Bad summer flicks? Box office doesn't show it

LOS ANGELES  - Think last summer's slate of poorly reviewed Hollywood movies helped lead to the slump at the box offices? Think again.

So far, Hollywood's Summer 2006 movies, including last weekend's No. 1 flick, comedy "The Break-Up," have been mostly panned by critics, yet U.S. and Canadian box offices are roughly 4 percent higher than at the same point last year, reversing last summer's slump.

"When it comes to big summer blockbusters ... most of those movies depend on marketing and, quite frankly the hype, more than the reviews," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Dergarabedian cited a long-held truth in Hollywood: That the core audience for big-budget summer movies -- mostly teen-age and college-age youth -- pays more attention to promotion and advertising than to critics.

Take a look at the reviews for "Break-Up," which starred Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn as a couple who separate from each other but can't give up their condo.

"Doesn't know when to call it quits," wrote the Dallas Morning News. "Isn't much fun," said the Washington Post.

The critical word on religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" was worse. Newsweek said it was "both overstuffed and underwhelming."

Action flick "X-Men: The Last Stand" did only marginally better in the reviews, but like the others it defied critics at box offices.

"X-Men" is a huge hit with more than $175 million at domestic box offices. "Da Vinci Code" is a hair behind at $172 million, and overseas it has racked up another $410 million.

Experts cite many reasons for the disconnect, including that older and less-frequent moviegoers read reviews. Kids do not.

Younger audiences hear about a film through their friends, who have seen promotions in theaters or on TV. Increasingly, the Internet has been a key arena for reaching kids.

Universal Pictures, for instance, is running a promotion for upcoming street-racing movie "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" through social community site LiveDigital, where people who customize cars can post a video of their handiwork.

"We are targeting a very tight community. Our belief is they don't quite listen to critics or authorities," said LiveDigital founder Lawrence Ng.

But take heart movie critics, you still matter.

Good reviews are a must for low-budget films and those competing for awards. That was true for 2005 race-relations drama "Crash." It played in theaters last summer season and earned strong reviews. It sold only $54 million worth of tickets at domestic box offices but won the best film Oscar.

"There is definitely a place for reviews, and there always will be," Dergarabedian said.