To say this December's box office is a little on the light side would be an understatement. This month is becoming less and less impressive. Of course, the cinematic offerings Hollywood has been giving us are less than stellar on the national scale. On the small scale there are worthwhile (presumably) films out there like Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, and Gran Torino, but they are still in the process of testing the waters for a wide release. However, with the economy in the shape it's in and the overall shrinking box office I cannot say it looks particularly hopeful for them. My recommendation would be to see them as soon as you can — show the studios that quality films will be rewarded.
This week's weak slate may have also been hampered by some severe weather that cut a swath through the States. It certainly contributed to my inability to take in any of the offerings.
That said, this week's chart is topped by the latest Jim Carrey film, Yes Man. It is Carrey's return to live action comedy after his attempt at a thriller (The Number 23) and his voice performance in Horton Hears a Who! The film tells of a man whose mantra of "no" becomes one of "yes" and drastically alters his life. The movie looks to be quite broad and contain some humor, but I cannot say I expect much from it.
The second biggest film of the week features one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Will Smith, and his new drama Seven Pounds. The film remains a mystery to this writer. The trailers do a fine job of masking what the plot is all about and that is something to be admired. I have to wonder, will this movie break his streak of $100 million+ earning films? The streak dates back to Men in Black II back in 2002. If this is to hit the century mark, it has a long way to go with such a lukewarm open.
The third place film also happens to be a brand new one. The animated adventure The Tale of Despereaux had a decent open, although I am sure it hoped for more. It is the story of a young mouse with big ears who does not want to live afraid and ventures into the human world. It looks rather cute and I think it will prove to be a good family outing.
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