Kimputer's Weblog

An intimite view of a small tragic family drama. Nicely worked out character-driven story, where everything feels a tiny bit more real, instead of the usual contrived feeling you get with scripted drama. Performances are great, even the little girls give a smashing performance. Definitely one of the better independent movie from the past two years (as this one has been on the shelf for quite some time. Opening in the Canadian Film Festival in 2002, nominated for Golden Globes in 2004).8-.

Still the reigning king, $65.8 million for the last part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Second was Cheaper by the Dozen (opens here 29 Apr), with an extremely favorable $36.4 million, starring Steve Martin, Hilary Duff and Tom Welling. Somewhat low for a John Woo release is sci-fi thriller Paycheck (opens here 26 Feb), with $19.2 million, starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman. Fourth place is for Golden Globes/Oscar contender Cold Mountain (opens here 5 Feb). This civil war epic with an all star cast rang up $19 million. Another Peter Pan remake is good for the fifth place with $15.1 million. Not surprisingly low, as the trailer was even more surprisingly bad.

With the Wayans brothers dropping out, and getting paid well enough to get mr. David “Airplane” Zucker to continue using the name, goes most of the vulgarities. Focussing on spoofing just a few movies, it keeps the movie going quite good, and the joining of the stories make a good hybrid scare/laugh. While there are quite a few predictable laughs, and also a few repetitions on the same joke, it still works well to make you laugh throughout the movie. Looking back on the previous movies, which I’ve clearly forgotten by now, it looks like this one is the most memorable, but only time will tell if that stays that way.7+.

Needless to say, all hail goes to the king this weekend. The last installment of the Lord of the Rings takes in $73.6 million bucks. Julia Roberts starrer, Mona Lisa Smile (opens here 22 Jan), didn’t hinder the return of the king at all, with just $12 million for this historic drama. Last week’s number one, Something’s Gotta Give (opens here 5 Feb), stumbles to the third place with $11.5 million.

Major WOW !!!! With a critical eye (one that matches the Eye of Sauron) you might find a few holes here and there, but for the people waiting the whole year for this finale, it’s quite a bang. More grand and more intense than the Two Towers, it keeps your heart racing for a full three hours. While Peter Jackson takes his time to close all the threads, I certainly hope the extended DVD has a full hour of restored footage, as with Two Towers, it gave the story that extra body and depth to make the change from awesome to excellent.9+.

Landing a romantic number one spot is Jack Nicholson with Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give with some $17 million. Number two is the Last Samurai with $14.1 million. The Farrelly Brother’s end up number three, the premiere of Stuck on You earned some $10 million. A bit less than expected, with their headlined movies usually opening $20+ million.

A pretty generic very standard nothing special leave your brains at the door kinda movie. The story was _very_ predictable, characters were semi-existent in the first few minutes, and later on it’s all follow that guy kinda action. Still a lightly digestive movie recommended if you’re hanging out with a group doin’ nothing in particular.7-.

Tom Cruise starrer The Last Samurai slashes its way to nr. 1 with some $24.4 million. A lower than expected opening due to bad snowstorm raging through the States. Number two is for Honey, starring the Dark Angel herself, Jessica Alba, in this hip-hop dance movie. Targeted at female teens, it gathered $14 million. But hey, I wouldn’t mind seeing her dance with her sixpack showing.
Last weeks topper, The Haunted Mansion, drops to number three with a big drop to $9.5 million

As you’ve grown accustomed to the high quality of the Pixar/Disney partnership, this latest pic is also a high speed actioner with funny dialogue and awe inspiring 3D animation. The details and colors are mostly too much too grasp at once, and while you may think fish aren’t flexible enough, you can trust me there’s enough happening on screen to keep your eyes open. While it is al fun fun fun, somehow movies like Monster’s Inc and Shrek have an edge that make those have a better feeling to it. Don’t let that stop you from seeing this one though.8-.

In an extra long holiday weekend, and therefore mostly family pics scored high, Eddy is on top again, with Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, good for $35 million. Second week for Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, and another $34.1 million. But still, this holiday’s winner is Elf, bringing in another $31.8 million for a $130.1 cume since its release.

Well, a bit too far for my taste. The story is non-existent. The dialogue that fills the gaps between the action sequences is a bold effort to deepen the story, but fails miserably by being too superficial and often about the same subjects. The erratically directed action scenes and the casual acting is definitely not Oscar worthy. It’s more like a tub filled with not-interesting characters floating around aimlessly. With no drive behind this movie, it slowly halts to a speed of barely one knot. Probably only suits people who really dig being shouted at with nautical terms.6-.

If too weird for words ever got meaning, it might be this movie. Over the top cinematics combined with exaggerated story elements with a touch of Japanese influence, and Mr. Tarantino has another unique movie(s: plural, if you include the next one) under his belt. While the story itself is rather bland, somehow it is able to pull off diminished eye flicker trick for the whole run. Camera movement, choice and timing of music and colors, they all add up to a unique style. Volume 2 should be able as surprising as this one, as each chapter from Volume 1 was a surprise itself.7½.

Kiddie movie, Dr. Seuss’ the Cat in the Hat, starring Mike Myers, opens with $40 million, an average for a family laffer of this magnitude, considering the holiday season.
Second place was for horror pic Gothika (opens here 25 Mar), starring Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr, with $19.6 million. Third week, third place was the other holiday hit Elf with another satisfying $19.1 million. In its second week, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World takes in a modest $15.2 million, probably barely enough wind in its sail to break the $100 million mark. Love Actually adds a few more theaters to make $9.1 million for an admirably fifth place.

It’s hard to imagine a movie filled with 20+ class British actors fighting for screentime AND make a good movie. However, they did pull it off nicely. The story is like the branches of a tree, and that works well in the background. Sometimes mushy, sometimes awkward, but in the end a very entertaining feel-good movie.8-.

Big bucks for holiday laffer Elf, taking the nr. 1 spot with $27.2 million in its second week. Barely dropping a beat, it’s this months winner for sure. Second one storming in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, an Oscar contender for sure, sailing away with $25.7 million. Taking a plunge faster than Neo could ever fly is The Matrix Revolutions at the third place with a measly $16.3. The Architect might not be happy, I imagine.
Fourth is Disney’s Brother Bear with $12 million. Fifth was for the premiere of Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Not so much action, as it only took in $9.5 million.
Expanding to wide release helps Love Actually to take the sixth place with $8.9 million.