Yes, Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” did solid business over the weekend.
But is the film’s $30 million haul only part of the story?
“Bruno” also earned an impressive 69 percent “fresh” rating over at RottenTomatoes.com, not bad for a film this critic found extremely weak.
Methinks some critics applauded who “Bruno” targeted in the film – homophobes – more than its laugh quotient. WWTW wished it mocked that group in a funnier fashion.
The original “Borat” earned nearly that same amount during its first weekend, and that was back in 2006 in far fewer theaters.
“Borat” became a mini-sensation because it caught nearly everyone off guard and built up its sturdy box office tally mostly through word of mouth.
In comparison, it seemed all but impossible to escape the Bruno PR blitz over the last month.
Comedy often ages poorly, and shock humor ages even worse. Here’s betting “Bruno” will sink fast this coming weekend and, years later, people will talk much more about “Borat” than “Bruno.”
Update: Here’s a look at the marketing machine behind “Bruno.”
Update, the Sequel: LA Times predicts “Bruno” won’t even crack $100 million.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve seen neither Bruno or Borat, but just from what I’ve seen the films tend to go after Americans. I’d like to see him go after other countries the same way.
I have to share the thoughts of our bartender at Old Chicagos on “Bruno.” He said he couldn’t get a few scenes out of his head and though he thought there were some funny scenes in the movie, he felt pretty bad about laughing during certain parts of it. He said several people got up and left the theater. I asked if he recommended it and he said he just couldn’t recommend it, it’s too embarrassing.
We truly enjoyed “Borat,” but I think we’ll hold off and see this one on DVD. There may be scenes I need to fast foward to avoid throwing up. Personally, I was over the whole “shock phenomenon” with the period on the pants scene in “Superbad.”
Comedy ages badly … shock comedy ages even worse.