Even if it didn't match the $60 million opening gross of "Cars" last year, "Ratatouille"'s $47 million led the weekend and represents a decisive victory for any movie about rats in a French restaurant. (I'd say that was the polar opposite of "Cars"' NASCAR demo appeal). Next weekend should prove what makes the movie special in the crowded marketplace: legs (and lot of 'em). I caught "Ratatouille" with the family on Friday night, and the packed house burst into applause at the end -- not bad for a CGI movie. Judging from the ecstatic reviews, this one has found the inner child in everyone's Antoine Ego.
"Live Free or Die Hard" didn't die, either -- the Bruce Willis grunt-a-thon made a perfectly respectable $33 million, on par with earlier installments in this delicate saga. Total take since the Wednesday opening is $48 million. Smart move, Fox, opening "LFODH" early and counterprogramming against the family crowd.
Dreamworks is trying a similar strategy with "Transformers," opening the pod bay doors tomorrow to jump start the July 4th "weekend". Wesley's review and Manohla Dargis at the NY Times aren't positive, but the core audience for this one doubtless thinks the more the movie offends the pinkie-lifters, the better it is.
Michael Moore's "Sicko" had its first week of fairly wide release (441 theaters), pulled in $4.5 million, with a solid $10k per theater. That puts it well shy of "Fahrenheit 9/11" territory but well within reach of "Bowling for Columbine" numbers. "Evening," an Oscar-season movie lost in the summer doldrums, turned out to be a counterprogramming move that fizzled: $3.5 million.
"Evan Almighty"? Toast in its second week out, with $15 million. As noted before, only "Knocked Up" seems to have any resiliency of the summer big-movie crowd -- and, look, ma, no special effects. (Unless you count that wizened mutant baby in the waiting room scene.)
More box office shenanigans at Box Office Mojo and Leonard Klady.
