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Home  » Movies » A new movie star: Jennifer Garner

A new movie star: Jennifer Garner

By Arthur J Pais
Last updated on: April 26, 2004 21:27 IST
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A still from Man On FireAvengers had a killing weekend as three of the top five films, led by Denzel Washington's Man On Fire, revolved around crime and punishment themes.

Man On Fire, in which Washington plays a brooding alcoholic bodyguard on a rampage to save the kidnapped little girl (Dakota Fanning) under his care, ate into the territory of other films with the vendetta theme. It opened with a strong $23 million weekend gross, the best career opening for the star. Three years ago, his Training Day, the film that fetched him his second Oscar, opened with about $22.5 million.

Many critics were turned off by Man On Fire's sudden plunge into sadistic and gory violence once the little girl is kidnapped. But the public did not mind it, obviously.

"Ponderous and bloated," complained Boston Globe. The Chicago Tribune concluded: "This movie goes a little crazy in the second half, veering into looniness, murkiness, and cliches after its exciting midpoint kidnapping."

But most reviewers agreed that Washington was fascinating despite the overall weakness of the script and the young actress Dakota Fanning managed to hold her own.

Hollywood Reporter summed it well: "Denzel Washington dominates an otherwise routine thriller expanded to protracted length by self-indulgent filmmaking."

While Washington's star status boosted the opening for Man On Fire, the second top-grossing film of the week created a movie star: Jennifer Garner. Though her television show Alias is popular, Hollywood executives were not fully convinced that Garner could open a film on her own.

But the romantic comedy 13 Going On 30, which grossed $22 million, dispelled doubts about Garner's box-office appeal. The teen-in-an-adult-body formula is anything but new. But Garner's luminous performance made the film something more than an average comedy. It may become profitable in three weeks.

A still from Kill Bill Vol 2The ultra-violent movies Kill Bill, Vol 2 and The Punisher were among the top five films in North America.

Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed Kill Bill Vol 2 lost about 59 per cent of its box-office clout as it fell from the top position to the third in its second weekend. Yet, the film, which cost about $30 million, is on its way to gross $60-$65 million. Going by the $100 million made by the first Kill Bill in video and DVD sales and rentals during the last two weeks, the new film may also be a big hit once it exits the movie theatres.

The crime saga The Punisher slid by about 56 per cent. While Kill Bill Vol 2 reached $42 million by its second weekend, The Punisher, made for about $30 million, cornered a healthy $24 million. It was the fourth highest grossing film of the weekend.

A still from Scooby Doo 2The next three films grossing in the $3.1-3.4 million range were aimed at younger and family audiences: Home On The Range, Johnson Family Vacation, and Scooby Doo 2. Of the three, Johnson Family, made for less than $5 million, has already become profitable with a gross of $25 million in less than three weeks.

At seventh position, Hellboy was still roasting millions. The film is headed for a decent $60 million gross. The also-ran Ella Enchanted followed.

There was room among the top 10 for yet another vigilante film. Ashok Amritraj's Walking Tall, which has stayed in the top 10 chart for the last four weeks, has grossed a healthy $40 million in four weeks. This may be its last appearance in the top 10 list, but the movie will be around in cineplexes for at least three more weeks before running to the $1 movie theatres.

The box office this week:

Rank

Film

Weekend gross

Total
gross

Number
of weeks

1

Man On Fire

$23 million

$23m

New

2

13 Going On 30

$22 million

$22m

New

3

Kill Bill Vol 2

$10.4 million (less 59% from the previous weekend)

$42m

2

4

The Punisher

$6 million (less 56% from the previous weekend)

$24m

2

5

Home On The Range

$3.4 million (less 39% from the previous weekend)

$42.5m

4

6

Johnson Family Vacation

$3.2 million (less 47% from the previous weekend)

$25m

3

7

Scooby Doo 2

$3.1 million (less 41% from the previous weekend)

$75m

5

8

Hellboy

$3 million (less 46% from the previous weekend)

$54.6m

4

9

Ella Enchanted

$2.7 million (less 36% from the previous weekend)

$17m

3

10

Walking Tall

$2.5 million (less 42% from the previous weekend)

$40m

4

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Arthur J Pais