'Cars 2' starts its engines

By Sarah Sluis

Pixar's summer animated movies have become draws for kids and adults alike, but adults won't find a crowd-pleaser like Up in Cars 2 (4,115 theatres). The sequel to the 2006 hit is more of a kids' movie, centering on talking cars with stereotypical characters (redneck, arrogant Italian, British spy, sultry secret agent). "That's not the Pixar adults know and cherish," critic Kevin Lally notes, but the visuals remain on the cutting edge, especially "the travelogue aspects," which Lally dubbed a "knockout, from the blazing neon colors of its Tokyo, to a Les Halles spare-parts bazaar in Paris, to an eye-poppingly beautiful Italian Mediterranean city called Porto Corsa."

Cars 2, made post-Disney/Pixar merger, also shows what happens once a movie becomes just a launching pad for everything else. Advertisements (Mater sings the State Farm jingle, a paid endorsement), both in the film and out, will make a lot of money for Disney/Pixar. In fact, the first film generated $10 billion in merchandise sales. Disney will also use its expertise to create a straight-to-video spinoff "Planes," and an attraction at its California theme park. The international locales, besides just being a story element, will also help market these films to worldwide audiences. Is it a coincidence that the blandest Pixar movie is also the best platform for tie-ins and spin-offs? Tracking suggests the animated film will bring in $50-60 million, less than the original. With 3D suffering, many eyes will be trained on the performance of 3D and IMAX screens.

R-rated counterprogramming comes in the form of Cameron Diaz as a Bad Teacher (3,049 theatres). I thought the comedy was hilarious, though not everyone warmed to the "foul-mouthed, intemperate, conniving babe," as Diaz's character was described by critic Rex Roberts. He dismisses the comedy as a "series of skits hung on an implausible plotline," but isn't that the basis of most comedies that aim for more than a laugh a minute? I found the eye-rolling stupidity of Diaz's plot to be part of the fun, but if you're not laughing in the first fifteen minutes, it might be a good time to walk out.

If late-night TV lovers can wrest themselves off the couch, they can catch stand-up comedy documentary Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (25 theatres), which has been receiving mainly positive reviews but did not find a fan with critic David Noh. He wasn't that sympathetic for the whining millionaire, concluding that "Behind the scenes, a lot of comics ain't that comic." Paul Weitz directs a pet project about the struggles of illegal immigrants in A Better Life (4 theatres). The overwrought title of Turtle: The Incredible Journey (20 theatres) says it all in this nature documentary, which somehow manages to turn the plight of turtles into an "intrusive melodrama," according to Noh.

On Monday, we'll post the rank of Cars 2 after its first lap, and see if audiences sparked to the misdeeds of Bad Teacher.

Midnight screenings foreshadow solid weekend for 'Paranormal Activity 2'

By Sarah Sluis

A year after Paranormal Activity had audiences "demanding" the horror sensation come to their theatre, Paranormal Activity 2 will shoot into everyone's town, 3,216 to be exact. The sequel will face the same set of heightened expectations that left audiences disappointed with Blair Witch 2. FJI critic Ethan Alter was among those underwhelmed. By using an "enlarged canvas," he notes, the filmmakers took away some of the creepiness. For example, he points out that "the multiple-camera approach cuts down on the anticipatory tension created by the single point-of-view in the original." Still, the tremendous buzz and cachet of the original should drive viewers to the cinema. Indeed, the midnight screenings last night, totaling $6.3 million, breaking a record for an R-rated midnight opening. Let's see if the movie can carry that through the rest of the weekend.

After a promising opening weekend on just a few screens, Hereafter, which centers on more benevolent afterlife spirits, will expand to 2,181 theatres. Clint Eastwood's film will be the most fresh adult-oriented film in theatres this weekend, giving it an edge. Conviction, the true-life story of a woman who helped free her brother from prison, had a modest debut last week, but will expand to 55 locations.

A few specialty releases dot the schedule this weekend. WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) showcases one of its stars, Paul "Big Show" Wight, in Knucklehead (6 theatres), a "witless exercise" about a "big doofus who enters the fight game," according to Hollywood Reporter critic Frank Scheck. Critic David Noh, on the other hand, generally liked Inhale (NY/LA), "that rare thriller with a mind and purpose." The suspenseful tale centers on a father trying to buy his daughter a lung in Mexico for transplanting in the United States, a process that involves him in criminal activity with numerous unsavory people.

On Monday, we'll see if Paranormal Activity 2 was able to keep up the pace it set with midnight screenings and unseat Jackass 3D, if Clint Eastwood will have another hit with Hereafter, and if any knuckleheads checked out their eponymous comedy.

