Who watches the Watchmen? Well, let's just say a lot fewer people in its second weekend. It did suffer a steep dip, but it was not so unexpected, especially in the face of such a mixed reaction. This weekend was ruled by the family crowd who saw the remake/reimagining of Alexander H. Keys' novel, Escape to Witch Mountain. The film is a fun ride that is sure to please the youngsters in attendance, but in the end it is a rather shallow experience. Dwayne Johnson holds the center of the movie and seems to be poised for bigger and better things. I suspect this will have decent legs and have a good run on the big screen.
Dropping more than 67% in its second weekend, Watchmen plummeted to second place. Hopefully the film will rebound and level off somewhat, otherwise this ride will be over in short order. I, for one, loved the film. I was taken by its visual style, its take on the superhero mythos, and all-around execution. It is the type of film that will inspire a love it or hate it response in the form of an inverted bell curve. I look forward to revisiting this on Blu-ray.
Finishing in third place is The Last House on the Left. This updated exploitation film delivers the goods and pulls no punches. No, it does not quite replicate what it must have been like to see the gritty original in a dirty theater, but it comes petty close considering there is studio backing here. The film will make you squirm and feel at least a little disturbed and unsettled. Credit to Garret Dillahunt for his impressive performance.
Fourth is held by Taken, the little movie that could. Each week I am continually amazed by the continued success of this action/thriller. I could not have imagined at the dawn of its run that it would still be going strong after steaming past the $100 million mark. Now, the question is how do they fashion a sequel?
Fifth place is Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail. This film has proven to be the writer/director/star/producer's biggest hit. The film has only suffered moderate week to week drops. At this rate, it has a shot at legging its way to the century mark, which would be a first for Perry.
Slumdog Millionaire continues its successful post-Oscar run. The movie really is a blast and one of the best films of 2008. It has been doing so well, I can almost feel the backlash beginning to form. As uplifting as the film is, it is the sort of film that seems poised to have public opinion turn on it. Perhaps not. In any case, if you have not seen it, do yourself a favor.
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