"What do you think?"
As they walked out of the cinema, Jane Lauder put on her sunglasses and asked Ivanka Trump, "Did you like this film?"
"It was okay," Ivanka replied, taking out her own sunglasses and putting them on. "But not as good as you said."
Jane nodded in agreement. "Compared to The Matrix, this film has a clear gap, but it's just a small-budget movie..."
She thought for a moment. "The pacing in the first half doesn't feel like Duke's usual style. The gunfight scenes later on are typical Duke Rosenberg, though."
"That's why the film feels a bit odd," Jane added. "The style shifts between the first and second halves."
Ivanka hooked her arm around Jane's. "Let's stop talking about the movie and go shopping on Fifth Avenue."
"Sure."
It wasn't far from Fifth Avenue, so they decided to walk. Jane asked, "What are your plans for the summer? Still working?"
"Yes, but I don't want to do modeling anymore," Ivanka Trump said. "I haven't decided what to do yet. Finding something with good pay and meaningful learning opportunities isn't easy."
"I heard from Tina," Jane said, recalling something. "There's an internship program in New Zealand. You could check it out."
In the relatively cold spring season, especially the weekend after the Oscars, although there are enough movies released, the production cost is not only more than 10 million dollars, but even more than 6 million dollars, there is only one film called "The Critical Emergency".
This was the least competitive period in the North American film market. Critical Emergency faced no significant rivals, and distributors typically wouldn't allocate substantial resources during this time.
As the only truly notable and highest-budget film of the season, Critical Emergency naturally became a focal point for reviews.
The next day, several media outlets published reviews of the movie.
As one of the first critics to watch the film, Richard Corliss wasted no time in sharing his thoughts.
"The final 40 minutes of gunfights have the flair of Heat, even surpassing it in intensity and duration. But compared to Heat's detailed depiction and subtle pacing, Critical Emergency feels more like a hastily made summer blockbuster. This is inseparable from Duke Rosenberg's directing style."
"With his skills, he could have turned this nationally significant story into a profound exploration of humanity and societal issues. Gunfights aren't unnecessary, but they could have been brief. There was no need for such prolonged action. He's ruined a topic that could've become a classic!"
The summer blockbuster season is when critics have the least influence. In recent years, many have ignored Duke's films released during this period. Now, faced with a relatively mediocre small production, they went all out.
"Why didn't he remove all the buildup and just film the gunfights? For Duke Rosenberg, his films don't need plots—just shallow gunfights and explosions are enough."
—Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter.
"The three-thread narrative structure in the beginning was refreshing, especially the portrayal of family and emotions, which is rare in Duke Rosenberg's films. But once the gunfights started, the entire film fell apart. The gunfights were too long and too noisy to sit through comfortably in a theater."
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times.
"This is a heavily fictionalized adaptation. It fails to delve into humanity or the deeper issues behind the event. The family and emotional elements remain superficial, much like the explosions in Duke Rosenberg's films—designed purely to provoke emotion."
—Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post.
"Is this considered professional criticism?"
On Saturday morning, Duke sat in the living room of his Wellington home, sipping tea. He casually set the fax aside and asked Tina Fey, who was working on her computer, "Are there any other reviews?"
Tina glanced at him, then pointed to a website on her screen. "There's a new movie review site that launched last year. It aggregates professional reviews from various media and uses a 'Rotten' or 'Fresh' rating system."
"Does it include Critical Emergency?" Duke asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Tina replied. "But you might be disappointed. So far, the site has collected 54 professional reviews, with over 60% negative. Critical Emergency has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 'Rotten,' with a freshness rating of only 54%."
"That's low," Duke murmured, sipping his tea. "Does the site only provide this metric?"
"There's also a section for audience ratings," Tina said, her tone shifting slightly. "Congratulations, Duke. For the audience-approval metric, Critical Emergency currently holds a Popcorn Score of 81%."
"Not bad," Duke remarked.
This was, after all, an experimental film. Duke hadn't expected it to receive overwhelming acclaim from audiences. "Better than I anticipated."
The film had only been out for a day, and most of the viewers so far were either fans of Duke or the actors involved. It was normal for supporters to give high ratings.
As more people watched the movie, the ratings would inevitably drop.
Regarding the Rotten Tomatoes score, Duke didn't care. In his experience, Rotten Tomatoes was a niche platform with limited influence compared to IMDb. Over time, it would become even less relevant, often ignored by filmmakers and studios.
The fax machine buzzed again. Tina stood up to retrieve the new document.
"Box office data?" Duke asked.
Compared to abstract ratings and critiques, he cared more about concrete numbers.
"It's data from Warner Bros.," Tina confirmed.
She knew Duke's priorities and quickly summarized, "An audience survey of 50,000 people shows a 79% positive response, with an overall score of A-."
She glanced at Duke, whose expression remained calm.
Tina recalled that this was Duke's lowest opening-day audience rating since his debut, and the first time it had dropped below 80%.
"And the box office?" Duke asked, unfazed.
"On its opening day in North America, the film grossed $4.21 million across 2,200 theaters, averaging $1,913 per screen."
This was also Duke's lowest opening-day box office performance, aside from his debut film, Speed.
"Not bad," Duke said, leaning back on the sofa with a smile. "Better than I expected."
Tina rolled her eyes at his nonchalant attitude. Duke was usually confident, but this film seemed to be an exception.
"Any other stats?" Duke asked.
Tina skimmed through the fax. "Warner Bros. surveyed audiences about the film's strengths and weaknesses. Over 90% said the pacing was too slow, which they found the most frustrating aspect. Over 92% praised the gunfight scenes as exceptionally well-designed, with the final sequence being the most popular part."
This aligned with Duke's expectations. If he had followed the critics' advice, the film might have garnered critical acclaim but lost its audience.
No director wants their film to earn glowing reviews while flopping at the box office.
The most obvious example was Michael Mann's Heat, which received widespread critical acclaim but performed poorly in North America. While its gunfight scenes were well-received, the slow pacing and excessive buildup were unbearable for most viewers.
Years later, as life's pace quickens, only fast-paced films will thrive.
Even with Critical Emergency's relatively faster narrative, Warner Bros.' survey indicated that most viewers still found the pacing too slow.
In the end, Duke believed that adhering to his instincts and prioritizing audience preferences was the best path forward.
.....
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