Bottom line, Universal is losing money and has to rely on the "shock" film Bruno, gangster biopic Public Enemies, and Funny People starring some unknown named Adam Sandler to turn around the summer. The only "hit" for Universal thus far is The Fast and the Furious (part 4, I believe), starring the original cast, which net $155 million for the studio.

Here is the problem for Universal (and for the movie industry as a whole) -- same actors, no originality, and high prices at the box office. Who wants to drop $10 a person to see Will Ferrell run around the screen acting like a really overgrown 12-year-old? That has been done before, see Old School, Talladega Nights, Semi-Pro, and Blades of Glory. Ferrell is quickly becoming old and overplayed, doing the same thing in every movie -- he just wears a different costume and is in a different setting. There is absolutely no originality. Yes, there are some good summer flicks coming up, but Bruno is a rehash of Borat with a more shocking character. Funny People will feature Adam Sandler trying to find the glory days marked by the likes of Happy Gilmore (although I have read that this movie is a bit more serious).

The movie industry has become stale, remakes of remakes, sequels of sequels, movies based on obscure toys and comic books from the 1980s, and vehicles to let idiots act like idiots (see any Will Ferrell movie). How about something new, something fresh? What ever happened to original movies, even Happy Gilmore was original -- and was the last good Adam Sandler movie. Instead, we get to look forward to Anchorman 2 and The Green Hornet in the next year. Let's not forget some idiotic chick flick that will star Reese Judd Witherspoon opposite of Ryan McConaughey Wilson where the original groom is ditched at the altar for the girl's true love. Can't wait to see that one.

Let's get original folks, make it fun to go to the movies again, make me want to pay my $10 for a ticket, $8 for three pounds of popcorn, and $5 for 196 ounces of pop.