Best Bet(s): If you’re really looking forward to seeing “Angels & Demons” (read my review), then you shouldn’t be disappointed, but if you haven’t seen “Star Trek” (read my review) yet, its the movie to see even if you aren’t a fan of the franchise, it has wide ranging appeal and it may turn out to be the “Iron Man” of this summer with its wide-ranging appeal and positive reviews.

New on DVD (Tuesday): “The Grudge 3″, “Passengers”, “Personal Effects”, “Taken”, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”

Best Bet(s): One of the early surprises for many at the box office this year was the staying power of the action thriller “Taken”, for more, check out my interview with actress Maggie Grace about her role in the movie.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “Terminator Salvation” (Thursday)

Next Week on DVD: “Fanboys”, “My Bloody Valentine”, “Outlander”, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”, “Valkyrie”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

Playing at West Michigan movie theaters:
“Slumdog Millionaire” (9.5/ 10)
“Star Trek” (8.5 / 10)
“Angels & Demons” (8.5 / 10)
“Defiance” (8.0 / 10)
“I Love You, Man” (8.0/ 10)
“State of Play” (8.0)
“Revolutionary Road” (7.9 / 10)
“New in Town” (7.9 / 10)
“Fanboys” (8.5 for me, adjusted to 7.5 for most)
“He’s Just Not That Into You” (7.5 / 10)
“Four Christmases”  (7.5 / 10)
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (7.0 / 10)
“Knowing” (7.0 / 10)
“Watchmen” (7.0 / 10)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (6.5 / 10)
“Monsters Vs. Aliens” (6.0 / 10)
“Confessions of A Shopaholic” (5.5 / 10)

- – -

Available to rent or buy:
“Slumdog Millionaire” (9.5/ 10)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (9.5 / 10)
“The Dark Knight” (9.5 / 10)
“Changeling”  (9.5 / 10)
“WALL-E” (9.0)
“Pride and Glory” (9.0 / 10)
“The Wrestler” (8.9 / 10)
“Righteous Kill” (8.9 / 10)
“Eagle Eye” (8.5 / 10)
“Burn After Reading” (8.5 / 10)
“Wanted” (8.0 / 10)
“The Visitor” (8.0 / 10)
“Australia”  (7.9 / 10)
“Frozen River” (7.9 / 10)
“Quantum of Solace”  (7.5 / 10)
“Taken” (7.5 / 10)
“Traitor” (7.5 / 10)
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Marley & Me” (7.5 / 10)
“Bride Wars” (7.5 / 10)
“Rachel Getting Married” (7.0)
“Get Smart” (7.0 / 10)
“Bedtime Stories” (7.0 / 10)
“Twilight”  (7.0 / 10)
“Hotel for Dogs” (7.0 / 10)
“Appaloosa” (6.9 / 10)
“Lakeview Terrace” (6.5 / 10)
“Hellboy II: Golden Army” (6.5 / 10)
“Body of Lies” (6.0)
“Noise” (6.0 / 10) 

– 

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But the bigger story here is that the box office was down 20% from last weekend, the 4th lowest weekend of the year’s 17 weekends so far.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “17 Again” – $24.06 million (1st week)

2. “State of Play” - $14.10 million (1st week)

3. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $12.90  million
(4th week, was #3 last week, lost 41% from last week)

4. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $12.67 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 61% from last week)

5. “Fast and Furious” – $12.29 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 55% of audience from last week)

6. “Crank: High Voltage” – $6.51 million (1st week) 

7. “Observe and Report” – $4.06 million
(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 63% from last week)

8. “Knowing” – $3.48 million
(5th week, was #5 last week, lost 46% from last week)

9. “I Love You, Man” – $3.37 million
(5th week, was #6 last week, lost 46% from last week)

10. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $3.15 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 47% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“17 Again” poster courtesy New Line Cinema

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

Last week’s number one “Fast and Furious” lost a staggering 59% of its audience from its record-breaking opening weekend.  “Monsters vs. Aliens” held on to third place, staying ahead of new movies “Observe and Report” that earned just $11 million and “Dragonball Evolution” that barely cracked the top 10 with $4.65 million in 8th place.

