The highly anticipated release of the new big-budget,
big-screen version of the 1960’s "Get Smart" TV series, “Get Smart”, gained
the first spot in this weekend box office.
According to BoxOfficeMojo, “Get Smart” earned $39,155,000
in ticket sales. The movie budget was $80 million. The movie has even gained $5
million more than expected.
“Get Smart” was directed by Peter Segal known for his work
on the “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps”, “50 First Dates”, “Anger Management”
and “The Longest Yard” and stars Steve Carell (best known for Evan Almighty and
The 40 Year Old Virgin), Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence
Stamp and Terry Crews, to just name a few.
In “Get Smart”, “The Office’s” star Steve Carell embodies
the protagonist, Maxwell Smart, an analyst for the US intelligence agency CONTROL.
Like his homologue played by Don Adams, Smart craves more or less secretly to
leave his indoor work and go outside, shoot the enemies and save the world. But
the chances for his wish to come true are scarce, as he is very efficient at
his analyzing job. His idol is macho Agent 23, played by Dwayne Johnson.
The espionage agency’s nemesis, KAOS, succeeded with an evil
plan and uncovered CONTROL’s secret mission and missionaries. Given that KAOS
got its dirty hands on some nuclear weaponry, CONTROL has to go out there and
save the world, therefore Smart is given the guns, an undercover name, and a
colleague, beautiful Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). They are helped by Agent 23,
whose spy skills are too good to be left out of the operation, but who has been
too ‘uncovered’ to continue working undercover.
The movie falls into the action-comedy genre and the first
similar movie that comes to mind could be 2002’s "I Spy" with Eddie
Murphy and Owen Wilson
The 2008 cinema version seems to be funny enough to be worth
seeing, but it certainly lacks the charm of the old series, and it fails to
recreate its atmosphere.
However, it seems like despite its mixed reviews, “Get Smart”
has managed to attract enough moviegoers to rule the weekend.
On the second spot in this weekend box office was “Kung Fu
Panda”, a movie which was on the same place last weekend.
The Jack Black comedy about a jolly, lazy panda named Po who dreams of being a martial arts master earned $21,700,000,
bringing its total gross to $155,596,000 in just three weeks after the official
premiere.
Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson, the ensemble
cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Set Rogen
and others.
Falling two places, “The Incredible Hulk” earned $21,557,000,
after it has opened on the first place last weekend. The 2008 ‘Hulk’ suffered
some re-thinking and returned totally re-branded: new director, new cast, new
green. However, so far the move failed to match its $150 million budget.
Mike Myers’ “The Love Guru” has proved to be this weekend
bomb in the box office. The movie earned only $14,000,000 in three days.
Myers plays the part of Guru Pitka who was born in America but raised in India. He grew up in an ashram
(sort of a convent where sages live in peace, amidst nature) which was run by
Guru Tugginmypudha, played by Ben Kingsley. Because Pitka wants to become more
famous than Chopra, the most popular guru in the world, he accepts the job
given by Maple Leafs owner Jane Bullard, played by Jessica Alba. The Guru is
supposed to bring back together Toronto Maple Leafs star Darren Roanoke (Romany
Malco) and his wife (Meagan Good), who became L.A. Kings Jacques "Le
Coq" Grande’s (Justin Timberlake) girlfriend. Roanoke
lost his magic since his wife left him and the Guru has to help him, in order
for his team to win “Stanley's
Cup.”
M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening,” a thriller few critics
had mercy for due to its far-fetched plot and uninspired scenes. The film,
starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, was described by Shyamalan himself
as a fun B movie and it earned this weekend the fifth place and $10,000,000.
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” ranked
sixth $8,414,000, while Adam Sandlers’ ‘You Don't Mess with the Zohan” failed three
places from fourth to seventh place, with just $7,200,000 in ticket sales. “Sex
and the City” earned the eight place and $6,465,000.
“Iron Movie” has passed the $300,000,000 milestone, by
earning $4,002,000 this weekend.
The last place went to “The Strangers”, a thriller that
earned $1,949,00 this weekend and $49,586,000 since its release.