'Robin Hood' enters the action movie fray

By Sarah Sluis

Director Ridley Scott may not quite hit the bull's eye with Robin Hood (3,503 theatres), but the movie will provide stiff competition this weekend as it goes against the second weekend of Iron Man 2. Without a

"dramatic pulse," according to critic Ethan Alter, the origin tale proves to be most exciting at the beginning before settling into a "stultifyingly boring" second half. My guess is that Robin Hood will win the Friday box office before coming in second to Iron Man 2 over the weekend, but it's unclear exactly how the two films will stack up against each other.

Those in for a more romantic view of history can take in Letters to Juliet (2,968 theatres), a romance starring Amanda Seyfriend as an

American visiting Italy. She finds an old letter bemoaning a lost love and decides to track down and reunite the couple. Summit did advance screenings in several hundred theatres last weekend, with 70% of audiences reporting that they would give it positive word-of-mouth, so this could help boost its opening weekend--or drag it down, if many of the audience members managed to see it the previous weekend.

Queen Latifah stars as a sports trainer in Just Wright (1,831 theatres). After a basketball player (Common) is injured, she nurses him back to health and they spark to each other. The limited number

of theatres in release indicates that Fox Searchlight is focusing the release in cinemas that do strong business with black moviegoers--the so-called "Tyler Perry" audience. Our critic Shirley Sealy liked the performances of Common and Paula Patton but felt "her highness" Queen Latifah "couldn't be bothered" to turn in a nuanced performance.

On the specialty front, Princess Kaiulani will release in 33 theatres. The historical romantic drama of Hawaii's last princess is playing in two theatres in New York, four in L.A. and eight near Oahu, so the release skews toward the West Coast and in Hawaii, where Kaiulani is a household name. A local cast and use of the Hawaiian language add authenticity to the project, while the colonial-era story should appeal to "art-house patrons who appreciate period romance," according to critic Justin Lowe.

Dads who feel they can do no good will appreciate Daddy Longlegs (NYC), the uneven story of a divorced dad hanging out with his kids for two weeks. While "there's little more here than a picaresque slice of life with a paternal though not particularly skilled single dad," according to critic Frank Lovece, "the emotions play as real." Also playing in New York City is Looking for Eric, the tale of a depressed, working-class Englishman who receives "hilarious" advice from football player Eric Cantona.

On Monday, we'll see if Robin Hood exercised its box office muscle or if Russell Crowe should put away his quiver and bow to the titanium-plated Iron Man 2.

Jonas Brothers taking over theatres this weekend

By Sarah Sluis

Opening on a lean 1,271 screens, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience is expected to come away as the winner this weekend. The premiums on 3D tickets, which generally cost 25% more than a

standard feature, and its 75-minute running time, which will allow theatre owners to pack in more screenings, make the movie perfectly positioned to reap up the unusually robust recession box office. But will the Jonas Brothers deliver?

Last year Hannah Montana's concert movie pre-sold significantly more tickets, but also was billed as a "one week only" run. According to Google Trends, the Jonas Brothers peaked in popularity (at least in search volume) early last year. Because it happened right around the time MTV VMA Host Russell Brand famously dissed the brothers' purity rings, and also coincided with the release of Hannah Montana's movie, I imagine many people were googling "Jonas Brothers" just to figure out who they were. Given the unflagging support of Jonas Brothers fans, the question is really just how many they are, and whether

Mom and Dad will drive them to the movies this weekend.

The other semi-wide release of the week (1,136 screens) is Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. It didn't screen for the critics, but will certainly appeal to martial arts fans and young males, although the film's low awareness means few people know about the movie.

In the wake of its Best Picture win, Slumdog Millionaire will expand to 2,943 screens, the widest ever for specialty studio Fox Searchlight. The picture crossed the $100 million mark this week, so I imagine that Searchlight expects repeat viewers or infrequent moviegoers to turn out for the accoladed film.

On the specialty circuit, Crossing Over, a Crash/Traffic story of immigration and social justice told through interlocking, Los Angeles-based stories, releases on 9 screens. Despite its stable of stars (Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd), our reviewer Shirley Sealy finds it "sometimes borders on ridiculous." Philosophical documentary Examined Life, which enlists various philosophers to explain their views in unlikely locations, opens in New York. If none of these options appeal to you, there's always An American Affair, about a boy-next-door with a crush on an alluring divorce, who just happens to be having an affair with John F. Kennedy. That boy-next-door is no Jonas Brother.

Weekend moviegoers to get �Fired Up' for ...'Madea'

By Sarah Sluis

In an exceptionally meager weekend at the box office, only two movies open in wide release today. The frontrunner is Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail (2,032 screens), which shows all signs of winning the

weekend. While the Madea character has appeared in several of Perry's films, this will be the first since his dbut film to center the story on his most popular creation (played by Perry himself). The comedy puts the grandma-with-attitude in jail, where presumably she will be able to run down even the toughest of the prisoners. Based on a time-tested play written by Perry, the material has already made an appearance on the small screen via a DVD of the production. I am consistently amazed by Perry's business savvy. Hollywood Reporter profiled him here, including the incredible terms he was able to finagle from Lionsgate, based on his willingness to front risky projects that ultimately pay off in a big way. He's also been on the radar recently for adding his support to Lionsgate's Sundance acquisition Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire. Under his 34th Street Films label, he plans to pick up and develop additional projects that he will oversee without directing or starring.

