Box Office Poll: Can ‘Rocky’ fight his way to the top?

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 21, 2006

‘Tis the season for some Box Office battles, eh? Along with the painfully long Awards season that has been upon us for weeks now, it is also time for Hollywood to shell out some Holiday blockbusters – something to give the kiddies something to do while they are off school. For the most part, moms and dads are invited as well. Last year’s Christmas weekend box office saw King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia dominate a few new releases that were less than worthy (Fun with Dick and Jane did make $21 million, though.)

This year could be something similar, with Will Smith’s family friendly Pursuit of Happyness dominating last week, fantasy favorite Eragon in tow. Also still lingering, as you can see from the chart to the right, are The Holiday, Charlotte’s Web and Happy Feet, two other seasonal treats fit for the whole family.

We add a few sports films this week, one of a haggard old boxer whose legacy is determined to live on, and one about an entire town forced to fall in love with football all over again after a tragic plane crash. Rocky Balboa (out 12/20) sees the return of Sly Stallone as the Italian Stallion, stumbling through his later years and trying to fight again. The film was inspired and Stallone still has that Rocky charm, leading most critics to believe that this one is worth a shot.

Second on the list of entries is We Are Marshall, starring Matthew McConaughey. It is being very ill received by critics, but it does have a great marketing campaign behind it, so don’t rule it out. Also out this week for the families is Night at the Museum, starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, and Owen Wilson. This one may be the runaway Christmas weekend hit due to its cool special effects and its very popular cast. Who doesn’t want to see Ben Stiller slap a monkey?

Also gracing silver screens this week is Robert De Niro’s directorial debut, The Good Shepherd. Telling the story of the birth of the CIA, The Good Shepherd is a solid (but long winded) drama with plenty of suspense, strong performances and intrigue to give the adult audiences something to pass the time. While the bulk of its success may come in February when they hand out little golden men, The Good Shepherd will still get a piece of the pie this weekend.

So there you have it, plenty of releases to fill your already busy Holiday weekend. But who will come out on top? My spider senses tell me that while Rocky will be a big draw, and The Pursuit of Happyness will still hold strong but it will be Night at the Museum, drawing in the kids and the families hell bent on keeping them quite that will win out this Christmas. I say Night at the Museum comes out on top.

Want to weigh in your opinion? Please do so via the poll to the right.

Read more articles by Neil Miller