Box Office Outlook: Fireworks and Hancock

By Katey Rich

Woo-hoo! Three-day weekend! And it's a Will Smith Fourth of July, which guarantees laughs and adventure in the movie theatre for audiences of all ages! Or, well, maybe not. It seems something is gravely amiss with the latest potential hit from Smith, so much that most critics don't necessarily hate it, but are completely baffled. Hancock's performance thus far indicates that the reviews, as usual, won't matter, and Smith will walk away handily with the weekend. But it might be a blemish on the undisputed stellar record that Smith has had in Hollywood in the last 10 years. We'll check out those Hancock reviews, as well as some more positive notices for a smaller independent film and a bigger movie opening wide this weekend, for you to think about while you eat hamburgers tomorrow and shoot off some fireworks (but only where it's legal!)

HANCOCK. Opening in every single-- oops, I mean, 3,965 theatres. Will Smith as a superhero! What more do you need to know? OK, I'll bite. Smith stars as Hancock, a surly, alcoholic version of a superhero who has grown frustrated with his designated role as Los Angeles world-saver. Everyone in the city hates him as much as he hates himself, until a kind-hearted PR exec (Jason Bateman, and yes, they do exist) takes it upon himself to clean up Hancock's image. He starts by sending Hancock to jail. Also, Charlize Theron plays Bateman's wife, and apparently takes on a key role later in the film that no one is willing to reveal. Man, this movie directed by Peter Berg sure does contain a lot of mysteries.

Well, our Ethan Alter gives it some credit: "We haven't seen a comic-book movie attempt this kind of story before and the filmmakers deserve credit for challenging the conventional wisdom of what a superhero picture can and should be." Manohla Dargis at The New York Times even liked it a little, calling it "touching and odd, laden with genuine twists and grounded by three appealing lead performances." But Joe Morgenstern at The Wall Street Journal never makes it past the twist: "A surprising plot twist turns a sloppy action-comedy into a totally different movie, and an even worse one." Entertainment Weekly calls it a "screwed-up summer diversion" and slaps it with a C+, and Newsweek cries, "Oy, what a mess!" Yes, but a mess that will make $100 million this weekend.

KIT KITTREDGE. Expanding to 1,843 theatres. Abigail Breslin stars as the titular Kit in the first feature film based on the insanely popular American Girl series of books and dolls. Kit is growing up in the 1930s in Cincinnati, where her father once owned a successful car dealership but now must travel to Chicago to look for work. Kit lives at home with her mom (Julia Ormond), who has opened the house to boarders as varied as a mobile librarian (Joan Cusack), a dance instructor (Jane Krakowski) and a magician (Stanley Tucci). But when a string of crimes in the area are linked to a local band of hobos, Kit decides to crack the case in order to get a story published in her local paper, which is her dream come true.

I liked this nostalgic and sweet tale about American girlhood, writing that Breslin "carries the mature emotions of the story in a way that keeps things from becoming maudlin." I wasn't alone, either. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune calls it "smart, empathetic, fun loving and, best of all, a delight for all audiences." The Boston Globe thinks it's "so old-fashioned and plainspoken as to feel brand new," and the San Francisco Chronicle calls it "surprisingly solid and entertaining." And even the cranky Rex Reed is charmed, calling Kit "a brisk, beautifully conceived period piece that spells entertainment with a capital E."

THE WACKNESS. Opening in 4 theatres. Former Nickelodeon star Josh Peck ("Drake and Josh") stars in The Wackness as Luke Shapiro, a disaffected New York City kid who is merely tolerated by the popular crowd because he has the marijuana connection. He also hooks up his psychiatrist Squires (Ben Kingsley), who is coping with his loveless marriage by toking up on a regular basis. As summer begins Luke starts catting around bachelor-style with Squires, while at the same time making the first, awkward moves on Squires' daughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby), the kind of cool girl who wouldn't have given Luke the time of day when school was in session. Famke Janssen, Method Man and Mary Kate Olsen also appear in smaller roles.

Our Frank Lovece didn't fall for this coming-of-age story, calling it "earnest but insufferable." But most critics were a little gentler. The Hollywood Reporter wrote in its Sundance review, "Generically, it's a rite-of-summer-passage yarn, but The Wackness bursts the form." Andrew Sarris at The New York Observer credits the actors, writing that "a remarkable cast supplies subtlety and balance to the mostly downward spiral of the narrative. The Village Voice largely hated the movie, but admits that "Peck keeps the production shy of execrable."