The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 30 Round 5)

 

 

 

We have officially reached the halfway point of Season 30. 15 films down, 15 to go. Here's The Roundup....

3. Thomasin McKenzie

I didn't love Fragments of Heart, but I like seeing new young leading ladies getting prominent roles like Thomasin McKenzie had here. Obviously she has worked a good deal in LRF, but it's nice seeing more starring parts for her (even if the box office didn't work in her favor this time).

2. The Big Top

One of LRF's better animated films, The Big Top is a much needed hit for the studio. I wasn't quite sure what to make of Lon Charles trying an animated film, but clearly his storytelling skills are not limited by genre. He created unique, lovable underdog characters worth rooting for.

1. Magic

Magic is exactly the type of film that makes sense for a remake. David Dastmalchian was perfect for the lead role of Corky. While I enjoyed the original Magic film adaptation, Jack Brown's new take feels a lot creepier than the original.

3. Fragments of Heart

Fragments of Heart is not a bad film by any means and there are plenty of strong moments, but I did find it a bit too predictable and familiar at times. 

2. Box Office

This round picked things up quite a bit for the box office with Magic and The Big Top both becoming surprise hits. Even with those films, the overall season box office is not looking great right now. The studio is really going to need popular film series like X-Men, James Bond and the Justice League to do really well in order to avoid another disappointing box office season like last season.

1. Big Budget Films

I can't think of any other time in LRF history that an entire half season has passed without a single film with a budget of $100 million or more. Right now Wonder Bean is leading the pack with a budget of $95 million.