ABROAD, SMURFS STAY ON TOP FOR SEVENTH WEEK

Overseas, it was another winning week for The Smurfs — the live/animated movie’s seventh straight foreign victory. Its foreign tally now stands at $364.4 million versus $138.4 million for its domestic run. Together, the worldwide sum has passed a half-billion dollars ($502.8 million). Meanwhile, the latest Rowan Atkinson comedy, Johnny English Reborn is continuing to […]

THE SMURFS REMAIN GREEN OVERSEAS

This weekend overseas, The Smurfs chalked up another first-place victory as it grossed $14.9 million in 73 countries to bring its foreign total to $321 million. It has remained in the top spot since it opened on July 27. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a close second with $12.5 million in 60 […]

APES RISES — AND SO DOES CHERNIN

Peter Chernin, who was believed to be the likely successor to Rupert Murdoch until Murdoch made it clear that he wanted one of his sons to take over when he stepped down, must have been experiencing a profusion of schadenfreude Monday as final box office figures showed that the first film from Chernin Entertainment, Rise […]

MOVIEGOERS ON OTHER SIDE OF TRACKS

Forget all those expensive tracking studies and the forecasts of those know-it-all box-office gurus. Moviegoers simply didn’t behave the way they were supposed to over the weekend. Cowboys & Aliens, which was expected to be an easy winner with around $45 million, wound up instead with $36.4 million. On the other hand, The Smurfs, which […]

CAPTAIN AMERICA TRIUMPHS OVER HARRY IN AMERICA

Just as it had during another war with Great Britain — one that no doubt cost far less than the current one — America returned from crushing defeat last weekend to win the latest weekend at the box office in spectacular fashion. Paramount’s Captain America: The First Avenger blew past the U.K.-produced Harry Potter and […]

CAPTAIN AMERICA DOES WHAT VOLDEMORT DIDN’T

Captain America took down Harry Potter over the weekend, sending box-office gurus back to forecasting school. Although most had expected a tight race, with each film taking in around $60 million, the race in reality turned out to be not close at all. Captain America wound up with a Marvel-ous $65.8 million, while Harry Potter […]

MOVIEGOERS MILD ABOUT HARRY IN SECOND WEEK AS CAPTAIN TRIUMPHS

Forget what you heard about a tight race between Paramount’s Captain America and Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 at the box office this weekend. Despite fewer 3D theaters — fewer screens in general — no IMAX, and far less hype, Captain America reigned triumphant at the box office on Friday […]

SHOWDOWN LOOMS BETWEEN POTTER AND CAPT. AMERICA

Analysts are predicting a tight race at the box office this weekend between two blockbusters, as Captain America makes its debut and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 goes into its second week. According to box-office gurus, each film is expected to earn around $60 million. While several forecasters give Deathly Hallows the […]

MOVIE REVIEWS: FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

Friends with Benefits may certainly benefit from a number of friends among the critics. Even the few who knock it don’t do so with much scorn. For example, Claudia Puig in USA Today concludes her review by writing, “When it’s good, Friends With Benefits is quite good — especially as it skewers rom-com clichés. And […]

WILL CAPTAIN AMERICA TAKE DOWN HARRY?

The Brits and the Yanks will be battling one another on the biggest scale in 235 years when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes head-to-head against Captain America at the box office this weekend. As things now appear to critics, it looks like the pride of Hogwarts will prevail, although America’s pride is expected […]