Weekend Box Office: Cats Rule!

[James Harvey]

WB was #1 again this weekend, but not for A.I.. Here's this past weekend's 10 ten movies:

1. Cats & Dogs - $21,670,000 million ($35.8 mill)
2. Scary Movie 2 - $21,000,000 million ($34.5 mill)
3. Artificial Intelligence - $14,145,000 million ($59.7 mill)
4. Kiss of the Dragon - $13,640,000 million ($13.6 mill)
5. The Fast & The Furious - $12,400,000 million ($101.5 mill)
6. Dr. Dolittle 2 - $10,100,00 million ($71.5 mill)
7. Tomb Raider - $6,800,000 million ($115.6 mill)
8. Shrek - $6,000,000 million ($240 mill)
9. Atlantis: The Lost Empire - $5,000,000 million ($69.4 mill)
10. Baby Boy - $4,800,000 million ($ 20.8 million)

As expected, Cats & Dogs ruled the top ten with an impressive $35.8 million pull, followed behind with Scary Movie 2. Artificial Intelligence held on and looks like it'll cross $100 mill. But look at Atlantis, falling fast...

[I.R Joey]

I saw Cats and Dogs, wasn't thatr good of a movie IMo. The Cats did rule, I tell you that they where the saving grace of the movie.

[The Clown Prince]

Clown Prince "the movie guy" here. I'm dubbing myself that cause I'm a huge movie buff and I go to the theater a lot and own a hell of a lot of DVD's. But anyways, I saw Cats and Dogs too and thought it was.... cute. And I don't use that word a lot. I agree though, the cats are what made this movie good. There is an alternate ending to this movie that they filmed but cut cause test screenings showed that it was too scary for kids. As soon as I find the link I'll post it.

I'm off to see Scary Movie 2 tonight. I'm really surprised that both of these movies didn't perform better, especially Cats and Dogs. I mean, it's a family movie. Crap, look at how well Spy Kids did. Good God! That one grossed more than a $100 million dollars. It was probably a good thing that both of these movies opened on a Wednesday cause wow, I see those openings as sort of a disapointment. Speaking of disapointments, Scary Movie surprised everyone last year with a 40 million dollar opening and a $100 million sum odd dollar finishing gross, what happened here with the sequel?

Well, considering how "well" the "grown up" movie Atlantis has done, I honestly don't know how well Final Fantasy will do. That opens this Wednesday also and it's probably a good thing too, cause considering how will Cats and Dogs and Scary Movie 2 have done, it's probably gonna need those extra two days. Plus Final Fantasy has cost Sony WAAAAYYYY more than $100 million dollars to make. Sorry FF fans, but this one is not gonna make it's money back. Not even close. If it does, I WILL be surprised, considering the PG-13 rating it has.

Kiss of the Dragon looks good, but that will be a DVD rental for me. Nothing else to say on that one other than Jet Li posted on his site to ask parents not to take their kids to this movie. He says it's too violent for kids.

The Clown Prince (The Movie Guy)

[Clayface]

It's a sad, sad, state this country is in.

*shudders as he looks at the income of "Cats and Dogs"*

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Clayface
It's a sad, sad, state this country is in.

*shudders as he looks at the income of "Cats and Dogs"*


Hey, I think this looks like it will be a great film! I am not at all disappointed in it's performance at the box office!

As far as Scary Movie 2 not doing as good...could it be Americans are finally realizing these kind of sequels SUCK? I am quite satisfied when these gratuitious sequels don't perform well at the box office, because hopefully it means we will start to see less of them, and there are too many this summer to add up.

[Clayface]

Originally posted by calhoun07


Hey, I think this looks like it will be a great film! I am not at all disappointed in it's performance at the box office!


*Shudders after reading clahoun's post*

Ugh. If there's one thing I hate in this world its cute talking animal movies.

If there's one thing I hate more than cute talking animal movies, its box office blockbuster cute talking animal movies.

And if there's one thing I fear in this world, its the people that like those cute talking animal movies.

*Shudders again*

[James Harvey]

I thought CATS & DOGS was actually pretty good. It wasn't the ebst movie, but it held my attention. save for a few overly sappy parts here and there. As for SCARY MOVIE 2, I thougth the first one was mediocre at best and I doubt I'll spend the cash to see it. Maybe a rental but that's all.

[DR. BELCH]

Cats and Dogs, as I've said before, looks pretty cutesy, although I can't help but notice that all the fights happen during the day (when most cats, being nocturnal, would rather sleep) and all the fighters are males (where are the females, I wonder? I mean, they don't have to fight, but at least they can have an emotional scene of a mother dog/cat objecting to watching her whelps march off to war). The dog hero is a beagle, and as I'm a big fan of that breed, that may be enough to get me to rent the movie (I seldom go to theaters) or wait for HBO to run it.

