Do blockbusters live up to expectations

A.� Research carried out by Total Film magazine suggests big budget movies have been a letdown for audiences. The survey, which questioned 2,000 cinema-goers, says films such as Titanic, Pearl Harbor and Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace were over-hyped. At the top of the list is Batman and Robin, which costs $110 million to make and starred Hollywood celebrities George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell and Uma Thurman.

Also included were The Avengers, Battlefield Earth and The Phantom Menace. Behind these were Wild Wild West, Godzilla and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

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Q.� Are movies getting worse

A.� Despite the multi-million pound budgets, Hollywood has failed to deliver the goods, according to Total Film magazine. Its editor, Matt Mueller, recently said films such as Pearl Harbor and Planet Of The Apes failed to live up to expectations, despite the promotion.

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Q.� How much money did these films make

A.� Blockbuster movies still draw in the crowds. Pearl Harbor, attacked for its script, made $422 million worldwide. Planet Of The Apes enjoyed unprecedented success at the box office when it opened in the States recently.

The Return of The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, generated over $418� million and sold over two million copies on DVD in its first week of release. The film was panned by critics on its release, however. Sequels to original classic such as Rush Hour 2 and Speed 2: Cruise Control, have all done well in the box office, despite poor reviews.

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Q.� Which films have lived up to expectations

A.� Classic films such as Citizen Kane will remain timeless and other major films such as Toy Story, ET and Schindler's List have lived up to the media hype and remain popular today, according to Total Film. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which previewed in cinemas around the country this weekend,�is expected to live up to the hype. Author JK Rowling spent a lot of time on the set, and unusually for a writer, is said to be satisfied the book has been successfully translated on screen. It is likely to be the most successful film of 2001.

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By Katharine MacColl