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Potter scare triumphs over Bond heroics
Though Die Another Day is poised to become the biggest Bond grosser in the US
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Arthur J Pais
Boy wizard Harry Potter nudged past super agent James Bond across North America in the Thanksgiving weekend and reached the $200 million mark, as per studio estimates. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets shot back to the top of the box-office, if the estimates hold; the actual figures will be out on Monday evening.
With the Harry Potter movie grossing $32 million during one of the most lucrative box-office weeks of the year, Die Another Day, which is also having a riot at the box-office, minted $31 million and reached $101 million in just ten days. It is the fastest growing Bond movie in America. With a $160 million projected gross, it could become the highest grossing Bond in America, earning over $30 million more than the 1999 Bond hit The World Is Not Enough. That film took nearly a month to reach the $100 million mark.
After taking a 52 per cent beating in its second week, the Harry Potter adventure slowed considerably in its third weekend, losing about 25 per cent of its magic. It is likely to end its run with at least $275 million. Some box-office observers are convinced it will reach $300 million or even come closer to $320 million grossed by the first Harry Potter.
This week brought no good news to George Clooney who not only acted in Solaris but also co-produced it. And to Adam Sandler who also took up quite a few responsibilities in a movie that also bore his name for the first time before the title. Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights is a comparatively short film but the influential Entertainment Weekly slammed it, calling it 'the longest 71 minutes of your life.'
Most impressive was the staying power of Disney's Santa Clause 2. It shot up from the previous week by about 20 per cent to a $12 million weekend take and a $114 million gross, humbling Disney's high profile film Treasure Planet, which took fourth place with $12 million in its first weekend. One writer commented that it was the 'big turkey of the weekend'.
But given the two lucrative holiday weekends ahead in which families flock to sentimental and youthful movies, the film could still be a winner with a modest $70 million gross in the long run and impressive video and DVD sales. The film is doing good business in its second week in France. Though it is far from the Oscar-worthy movie Disney had hoped for.
On the other hand, Disney's Santa Clause comedy is headed for a grand $140 million gross and a strong profit.
The new Disney film is about an intergalactic treasure hunt that starts when 15-year-old Jim Hawkins stumbles upon a map to the greatest pirate trove in the universe. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island, the movie follows Jim's journey across a parallel universe as cabin boy aboard a glittering space galleon.
Befriended by the ship's charismatic but mysterious cyborg (part man, part machine) cook John Silver, Jim learns to be resourceful and adventurous, and is ready to face any danger. But he is not prepared for the greatest danger, that of betrayal.
The movie, as in the book, has a fine moral. Jim discovers a 'treasure' greater than he had ever imagined, and he cannot forget the life lesson.
Many reviewers say there was no need to take the earth-bound Stevenson classic into space. Others say there was no need for another version of the classic at all.
Among the few critics who liked the film, People magazine's writer called it 'truly a treasure' and gave it an A. The New York Times called the movie 'a clumsy and cynical bit of piracy', and the Chicago Sun-Times's Roger Ebert wondered: 'Do we really need this zapped-up version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic?'
Adam Sandler's foray into animated movies, which he also co-produced, got mostly negative reviews. Some commented that while his earlier movies were tasteless but entertaining, the new movie was tasteless, boring and offensive.
Eight Crazy Nights is the story of Davey Stone, a 33-year-old party animal and a misanthrope who finds himself in trouble with the law. In keeping with the holiday spirit, the judge gives him a chance: spend the holiday doing community service as the assistant referee for the youth basketball league or go to jail. Davey opts for the former, thinking he will have an easy time. But when he meets the eccentric, but well meaning, Whitey Duvall, he finds himself wishing for the jail sentence.
Adam Sandler's voice is used for three characters in the movie but that wasn't impressive enough for critics. After all, haven't they have seen actors playing multiple roles?
'Give Sandler credit,' began the People. 'He obviously set out to make the most tasteless holiday film ever --- a cartoon musical no less --- and he succeeded. If you want to see animated characters belch, get covered in excrement, munch on jock straps and otherwise behave badly, hark his herald.'
The bottom line, reasoned the magazine: Reject this holiday gift.
Even among a handful of publications that liked the film, there was some concern that people may find their expectations belied and come out of the film angry. The film grossed $10 million over the weekend and will be lucky to reach $50 million.
After making three hit movies in a row, including Ocean's 11, director Steven Soderbergh delivered two films in succession with grossly disappointing figures. While Full Frontal, which cost about $5 million, ended up with less than $3 million, his latest, Solaris, an expensive production, opened with just about $6.5 million and may not go beyond $30 million. It may not even be able to cover its marketing cost in North America.
A remake of a Russian cult movie of the same name, Solaris told the story of a psychologist who arrives at the space station orbiting an ocean world where he discovers that the commander of an expedition to the planet has died mysteriously. Other strange and eerie events soon start happening, like the appearance of old acquaintances of the crew who are dead. Among them is the psychiatrist's wife.
Rolling Stone was among the few publications that was thrilled at the film. 'Solaris is a mind-bender in the best sense of the word,' declared Peter Travers. Ebert joined the few chorus of raves. He wrote that the movie 'evokes one of the rarest of movie emotions, ironic regret.'
But even those who did not like the film at least hailed the efforts of Clooney and Soderbergh. 'Easier to admire than embrace,' said People magazine, while The New York Times declared it was 'a tricky balancing act that doesn't quite come off.'
But the audience firmly seems to agree with a review whose headline announced, Lost In Space.
Among the old-timers, The Ring as well as My Fat Greek Wedding are still formidable. With a $8 million weekend gross and a $120 million take, The Ring is turning out to be one of the more profitable films for Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks. Expect a sequel to be announced shortly.
Greek Wedding, also shaping into a big hit abroad, totalled $5 million over the weekend in America, its eyes now set on a awesome $240 million final gross.
The Kevin Kline drama about ethics and honour at a public school is still showing in just about 800 movie theatres where it is enjoying a mild run. Expect The Emperor's Club to end its run with about $25 million, unless an upturn is prompted by Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.