Last weekend action fans from around the country packed theaters to see the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, bringing in a $67+ million weekend. But Bond will be hard pressed to maintain the box office crown with the opening of two key holiday season releases: the hugely anticipated Twilight, a teen love story with vampires based on the bestseller, and Disney’s latest family-friendly animated adventure, Bolt, about a canine TV star who thinks he has super-powers.
It would appear that Twilight has the edge this weekend based on criteria like online movie ticket presales and teen awareness, but never underestimate the draw of a polished, fun-for-all-ages Disney picture, especially considering many families looking for weekend entertainment will have already seen Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa earlier this month. “Bolt” does feature some big-time voice talent including John Travolta and the wildly popular Miley Cyrus, but we expect that the dedicated “Twilight” fans will come out in droves and take their title to the top of the box office this weekend.
Twilight - Fans of the Stephenie Meyer’s best-seller have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this film. The story focuses on a high-school girl (Kristen Stewart) who relocates from Arizona to the Pacific Northwest during her junior year. And wouldn’t you know it, she falls in love with one of the town’s incognito vampires, the most mysterious and beautiful boy in school. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson do have some genuine chemistry as a couple, but of the vampire action sequences in the film Genevieve Koski of The Onion writes, “these setpieces are hindered by cheesy CGI effects and unfortunate styling that makes the vampires look not like impossibly beautiful killing machines, but like a bunch of dorks who fell into a vat of pancake makeup.” And though the special effects and makeup aren’t the strong points of this production, Richard Corliss of Time Magazine says, “So Twilight isn’t a masterpiece — no matter. It rekindles the warmth of great Hollywood romances.” Edward Douglas on ShockTillYouDrop.com is less kind, breaking it down like this: “Essentially, a CW take on Anne Rice, catering to the gooey-eyed fans of Meyer’s novels and their unrealistic romantic expectations.” So if you are checking it out this weekend, be prepared for sold-out shows, long lines and, apparently, fans with gooey eyes.
Bolt - Ever since Disney partnered up to distribute Pixar’s brilliant films, it’s seemed like most of the Mouse House’s own animated offerings were lacking that old-time magic. “Bolt” may very well be the title to restore luster to Disney’s legacy, as the peppy dog tale looks fresh, vibrant and fun, and features an excellent voice cast. Tasha Robinson of The AV Club exclaims, “For the first time in years, it feels like Disney has done its namesake proud,” and Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Daily News seems to wholeheartedly agree, proclaiming, “‘Bolt’ is earnest, wholesome, family entertainment. In a word, it’s Disney, which seems to have remembered that those attributes are really nothing to be ashamed of.” Some other critics aren’t quite as enthusiastic about Disney’s animated achievement, like Nick Shager of Slant Magazine who says, “neither its premise nor its execution quite inspired enough to elicit more than faint admiration,” but overall this shouldn’t disappoint if you see this in theaters with your family.
IN LIMITED RELEASE
Other films this weekend in limited release include Lake City, about a man in trouble with a drug dealer whose only option is to head back to his long-forsaken hometown. It stars Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek, Dave Matthews, and former model/evil mutant, Rebecca Romijn. Special stars Michael Rappaport as a man who starts to believe his experimental anti-anxiety medication is giving him super powers. Also opening Friday is The Betrayal, an intense documentary about U.S. involvement in Laos, and I Can’t Think Straight, a romantic comedy about cultures clashing in London.








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