Welcome back! I hope you all saw plenty of movies over your Thanksgiving weekend. This week's update is for the entire 5 day holiday. Read on, my faithful!
This week's champ is, once again, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It has taken in over $200 million in its first 10 days of release, and over $410 million if you count the worldwide receipts. It is fast making it's way up the yearly and all-time box office charts.
I think it would be safe to say that the Potter franchise is not showing any signs of slowing. In fact, it appears that it is alive and well, with this latest entry raking in the money in contrast to the last one, The Prisoner of Azkaban. I guess something can be said for the time of year that Potter gets released, the last one was in June, while the other three were all right around Thanksgiving. It seems that fantasy films are well suited to the Fall holiday season. With the success of the Potters, and Lord of the Rings, and the potential for Chronicles of Narnia and King Kong, I think that fantasy's Fall slot is pretty much solidified.
Coming in second place once again is the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. A very good film which relies heavily on the first rate performances from its two leads. I think the movie is good, but Phoenix and Witherspoon are so good that it makes the film better than it really is. If you like Cash, or are even remotely interested, see it.
This week featured 5 new entries. The highest ranked of the new entries is the Randy Quaid/Rene Russo family comedy, Yours, Mine and Ours. I, personally have no interest in seeing this. It looks like a new take on the Brady Bunch story, and it just does not look all that entertaining. However, it does seem to be a harmless film that the whole family could go to. Coming in right behind that is the new musical, Rent. It had a decent take, but I have not heard anything that is overwhelmingly positive for it, but for some reason I still feel a slight interest in seeing it.
Next up on the new entry list is the comedy Just Friends, starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, and Anna Faris. I saw this one, and in no way can I defend it as a good movie, but I cannot lie as I had a blast watching it. It is a goofy, silly comedy that lacks in logic and believability for most of it's runtime. What it does have going for it is the comedic timing that Reynolds possesses, the manic personality that Faris seems to capture so well, and that girl next door sweetness of Amy Smart. For those three things I enjoyed the heck out of this movie.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
thanks Chris, the Goblet appears to be gobbling all over the world. We saw it at a multiplex in Maryland last weekend and something like 10 of the 25 theaters were showing Harry! And the one we were in was close to full.
I liked it a lot overall, but loved the first half while the second half seemed to run out of steam to a certain extent, which is about the exact opposite of what a lot of reviews have said
2 - vikk
Isn't the Yours, Mine, and Ours a remake? The trailer has a strong echo but it doesn't seem to be the Brady Bunch--for me at least, although I do see your point.
3 - Natalie Davis
You're both right. Yours, Mine and Ours is a remake of the lightweight but cute original of the same name, which starred Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball and was the inspiration for The Brady Bunch. From what I've heard, you're better off renting the original or seeing a Brady ep than wasting your time and money on the Quaid-Russo version.
As for Rent, go, go, go with an open mind and an open heart. And do it now: There's no day but today.
4 - Krasimir [FilmDailies.com]
I still haven't had the chance to see the new Harry Potter. Mainly because my girlfriend is on a business trip and I don't want to go alone.