'Alice in Wonderland' on track for a fantastic opening weekend

By Sarah Sluis

Alice in Wonderland opens this weekend in an astounding 3,728 theatres, 2,063 of which will be in 3D, along with 180 IMAX theatres. The movie is expected to earn in the $70 million range for its opening weekend, on par with the first weekend of Avatar. Sadly, though, the 3D doesn't even come close to Avatar's. Instead of being shot with 3D cameras, the 3D was added in post-production, a difference noticeable to my eyes. Take the foliage in both of the movies: in Avatar, it's enchanting, but in Alice, it often seemed muddled, distracting, or even eye-straining to watch. Critical response has been mixed, with a current 54% on Rotten Tomatoes. FJI critic Ethan Alter found that director Tim Burton fell short. "When he's at the top of his game, Burton is able to marry his surrealistic visual sensibility with a plot powered by a strong emotional through-line," but the "potent storyline" of a "young woman who finds the courage to defy convention and follow her dreams...gets lost amidst all the banal wonders of his Wonderland." Despite these flaws, the movie will be seen by millions of people, and its $250 million price tag will be offset by that strength of Disney's, merchandising.

Yet another R-rated movie, Brooklyn's Finest (1,936 theatres), will round out the weekend's box office. From director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), the cop movie suffers from an "overwhelming sense of dj vu," according to critic Daniel Eagan. While populated by talented actors, including Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes and Ellen Barkin, their stories are timeworn, with "equally threadbare plots that leave no clich unplumbed, no coincidence ignored, no cheap irony neglected."

While Avatar was in fourth place last weekend, it will take a hit as Alice replaces Avatar on IMAX and many 3D screens. Second-weeker Cop Out will have to battle serious-minded police movie Brooklyn's Finest, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief will take a hit as family-friendly Alice comes into view. Oscar fever will help shore up specialty fare such as A Prophet, The Last Station, Crazy Heart, The Blind Side, and a half-dozen others. When the Oscar ceremony begins at 8pm EST on Sunday, I'll be in one place: parked in front of my television and hoping for a few surprises.