I have yet to see the first Scary Movie...but Beetlejuice, the small-headed black dwarf who appears on Howard Stern's show frequently, has a wee part in the sequel. He's a hoot but not worth the price of a ticket...hopefully both movies will make it to cable soon.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Clayface
Ugh. If there's one thing I hate in this world its cute talking animal movies.

If there's one thing I hate more than cute talking animal movies, its box office blockbuster cute talking animal movies.

Dang. Just when I thought you and I were never going to agree on matters aesthetic, you vent my own reaction to "C&D." :D

[Vigo Sprax]

Uh okay...we have a self proclaimed movie guy now...anyhoo...

I went against my better judgement and saw Cats & Dogs rather than Kiss of the Dragon because I was in a kind of down mood and wanted to be cheared up, Its absolutely the worst movie I've seen all sumer. Its beyond horrible, anyone with the intelligence above that of a 5 year should not attend this film. I was soooo close to just walking out.

I think Final Fantasy will do well, predicting it to take top spot next week...is there any worthy competition even comming out Wed. or Fri. ?

[Kylewayne]

Originally posted by Clayface

If there's one thing I hate more than cute talking animal movies, its box office blockbuster cute talking animal movies.



Cutesy talking animals I can stand. Bloody gory stuff...have no problem with it. Action, psi-fi, horror ,animation, comedy ...no problem either. If a movie peeks my interest then I will go see it. The only movies that my friends have to literaly drag me to see with them is those stupid chick flics. Ahhhh!....I can't stand those movies even if I am girl. They always have the same STUPID scenario.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by kylewayne
Cutesy talking animals I can stand. If a movie peeks my interest then I will go see it.

It is theoretically possible for a talking animal movie to be good and interesting. But when every line the animals speak in the commercials is a freakin' cliche? I think not.

[Vigo Sprax]

I liked the 2 Babe films, I thought they were really good. I remember liking Homeward Bound also.

C&D was utter crap.

[The Clown Prince]

Your damn right we have a self proclaimed movie guy now. Are you making fun of me? I like to think of myself as the average movie goer and is fair when it comes to rating movies. But if you think it's retarded, let me know.

The Clown Prince

[James Harvey]

An 80's Cartoon Freak & a Movie Buff! Excellent! I'm a huge movie buff myself, having around 300 VHSs and a growing DVD collection. It's great to have some more movie buffs here! So, the first half of the sumer movie season hasn't been that entirely bad. I can't say it's been great, becuase it hasn't. Come on, the vomit-induicng Pearl Harbor started the summer movie season - nuff said. And after finding out Jurassic Park III is only 94 minutes long, makes me wonder if it's just downhill from here.

I think Final Fantasy wil make a cool $20 - 35 mill in it's first week, but will face serious competition in the coming weeks. It'll be a battle to make it to $100, but I can't see it grossing more than $125 million, which is just over the movie's budget. I definatly plan to see it. Partly for the Spider-Man teaser trailer, and partly for the movie.

BTW - Siskel & Roeper gave the flick 2 thumbs up.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Vigo Sprax
I liked the 2 Babe films, I thought they were really good. I remember liking Homeward Bound also.


When I saw "Babe" it was only after I laid down and let wild horses drag me into it. Afterwards, I could only think that animal vivisection must have its good point. . . .

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by The ClownPrince
Your damn right we have a self proclaimed movie guy now. Are you making fun of me? I like to think of myself as the average movie goer and is fair when it comes to rating movies. But if you think it's retarded, let me know.

Nuthin' wrong with that :D

I used to be a real summer movie buff. But either I'm getting older or the movies are getting dumber. After suffering thru "Pearl Harbor" I've started to involuntarily wince every time I see a movie theater.

[The Clown Prince]

Yeah, I heard about that 94 minute running time for JP3 too. Most people at www.dansjp3page.com and IGN's JP3 board http://boards.ign.com/board.asp?brd=5066 are pretty upset about it. After seeing the first two be 2 hour plus movies and then we get a new director and the running time is cut by about 40 minutes kind of sucks. But those that see it as a good thing are probably right. What do I mean? Well, I'm starting to change my mind about it cause well, I have no choice. The movie is already done and what's complaining gonna do? Anyways, from recent online reviews and for those that have read the script online, JP3 doesn't waste time diving into the action. There's the typical introduction in the begining and then very shortly later they're off to the island. About 90% of the movie is all action, good ol' dino action. By cutting the running time by about a half an hour we eliminate all the scientific explanation like in JP and the crappy character interaction that we saw in TLW. With JP3 that has been eliminated and all we get is action. Good thing or bad thing? You make the call, I think it'll be good.

