It should come as no surprise that Monsters vs. Aliens won the weekend. The family-targeted, massively advertised animated feature drew the families in like a moth to a flame. Of course, I went as well, sans family. The film was entertaining enough, but I had hoped for more. I loved the throwback elements of 1950s-era science fiction films, but overall it moved a little too slowly for my tastes. Still, it is fine entertainment for all; just don't expect Kung Fu Panda.
Coming in second place, a little stronger than I was expecting, is The Haunting in Connecticut. It is a haunted house tale spawned from a real story (well, real depending on whether or not you believe in hauntings) of a family that moved into a former funeral home, only to come face to face with dark forces that were not happy about their arrival. The film definitely has its moments, building atmosphere supported by decent performances, with the big downfall being the over-reliance on jump scares.
Slipping to third place is Knowing. I am glad to see this not take a huge drop. It came in right about where I had hoped it would. I had a suspicion that it was going to suffer a considerably larger drop from its debut, especially considering the mixed notices it has received.
Coming in fourth place is the buddy comedy I Love You, Man. This is a funny film firmly entrenched in the Apatow tradition of raunchiness tempered with genuine heart. If you are looking to laugh and are of an appropriate age, you could do a lot worse.
Fifth place is held by Duplicity. This seems to be holding fine, but it has to be seen as something of a disappointment considering Julia Roberts' star power. Now, the question is, is its performance a result of the film, or is Roberts' drawing ability beginning to dwindle some? Good question that I cannot answer.
Race to Witch Mountain slips to sixth place, although it is chugging along at a solid pace. It is fun for the family, but sadly does not hold very much substance.
New arrival 12 Rounds slips into seventh place. I expected higher, but I am not sure why. I saw the film, and it turned out to be somewhat less than thrilling. Where John Cena's last outing, The Marine, was goofy fun, this was goofy dumb. It never slows down and never gets going.
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