Dec 17 2007'I Am Legend' Wins Weekend, 'Alvin' Does Far Too Well
1. I Am Legend - A massive budget, computer effects, and the Fresh Prince are always a surefire hit, bringing in $76.5 million. Now if someone could only explain why.
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks - With a $45 million weekend, it's finally the definitive proof that there is no God. Or if there is, he loves shit-eating jokes, which might be worse.
3. The Golden Compass - This weekend, America made an important choice: talking polar bears or talking chipmunks? In short, the polar bears lost, making only $9 million, and immediately blew it all on fish.
4. Enchanted - Seriously, this is still making $6 million a weekend? How many talking animal movies is it going to take to knock this out of the top five?
5. No Country for Old Men - If you know how good the Coen Brothers' latest is, it will infuriate you to know that, with $3 million, it made 15 times less than Jason Lee's computer-animated castration.
Weekend Box Office [Box Office Mojo]
Reader Comments
1. Wendy - December 17, 2007 2:45 PM
I've always enjoyed the Homega man halloween episode of the Simpsons. With that in mind I figured Will Smith had the chops to do the Simpsons episode justice. Technically he did, however the director didn't.
I tried to sum up what the movie lacked after watching it. The script wasn't anything new but instead borrowed from Aliens, Blair Witch, 28 days later, and of course the Omega man. In most cases it didn't do as good of a job as the parent material (except Blair Witch but really what would you expect.) but it did an ok enough of a job. Will Smith whether you like him or not can act and he did act in this movie. The problem all came down to the direction, I didn't know why but I could feel it.
Later the next day I heard an interview with Jason Reitman, the son of famed Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, who said that the biggest tip his father gave him about directing the movie Juno was not to try to make a scene funnier, or more dramatic, either it is or it isn't, the only thing he can do as a director is make it feel more authentic. That's what the direct of I am Legend failed to do. He failed to make just about every important scene feel authentic.
Ok script. Inspired from good source material. Good acting. Poor directing. All adds up to ok movie, too bad too.
2. Bobby - December 17, 2007 2:55 PM
I thought I am Legend was a good movie, but I wasn't sure I liked it. Wendy, you make some good points in your post.
I'm no longer shocked that Alvin made that much money. America is the same place where the Big Mouth Billy Bass was a huge success. And these same people get to vote?
Can a live action Jetsons movie be far off?
3. sam - December 18, 2007 12:44 PM
76 million in one weekend? If I wanted to hear Will Smith say "welcome to urf!", I'd rent "Independence Day"
4. Pat - December 19, 2007 9:25 AM
I Am Legend was scary enough. Dumb, with a weak ending, but I'd pay to see the Fresh Prince in almost anything. Besides, it's just a harmless Will Smith movie, I wouldn't spend too much time applying philosophies about the art of directing to a Will Smith popcorn movie (a Will Smith Milk Duds movie, however, is another question altogether).
Did anyone else see the decrepit Batman/Superman poster in Times Square in I Am Legend? I said to myself when I saw that, "As long as that movie comes out BEFORE the world is killed by vampire zombies viruses, I'll be OK."