“Sunshine Cleaning” lost the least of the top 15 movies, down less than 1% from the previous weekend… “Knowing” and “I Love You, Man” are also holding onto their audience, losing just 18% and 17% from last week.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Hannah Montana The Movie” – $34.00 million (1st week)

2. “Fast and Furious” – $28.78 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 59% of audience from last week)

3. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $22.62  million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 31% from last week)

4. “Observe and Report” – $11.14 million (1st week)

5. “Knowing” – $6.67 million
(4th week, was #4 last week, lost 18% from last week)

6. “I Love You, Man” – $6.41 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 17% from last week)

7. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $5.71 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 40% from last week)

8. “Dragonball Evolution” – $4.65 million (1st week) 

9. “Adventureland” – $3.43 million
(2nd week, was #6 last week, lost 40% from last week)

10. “Duplicity” – $2.99 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 28% from last week)

—

11. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $2.00 million
(5th week, was #8 last week, lost 28% from last week)

12. “Sunshine Cleaning” – $1.80 million
(5th week of limited release, was #10 last week, lost 0.2% from last weekend)

13. “Taken” – $1.12 million
(11th week, was #13 last week, lost 27% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Fast & Furious” poster courtesy Universal Pictures

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

In addition to breaking the April record, “Fast and Furious”’s $72.51 million was nearly as much as all of the Top 12 movies combined for the same weekend in 2008 ($80.22 million April 4-6, 2008).

“Adventureland” opened in 6th place, while “Sunshine Cleaning” cracked the top 10 as it opened in West Michigan for the first time.

So much for staying power, “Watchmen” drops out of Top 10 in just its 5th week (from 8th to 13th)… meanwhile “Taken” holds on in its 11th week, losing 41% of its audience from last week, moving just 2 spots (2 new movies) from 9th to 11th.   But “I Love You, Man” lost the least of the top 15 movies, down just 38% from the previous weekend. 

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Fast and Furious” – $72.51 million (1st week)

2. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $33.51 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 44% of audience from last week)

3. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $9.55 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 59% from last week)

4. “Knowing” – $8.13 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 45% from last week)

5. “I Love You, Man” – $7.85 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 38% from last week)

6. “Adventureland” – $6.01 million (1st week)

7. “Duplicity” – $4.30 million
(3rd week, was #5 last week, lost 44% from last week)

8. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $3.35 million
(4th week, was #6 last week, lost 42% from last week)

9. “12 Rounds” – $2.30 million
(2nd week, was #7 last week, lost 57% from last week)

10. “Sunshine Cleaning” – $1.88 million
(4th week of limited release, was #11 last week, gained 48% from last weekend, adding 312 theaters, including West Michigan)

—

11. “Taken” – $1.58 million
(10th week, was #9 last week, lost 41% from last week)

12. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $1.31 million
(4th week, was #10 last week, lost 50% from last week)

13. “Watchmen” - $1.09 million
(5th week, was #8 last week, lost 60% from last week)

14. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $0.51 million
(21st week, was #12 last week, lost 56% from last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Fast & Furious” poster courtesy Universal Pictures

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

Last week’s number one “Knowing”, number two “I Love You, Man”, and number three “Duplicity” dropped two spots, holding their order from last week, but “I Love You, Man” lost the least from last week, just 29% of its audience while “Knowing” lost 40% of its audience and “Duplicity” lost 46% from last week.

“Sunshine Cleaning”, which opens in Grand Rapids market this Friday, nearly cracked the Top 10 in its 3rd week of limited release, despite playing in just 167 theaters nationwide. 

