Pamela McClintock of Variety:
After a sluggish fall at the domestic box office, Hollywood is looking to this weekend and next to lure moviegoers back to theaters, beginning with the bow today of Lionsgate's "Saw IV" in 3,167 locations.
Tracking even more strongly are Universal's Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe starrer "American Gangster," directed by Ridley Scott, and DreamWorks Animation's "Bee Movie," which both open Nov. 2.
This weekend, the other wide opener is Disney's offbeat Steve Carell romantic comedy "Dan in Real Life," which debuts in 1,921 theaters in a counterprogramming maneuver by the Mouse House.
Frame will be crammed with limited debuts, including Sidney Lumet's dark drama "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead," Alison Eastwood's "Rails & Ties," Jonathan Demme's docu "Jimmy Carter Man From Plains" and "Slipstream," written and directed by Anthony Hopkins, who also stars.
"Saw IV" shouldn't have any trouble slaying the competish and taking the weekend crown in what could be the highest opener of the fall (Disney's "The Game Plan" is the season's top opener to date with $22.5 million). The industry will be closely watching the performance of "Saw," which comes amid worries that hardcore horror has peaked as a subgenre.
Whether "Saw IV" can beat the opening grosses for "Saw III" and "Saw II," which opened to $33.6 million and $31.7 million, respectively, remains to be seen. All the "Saw" films have debuted over the Halloween frame.
In June, Lionsgate was jolted when Eli Roth's hardcore horror sequel "Hostel: Part II" underwhelmed at the box office, opening to $8.2 million, less than half of the $19.5 million nabbed by "Hostel."
Still, "Saw" is the flagship hardcore horror franchise, with the first three films grossing more than $223 million domestically. "Saw IV" is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who also helmed the second and third films. Tobin Bell returns in the role of Jigsaw.
With "Dan," Disney hopes to capitalize by offering a feel-good adult title amid a sea of pics with darker storylines and politically themed plots. Film, directed by Peter Hedges, also stars Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook. Story concerns a widowed father of three who meets a woman who also happens to be his brother's girlfriend. Jonathan Shestack scripted....
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Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:
''Saw IV'': It's gonna kill, of course!
Hooray, it's the year's first no-brainer! Plus: considering Steve Carell's drawing power...
With that huge theater count--"Real Life" has absilutely no shot at the top spot-- against Saw.
Next Week:Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and director Ridley Scott come together for the eagerly awaited American Gangster; Funny man Jerry Seinfeld co-writes and stars in the animated Bee Movie; And John Cusack brings up the Martian Child...
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