What does Rambo have in common with cheese? The hope that he gets better, not worse, with age.
It's going to be a tight race at the top this weekend, with last week's monster victor Cloverfield going head to head with I'm-getting-too-old-for-this-crap Stallone's revival of Rambo [Read The CB Review].
The question is, which group will turn out in larger numbers: curious film-goers who missed the Godzilla version of the Blair Witch Project last week, or the die-hard Rambo fans who are ready to once again see Sly engaged in elegantly brutal carnage. If I had to bet, I'd put my money on Cloverfield [Read The CB Review], but I expect it's going to be close.
Alongside the return of Rambo comes three other new releases. Jason Friedberg's newest movie will hit screens. He's the guy who cleverly spoofed horror movies with the moderately witty Scary Movie. He's also the guy who thought he had a talent for that kind of thing and churned out the not-so-clever (mind-warpingly-painful is probably a better phrase) spoofs Date Movie and Epic Movie. But, hey, America seems to love mind-warpingly-painful. Both films fared decently at the box office. This weekend Friedberg spoofs history epics with Meet The Spartans [Read The CB Preview] (Ancient Epic Movie must have sounded too repetitive). Look for it to be dancing with 27 Dresses around the fourth and fifth place spots.
Diane Lane, having apparently left dramas and romantic comedies behind her, opens Untraceable [Read The CB Preview] as well. The movie has gotten little praise from critics and is offering audiences something they've had too much of lately: yet another internet age thriller. Last year's Perfect Stranger didn't receive a warm welcome, and that was with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis' names splattered all over it.
The movie opening this weekend with the most critical acclaim is also the one that will likely do the worst. Despite a cheery reception at Sundance and assurances that it's not nearly as hollow as other recent dance movies, How She Move still looks and sounds an awful lot like them. The movie boasts a cast full of fresh new discoveries (i.e. lots of people making their debuts) but without a Channing Tatum for the teen girls to drool over, the box office cash will be tougher to scrounge up. Look for this one somewhere around the seventh place spot.
There Will Be Blood, which just missed the cut-off for the top ten last weekend, expands this week from 400 to over 800 screens. Look for it to sneak in somewhere at the bottom of the list.
