PREVIEW: Definitely, Jumper, Spiderwick and Step 2
By Connect Mason Reporter Matthew Todd
Another crowded weekend and five films vie for the top spot for Valentine’s Day. Take a look at these upcoming flicks, but first...
Last Weekend’s Recap
This past weekend, my box office predictions, I am proud to say, were much more accurate. Fool’s Gold opened, unsurprisingly, at #1 with $21 million despite abysmal reviews, while Roscoe Jenkins followed at #2 with $16 million, also despite critical pans. Paris Hilton’s The Hottie and the Nottie, meanwhile, grossed a derisory $25,000 in 111 venues, tallying a measly $225 per-screen average. Shocker! Not.
Now on to this weekend...
Definitely, Definitely
First off, Definitely, Maybe (Universal, PG-13), which hopes to be the couples’ date pick, stars Ryan Reynolds as a downtrodden single father, in the midst of divorce. He recaps life before marriage with his daughter (Oscar-nominee Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine), where she’ll have to figure out who her real mother is.
From the producers of Notting Hill and Love Actually and featuring a cast so beautiful and top-notch, it’s hard to resist. Like their other films, Maybe looks as if it’ll encompass as many comedic moments as it does serious moments. And as the previews suggest, it’ll undoubtedly be the epitome of date flicks. For me? Definitely! An amicable preview with light-hearted touches and sharp dialogue, Maybe looks like it deserves to, and will, go the distance.
Remember that Third Eye Blind Song? Kinda like that.
Jumper (20th Century Fox, PG-13), on the other hand, looks like a polished but uneven action-flick about a genetic anomaly that allows a young man (Hayden Christiansen) to teleport himself anywhere at any given time. But this is a gift that could ultimately get him killed as he discovers he is in a war that has been raging for thousands of years. Okay?
The previews are chock-full of kinetic edits and big-budget art direction and special effects. Expect the whiny boyfriends that don't want to endure a chick-flick will try and go for this over-produced action-friendly fantasy. Unfortunately, despite Doug Liman's (The Bourne Identity) directing, Jumper looks trite, contrived and preposterous. It’s worth the DVD rental, yes, and may look good on the big screen. But for me, I’d rather stay home and pop in my copy of The Bourne Identity again.
Children Fantasy is A-Okay
Since The Chronicles of Narnia, children’s fantasies have been on the hot list. The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount/Nickelodeon, PG) stars the talented Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland) who finds out strange things are happening when he and his family move into a secluded old house of their uncle Arthur Spiderwick.
A very persuasive adaptation also starring Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, and David Strathairn. The big creature effects crowded with goblins, sprites, and ogres, I will admit this is the perfect kids’ pick, one I’m very willing to see. Swords, sorcery, and frightening villains, I would not say “no” to this.
Step Down
Last month, I was very bitter towards dance/hip-hop films, i.e. How She Move. Although I hear it didn’t defy the stereotypical genre, I heard was actually quite good. Sadly it flopped. This month, we have Step Up 2: The Streets (Touchstone, PG-13). A sequel to the 2006 summer smash Step Up, it’s more of the same as a rebellious street dancer goes to an elite arts school in Maryland where she struggles to fit in. She joins forces with a handsome dancer to form a crew of dancers, who are also outcasts, to compete in an underground dance battle in Baltimore.
“Believe,” “Respect,” “Love,” and “Risk” are all words that pop up in huge lettering during the previews, and this time I have reason to be cynical. Everything the previews suggests is that we’re watching exactly what we saw in Step Up, not to mention Stomp the Yard, and so on. The handsome cast? Check! The energetic street dances? Check! The treacly hip-hop soundtrack? The huge climactic dance battle? Double check! With the potential romantic subplot, young couples will undoubtedly make this their Valentine’s pick. If not good, at least there are beautiful people in it, right? Thanks, but no thanks.
Blood, Zombies, Air-Headed Pretty People
George Romero’s Diary of the Dead (The Weinstein Co., R) is the weekend’s horror entry, filled with blood, zombies, and air-headed pretty people. There’s hardly a reason to summarize the synopsis since all it appears to be is Dawn of the Dead meets Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. But knowing the young crowd’s craving for a little (or lot of) blood, then why should I doubt this will be a hit? After watching the previews of this poorly-acted, weakly-plotted gore-fest, I could just stay home and actually use some valuable time to get my homework done. And I will.Final Predictions
This is without a shadow of a doubt a tough one to predict. Step Up 2 could enter in number one since its hit predecessor is still fresh in our minds. Jumper could steal number one considering we all love a good action movie or just an action movie in general. Spiderwick will steal youngsters (as Hannah Montana continues to sink) and could feasibly enter in number one also. Or Diary of the Dead could be the next Hostel or Saw.
Sadly, Definitely, Maybe might appeal just to adults, which means it could come in with a decent $12-15 million, but it won’t be number one. I predict Spiderwick to very narrowly top its competition for a $27-32 million gross. Step Up 2 could come in second with $23-26 million. Jumper third with $18-22 million. And Diary of the Dead will either do really well... or really bad. I hope for the latter.
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