Battle At The Box Office

No less than 4 new films will be battling to unseat Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as the number one movie at the box office this weekend

Lady in the Water, (Reviews) Clerks 2, (reviews), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (reviews) and the CGI animated flick Monster House (reviews)

While Ben Fritz and Dave McNary of Variety wonder a-loud

Will Night fall at B.O.?-given its negative buzz, for "Lady" you would think the answer would be "yes"...

Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly's Joshua Rich seems a bit more certain that: "Pirates" will dunk "Lady in the Water" -- barely adding:

Even with four major new releases in theatres this weekend, keep your eye on the Sparrow

Based on the round-up, Clerks 2 is the best reviewed film of the group of new releases, and it will certainly do well. But I see it more as a niche film. Like its predecessor, its appeal to a mass audience, is limited. If any of the quad flicks can dethrone "Pirates", I say it will most likely be "Monster House" (trailer). It looks to be a very family friendly movie. And it helps to have names like Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis attached...

Next Week: the problem plauged film version of MIAMI VICE opens...