘s outrageous plot to be entertaining, most critics were disappointed the film wasn’t bad enough to be truly unashamedly fun.
2. Jackass Forever – BOOM!
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 86%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%
IMDB Score: 7.5
Box Office
Production Budget: $10 million
Worldwide: $68 million
Juliana: It may be stupid, but people love a good laugh. Amongst the pranks and stunts was also a heartwarming look at strong long-time bonds and male friendship.
3. Marry Me – Meh
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 60%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%
IMDB Score: 6.1
Box Office
Budget: $23 million
Domestic: $44 million
Juliana: Many loved this romantic piece of escapism, though some lamented that other films in the genre have done it better.
4. Death on the Nile – Meh
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 64%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 82%
IMDB Score: 6.6
Box Office
Budget: $90 million
Worldwide: $101 million
Juliana: Death on the Nile managed to entertain despite its flaws, with many saying there was a little too much style over substance.
5. Uncharted – Meh
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 41%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%
IMDB Score: 6.7
Box Office
Budget: $120 million
Worldwide: $226 million
Juliana: Fans enjoyed seeing their favourite game come to life, but others found the film to be merely passable and rather bland.
New Releases
Each “Boom, Bust, or Meh” article will include each writer’s current record next to their name. My record is (92-74), and Tyler Hummel is at (74-61).
The Batman
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: March 4, 2022
Synopsis: When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.(IMDB).
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Zoë Kravitz, Robert Pattinson, Paul Dano
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (92-74): BOOM! – Even though superhero films have littered the silver screen in abundance over the past decade, Batman remains one of the more popular figures. People love Batman. The Batman will sell lots of tickets. In this cinematic environment, it has no competition. Film critics have known about Robert Pattison’s level of dedication to his art for a while now due to his superb performances in the indie sphere, and it will be joy to see the general public change their perception of him, shifting away from merely being a sparkly vampire in a loathed teen romance film franchise. It would be genuinely surprising to see this film bomb – a successful BOOM is practically certain.
Tyler Hummel (74-61): Meh – I’m cheating on this one because I’ve already seen it. I won’t spoil my overall thoughts but consulting my friends who haven’t seen it, the attitude around this film seems to be a general shrug. Batman is the most popular superhero character so I fully expect this film to be successfully and generally enjoyed, but my suspicion is that it’s not going to sweep anyone away or be widely remembered.
Tyson’s Run
Rating: PG
Release Date: March 11, 2022
Synopsis: An unathletic boy with autism strives to become an unlikely marathon champion giving his unfulfilled father purpose and a second chance at putting his family first. (IMDB).
Directors: Kim Bass
Starring: Major Dodson, Amy Smart, Barkhad Abdi
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (92-74): Meh – The bloated trailer for Tyson’s Run feels like a conglomeration of every feel-good, heartstring-pulling film ever made. You’ve got the teen with a disability, a lofty goal to be reached, a disjointed family that needs healing, and a mentor with a past filled with regret. The ingredients to the formula are all there, and we’ve seen the result before. It’s a little generic, and the biggest problem Tyson’s Run will face is convincing audiences to come and see the film in cinemas. That said, formulas exist for a reason, and that’s because they’ve been shown to work. I have no doubt this film will deliver what it’s selling. I’m sure it’ll be a fine family-friendly film for those that don’t have Disney+ to enjoy this month’s release of Turning Red. Tyson’s Run has a humble low-budget vibe, though I’m sure it’ll perform decently, but will ultimately fall into mediocrity due to the story’s familiarity.
Tyler Hummel (74-61): Bust – I’m feeling mean at the moment. This movie does not impress me, or at least the trailer doesn’t. It somehow manages to look like a saccharine combination of Radio’s infamous depiction of mental limitations combined with a sports movie and a “dad needs to learn to connect with his family” movie. I’m not about that.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre
Rating: TBA
Release Date: March 18, 2022
Synopsis: Special agent Orson Fortune and his team of operatives recruit one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars to help them on an undercover mission when the sale of a deadly new weapons technology threatens to disrupt the world order. (IMDB).
