July 4 Box Office: “BFG” will rank as perhaps Spielberg’s biggest bomb

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Another blockbuster weekend for Disney/Pixar’s “Finding Dory” doesn’t obscure three other telling facts about July 4, 2016.

To wit, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Tarzan” retains a staggeringly lucrative brand identity over 100 years since first publication. Piddling reviews and a lot of holiday competition didn’t keep “The Legend of Tarzan” from clearing $45 million this four day weekend. Wow.

“The Purge” is another lucrative brand, and “Election Year” proved to be the biggest opener of the series — $34 million+. Impressive.

Steven Spielberg’s over long, overly impressed with itself children’s fantasy, “The BFG,” based on Roald Dahl’s story, cost $140 million to cast, motion capture performances by the likes of Oscar winner Mark Rylance and Jemaine Clement, and render giants co-existing with a human-sized pre-Brexit Britain. It didn’t reach $19 million.

I have to say, that’s criminal. It’s not a bad movie. It’s too long, patience-testing for most. But nobody went. A real embarrassment.

“Independence Day: Resurgence” found more suckers on its second weekend — a 60% drop off from its opening weekend. Nothing to laugh at. “The Shallows” did better at holding audience.

“Swiss Army Man” did middling business in reasonably wide release.

About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine
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