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Monsters vs. Aliens” – $58.20 million (1st week)

2. “The Haunting in Connecticut” – $23.01 million (1st week)

3. “Knowing” – $14.71 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 40% of audience from last week)

4. “I Love You, Man” – $12.60 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 29% from last week)

5. “Duplicity” – $7.56 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 46% from last week)

6. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $5.64 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 56% from last week)

7. “12 Rounds” – $5.30 million (1st week)

8. “Watchmen” - $2.76 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 60% from last week)

9. “Taken” – $2.70 million
(9th week, was #7 last week, lost 34% from last week)

10. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $2.61 million
(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 55% from last week)

—

11. “Sunshine Cleaning” – $1.34 million
(3rd week of limited release)

12. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $1.14 million
(20th week, was #8 last week, lost 58% from last week)

14. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $0.83 million
(11th week, was #11 last week, lost 55% from last week)

15. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $0.47 million
(8th week, was #12 last week, lost 62% from last week)

69. “Fanboys” - $0.01 million (opened 3/6 in West Michigan)
(8th week, playing in just 28 theaters nationally, 2 more than last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Monsters vs. Aliens” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Taken” continues to hold on, now in its 8th week of release, it is losing less than the movies that have been in theaters for fewer weeks, losing 38% of its audience from last week while “Watchmen” lost 62%, “Last House on the Left” lost 58%, and “Race to Witch Mountain” lost 47% of the audience from last week.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Knowing” – $24.81 million (1st week)

2. “I Love You, Man” – $18.00 (1st week)

3. “Duplicity” – $14.40 million (1st week)

4. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $13.00 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 47% from last week)

5. “Watchmen” - $6.73 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 62% from last week)

6. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $5.92 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 58% from last week)

7. “Taken” – $4.10 million
(8th week, was #4 last week, lost 38% from last week)

8. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $2.70 million
(19th week, was #6 last week, lost 46% from last week)

9. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” – $2.50 million
(5th week, was #5 last week, lost 51% from last week)

10. “Coraline” – $2.14 million
(7th week, was #9 last week, lost 21% from last week)

—

11. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $1.88 million
(10th week, was #7 last week, lost 40% from last week)

12. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $1.27 million
(7th week, was #8 last week, lost 57% from last week)

 13. “Confessions of A Shopaholic” – $0.76 million
(6th week, was #11 last week, lost 61% from last week)

56. “Fanboys” - $0.01 million (opened 3/6 in West Michigan)
(7th week, playing in just 26 theaters nationally, 1 fewer than last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Knowing” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

Also new over the weekend were “The Last House on the Left” (2009) and “Miss March”.   The horror remake gave “Watchmen” a run for its money, while the buddy comedy “Miss March” barely made the top 10.

Word of mouth or bad reviews, or both??   “Watchmen” saw one of the biggest declines in recent memory (67%) for a number one movie after its opening weekend (last week’s $55 million was the biggest opening of the year so far).

“Taken” is holding its own, now in its 7th week of release, it continues to hover around 4th place, losing just 9% of its audience from last week.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. ”Race to Witch Mountain” – $25.00 million (1st week)

2. “Watchmen” - $18.07 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 67% from last week)

3. “The Last House on the Left” (2009) – $14.66 million (1st week)

4. “Taken” – $6.65 million
(7th week, was #4 last week, lost 9% from last week)

5. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” – $5.13 million
(4th week, was #2 last week, lost 40% from last week)

6. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $5.03 million
(18th week, was #4 last week, lost 26% from last week)

7. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $3.10 million
(9th week, was #5 last week, lost 25% from last week)

8. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $2.91 million
(6th week, was #6 last week, lost 28% from last week)

9. “Coraline” – $2.66 million
(65th week, was #7 last week, lost 19% from last week)

10. “Miss March” - $2.35 million (1st week)

—

11. “Confessions of A Shopaholic” – $2.00 million
(5th week, was #8 last week, lost 35% from last week)

48. “Fanboys” - $0.02 million (opened last Friday in West Michigan)
(6th week, playing in just 27 theaters nationally, 18 fewer than last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

