Pamela McClintock and Dave McNary of Variety:
Peter Berg's action-thriller "The Kingdom" will test the appetite for films about fractured U.S.-Middle Eastern policies and the war on terror as it unspools this weekend at the domestic box office, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson comedy "The Game Plan" will look to win over families.
With awards season under way, a number of holdover specialty titles will continue to duke it out, including Paramount Vantage's "Into the Wild," which expands to 31 theaters in its second frame, and Warner Bros. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," which stays put in its second frame at five runs.
In terms of new limited openings, the playing field will be relatively light after two weekends of several high-profile bows, although Fox Searchlight opens Wes Anderson's laffer "The Darjeeling Limited" on Saturday in two Gotham theaters. That's because the film, starring Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody, open[ed] the New York Film Festival [Thursday night]
Among wide players, Disney bows PG-rated "The Game Plan" in 3,103 locations, while Universal unspools the R-rated "Kingdom" in 2,792 theaters. Although they appeal to distinctly different auds, the race for the weekend crown could end up being close between the two.
The third new wide entrant is MGM-Lakeshore's "The Feast of Love," an ensemble drama whose cast includes Greg Kinnear, Morgan Freeman, Radha Mitchell, Fred Ward and Selma Blair. Film, which plays in 1,200 theaters, hasn't attracted much buzz.
"Kingdom," which sneak peeked in 850 theaters two weekends ago, stars Jaime Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as an elite FBI team recruited to hunt down a terrorist in Saudi Arabia who killed an American working in the Middle Eastern country.
Film is more an actioner and thriller than political treatise, but it is among a handful of films coming out of Hollywood this fall and winter that deal with the Iraqi war and Middle East.
Another one of those titles is Warner Independent Pictures' "In the Valley of Elah," directed by Paul Haggis and starring Tommy Lee Jones as a father trying to find out why his soldier son was killed upon returning from fighting in Iraq.
This weekend, "Elah," also starring Charlize Theron, makes a major push in expanding from 317 to 700 runs in its third frame. Film's domestic gross through Wednesday was $1.8 million, according to Rentrak.
"Kingdom" marks Berg's first film since sports drama "Friday Night Lights," which opened to $20.3 million in October 2004.
Foxx has starred in several ationers, including "Miami Vice," which opened to $25.7 million. He also starred in Iraqi war drama "Jarhead," which opened to $27.7 million.
With Foxx toplining, "Kingdom" could see an additional boost from urban auds.
Much as with Vin Diesel and Disney's "The Pacifier," "Game Plan" is the first family movie that Johnson has starred in. Last year, Johnson starred in Sony's PG-13 "Gridiron Gang,," which opened at $14.4 million on its way to a domestic cume of $38.4 million.
"Game Plan," directed by Andy Fickman ("She's the Man"), also stars Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Pettis and Roselyn Sanchez and tells the story of a star quarterback and serial bachelor whose life is turned upside down when he learns he has a daughter...
The entire article can be found here...
Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:
It'll be a close one between the Middle East thriller and the family film -- but expect the former to get the edge.,,
Next Week: Bobby and Peter Farrelly reunite with Ben Stiller for the Heartbreak Kid and The Seeker is sought...
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