Box Office Update 3/10-3/12: Failure to Launch

Failure to Launch may sound like a clever title with which critics can, and did, riff on with regards to its potential for success, but the opposite happened. The audiences flocked to the theaters to help the film take flight to the tune of over $24 million. The film itself is a mixed bag, probably not worthy of the early success it has experienced. I liked it, but it is no classic and numerous odd tonal shifts, as if they weren't sure what direction they really wanted to go in.

Following that liftoff is Disney's second dog-themed movie of the year, and also a remake, The Shaggy Dog. The Tim Allen vehicle sees Allen turned into a dog, a transformation which helps him reconnect with his family. Personally, I think the trailers look terrible, but it has gotten lukewarm reviews, and there is always room for a family film.

Rounding out the opening trio of new releases atop the box office is a new entry in the horror genre, and yet another remake. The movie is a new incarnation of Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes. I cautiously hoped that this would open better, but it stilled did some decent business, and turned out to be a rather effective horror flick.

Slipping down the list are Date Movie and The Pink Panther, both of which appear to be on their way out. Following quickly behind them will be Ultraviolet. Then there is a new release that failed to crack the top 10, The Libertine, an excellent turn from Johnny Depp carries the movie which is better than its box office suggests.

Three films dropped off the top 10, Curious George (11), Dave Chappelle's Block Party (13), and Firewall (14).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	Failure to Launch	$24,411,322	$24,411,322	1
2	N	The Shaggy Dog	$16,310,058	$16,310,058	1
3	N	The Hills Have Eyes	$15,708,512	$15,708,512	1
4	2	16 Blocks	$7,411,016	$22,808,568	2
5	1	Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion	$5,749,355	$55,703,144	3
6	3	Eight Below	$5,552,540	$66,564,664	4
7	5	Aquamarine	$3,858,072	$12,373,367	2
8	4	Ultraviolet	$3,681,448	$14,832,858	2
9	6	The Pink Panther	$3,650,306	$74,653,310	5
10	8	Date Movie	$2,525,111	$44,289,381	4

Let's close this with a look at the pecking order that I had predicted, and see just how bad I did.

Predicted. (Actual)

1. (1) Failure to Launch. Finishing better than expected by the critics, but right where I thought it would be.
2. (2) The Shaggy Dog. Coming in under expectations, this one could still have legs.
3. (3) The Hills Have Eyes. 3 for 3. I had sort of hoped horror would open stronger, but it still did decent.
4. (5 ) Madea's Family Reunion. Slipped a little further than I expected, but has already outdone its predecessor.
5. (4) 16 Blocks. Hanging on valiantly.
6. (6) Eight Below. This Disney flick deserves the attention it has gotten, it is a good family flick, and is showing some theatrical legs.
7. (13) Dave Chappelle's Block Party. Tumbling from grace, it has stumbled way out of the top ten, I guess the flirtation is over
8. (9) The Pink Panther. Hopefully this will finally drop off the list next week.
9. (8) Ultraviolet. Bad word of mouth and reviews will kill this one quick. I am one of about 5 people to like it.
10. (7) Aquamarine. It has hung in better than I thought.

Not too bad, I got the top four right, and 4 more off by one.

Categories: BoxOffice, Movies, Weekly, News