21 JUMP STREET Arrests the Competition – Weekend Box Office Report (March 16 – 18, 2012)

A trend of successful movies last year was R-rated comedies.  The Hangover Part II, Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses, and Bad Teacher all crossed the $100 million mark.  This year, the Todd Phillips-produced Project X has already grossed way over its budget, and a sequel has already been announced.  And with this weekend’s opening of 21 Jump Street, this year seems to be following a similar pattern.  The buddy cop comedy opened at #1 with an estimated $35.0 million, which is great considering its production budget was only $42 million.  This is also great news for stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, as they have more releases coming out later this year (Click here for my review of 21 Jump Street).

JOHN CARTER Can’t Defeat the Colossal LORAX – Weekend Box Office Report (March 9 – 11, 2012)

Well, many predicted it, many said it was doomed from the start, and this weekend’s domestic box office results prove that John Carter will not make back its $250 million production budget, at least here in the U.S.

THE LORAX Chops Down Competition; PROJECT X Has a Good Turnout; THE ARTIST Taps into the Top 10 – Weekend Box Office Report (March 2 – 4, 2012)

Due to a lack of family movies out, Universal had the advantage by releasing the year’s first mainstream one, The Lorax, which opened big at #1, taking in an estimated $70.7 million dollars.  Not only does that match the budget of the film, but it also marks the highest opening weekend to date for a Universal animated feature, topping Despicable Me’s $56 million opening back in 2010.  The odds are now in Universal’s favor for their release of Despicable Me 2 in Summer 2013, as audiences for The Lorax were even treated to a short teaser trailer of it (Click here for my review of The Lorax).

PROJECT X – Movie Review

Good teen comedies are rare nowadays, and the best ones get a few key things right.  They have likeable, well-developed characters; a somewhat realistic approach to situations; and an overall sense of enjoyment, allowing the audience to sympathize with the youth spirit.  And with the new found footage comedy, Project X, I was hoping it could be a welcome addition to this rare breed of teen comedies.  Unfortunately, it fails to get any one of those key elements right.