This weekend saw The Simpsons make their long-awaited debut on the big screen. All of that pent-up big screen aspiration exploded in a lot of yellow as the fans flocked to lap it up. The film had one of the biggest openings of the year as it crossed the $74 million barrier. Who would have guessed? Not me, that's for certain. Fortunately, the film delivered the goods with more gags than you can shake a stick at, while still delivering a story that didn't make you feel like you were watching a stretched episode.

Three other films made their way to the top ten this week. First up is No Reservations, a remake of a German film called Mostly Martha. I have not seen the original, but this was a delightful cinematic experience. It delivered a pleasant time at the movies, with interesting characters that we follow through a new chapter in their unfolding lives. It does not break any new ground, but it was nicely understated. It opened in fifth place, which is not bad considering the big draws in the lineup. However, it was a close fifth, as it narrowly knocked Transformers out of the top five by the slim margin of $60,000 — yes, it's a lot of money, but when we generally talk multimillions, not much at all.

The other two new releases landed at the south end of the list, and actually surprised me that they even made it at all. First, in ninth place is the Lindsay Lohan thriller I Know Who Killed Me. It is a poor film that failed to hold water in its attempts to prove an intelligent mind twister. Coming in behind that in the anchor position was the Big Boi vehicle, Who's Your Caddy? I didn't see this one, but considering the lack of advertising, I am surprised it made it.

Among the returning films, Ratatouille and Live Free or Die Hard fared the best at retaining their audiences. I am happy to see the Pixar film still plugging along; it is easily one of the best films of the summer and the year. It may not be the best performing of Pixar's catalog, but this is still one of the best outings. On the other hand, who would have thought that a revival of the Die Hard franchise with an aging Bruce Willis back in the saddle would prove to be the biggest moneymaker of the series? Ah, who cares, the movie was a lot of fun.