I think JP3 WILL be a very good movie and I'm still very excited to see it. It's not that often that I get hyped for a movie but JP3 and Planet of the Apes has got hyped big time.

And oh yeah, like Fox did with the first trailer to Star Wars Episode 1 attaching it to ONLY Wing Commander, Sony is doing the same thing with Final Fantasy to try and bring in more viewership for the movie. I think Fox knew Wing Commander was gonna do bad and so they attached the Ep. 1 trailer unto it. I think Sony might think too that FF might do bad, so they're sticking the already being hyped Spider-Man movie's trailer unto it. I agree that FF will bring about $20 to $35 million Wednesday through Sunday. Whether or not it hits $100 million remains to be seen. And here I thought Atlantis would do it. Sony has been HARD at work already making the DVD for FF. This one will be a good looking DVD by the time it comes out by the end of the year.

Pearl Harbor I liked with the exception of a few things, but this message is already long enough and for those that have read this far, I'll spare you anymore more reading. :)

The Clown Prince

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Vigo Sprax
I liked the 2 Babe films, I thought they were really good. I remember liking Homeward Bound also.

C&D was utter crap.

Homeward Bound is a great film, one of the few animal movies I will actually watch at my own free will and volition.

[James Harvey]

I was hoping JP3 would at least be 100 minutes. When a movie has a short runing time, I can onmly think that it'll be rushed. SOme short movies can get away with it, but some can't. But I agree, JP3 could be just pure action. I read that JP3 will have a more adult tone than the first two, which has me pretty excited. I hear that a couple of the deaths are gonna be pretty grissly. Plus the pics of the Spinosaurus and the Petronadon have me drooling. I've seen endless trailers for it, and it does have me hyped. I hope to see this on opening night. and it's definatly on my DVD list. Plus, the DVD will likely have a slew of deleted scenes, so ya can't complain about that.

As for FF, I hope to see it Wednesday if I can swing it. Sony is doing the right thing by having the SPidey trailer before it. I'm sure that will bring in alot of movie goers. I hear FF isnm't the straight forward action peice that some of the advertising makes it out to be, that it has major mystical and philosophy overtones, which I think is good. This movie could be a sleeper hit. It'll be a battle to get to $100 mill, but it can make it. But its competition, THE SCORE, I think will be the #1 movie this weekend. Edward Norton and DeNiro are big draws and that will promise THE SCORE at least $25 mill. CATS & DOGS will have some legs and gross a nice $14 mill or so this weekend. ATLANTIS will drop from the top ten, and SHREK will likely enjoy it;s last 2 or 3 weeks in it.

FF will get a nice $25 - 30 mill and THE SCORE will get at least $25 mill. Those are my predictions. Alot of thos emovies in the top ten are on my DVD list...gonna be an expensive season...

[The Clown Prince]

I did hear too that JP3 was going to be more "adult" which has me excited too. The director, Joe Johnston did say that out of the whole movie, he did delete two scenes. Hopefully those will be on the DVD. And for you Dick Grayson, here is some JP3 news I found today...

http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270338&obj_id=27695

There's a link too on that page to a Stan Winston interview. In it he talks about A.I. and says that he was really jealous of Rick Baker for getting to do the make-up for Planet of the Apes. He really wanted it, but he was just too busy, but glad he got it because his "plate was too full." It makes me think now how Stan Winston's vision of what the apes would have looked like. Rick Baker's apes look REALLY great though!

I too think The Score will be number 1 this weekend with FF in a close second. I think though that Shrek has about one week left in the top ten. There are just too many big time movies coming out in the next few weeks for it to remain in the top ten more than a week. We'll see though. Really disapointed at Atlantis' performance. Good movie though. :)

The Clown Prince

[The Mad Hatter]

JP3 is only 90 minutes? Huh. Yeah, the first two did drag a bit in parts with the characterization... who cares about the humans! Show us dinos! :) I don't really have high expectations for this flick, but I'll definately go see it. I'm a sucker for anything with dinosaurs in it.

As for Final Fantasy, I don't think it'll do that great. As Atlantis showed, the audiences aren't quite ready for a full-blown "adult" cartoon. The reason Shrek did so well is that it took familiar, safe territory and subverted it. Not only does FF have the stupid American "adult animation is an abhorration" stigma going against it, but near as I can tell it will indeed be fairly philisophical and introspective, which is another thing that will turn the American viewing audience off. There is absolutely no way FF will make back its production and promotion budget, even if Square is one of the best at what they do.

