Weekend Box Office: March 25-27

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  Diary of a Wimpy Kid:  Rodrick Rules - $24.4 million

2.  Sucker Punch - $19 million

3.  Limitless - $15.2 million

4.  The Lincoln Lawyer - $11 million

5.  Rango - $9.8 million

6.  Battle Los Angeles - $7.6 million

7.  Paul - $7.5 million

8.  Red Riding Hood - $4.3 million

9.  The Adjustment Bureau - $4.2 million

10.  Mars Needs Moms - $2.1 million

Damn, now that's embarassing.  The gun-toting girls of Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch turned out to be no match for a couple of geeky seventh-graders.  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules easily took the box office this weekend, grossing an impressive $24.4 million.  The sequel, based on a popular children's book series, had a reported budget of about $18 million, so it's already made that money back, and with a golden "A-" from Cinemascore, it should continue to do for the next few weeks, especially since many schools are going into their spring break weeks.  We should also expect to see another Diary movie about this time next year. 

So what happened to Sucker Punch?  Well, the box office race looked like it would be close on Friday with Snyder's CG extravaganza running about even with Wimpy Kid, but then things went south on Saturday when attendence for Sucker Punch dropped an ugly 17%, and Wimpy Kid surged by 39%, thanks to its kid-matinee crowd.  This would be the worst opening weekend for any of Snyder's live-action films, and the big drop over the weekend doesn't bode well for business to pick up anytime soon.  Oh well.  At least he's got Superman to keep him busy for now.

It was a surprisingly good weekend for last week's big openers:  Limitless barely dropped 20% to earn another $15.2 million, and The Lincoln Lawyer had an even smaller drop and brought in $11 million.  Rango drops to 5th place, but became the first 2011 movie to cross the $100 million mark with $9.8 million this weekend.  Even Battle Los Angeles is hanging in there with another $7.6 million, although it's doubtful to reach $100 million at this point.

As far as the rest of the aliens at the box office, Paul dropped 43% to earn $7.5 million, bringing its total to an OK $24.6 million.  Having lost most of its IMAX locations to Sucker Punch this weekend, Mars Needs Moms limps its way out of the top ten with just $2.1 million.  After two weeks, it has yet to reach even $20 million at the box office.  Yikes.

Next weekend brings the Easter family comedy Hop, the evil-child horror film Insidious, and the sci-fi thriller Source Code.  Summer?  It's just around the corner.

Amy Adams IS Lois Lane in Superman: The Man of Steel!

When you think of Superman, you think of specific things: the phrase "Truth, Justice & the American way," his power of flying, the iconic red-and-blue suit, and Lois Lane.

For as difficult a role to pull off the title character is, the same applies for Lois. It's a part that requires displaying the toughness and spunk being a hard-ass reporter, the wit supplied by the humor and one-liners and, most importantly, the chemistry with both the Man of Steel and his Clark Kent persona. You have to believe the person arguing with Perry White is the same one reduced to a wide-eyed, vulnerable girl when he's in front of Superman.

Hero Complex says Zack Snyder has found that actress, and it's the kind of casting that I can get behind. Amy Adams is the new Lois Lane.

Some will argue the age difference between her and Henry Cavill; she's 36 years-old and he’s 27. That shouldn't be a concern. If we're gonna nerdy about it, some of the comic-interpretations state that his being Kryptonian makes him physically age slower than human beings when he's actually quite older. On the other hand, and in a better and more basic way to put it, Lois needs to have a few extra years on Superman. She has the experience of living out in the real world where he's spent his youth on the Kent Farm in Smallville.

Check out her performances in Enchanted, Julie & Julia, Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning, and The Fighter (Hell even Night at the Museum 2) and tell me she's not a great choice.

Movie Review: Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch is by far the most visually entertaining movie I think Zack Snyder or any other filmmaker has made in a long time. Right off the bat I have to throw it out there, the action set pieces and visual mind-fucks of this film will blow you away!

We start out with being introduced to Baby Doll (Emily Browning) who's wrongfully imprisoned in a mental institution. During her stay she spends nearly all her time in a fantasy world she's created for herself to escape her own "reality", although there's actually very little reality to the film at all. In her fantasy world she's being held in a brothel/burlesque house. It's in the brothel where she discovers her crazy dance moves which only bring her further into the fantasy worlds she's creating. The fantasy worlds themselves feel a lot like a video game premise. They need to find key items in order to escape and must defeat the most ridiculous and other worldly foes along the way.

Being that the film is set in the 60's one of the threats looming in Baby Dolls reality is the possibility of a lobotomy. This helps serve as her biggest motive in needing to escape. The only problem is very little of the "real world" is actually taking place throughout the film, making it somewhat of a narrative nightmare. Although the story jumps all over the place and at times feels like the last twenty years of pop culture was just smashed together in one nonsensical action flick, Snyder does an amazing job of keeping you interested and invested to the end. A lot of the film seems like a huge departure from a lot of his previous films in so many ways, but at the same time it has the very noticable Snyder stamp all throughout it. I know most peoples complaints are always that he's too visual and brings no substance to his films. With Sucker Punch there's definitely a recurring theme of male empowerment over women and their attempts to stand strong on their own. It wasn't at all what I expected going in, but served as a surprisingly very intruiging and interesting plot point.

The biggest complaint I'm expecting people to have is the third act. Everything leading up this point seems absolutely brilliant and brings you to think this may be Snyder's best work to date. But this is where you'll either come to love it or hate it. Like most Snyder films there's not much grey area left in between. I found myself torn at this point as well, on the one hand the end and the conclusion make perfect sense, but on the other it almost feels as though things fall apart and don't come together as smoothly as first two acts did. Overall the film works on more levels than it doesn't. The biggest acheivement would likely be succesfully thinking outside the box and not going the safe route like all too many film makers and studios seem to be doing more and more now.

The performances, cinematography, writing and obviously directing were all things I thought worked amazingly. Although I'm well aware not everyone will be able to agree with me, I can honestly say that I actually loved Sucker Punch. It's likely at least the most visual film we'll see this year. It's just too bad that the story behind all the amazing action scenes and visual effects won't get nearly as much if any credit at all. 

Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Deleted Scene

Fans of the Harry Potter books know all too well that the Dursleys, the evil family that Harry lives with whenever Hogwarts is not in session, have been tragically shortchanged in the movies.  Aunt Petunia, in particular, not only turned to know a hell of a lot more about the wizarding world than she ever let on, but she also played an important part as to why Harry managed to stay safe in the years following the murder of his parents.  If nothing else, we learned that the old bat just might have had a heart after all.

Warner Bros has released a deleted scene that will be included on the upcoming DVD/blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  The scene is an extended look at the farewell between Harry and Aunt Petunia, and we finally get to see her grieve for her lost sister:  

Wow.  Now, with any luck, we'll also get to see the scene where Dudley made his peace with Harry before going into hiding with his family.  It was a great (and definitely unexpected) moment from the book that didn't make it into the movie, but it's rumored it was filmed.  Hopefully that will be on the DVD as well.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 arrives in stores on April 15.

Sony Does What Any Studio Would Do; Hires Writer for Spider-Man Sequel Early

Someone amongst Sony executives or producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin really likes James Vanderbilt. First they hired the Zodiac scribe to pen Spider-Man 4, but eventually had to let him go when Sam Raimi wasn't too fond of his stuff. Then they turned around and re-hired him for Spider-Man 5 and 6. Then when the sky fell and Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst exited the franchise, Vanderbilt's story was said to be ported over and used for the reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.

So yeah, somebody in the higher-up, decision-making rank at the studio digs Vanderbilt as Heat Vision reports he's just been hired to cook up the script for an Amazing Spider-Man sequel.

But before anyone starts leaping for joy taking this to mean there will be a sequel, take the chill pill with a full glass of water. Hiring a writer is the cheapest part of the process and isn't proof of any sequel, no matter how inevitable they seem. The Marc Webb-directed, Andrew Garfield-starring 3D reboot is into its fourth month of production and won't swing into cinema-houses until July 2012.

They're going to have to wait and see how audiences react before making their move. This is just the studio lining up all their ducks, just in case audiences like what they see. There's also the chance if they move forward on The Spectacular Spider-Man or whatever it's called, Vanderbilt's material is thrown out.

Still, a good writer is getting another good-paying gig. Good for him.

Movie Moan TV - 'Presumed Innocent' (1990)

In celebration of the release of 'The Lincoln Lawyer' (and Matthew McConaughey's return to decent films), this week we take a look at one of the finest legal dramas of the past few decades; Alan J Pakula's 'Presumed Innocent'.

In this episode, we appraise one of Harrison Ford's most overlooked performances, remember that Raul Julia was a damn good actor and not just M. Bison (OF COURSE!), realise that Brian Dennehy is not always the bad guy, and Kristina discovers that her instincts are usually on the money as the identity of the killer in these types of films........but that doesn't mean the film can't dupe you into thinking you're wrong.

Captain Kirk Getting His Own Ass to Tap in Star Trek 2

UPDATE: IT'S FAKE, JIM! Trek Movie says that not only have none of the actors received the Star Trek 2 script yet, but Chris Pine doesn't even have a personal Facebook account. My apologies, folks.

About the only quintessential Kirk-thing that Chris Pine didn't get to do in the Star Trek reboot was tap some ass. If his brief (and quickly interrupted) play with the green-skinned Rachel Nichols counts. I say it doesn't, but I'll have to seek the council of resident Trekker, my pal Lou to confirm.

In what amounts to the first actual news on Star Trek 2 beyond the multitude of "We're still writing the script!" remarks, Captain James Tiberius Kirk himself Chris Pine went to Facebook (via Collider and MTV) to confirm the script is finished and he'll get some action of his own since Zoe Saldana’s Uhura is spoken for (read: Vulcan fever):

"After a thousand questions regarding the Star Trek sequel I can finally say I am holding the draft script in my hand. I can also now tell you I have a love interest and it's all looking very exciting. Sorry but I cant give you a date for filming yet, but you guys are going to love it!"

Could have sworn I heard in early drafts Carol Marcus (who is the only confirmed baby-mama of Kirk's - Lord knows there were others) had a role in the reboot, but was wisely excised. Perhaps screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof revised that idea or maybe this is a new character altogether; hopefully it's the latter.

New Superman Villain Candidate Emerges: Edgar Ramirez

He doesn't fit next to fellow candidates Viggo Mortensen (who didn't work out; an issue with scheduling most likely), Daniel Day-Lewis (total pipe-dream as awesome as it would be to nabb him) or Gerald Butler (who knows where that one stands) when you factor in the filmmakers attempt at getting established, name-actors to wrap around the lesser-known Henry Cavill as our defender of truth, justice and the American way.

But like his competitors, Edgar Ramirez looks like he would put up a good fight against Cavill's Superman. This guy could crack some bones, and just fuck people up.

Latino Review reports the actor, coming off his acclaimed leading role in Carlos and whose familiarity with most pin-points to The Bourne Ultimatum, is up for a villain role in Zack Snyder's Superman: The Man of Steel, due out next Christmas. Things are so tight-lipped over on their front, it's a mystery as to what baddie he'd portray were he cast; Zod (who's in the reboot, that much we know), Lex Luthor (everyone's assuming he plays a role) or someone else altogether. Guessing Zod because his passing resemblance to Cavill, and all Kryptonians look alike to me.

While he lacks the marquee name recognition, as El Mayimbe points out Ramirez is familiar with the Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures bunch as he's currently filming Wrath of the Titans and if you'll remember that sequel's director Jonathan Liebesman was up for the Superman gig before they settled on Snyder. He'd also be considerably cheaper than say Butler or Day-Lewis.

No Wolverine Sequel Yet? No Problem!

Well, you can't say that Hugh Jackman doesn't know how to keep busy.  With the fate of The Wolverine uncertain after last week's sudden departure of director Darren Aronofsky and the tragic events unfolding in Japan, everyone's favorite beserker-enraged mutant will be trading in his adamantium claws for his jazz hands.

The Wrap is reporting that Jackman will be performing in concert at The Curran Theater in San Francisco from May 3-15.  The two-week gig, entitled Hugh Jackman, in Performance, will be a mix of Broadway and Hollywood musical greatest hits, backed up by a 17-piece orchestra, according to the theater's website.

Jackman, of course, is a well-known song and dance guy when he's not playing Wolverine.  He won a 2004 Tony Award for his performance as Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz on Broadway, a role he later reprised for a stadium tour in his native Australia.  He's also hosted the Tony Awards three times (and won an Emmy for that), as well as the 2009 Oscars.  His stage credits prior to X-Men include Oklahoma!, Sunset Blvd and Beauty & the Beast.  And if that's not enough, he also performed the lead in a concert version of Carousel at NY's Carnegie Hall iin 2002.

So yeah, he's pretty good at this kind of thing.  No official word yet if there are plans to bring the show to any other venues once the San Francisco run is done, although it's safe to assume that whatever happens with The Wolverine will factor into whatever future plans they have for this show. 

As much as I'd like to see them move past this whole Aronofsky fiasco and get moving on The Wolverine, I have to admit that having seen Hugh Jackman on Broadway five times in The Boy From Oz, I'd pay to watch him sing the phone book, so I've got my fingers crossed that we get some NY area concerts before he gets out the claws again.  Since we've had no news on the fate of the movie, it seems like that is entirely possible.

Second Red-Band Your Highness Trailer

A new trailer for Your Highness, courtesy of MSN, has dropped and here for your viewing.

By sheer virtue of how much that first red-band trailer caught everyone off guard with its vulgarity and raunch, the element of surprise is gone this time out. It however does reassure us of one thing. It looks like there's plenty of filth gone unspoiled for the final film.

If that's your kind of thing; thankfully, it is for me.