Eye-rolling teen flick Fired Up (1,810 screens) follows two football jocks who decide to switch to cheerleading for the male-female ratio at cheer camp. One of those "going to extreme measures to

achieve something they could probably do from the comfort of their football uniforms" movies, I am sure they will learn not only to love a fellow cheerleader, but also gain newfound respect for the sport itself. Yawn. Apparently, even teenagers aren't fired up about this comedy.

With the Oscars this Sunday evening, many contenders will likely see a boost in box office as people try to evaluate pictures in their Oscar pool, but the biggest jump among Oscar films will likely be the following week, especially if there are any dramatic upsets or overwhelming victories.

Among holdovers, last week's winner Friday the 13th will surely have a top ten presence, but might drop significantly as audiences drawn to the Friday the 13th release date wane. Coraline has maintained its business through strong word-of-mouth, and even won the box office on the President's Day holiday, so it will probably continue its finish in the top ten. He's Just Not That Into You has also held up well, and in fact won the Wednesday box office, so the ensemble romance will probably hold steady as other titles (like Taken) drop lower.

For specialty film lovers, theo Bollywood release Delhi-6 opens on 89 screens. Katyn, director Andrzej Wajda's dramatization of a Polish massacre by Soviet soldiers during WWII, that not only killed his father, but also was forbidden to be discussed by the post-war government, opened at IFC Theatre in New York this Wednesday. As New York's fashion week is cresting, documentary Eleven Minutes (4 screens), about "Project Runway" winner Jay McCarroll's attempt to launch a fashion label, opens on four screens. Pieced together through family home movies, Must Read After My Death documents an unhappy family's struggles, revealing "not only dark, painful personal truths, but also something profound and disturbing about American society in the recent past." Think about that the next time someone records a family event.

PG-rated 'Coraline' and 'Pink Panther 2' provide kid-to-adult fare

By Sarah Sluis

It's been three whole weekends since PG-rated comedy Hotel for Dogs released, and two since the much-maligned PG fantasy Inkheart, so the field is ripe for the two PG-rated pictures releasing this weekend, The Pink Panther 2 (3,243 screens) and Coraline (2,298 screens, half 3D). Debuting the

week before President's Day weekend, when many schoolchildren have the day or the week off (mid-winter break!), these films are banking on strong openings that will generate strong word-of-mouth through the holiday weekend.

Coraline has that difficult problem of being an animated film whose appeal extends beyond--while not entirely including--the "animated" demographic. Sensitive kids will have a hard time with this film, not only because it's suspenseful, but because its world is truly creepy. Henry Selick creates a world, according to our Executive Editor Kevin Lally, that's "anything but standard kids' fare: It's dark, creepy, surreal and



idiosyncratic. But then again, so was Lewis Carroll's Alice's

Adventures in Wonderland." I also had a chance to see the film, which should really be watched in 3D, and had the sense that those button eyes would have given me nightmares as a wee'un. Only half of the theatres will screen in 3D, which, incidentally, can be linked back to the recession. While exhibitors and distributors had rather lengthy negotiations working out who should pay for the conversion to digital projectors, agreements are now in place--but there's no money being lent due to the collapse of the credit markets. With nearly a dozen 3D movies releasing this year, the next up on the list, Monsters vs. Aliens, is especially nervous about lining up adequate 3D venues.

Based on an advice book penned by writers on the television show "Sex and the City," He's Just Not That Into You (3,175 screens) is a fluffy romance about doormats, sexpots, commitment-phobes, etc.,

that's just in time for Valentine's Day, though I suspect many of those attending will be singles "celebrating" by wallowing about being unlucky in love, just like main character Ginnifer Goodwin. While embellished with cutesy flourishes, the film just isn't that funny, and has a squirmy, condescending feel to it carried over from the book. With about the same satiety as one of those boxes of Sweetheart hearts (kindly provided at the screening I attended), you pretty much get what you expect, and a little less.

Superhero movie Push (2,313 screens) also releases this week, and suffers from the worst of errors, according to our Ethan Alter: "a great premise...marred by disastrous execution." Unlike the well thought-out universes it borrows from, like X-Men and The Matrix, the movie has holes you can poke your head through, not the kind you can ignore for the sake of fun.

The Weinstein Company is quietly releasing bomb Fanboys on 44 screens, and it will probably turn up on DVD shortly after. The film has been delayed for over two years, and follows boys on a roadtrip to see The Phantom Menace for the first time. With the fairly "basic Star Wars references that actually condescend to geeks under the guise of celebrating their peculiar culture," Ethan Alter predicted the movie won't even have cult status among those who should love it best.