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I was ready to say “Ouch!” to Caspian’s $56.6 million take, but then I was reminded that part one debuted at less than $10 million more before going on to gross over $291 million domestic. On the other hand, the first one was released around Christmastime without a ridiculously powerful franchise debuting one week later.

5/23

Wide

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Indiana Jones does some shit. You watch.

WILL IT SUCK?
Before seeing it, my thought was that given the talent involved (David Koepp is solid, but he’s no Lawrence Kasdan) it would be unlikely that the film could be as good as we want it to be or as bad we fear it to be. That’s pretty much how it turned out.

It is not the disaster we fear it to be, nor is it exactly Last Crusade, either.

Dr. Wife put it pretty succinctly when she said that if you just look at it as an action film, it’s good, but it suffers by comparison to the better angels of the franchise.

Put another way, I’d rank it between Last Crusade and Temple of Doom, but much closer to Last Crusade.

Put yet another way, go see it. You’ll have a good time. But don’t expect one of the greatest action films of all time.

I’ll be posting a more detailed review later.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It doesn’t matter what the critics think, and they won’t exactly be condemning it. The tracking for this is sick. Given the Thursday open before a three day weekend, they’re expecting a five-day haul on the order of $150 million. In the final analysis, I’ll be very surprised if this doesn’t land in the top three for the year, if not number one. $325mil.

Limited

THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
True story of a guy who took 60 orphans up the Silk Road to save them from the advancing Japanese army during WWII.

WILL IT SUCK?
From director Roger Spottiswoode, who’s done everything from And the Band Played On to Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Ironically, the last time he worked with Michelle Yeoh, who’s up in here with John Rhys-Meyers, Rhada Mitchell and Chow Yun Fat, she was riding a motorcycle with Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies. Early buzz is good, so maybe this is closer to And the Band Played On.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
A big hit in China, but not so sure that will translate here. $6mil.

WAR, INC.

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Thank You For Warring

WILL IT SUCK?
A lot of people are calling this Grosse Point Blank 2 because it has a similar cast in similar roles with a similar plot (expanded to a full out war instead of just discrete hits) but I get the feeling this isn’t going to be quite as subtle. Some decent writers, including John Cusack, who plays a morally conflicted hitman, again. I get the feeling that it’s a great idea that won’t get the right execution, and the early buzz seems to confirm that instinct.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The cast will give it some juice, but the word of mouth will limit its run. $8mil.

Next Week: A summer blockbuster for the ladies.