The big blockbuster franchises (Spiderman, Pirates, Shrek) have not had the success that they hoped for, and Pirates 3 may have been the most disappointing.  Those words should be used carefully, considering the movie made over $300 million. At the same time though, the BUDGET was $300 mil, so when you factor that in the numbers aren't that good until you factor in overseas biz. All the production companies want the glory of being number 1 domestically, and, well I hate to tell you fans but it ain't Disney and Pirates....it's Sony's SPIDERMAN!!!! They at least for now have the number 1 spot (that may change if Warner Bros. Harry Potter sequel can keep it up), but even Sony has some reason for frowning with their excessive $258 mil budget. The only companies with all smiles so far are Fox (Die Hard), Dreamworks/Paramount (Shrek 3 AND Transformers) and Universal (Knocked Up)...Universal is caught with a half smile/half frown with the disappointing Evan Almighty this summer.  Evan, as well as Pirates 3 and Spidey 3, highlights that  higher spending doesn't guarantee bigger grosses; in other words we the viewers are intelligent enough to recognize a great film over just great CGI. Universal spent WAY TOO MUCH on Evan, especially considering Steve Carrell while funny is not as big as Jim Carrey yet, and it's a COMEDY.....why spend close to $200 mil for a comedy, especially when a funnier movie such as Knocked Up was made for only $30 million? Transformers, Knocked Up, Shrek and Harry were made for a combined $490 mil and totalled $950mil (as of July 25th) with a lot box office left in the tank. Spidey, Pirates and Evan cost a whopping $733 mil but only made $735 mil...and their runs are pretty much over. All this simply means that if the big guys want to throw money away on films that don't interest us as much anyway it's their loss, and by spending our money on films that really matter or at least are somewhat worth it we can bring attention to what's important: the fans. So before you go see a sequel or any film for that matter, check it out and do your research if you like and be sure to spread the word if the movie is worthy of being seen, but especially if it's not. We can make a difference, because our opinion counts.  The numbers prove it.