Dynamic duo
A pair of martial-arts masters helped push overall box-office grosses to the first up weekend in four weeks when compared with the same time period last year. The Forbidden Kingdom, the first pairing of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, pulled in $20.8 million to take the top spot, while the R-rated Forgetting Sarah Marshall also opened impressively at No. 2 with $17 million.
The up side
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed opened surprisingly well for a documentary, earning $3.2 million while cracking the top 10. Even more amazing, the film accomplished those numbers after it was harshly panned by critics.
Bomb Squad
Speaking of being panned by critics, the Al Pacino-starring 88 Minutes was reviewed even worse than Expelled. (It managed just 6 percent positive reviews from critics on rottentomatoes.com!) Somehow, Expelled overrode those tough reviews, but 88 Minutes could not, earning just $6.8 million on opening weekend.
Swami Sez
The Swami's hot streak continues
Prediction: Forbidden Kingdom eeks out a win with $22 million.
Result: A little short, but pretty close.
Prediction: Forgetting Sarah Marshall finishes second with $21 million.
Result: Second, yes, but about $4 million off the forecast.
Plenty of seats available
For some reason, this weekend tends to be a light one at the box office. Last year, Disturbia lead the pack in its third week in release with $9 million. And the year before, the Robin Williams comedy RV won the frame with just $16 million. So don't expect a huge payday for whoever finishes on top this weekend.
Prediction: Baby Mama lands at No. 1 with a modest $15 million.
Happy returns
The other buzz movie of the weekend is Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. For all the hype surrounding it, its predecessor only earned $18 million total. So it's unlikely that this one will surpass that total in week one.
Prediction: The newest edition of Harold and Kumar finishes third with $10 million.
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