MovieChat Forums > Queen of Katwe (2016) Discussion > boxoffice disaster

boxoffice disaster

posted 8 years ago by joejoe998866887755467
10 replies | jump to latest

inspite of good reviews. goes to show people want to see a good movie not a sugar coated cliched story written to win awards and get good reviews

[–] Hang_All_Drunkdrivers 8 years ago

It failed because people don't like being lied to and this movie is one big lie. This girl is not some chess giant, not even close.

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[–] essv 8 years ago

I think the take away here is that Lupita cannot carry a movie.

[–] joekiddlouischama 8 years ago

I think the take away here is that Lupita cannot carry a movie.

She is a big name, but not a big star, if you catch my drift. And she is not playing the lead character here (in one sense, there is no lead character, as the film represents an ensemble), so she is not the issue.

Chess may be too intellectual of a game for the current mindset and zeitgeist, which is all about technology. I wonder, too, if that many white Americans are going to be that interested in a film about Africans, but the film probably would not have fared any better had it been set in Australia. And Queen of Katwe may have fared better in the kid-friendly Christmas season or summer season as a quieter, more gratifying alternative for parents and their kids.

But that last comment simply represents a theory.

[–] stevenmorrisseyx 7 years ago

WRONG ANSWER Lupita Nyongo is NOT a big name she is a media darling BUT most people in the United States and the world do NOT know who she is. She is overrated and an unproven talent.

[–] number1212 8 years ago

This looks like the kind of movie they would show in schools.

[–] chillyacademic 8 years ago

I never heard about it outside of festival chatter. Didn't see any commercials. But the people who saw it told me it was good. Hopefully it gets some Oscar attention.

[–] AtoZ2014 7 years ago

It's a good movie.

[–] chillyacademic 7 years ago

No doubt I just don't think there was enough marketing.

[–] BenHur59 7 years ago

I saw it and enjoyed it, found it kind of heartwarming.

Didn't know anything about the background or the actual people until posters here wrote about it. I was taken in somewhat by the suggestion that she is a great chess player.

The main reason I got into it was that, for once, the bigots and obstructionist characters in the story are not white people. There are some sexist men (and boys), though.

[–] IMDBsquare 7 years ago

I thought this was an incredible chess movie. It brought back all the joys of learning, playing and improving at the game.

Does anyone really want to watch a bunch of masters staring at each other over a 30-move calculation at a world tournament? This is good, I was entertained.

And for those supposed inaccuracies, well... its just a Candidate's norm. It is a far cry from IM or GM tournaments, and some leeway should be allowed. I also noticed some mistakes in tournament play, such as not pressing the clock or how illiterate children would write their moves.

It doesn't really detract from the story. If you have ever been a kid at a formal or semi-formal tournament you would identify very much with the movie. Fantastic, and yes, should be compulsory watching for school level teams and players.