Chris Rock is not one to mince words -- asked about Barack Obama in a recent issue of Details, Rock offered that "being the first black anything sucks" -- which is probably why in a new interview with the New York Times' Dave Itzkoff, the actor stated that "Grown Ups" is a superior movie to "The Artist."
Despite calling "The Artist" "great," Rock noted that the film wasn't what audiences want. "['Grown Ups' is] better than The Artist' 'cause the audience says so," he said. "No film critic's going to say it, but 'Madagascar 3' is better than 'The Artist,' and it's better because it makes people feel better. That’s ultimately what it boils down to."
To that end, there may be some semblance of truth to Rock's words. "Grown Ups" grossed $271 million at the worldwide box office, while "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" -- which features Rock's voice -- has earned over $500 million globally since its release in May. By comparison, "The Artist" grossed only $133 million around the globe. Considering the 2011 Best Picture winner is both silent and in black and white, however, that number is quite significant.
For his part, Rock is currently co-starring in the indie film "2 Days In New York" with Julie Delpy. Unfortunately, using Rock's box office metrics, it seems that no matter how good his new film is, it won't be as good as "The Artist."
For more on Rock, head over the Times website for the rest of the Q&A.
[via NYT]
