Pixar’s animated story about the last romantic robot on
Earth, “Wall-E” has earned the first place in Friday box office, with $23,300,000
in ticket sales, according to the estimates released by BoxOfficeMojo.com
In its first day of availability, “Wall-E” earned more than “Dr.
Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!”, which gained only $13,337,277 in its opening
Friday and “Kung Fu Panda”, that opened with $20,303,918.
Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, “Wall-E” is the best
science-fiction movie of this year, it is the most romantic love story since
the beginning of 2008 and the best production that smoothly blends ecological
and political themes, without lecturing, in a long time.
The movie depicts the story of Wall-E, the last robot on
Earth, surrounded by skyscrapers of trash. The Planet has been left by humans
for seven centuries, and Wall-E – whose name is an acronym that stands for
Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class - has been devoted to his job all this
time.
Wall-E collects all the thrash and metal carcasses that are
covering every spot and transforms it into compact cubes of scrap. He is
continuously paying attention to what he finds, keeping some of the objects for
himself, considering them artifacts. This is how a Rubik’s Cube, some rubber
ducks and a videotape of “Hello, Dolly” ‘populate’ his solitary home and this
is how he always has the right pieces to auto-replace what is not working
properly in himself.
Watching that ‘60s romance “Hello Dolly,” Wall-E deepens his
solitude and dreams away of a love story and of holding hands. This is why the
appearance of EVE startles and makes him happy at the same time. EVE or the
Extra-Terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator is sent by the last surviving humans to
seek signs that indicate that Earth can be repopulated. Wall-E, as a sign of
nurturing special feelings for her, shows her his most sacred discovery: a
plant. And that’s just what she was looking for.
The animated production contains a lot of deep meanings and
messages, making it enjoyable for both children and adults.
“Wall-E” most serious contender, “Wanted”, a movie with James
McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, had also a good debut and it earned $18,764,000 on
Friday.
Based upon Mark Millar’s explosive graphic novel series and
helmed by stunning visualist Timur Berkmambetov, creator of the most successful
Russian film franchise in history, the “Night Watch” and “Day Watch” series, “Wanted”
tells the tale of one apathetic nobody’s transformation into an unparalleled
enforcer of justice.
More exactly, it is the story of a young man named Wesley
Gibson, (James McAvoy), 25, whose life is nothing out of the ordinary. His boss
terrorizes him, his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend, and he
is nearly killed while refilling a prescription at the store.
But all is about to change soon after the assassination of
his father, when he learns he was the leader of a mysterious organization of
assassins whose only goal was to keep this world safe. Here is the moment when
he meets Fox, portrayed by super sexy Angelina Jolie, who tells him she knew
his father, “one of the greatest assassins who ever lived.” Fox takes Wesley to
meet Sloan (Morgan Freeman), leader of a centuries-old order of killers called
The Fraternity.
The third place in Friday box office went to last weekend champion,
“Get Smart” which earned $6,640,000.
Steve Carrel and Anne Hathaway tried to fill the honorable
shoes of Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 of secret U.S. government spy
agency CONTROL, and Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, and while critics’
reviews have not been necessarily enthusiastic, plenty of nostalgic moviegoers
were more than willing to fill theaters across the US and Canada to see the
remake.
Earning almost half as “Get Smart”, $3,450,000, Jack BlacK’s
“Kung Fu Panda” made it to the fourth place.
“The Incredible Hulk” gained the fifth place with $2,813,000.
The 2008 “Hulk” suffered some re-thinking and returned totally re-branded: new
director, new cast, new green. “The Transporter’s” Louis Leterrier took over
Ang Lee’s directorial chair, Edward Norton took the responsibility of the
protagonist, replacing Eric Bana and Hulk’s love interest, geeky scientist
Betty Ross is now played by Liv Tyler, instead of Jennifer Connelly. However,
the movie failed to be a smash at box office.
“The Love Guru”, the latest effort of Mike Myers, continued
his disappointing evolution and gained $1,870,000
this Friday. What can be said in the first place about Mike Myers’ latest
production, “The Love Guru,” is that it creates a vicious circle. The movie is
so rich in less-evolved sophomoric humor, containing plenty of bathroom humor
that it could only be suitable for the mind and taste of 10-year boys. On the
other hand, Myers’ appetite for penis jokes granted the movie a PG-13 rating
that stands great chances of hindering the 10-year boys from watching it. Hence
the vicious circle.
The last four places in this Friday box office went to “Indiana
Jones And The Kingdon Of The Crystal Skull”, “Sex And The City”, “The Happening”
and “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan”.
