Three comedies vie for top spot

By Sarah Sluis

From the gate, The Proposal and Year One look as though they'll both hit $20 million this weekend. If The Hangover can handle the competition, and hold on to its below-average drop, it will also hit $20 million, making this week a close race between three comedies.

Judging by reviews, The Proposal (3,056 theatres) appears to be a typical romantic comedy, slick and well-acted, but hampered by its predictable format. Our executive editor Kevin Lally praised the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, saying, "The situations may be formulaic, but the teamwork of the two leads brings them to sparkling life." Manohla Dargis at the NY Times was not so kind, lamenting the repetition of stereotypical rom-com setups. However, even she noted that Bullock and Reynolds pulled off good performances, adding that Bullock's "no shrew in need of taming. She's just another female movie star in need of a vehicle that won't throw her overboard for sexist giggles and laughs."

Year One (3,022 theatres), which comes from writer/director Harold Ramis (read an interview with him here), has also been received with shrugs. Despite Ramis' pedigree (he's responsible for Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, and Analyze This), our Frank Scheck found that "the script�co-written by Ramis and the team of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (NBC's "The Office")�is strictly bargain-basement, offering a plethora of poop, sex and fart jokes and vulgarity without a smidgen of wit." EW's Owen Gleiberman found the comedy provoked only a "handful of chuckles," and pronounced it "silliness run mildly wild."

With these so-so reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if audiences again choose The Hangover, whose humor is neither stale nor ancient, but shocking to the point that at least some viewers will come away repulsed, not indifferent.

On the specialty side, another comedy opens this weekend: Whatever Works, the latest from Woody Allen. Dana Stevens from Slate opened her review of the film this way: "Imagine if Annie Hall had been forgotten in a Ziploc bag under your couch cushions and left there for 30 years." Needless to say, it did not play well for her. Whatever Works will compete with quirky comedy Away We Go, which will move into 134 theatres with hopes to cross the $1 million mark.

Next week, the machines are back with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which will be joined by weepie My Sister's Keeper.

'Hangover' lasts through weekend, 'Land' lost

By Sarah Sluis

In this week's battle of the comedies, a low-budget, almost gonzo-shot movie won out over a CGI extravaganza. The Hangover earned $43.2 million this weekend, while Land of the Lost came in below expectations, to the tune of $19.5 million I'm hardly surprised.

Having seen (and liked) both of the comedies, I can see why The Hangover won out: it's a raunchy 'R' with shock comedy that's built up like horror. Its stars have unknown brands of humor, they're older, and the film has an inventive plot structure and premise. Funny thing is, these are all qualities that should count against the film: an 'R' should slice out younger viewers, the older stars should alienate teens and twentysomethings, women should be turned off by the bachelor party antics, and haven't we seen some Vegas films before? Land of the Lost, on the other hand, is a spin-off from a proven (if dated) television show, and stars Will Ferrell, two points that should have driven, not dampened interest. Ultimately, The Hangover came off as fresh, while Land of the Lost seemed like more of the same.

I'm curious how The Hangover will play in weeks to come. Its shock moments definitely inspire the "Dude, you've got to see this!" that makes for a word-of-mouth hit. With minimal drop-off within the weekend, it appears that the film could be on a weeks-long ride to a jackpot.

Dropping just 35%, Up edged out The Hangover to earn $44.2 million. Including weekday grosses, it's already earned $137.3 million, and I expect it will cross over to $200 million within another couple of weeks, joining Star Trek in the summer movie blockbuster club.

My Life in Ruins came in at #9 this weekend, earning $3.2 million. Its per-screen average isn't stellar by summer movie standards, just $2,700, so unless it manages to drop minimally, this will be its first and last week in the top ten. Despite so-so reviews, Away We Go brought in an astounding $35,000 per screen in its four-screen release. With plans for expansion the next couple of weeks, the film could end up doing much better than the reviews forecasted.

Next week, kid-fantasy picture Imagine That opens, along with the Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Both have comparable offerings in the top ten: Imagine That overlaps with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Up. Pelham shares audiences with action-thrillers like Angels & Demons, Star Trek, and Terminator Salvation, a stark contrast from this weekend, in which the two comedies had a wide-open field.