‘High School Musical 3’ tops Friday box office

Walt Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” danced to the top of the North American box office Friday with an estimated $16.9 million in ticket sales.

The third installment in the popular series is the first to hit the big-screen, opening at 3,623 locations – the widest release this weekend. The film should have no major trouble holding on to the No. 1 spot.

Debuting in second place with $14.1 million was David Hackl’s horror sequel “Saw V,” followed by John Moore’s “Max Payne” at No. 3 with $2.6 million. The latter’s domestic total currently stands at $24.6 million.

The weekend’s third wide release, “Pride and Glory” only made it to No. 4, collecting $2.3 million at 2,585 sites. Gavin O’Connor’s crime drama centers on a family of NYPD cops involved in a major corruption investigation.

At No. 5, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” finished with $1.8 million, lifting its cumulative gross to $73 million. