'Straight Outta Compton' becomes a summer movie hit

'Compton' is a film version of the history of the hip-hop group N.W.A. and the movie placed first at the box office this weekend. Meanwhille, fellow new release 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'  struggled in its debut weekend.

|
Jaimie Trueblood/Universal Pictures/AP
'Straight Outta Compton' stars Corey Hawkins.

The music biopic, “Straight Outta Compton,” which tells the story of the formation of the influential hip-hop group N.W.A., topped the box office this past weekend, while the spy movie, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” struggled in its first week.

“Compton” stars actors such as O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Corey Hawkins as N.W.A. members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, among others. The movie was mostly well-received by critics and grossed more than $56 million domestically in its debut weekend. That's reportedly the best opening weekend ever for a musical biopic.

“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” the newest action movie in the series starring Tom Cruise, came in second at the box office, grossing $17 million. The movie was in its third week and is certainly one of the success stories of the summer, having already reportedly grossed more than half of what its predecessor, 2011’s “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” grossed in its entire run.

Meanwhile, “Man,” which was based off the 1960s TV show of the same name, came in third, grossing more than $13 million. The movie stars Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill as agents during the 1960s. The film did not do well with critics. 

The critically-panned superhero movie, “Fantastic Four,” grossed $8 million, coming in fourth at the domestic box office, and the thriller “The Gift” grossed more than $6 million this past weekend, placing fifth.

What’s behind the success of “Compton”? The group N.W.A. is still revered among music fans, with their debut album, which gave the movie its name, often called one of the best of all time by critics. And moviegoers may have wanted to revisit the group’s lyrics about racial tensions, considering recent events in America.

In addition, the movie could have just represented something different to moviegoers who have seen many superhero movies and action films over the summer season. “Compton” may have appeared to be a refreshing change of pace for moviegoers and strong reviews no doubt encouraged moviegoers to seek it out.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to 'Straight Outta Compton' becomes a summer movie hit
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Culture-Cafe/2015/0817/Straight-Outta-Compton-becomes-a-summer-movie-hit
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe