The holiday weekend proved to be a strong one for Ben Stiller and company as Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian dominated the box office. Whether you look at the three or four day numbers, the comedy/fantasy film comes out on top and a healthy amount ahead of number two finisher, Terminator: Salvation.
I have not yet seen the new Museum, but it does look like fun. I enjoyed the original film, which was a big hit over the Christmas holiday a few years ago. The original was nothing particularly special, but it was the sort of movie you could have a good time at with your entire family. It only makes sense that an attempt to capitalize on its popularity would be made in the form of a sequel. The new film does sport a large ensemble cast of familiar faces, all of whom appear to be having fun. I am not expecting much from it, but I am looking forward to checking it out.
As for Terminator: Salvation, I expected it to perform better over the weekend. It did take in a lot of money, but one has to wonder if this is the end of the franchise. I guess that will depend on if it displays any legs and how well it does overseas. For what its worth, the action is spectacular and there are seeds of a good story, but it feels terribly choppy. If the stories of more than 30 minutes of cut footage and on-the-set rewrites are true, that could have played into the film's issues.
Star Trek continues to perform well in its third weekend of release. It is steaming towards $200 million and some believe it could make its way to the triple-century mark. Its success makes me so very happy. The movie is an absolute blast, filled with action, humor, and familiar characters, all in a movie that does not require knowledge of the series and sets up a fresh alternate universe. If you haven't seen it, make sure you do, if you already have, see it again.
Angels & Demons slipped to fourth place in its second weekend. It is a dip that does not surprise me. Even as I was mildly entertained, it is not a good movie. There is too much talking with no point and not much of a mystery. The pseudo-intellectual thriller is on rails — it goes from point A to point B and so on with no real outside influence or jeopardy. I suspect it will continue to fall with regularity and be forgotten shortly thereafter.
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