Last week, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince won the weekend by a rather decisive margin in its first weekend of wide release. Its second week of release sees it stung with a 62% drop from its opening frame. All I can say to that is "Wow!" I knew it would take a sizable dip, but this is larger than I was expecting. That said, I am sure this coming weekend it will level off a bit as it begins its IMAX run. Still, that is a pretty big drop to contend with for such a blockbuster movie. Well, there is no love lost, as it is still raking in the money and is sure to continue that trend, especially when it hits DVD.
So, with Harry Potter slipping out of its top perch, what movie managed to grab the slot? Why Disney's special effects laden talking guinea pig movie, G-Force, of course. I cannot comment on the quality, or lack there of, of the movie, not having yet seen it. I can say that it isn't at the top of my list, but there is no denying the high level of talent involved and the rather manic energy of the trailer. Perhaps one day I will see it, not sure when, but there it is.
Stepping down to third place, you will find the second new movie of the weekend, The Ugly Truth. It performed a bit better than I was expecting, and I should have known as much. Anyway, the romantic comedy attempts to lure in the male demographic with a certain level of crassness, nothing like Good Luck Chuck, but it is there in a more well-meaning way. It is an enjoyable movie while one is watching, but quite easy to forget. I like it for trying to be different by pulling away the fairy tale veil, but am indifferent to the way it falls back on the genre standards in the latter half. I suspect it will linger for a while before dropping away.
In fourth place is the weekend's best new movie and one that came as a complete surprise to me, Orphan. It is essentially a combination of domestic thriller and creepy kid movie — it does not really offer anything new or push any boundaries. I guess you are wondering why it is so good then. Well, it does everything so right, it executes on every level and is very creepy, atmospheric, scary, and just flat out entertaining. It will have you jumping, cringing, laughing, and applauding.
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