Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo:
Audiences savored Ratatouille to the tune of $47 million, while Live Free or Die Hard was a solid second...
Pamela McClintock of Variety:
Disney-Pixar’s “Ratatouille” simmered its way to No. 1 at the domestic box office, taking in an estimated $47.2 million from 3,940 venues.
Toon wasn't the only new pic moviegoers feasted on as they got into the July Fourth holiday spirit. Fox's "Live Free or Die Hard" took No. 2 with an estimated weekend take of $33.2 million and a five-day cume of $48.2 million from 3,408 engagements.
And Michael Moore's docu "Sicko" enjoyed excellent health, racking up an estimated $4.5 million from 441 venues in the second-highest opening for a docu after Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," according to the Weinstein Co. Offering some counterprogramming, Focus Features' female drama "Evening" debuted at No. 10 with an estimated $3.5 million from 977.
Universal's pricey laffer "Evan Almighty" fell off 52% in its second frame, making $15.1 million from 3,636 venues and upping cume to $60.6 million. Conversely, U's racier comedy "Knocked Up" dropped only 32% in its fifth frame, pulling in an estimated $7.4 million from 2,678 venues for a new cume of $122.4 million. Pic was No. 6.
As the holiday gets under way, bigger titles like "Live Free" or "Ratatouille" will have to contend with DreamWorks and Paramount's actioner "Transformers," which begins playing Monday night before officially opening Tuesday. But Fox and Disney say their respective films enjoyed glowing exit polls -- as did "Sicko" -- thus providing some cushion.
Disney distribution [president] Chuck Viane said the decision to open "Ratatouille" during such a crowded frame was worth the risk in order to capitalize on the Fourth of July holiday, which falls on a Wednesday, meaning many people are opting to take at least part of the week off, if not all of it.
"We wanted a big, fat date to maximize the movie. This is all about a 10-day plan," Viane said. "When the picnic tables fill up this week, people will be talking about 'Ratatouille.'"
That's why Disney isn't too worried, at least publicly, over the "Ratatouille" opening, which didn't rack up numbers as good as the bow for the last five Pixar films. Wall Street's reaction, however, remains to be seen...
The article continues here
Nicole Sperling of Entertainment Weekly:
Pixar continues its winning streak, while a strong No. 2 finish for ''Die Hard 4'' proves the franchise is more than an '80s leftover
Even though I knew the rats would probably be victorious, as a big fan of the Die Hard series, I was rooting for the new film to pull off a surprise upset...
Meanwhile, Transformers gets ready ready to rock...
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