Movie News

Weekend Warrior: Spider-Man 3 Opens Wide!

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 4, 2007

By the time this article hits your web browser, RSS Reader or your Google Homepage, Spider-Man 3 will most likely have already made about $30 million dollars in the United States. How is that for some good Box Office juju? Midday on Thursday, Peter over at /Film reported that Spider-Man 3 had already sold out in over 100 theaters. That doesn’t sound like much, but consider this: when is the last time you went to see a movie on opening weekend and it was sold out at all? Not since last summer’s Pirates debacle have we seen a movie with such a powerful gravitational pull. To top that off, Box Office Mojo reported that Spider-Man 3 is officially the widest release in history, showing in more that 4,200 theaters. Pirates 2 opened in 4,133 theaters last year and raked in $135 million in its first weekend. Can the folks over at Sony smell something similar brewing? You can bet your web-slingin’ behind they can…

But enough of that technical, financial and tiresome jargon, let’s break this weekend down! Here is your movie line-up for May 4, 2007:

Spider-Man 3
[PG-13, 140 minutes, View Trailer]
It’s time to kick the tires and light the fires on this Summer Movie Season. We have waited long enough and no matter how the movie turns out, we are going to flock to our local theaters to check it out. And thankfully for Sam Raimi and the folks at Sony, it really doesn’t matter whether Spider-Man 3 is good or not, because the film itself was a big disappointment. The story is full of moments that take you out of the story, cheesy dialog and a severe under use of both Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy and Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom. Don’t let that stop you though, as the action scenes and the CGI are too good to miss. If you get into big movies, this is one you will want to see; just don’t freak out if it doesn’t make you want to come back for more. (Full Review)

Risk Factor: Minimal Risk. While it doesn’t hold a flame to the first two, this Spider-Man is still the most exciting film out this week.

Lucky You
[PG-13, 124 minutes, View Trailer]
The only major release with enough cahones to match wits with the monstrosity that is Spider-Man 3 is a formulaic chick flick starring that badass guy from Troy and The Hulk (Eric Bana) and that girl who is in every cheesy chick flick (Drew Barrymore). If that isn’t enough to make you lose interest, how about the fact that it is about playing Poker. And unlike watching the World Series of Poker on ESPN, where they cut to the good parts, this one plays it slow, steady and painful. The only redeeming factor here is that if your girlfriend won’t let you go see Spider-Man 3, you can let her pick this one and then promptly break-up with her for having cinematic tastes of a 12 year old girl (read: “But Drew Barrymore is soooo cute!”) Unless you are a huge poker fan or extremely whipped, this one should be skipped. (Review Upcoming)

Risk Factor: High Risk. This one moves so slow it may cause bodily harm, consult your physician if a rash breaks out.

Away from Her (limited)
[PG-13, 110 minutes, View Trailer]
Since it debuted at the Toronto Film Festival last year and then hit again at Sundance earlier this year, this film has been gaining momentum. Actress turned Director Sarah Polley delivers the story of a man coping with his wife’s losing battle with Alzheimer’s disease. This one has taken home plenty of critical acclaim, so it may not be a bad choice if you are of an adventurous disposition. With a limited release as well, it will be tougher to find than it will be to enjoy.

Risk Factor: Moderate. It has to be playing in your area and you have to enjoy well realized story-telling. For mindless fun and over-the-top excitement, scroll back up to Spider-Man.

Financial Outlook
There is one thing that is for certain, I will not be wrong this week when I say that Disturbia will fall from the top spot. There is no plausible way for Spider-Man 3 not to decapitate the competition as the Summer Movie Season kicks into gear. The only question left to be answered is, “How high is high for Spidey?” When the dust settles and your case of “the Mondays” begins to set in, here is how the chips should land:

Spider-Man 3 - $125 million
Disturbia - $7.2 million
Lucky You - $7 million
Next - $5 million
Fracture - $4.5 million
Hot Fuzz - $4.2 million
The Invisible - $3.7 million
Blades of Glory - $3.5 million
Meet the Robinsons - $3 million
Vacancy - $2.7 million

It is a fact, I have been wrong before. If you think you can do better, feel free to predict away in the comment area below. Otherwise…

Have a Great Weekend!

Tags: Spider-Man 3, spiderman, new releases, box office, movies, film, hollywood, celebrity, lucky you