“Race to Witch Mountain” poster courtesy Disney

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” dropped to second after two weeks at the top of the box office, but lost less of its audience than the previous week.  “Slumdog Millionaire” is still seeing returns on its Oscar win for Best Picture, but the box office momentum may be slowing down, as it lost 40% of its audience and slipped down to 4th place.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Watchmen” - $55.66 million (1st week)

2. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” – $8.80 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 46% from last week)

3. “Taken” – $7.45 million
(6th week, was #4 last week, lost 25% from last week)

4. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $6.93 million
(17th week, was #3 last week, lost 42% from last week)

5. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $4.20 million
(8th week, was #6 last week, lost 25% from last week)

6. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $4.02 million
(5th week, was #5 last week, lost 33% from last week)

7. “Coraline” – $3.13 million
(5th week, was #7 last week, lost 37% from last week)

8. “Confessions of A Shopaholic” – $3.12 million
(4th week, was #9 last week, lost 33% from last week)

9. “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” – $2.79 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 78% from last week)

10. “Fired Up” – $2.60 million
(3rd week, was #10 last week, lost 30% from last week) 

—

39. “Fanboys” - $0.03 million (opened Friday in West Michigan)
(5th week, playing in just 45 theaters nationally, 11 more than last week)

CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT 

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

The Oscar winning bump saw a 45% increase in audience for “Slumdog Millionaire” moving up from 5th to 3rd place.

Another trend of weak post-Oscar offerings is the week’s other new movie “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li”… opening in 8th place.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (estimated results):
1. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” – $16.50 million
(2nd week at #1, lost 60% from last week)

2. “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” – $12.70 million (1st week)

3. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $12.15 million
(16th week, was #5 last week, gained 45% more from last week)

4. “Taken” – $9.95 million
(5th week, was #3 last week, lost 12% from last week)

5. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – $5.88 million
(4th week, was #4 last week, lost 31% from last week)

6. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - $5.60 million
(7th week, was #8 last week, lost 18% from last week)

7. “Coraline” – $5.25 million
(4th week, was #2 last week, lost 54% from last week)

8. “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” – $4.65 million (1st week)

9. “Confessions of A Shopaholic” – $4.49 million
(3rd week, was #8 last week, lost 33% from last week)

10. “Fired Up” – $3.80 million
(2nd week, was #9 last week, lost 31% from last week)

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

Neeson embodies everything a father would want to do for his daughter if she was in danger, but he has the skills to carry it out… as a former spy… he knows how to track down and take out the bad guys… all by himself.
It might be a little violent with adult themes for the younger viewers (rated PG-13), but it has the edge that makes it a strong action thriller with Neeson trying to find out who kidnapped his daughter and what has happened to her.

Its a dirty job, and until he’s going to save her, Bryan (Neeson) is a father on the outside looking in with his ex-wife and daughter living with the new rich husband.

Neeson is solid in this intense role, and while he carries the film, he does get some good support from Famke Janssen, who plays his ex-wife Lenore… Maggie Grace does a pretty good turn trying to play the young teen daughter who grows up too fast, and Xander Berkeley does wll in the small role of rich new husband/step dad Stuart.

But the strength of this movie is the action injected storyline, quick pace, editing and cinematography that keeps you watching.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

It takes a little to get going, but it has to set up the character relationships (for audiences that haven’t been seeing the trailer since last summer).   Once the movie gets going, its great… I give it 7.5 out of 10 because while the movie has a lot of great points, it becomes a little predictable… but still worthwhile.

“Taken”

(2009) (rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language) (1 hr, 31 min)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley, Maggie Grace, Katie Cassidy, Leland Orser, David Warshofsky, Jon Gries, Gérard Watkins, Holly Valance

Director: Pierre Morel
Writer: Luc Besson (”The Transporter” (2002), “The Fifth Element” (1997), “Léon The Professional” (1994))

Genre: Action/Thriller/Crime/Drama

The Plot: A former spy relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

“Taken” poster courtesy 20th Century Fox/Europa Corp.

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