'Rio' narrowly swoops over 'Madea's Big Happy Family'

By Sarah Sluis

The round-the-world hit Rio enjoyed its second week at the top stateside. The 3D, CG-animated tale of a bird going back to his homeland dipped 32% to $26.8 million, landing just above Madea's Big Happy Family.

Tyler Perry's latest Madea comedy opened to $25.7 million. The Madea movies have opened anywhere from $20.1 million (Meet the Browns) to an out-of-the-park $41 million (Madea Goes to Jail), so this number falls near the average. Like most Perry movies, the audience was primarily black, female, and over 25�perhaps these viewers see shades of their own grandmothers in the comically exaggerated Madea?

Water for Elephants opened above expectations, debuting to $17.5 million. Despite the presence of Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson, the audience skewed more toward Reese Witherspoon fans: 70% of the audience was over 25, and the same percentage was female.

The Earth Day release African Cats opened to $6.4 million, slightly better than the $6 million open of last year's Disneynature release Oceans. These nature documentaries have played very well over the long haul, so Cats should total at least $20 million before it leaves theatres.

Another seasonal release, Hop, added 16% from last week thanks to its proximity to Easter Sunday, ending with $12.6 million. The CG/live-action hybrid earned its highest numbers the Friday and Saturday before Easter, dropping on the holiday itself, when kids were presumably occupied with Easter egg hunts and bunny visits of their own.

Despite all the product placements and tie-ins, Director Morgan Spurlock's documentary POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold had a solid, not stellar, $7,500 per-screen open. However, the 18-location release was a bit wide compared to most specialty releases, so perhaps it will hold well in coming weeks. In comparison, another Sony Pictures Classics release, Incendies, opened to $18,200 per screen, but only had three screens to fill with ticket-buyers.

The biggest mover-and-shaker among specialty releases was the ten-week-old doc I Am, which went up 572% as it added ten locations. I'm sure director Tom Shadyac's April 20^th appearance on "Oprah" had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Meek's Cutoff is also performing well, going up 180% as it tripled the number of theatres in its three-week-old release. The Oregon Trail drama earned a $6,500 per-screen average.

This Friday, car actioner Fast Five will lead the pack, followed by Disney's bid for teens, Prom, horror comedy Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, and animated sequel Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil.

'Madea's Big Happy Family' may trample 'Water for Elephants'

By Sarah Sluis

Tyler Perry is the king of high opening weekends, and his latest entry in the Madea franchise, Madea's Big Happy Family (2,288 theatres), will be a strong contender for first place if it can beat Rio's sophomore session. The holidays will help out both films. The Madea films have played particularly well during Easter Sunday matinees, while Rio can take advantage of students on spring break, including many that will be off this Friday.

Water for Elephants (2,817 theatres) should grab third place by a wide berth, with many estimating a $15 million take for the movie, which had a $40 million budget. The glitter of big-name stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz can't help this movie, which I called out for its "one-dimensional characters" and "worn, familiar" narrative. The circus and 1930s costumes are quite breathtaking, but the movie itself just doesn't deliver. I think even fans of the novel will leave wishing for more.

Disneynature's annual Earth Day documentary tradition continues with African Cats (1,220 theatres). The nature film centers on "two mothers�one an aging lioness with a cub, the other a cheetah with five newborns�and their struggles against predators and...to raise these youngsters into adulthood," according to Kirk Honeycutt. The animals are given names and their actions narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, anthropomorphizing them to the point that Honeycutt was reminded of The Lion King. "Nothing's wrong with this approach, of course," he concludes, reasoning that it's a surefire way to appeal to young audiences. 2009's Earth earned $8.8 million its first weekend, but 2010's Oceans opened with $6 million, and finished with 40% less at the box office. Can African Cats reverse this downward trend?

Director Morgan Spurlock offers an entertaining, brisk account on product placement in POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (18 theatres). The documentary, which was entirely funded by product placement, is apparently already in the green, though lead sponsor POM is withholding some money until it earns over $10 million at the box office. Good luck Morgan!

Finally, the Oscar-nominated foreign film Incendies (3 theatres) makes its debut. Critic Doris Toumarkine gives the drama her proud endorsement, saying it gives "that all-too-rare film experience that commands attention at every twisty story turn and delivers an extraordinary ending that rewards that attention as the loose ends explode into a collective 'Wow!'"

On Monday, I'll see if Madea or Rio drew the most audiences, if Water for Elephants succeeds despite its bad reviews, and if Morgan Spurlock is on track to receive that box-office bonus from POM.

Looking ahead to 2011: 'Water for Elephants,' 'Cedar Rapids'

By Sarah Sluis

The wave of end-of-the-year movies brings with it the release of a host of new trailers. I weigh in on the prospects of a couple of movies that actually look good (at least in their trailers).

Water for Elephants (April 22):

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz (in a love triangle!), this movie is based on a best-selling book (that I never managed to read past page twenty). But the trailer is another story, showing off a lush, period circus environment shot with shadowy and vibrant cinematography. Witherspoon wears her sparkly leotard with panache, and her graceful movements as a circus performer at the :51 mark made me a believer. Cons: The trailer music is a bit treacly--could this be a harbinger of the movie's tone as a whole?

Cedar Rapids (Feb. 11):

Could this be the rare comedy that's actually funny? The trailer's humor is part "The Office," part Office Space, and also could be called a more upbeat, blue collar version of Up in the Air (Though George Clooney's character would have sniffed disparagingly at Ed Helms' clueless navigation of business travel). I liked director's Miguel Arteta's overlooked teen comedy Youth in Revolt, and if Cedar Rapids avoids that brand of painfully over-the-top humor that makes the audience cringe (I'm looking at you, Due Date), I think it will be good for a quiet chuckle.

These two films are just a sampling of the many movies in the early part of 2011 that I'm excited about -- Hanna, Jane Eyre, and a smaterring of maybe-good comedies (Hall Pass, Paul, Just Go For It), and dramas (The Adjustment Bureau) should make the early part of 2011 an active one.