But I'm going to see it, probably Wednesday, and I may write about it in my Democrat-Gazette column. Hey, anyone here object if I call myself the "video game guy?" No? Alrighty. :)

[Vigo Sprax]

Teenagers and kids are the big summer movie crowd and I really think they'll all go for Final Fantasy & not The Score. I think Legally Blonde comes out this week too, can you say bomb?

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by The Mad Hatter

But I'm going to see it, probably Wednesday, and I may write about it in my Democrat-Gazette column. Hey, anyone here object if I call myself the "video game guy?" No? Alrighty. :)

Dude! You write for the Democrat-Gazette?! I've only got 3 newspapers bookmarked on my computer: The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Democrat-Gazette--and the D-G is far and away my favorite. Now you've GOT to tell me where you hang your shingle there.

[James Harvey]

THE SCORE will definatly score big, but opens on Friday, which means I'll have plenty of time to see both. I think Norton is a huge talent and is doing a good job by not being in every single movie. With this thread, we should start a Box-Office Predictions thread. As for JP3, when all is said and done, I just wanna see the dinos, too. I hear the ending is abrupt, but as long as I see some good T-Rex VS Spinosaurus action, I'll be pleased.
:)

Heh, wouldn't it be funny if JP3 evolved into the early "GODZILLA VS..." movies? Heh...

Anyways, FF, well, it may have a rough road ahead of it. I'm not exactly sure how good it will do, but I know it will do good on DVD. THis is probably a DVD movie. As for the threatre, I hope it doesn't sink like ATLANTIS (which I also like and will review here soon along with C&D) As for LEGALLY BLONDE, which I totally forgot about, it'll open with $8 mill then dissapear like CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL.

[The Mad Hatter]

Quoth Maxie Zeus:

Dude! You write for the Democrat-Gazette?! I've only got 3 newspapers bookmarked on my computer: The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Democrat-Gazette--and the D-G is far and away my favorite. Now you've GOT to tell me where you hang your shingle there.

Woah! How did you get started reading that humble little paper? Small world, indeed.

Anyway, I only freelance for them nowadays, in February I moved over to a local paper called the Log Cabin Democrat where they made me a business editor (more experience there in the long run). But at the D-G, I did features stuff for the NW edition of the Weekend section, and had an absolute blast.

Just do an archive search under my name, Robert Evatt, and you'll find what I wrote in the past (I hope). My column appears in the Weekend section every Friday, just click the Weekend button (www.ardemgaz.com for the rest of you) and look for "Pixelated."

I'll have to tell my editor they've got a fan in New Mexico...

[Mr. Eye]

I plan on seeing The Score too. Seeing how I really like Edward Norton and De Niro, I'll check it out. Plus it was shot and is based in my city! Yay.

Mr. Eye

[Mr. Eye]

Yes! Shrek has reached the 240 million mark. Not only is it the top grossing movie of the year (take that Mummy), it has alos cracked the top 20 highest grossing movies of all time. It just passed my favourite movie (Ghostbusters), for the 20th place. I'm guessing it will make at least 10 more, guaranteeing it the 15th slot, thus over-taking another favorite of mine, Batman.

Mr. Eye

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by The Mad Hatter
Woah! How did you get started reading that humble little paper?

Paul Greenberg, natch. My local paper used to run his pieces every so often; when I moved to a town that didn't have them I searched the web frantically to find him online and so landed with the ardemgaz. To be honest, I usually only read the editorial section (most every piece, most every day, though) because there's really no reason for me to follow the local news, but I ramble thru and check out the features every so often. Ardemgaz has a personality, which is not something you can say about most papers in the age of McGannett.

Ya gotta pay to get articles from the archives, but I did check out your latest item in the Weekend section. Very nice. Now I've got another site to hit every Friday!

Oh, I guess I better pretend this is on-topic. My predictions for box-office grosses:

Final Fantasy: $31.4 million
The Score: $15.4 million
Jurassic Park 3: $30.9 million

Don't let those faux-precise numbers fool you; I haven't anything like a clue. :D

[The Mad Hatter]

To Maxie:

Ah, Greenberg has a lot of fans. I don't generally agree with his opinions, but he is a hell of a writer. And I'm always happy when someone enjoys my column.

Oh, I haven't been able to check this since the D-G's website won't load up on my crap work computer this morning, but I think they've changed their archive policy, so that you don't have to pay for stuff in the recent past. A co-worker of mine was able to retrieve a May news article without paying for it. But I have no idea if that applies to everything, or just straight news.

Gannett... ick.

[Inque]

i'll watch any of the movies except for scary movie 2, it's just not my kind of humor. i'll watch almost anything.


i still think dogs are better than cats.

[Kylewayne]

Meowww!...CATS RULE! :D

Sorry just had to do that...it must be the cat in me :rolleyes: