The Resident Evil movies are simplistic, unoriginal, have very little in terms of plot and character development and they seem to go absolutely nowhere. That said, I still follow the series and find them to be at least a little enjoyable despite their numerous flaws. It seems America agrees with me as the fifth film in the franchise, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, did pretty well at the weekend box office. Whatever your opinion of the franchise, you can at least be thankful it wasn’t a re-release of a film that came out ten years ago. That brings us to FINDING NEMO 3D, which also did pretty well at the weekend box office. Is it just me, or are you starting to lose a little faith and respect for Pixar for their obsession with sequels and their re-releasing of their old films? It should be noted that Paul Thomas Anderson’s THE MASTER did well in limited release, making its case for Oscar glory that much stronger.
Next week sees the release of DREDD 3D, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and Jennifer Lawrence’s horror film HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET. With that lineup, it’s tough to guess what will win next weekend, but I’m guessing America still loves Jennifer Lawrence, so HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET might have the edge. I would have more faith in THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, especially with Emma Watson starring in it, but I don’t feel like it has been marketed very well at all. As for DREDD 3D, I’m not sure audiences are clamoring for another round with Dredd. It looks fun, just not something that will appeal to general audiences. Note: the numbers below will be updated as they become final.
1. Resident Evil: Retribution $21.1m
2. Finding Nemo 3D $17.5m
3. The Possession $5.7m
4. Lawless $4.2m
5. The Expendables 2 $3.1m
6. Paranorman $3m
7. The Words $2.8m
8. The Bourne Legacy $2.7m
9. The Odd Life of Timothy Green $2.5m
10. The Campaign $2.4m
(Deadline)