If you were at the theaters recently you may have seen a
trailer for the upcoming film White House Down featuring Channing
Tatum as a secret service agent who saves the President (Jamie Foxx) when the
White House is overrun. You may be thinking to yourself that you just saw this
film except the agent was Gerald Butler, the president Aaron Eckhart and the film
called Olympus Has Fallen. While I have not seen White House Down, I have
seen Olympus Has Fallen and I would be shocked if the Tatum film delivers. It
had me thinking of the other times where two movies, with basically the same
plot came out at the same time. I even made my picks for the better film.
Armageddon
(7/1/98) vs Deep Impact (5/8/98)
Two movies in which a comet/asteroid is hurling towards
Earth as some brave astronauts and drillers try to save the nation. While Deep
Impact may be a better film in the purest sense, there is no question that
Armageddon was the grander and more entertaining film. With more money and a
soundtrack to back it up, Armageddon dominated the box office and has cemented
itself as the destruction movie of the 90s.
Rotten Tomatoes
Armageddon-
40%
Deep Impact-
46%
Chasing Liberty (1/9/2004) vs First Daughter (9/24/2004)
Two films
about the 18 year old daughter of the President of the United States came out
in 2004. Both Katie Holmes and Mandy Moore played the role of the daughter who
gets frustrated with her constant protection and decides to rebel. In both
films however, the girls falls for a boy who in both films happens to be a
secret service agent. Both films flopped at the box office but Mandy Moore’s
popularity earned Chasing Liberty a better box office return. Both films stink but the edge probably goes
to Chasing Liberty.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Chasing
Liberty- 19%
First
Daughter- 9%
The Illusionist (9/1/2006) vs The Prestige (10/20/2006)
Coming out
just a month in a half apart, these two period pieces were set in Europe and
explored the world of seemingly supernatural magic and its role in life or
death rivalries. Ed Norton starred in the slower yet more mystical Illusionist
while Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman starred as dueling magicians in the
Prestige. It is almost a joke to compare a Nolan film to anything else so you
can trust me when I say that The Prestige wins.
Rotten
Tomatoes
The
Illusionist- 74%
The
Prestige- 75%
Antz (10/2/1998) vs A Bug’s Life (11/25/98)
Two computer
animated films about ant colonies dominated the end of 1998. With the same plot
of a average ant becoming heroic, I honestly felt like I saw the same film
twice. Both of these films were big hits at the box office but A Bug’s Life
($162.8 million) dominated Antz ($90.6) as Disney/Pixar dominated
Dreamworks. It would appear that A Bug’s
Life was the winner but when you rewatch these films, you may start to to think
that Antz is actually the smarter film.
Rotten
Tomatoes
A Bug’s Life-
91%
Antz- 95%
The Truman Show (6/5/1998) vs EdTV
(3/26/1999)
These are
two films that show both the upsides and downsides of having cameras
broadcasting your every move to millions of captivated Americans. As Both
Truman (Jim Carrey) and Ed (Matthew McConaughey) are stars of reality TV the
films follow a very similar generic plot. However on a closer look, this one is
not close. The Truman Show is a fantastic film and is Jim Carrey’s best
dramatic role. Truman Show banked on Carrey at the box office and succeeded with
$125 million while EdTV only mustered $22.4 million. The Truman Show won awards
and simply dominated this battle. We love you Truman!!!!!!!!!
Rotten
Tomatoes
The Truman
Show- 95%
EdTV- 63%
Saving Private Ryan (7/24/1998) vs The Thin Red Line (1/15/1999)
These were
two World War 2 films about a man’s heroic battle while overseas. Saving
Private Ryan was directed by Spielberg and starred Tom Hanks. Throw in the fact
that it is a superior film and features arguably the greatest battle scene ever
captured on camera, this was a no brainer. With numerous Oscar wins and a
whopping $216 million to Red Lines’s $36 million, Ryan was simply a superior
film on every level.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Saving
Private Ryan- 94%
The Thin Red
Line- 78%
Iron Eagle (1/17/1986) vs Top Gun (5/16/1986)
These two
movies are about young hotshot fighter pilots who fight enemy pilots while
avenging the loss of these close to them while living up to the destinies of
their fathers. Top Gun may not be realistic but it is definitely in the realm
of possibility. Iron Eagle on the other hand has a ridiculous pot in which a
high school student successfully take on an entire fleet of an unnamed Muslim
country. Top Gun earned $176 million and is one of the most quoted and
culturally iconic films ever while most people have not heard of Iron Eagle and
its $24 million. Winner is easily Top Gun.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Top Gun- 55%
Iron Eagle-
50%
Dante’s Peak (2/7/1997) vs Volcano (4/25/1997)
These two
films about experiences experts fighting off a Volcanic eruption came out only
a few months apart. Dante’s Peak threatens a small town protected by Peirce
Brosnan while Volcano has Tommy Lee Jones trying to save LA. Both films were
flops at the box office and suffered major losses. While the spectacle of Volcano
is greater being filmed in LA, Dante’s Peak is a better all around film.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Dante’s
Peak- 32%
Volcano- 42%
Mirror Mirror (3/30/2012) vs
Snow White and the Huntsman (6/1/2012)
It took tens
and tens of years for them to make a Snow White film. Then amazingly they made
two of them in the same calendar year. Thankfully, these films were very
different and offered a different perspective on the classic story. Mirror
Mirror stared Julia Roberts and was a very whimsical and comical look at the
classic tale while Snow White and the Huntsman starred Kristen Stewart,
Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth and took a very dark and epic look at the