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett, Aubrey Plaza
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (92-74): Meh – Guy Ritchie has created yet another crime heist movie that will no doubt feature rapid dialogue, a multitude of characters, and a constantly twisting plot. This is the director’s wheelhouse, though it’s to a point now where it’s getting harder for the films in his own filmography to stand out from one another. This feels very similar to The Gentlemen. This might be the most Guy Ritchie film Guy Ritchie has made, and that’s not necessarily a good thing—from the trailer’s own lack of focus and difficulty in summarizing the plot, it’s easy to see the studio is struggling to pinpoint how exactly to advertise this film as the story is so overly complex it garners the sense it’s all about to collapse in on itself. I believe this will be an enjoyable ride (if you can hang on), but I’m not predicting it will be memorable.
Tyler Hummel (74-61): Meh – When did Guy Ritchie get stuck in the realm of Jason Statham movies? I realize that his two breakout movies were Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, both with Statham, but the actor has developed a very specific lack of prestige as a Hollywood action schlock regular. He’s the kind of guy you approach for low-budget schlock like Mechanic: Resurrection or Crank. He teamed up with Ritchie again last year for Wrath of Man and now he’s doing this. Does this mean Ritchie has officially directed too many flop blockbusters to work in the A-list anymore?
The Outfit
Rating: R
Release Date: March 18, 2022
Synopsis: An expert tailor must outwit a dangerous group of mobsters in order to survive a fateful night. (IMDB).
Director: Graham Moore
Starring: Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (92-74): BOOM! – Out of the two theatrically released crime flicks coming out this month, The Outfit seems to be the more competent one. It looks sleek and immediately gives the impression of the director’s vision of a noir-esque thriller from yesteryear. While this genre is usually strong, it does feel oversaturated at the moment, with few films standing out from the crowd. The Outfit appears it may be a contender for being the most memorable in the genre for the year. Oscar winning screenwriter Graham Moore takes his turn at directing, leading us to question whether he is just as talented behind the camera, though he is helped by a strong cast, including underrated actor Mark Rylance. This film very well could be lost amongst the mire with the others in the genre, but I’ll take a chance and predict it’ll perform strongly with critics.
Tyler Hummel (74-61): BOOM! – My goodness what a cast! Mark Rylance alone is one brilliant catch but this entire film looks like it’s lined with great character actors. I’m all for a mobster film from the director of The Imitation Game!
The Lost City
Rating: TBA
Release Date: March 25, 2022
Synopsis: A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure. (IMDB).
Directors: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Starring: Brad Pitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum, Sandra Bullock
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (92-74): Meh – This looks like fun. Silly, but fun. For me the question is whether it’s going to be more like Tropic Thunder or more like Jungle Cruise—will it manage to pierce through social media where the jokes become part of pop culture, or will it merely fall by the wayside? The star power is there, meaning the film is ripe to be memeified, and if it manages that, then this film will achieve its full potential of being on the forefront of comedy and social consciousness. Personally, I don’t think all the gags will land, though it may develop a small cult following once it’s released on streaming services.
Tyler Hummel (74-61): Bust – The introduction to this movie’s trailer reminded me of a Superbowl commercial. I understand that genre pastiche is the name of the game in nostalgia-addicted Hollywood but this movie stinks of shallow parody. What in the world is Brad Pitt doing in a movie this dumb and cheap-looking anyway? How much money did he get bribed with?
Thanks for reading this month’s edition! Let us know your predictions in the comment section. Join us next month for another edition of “Boom, Bust, or Meh!”
I have to kinda complain I was ok with Tyler Hummels review of batman annoyed but ok I got over it but now hes saying its a bust? Maybe it is on his part but I thought this was about everybody else’s opinion. he made his review and i respect that but this boom or bust thing is for the general audience not him alone. He does not speak for everyone else i’ve seen nothing but good reviews there are some bad reviews but from what i see its mostly good and it out weighs the bad and i already know ill like the movie because i’m a batman fan and i’m kinda tired of people thinking that zach Snyder should be the only one who makes these movies. His fans have done nothing but trash the movie.Not all of his fans but alot of them giving reviews without even watching the movie the movie is doing good.Good reviews on imdb and on rotten tomatoes this movie is not a bust.If you don’t like it fine but you don’t speak for everyone.The movie is booming.You should do your review and think what you want but don’t speak for everyone else i know people are going to argue with me on this but i just don’t find it fair maybe i should stop caring about everybody elses opinion.