How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Well, you see, as I noted when the first one had a huge opening weekend, there are these things called women and, shockingly, they actually make up 54% of the moviegoing public... and for some of them, 50 shades is far bigger than a toy franchise about a guy in tights that plays at theaters with ramped up prices. The bigger question is why would anyone think a movie that didn't appeal to a demographic that makes up the majority of moviegoers and that isn't based on a series of books that sold over 125m copies and counting despite terrible reviews would automatically do better without a fight - especially a movie from a studio that seems to have gone all-out to make the initials DC stand for Definitely Crap in one of the most prolonged and relentless bouts of brand tarnishing on record.


"Security - release the badgers."

I don't think the part about the bad reviews for the past couple of DC movies is particularly valid when not only does the Fifty Shades franchise get really bad reviews (as you acknowledged), but there's also fact that The Lego Batman Movie has nothing to do with the other DC films, has good reviews, and is a spin-off of an extremely well-received and massively successful film based on a very popular toy brand.

The fact that the DC brand has been dropping turd after turd after turd for years is what does the damage. Just as terrible reviews didn't stop BvS from opening huge, good reviews aren't going to impact on a franchise audiences have started to lose faith in (and let's not forget this is a kiddie flick sending up a character some fanboys insist is mature, intelligent and no laughing matter while some others think this film is endemic of the studio's contempt for the character). By contrast 50 Shades delivers exactly what the fans want, reflected in the higher exit poll scores the second one got.

Both are following badly received hits (and BvS is probably more of a factor because it's more recent: like it or not, this is another Warners DC Batflick) that dropped like a stone in their second week and both are opening lower. It's going to be WOM not reviews that will count here. And for opening weekend it's yet another example of the boys underestimating a motivated and passionate female fanbase.


"Security - release the badgers."

While there are always exceptions, people in general are more likely to associate 'The Lego Batman Movie' with the precious Lego movie, than with anything involving the DCEU. That's why the film managed to avoid receiving any kind of negative buzz prior to its release.

In any case, 'The Lego Batman Movie' is still expected to finish at number 1, and it's definitely not going to be as front-loaded as 'Fifty shades' anyway.

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Lego Batman Movie seems to be seen as more of a followup to the lego movie (terrific WOM and a solid opening with terrific legs) than BVS (exact opposite).

So this really should have done better, even with 50 shades darker against it.

It's the fourth Batman movie in just ten months. It's inevitable Batfatigue would set in, especially after three bad ones.


"Security - release the badgers."

Calling SS a Batman movie is a bit of a stretch. Batman was barely in the film. You could argue that the original Lego Movie was more of a Batman movie, given that he was actually a supporting character in that film, while in SS, he was a glorified cameo.