story. While SWATH made more money at the box office, the film actually failed
to deliver in its goal other than the wonderfully evil Theron. Mirror Mirror
went for the whimsical feel and nailed it. It gets our vote.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Mirror
Mirror- 50%
Snow White
and The Huntsman- 48%
Friends With Benefits (7/22/2011) vs No Strings Attached (1/21/2011)
Both of
these “sex between friends makes them fall in love” films came out only a few
months apart. With tons of star power on both side, we saw JT and Mila Kunis go
up against Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. The films are literally the same
movie but one takes the comedy part to a new level. Coming off her Oscar winning
performance in Black Swan, No Strings Attached dominated the box office using
Portman’s popularity. But despite its cute humor and good dynamic between its
stars, NSA fell short in comparison with Friends with Benefits. FWB fully
bought into the ridiculousness of its story and let JT truly shine. In a very
very close one, I have Friends With Benefits by a inch.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Friends With
Benefits- 71%
No Strings
Attached- 49%
Despicable Me (7/9/2010) vs Megamind (11/5/20100
Both of
these animated films were extremely successful. In both films, we see a master
criminal/villain have a change of heart and become the good guy. Despicable Me
starred Steve Carrel and was hillarous at points and cute the other. Megamind
starred Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell. In my opinion, Megamind is one of the most
underrated films of the last 10 years. I literally could not stop laughing this
entire movie. It is essentially Will Ferrell humor at its best. While
Despicable Me had the box office chops and will probably live on longer, I absolutely
loved Megamind and couldn’t vote against it.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Despicable
Me- 81%
Megamind- 73%
Capote (9/30/2005) vs Infamous (10/13/2006)
These films
came out the same year and focused on the life of infamous writer Truman
Capote. While both films didn’t do well at the box office, Capote is clearly
the winner. With an Oscar performance by Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Capote was
just a better film than Infamous. Infamous starred a big cast with Toby Jones,
Daniel Craig, Sandra Bullock, Sigourney Weaver and Gwyneth Paltrow. While it
was a good film and focused on the early life of Capote, it just didn’t match
PSH’s performance.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Capote- 90%
Infamous- 72%
Madagascar (5/27/2005) vs The Wild (4/14/2006)
Less than a
year after Pixar brought us the hilarious and still money making film
Madagascar, Disney made an attempt at an animated film about zoo animals being
released into the wild with it’s The Wild. This one is not even a joke on every
level. Let’s put it this way: they are still making Madagascar films which have
grossed over a few hundred million dollars and I didn’t know The Wild was ever
made until I wrote this blog.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Madagascar- 55%
The Wild- 19%
Finding Nemo (2003) vs Shark Tale (10/1/2004)
Both of
these animated films about fish and sea creatures came out around the same
time. While Will Smith’s Shark Tale had its moments, great animation and funny
lines, it doesn’t come close to the dominating Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo is
considered by some the best animated film since the Lion King and Toy Story and
still lives on in homes today. Winner: Finding Nemo
Rotten
Tomatoes
Finding Nemo-
99%
Shark Tale- 36%
Orange County (1/11/2002) vs Stealing Harvard (9/13/2002)
Both of
these hilarious films about getting someone into college are underrated
comedies of the early 2000’s. OC puts Jack Black and Colin Hanks together as
Hank’s character tries to get into Stanford while Stealing Harvard has Tom
Green and Jason Lee trying to get Lee’s niece into Harvard. Both of these films
have some hilarious moments from both Black and Green and both Hanks and Lee
play their roles to perfection. While Tom Green makes me laugh as much as any human
being on the planet, I am going to have to go with Orange County as the better
overall film.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Orange County-
46%
Stealing
Harvard- 9%
Powder (10/27/1995) vs Phenomenon (7/5/1996)
Coming out less than a year apart, these two
films featured average people with supernatural powers. Both were intriguing
films and definitely worth a watch. However in my opinion, Phenomenon is the
more clever film and it doesn’t hurt that it had a great performance from John
Travolta.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Phenomenon- 50%
Powder- 47%
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Striptease (7/28/1996) vs Showgirls (9/22/2005)
Both films had popular stars stripping down in
these two films. I won’t go into it more but just know that Striptease is by
far the better movie. Showgirls is quite ridiculous.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Striptease- 11%
Showgirls- 14%
Babe (8/4/1995) vs Gordy (5/12/1995)
Two films about a pig in the same year?? What
was 1995 thinking? Babe all the way.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Babe- 98%
Gordy- 14%
Little
Big League (6/29/1994) vs Rookie
of the Year (1993)
These two films featured young boys getting a
career started in Major League Baseball; one as a pitcher for the Cubs ,the
other as the manager of the Twins. Both are entertaining watches but Rookie of
the Year is by far the better film. The movie is as funny as it is fun and I still
quote this film with brothers today.
Rotten Tomatoes
Little Big
League- 33%
Rookie of
the Year- 39%
Turner & Hooch (7/28/1989) vs K-9 (6/1/1989)
Both of
these films feature Cops whos’ partner in fighting in crime is also his best
friend, aka a dog. The films came out only a month apart but there is no question
that Turner and Hooch starring Tom Hanks was the better overall film.
Rotten
Tomatoes
Turner and
Hooch- 62%
K-9- 22%
