Avoiding The Rush?

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker take Rush Hour 3 to the top--but its victory lap isn't anything to cheer about...

Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo:

Traffic let up for 'Rush Hour 3' as the action comedy topped the weekend with an estimated $50.2 million, significantly less than its predecessor...

Pamela McCintock of Variety:

After a six-year hiatus, New Line and Brett Ratner's "Rush Hour" franchise revved up nicely as the third installment in the series of martial arts buddy pics took in $50.2 million at the domestic box office for the weekend crown.

Debut, in 3,778 theaters, did fall far short of the $67.4 million opening scored by "Rush Hour 2," which bowed on Aug. 3, 2001.

Needing a fairy godmother, but unable to find one, was Paramount's pricey fantasy epic "Stardust," which made $9 million from 2,540 locations.

Sony's sequel "Daddy Day Camp," one of the last pics from Revolution Studios, fared dismally, grossing just $3.5 million from 2,332 playdates.

Miramax's Jane Austen biopic "Becoming Jane" looked fetching, with the Anne Hathaway starrer writing up a healthy $3 million in box office receipts as it expanded to 601 runs in its second frame. Per-screen average was $5,005; cume is $4.6 million.

Overall, it was another healthy weekend for the film biz. Receipts for the top 10 pics were up 30% to $135.7 million vs. $103.8 million in the same frame last year. Unusual late-summer surge is attributed to a healthy crop of films with strong staying power.

Universal holdover "The Bourne Ultimatum" easily came in second for the weekend, taking $33.7 million from 3,868 runs. Pic declined 51% in its second frame; cume is $132.3 million.

Behind "Bourne" was 20th Century Fox's "The Simpsons Movie," which drew $11.1 million in its third frame to cross the $150 million mark. Pic, which declined 56%, has grossed $152.2 million domestically.

After "Stardust" at No. 4, holdovers dominated the top 10 list...

The article continues here.

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:

The return of the Chris Tucker-Jackie Chan franchise falls well short of the opening for ''RH2,'' but still wins the weekend...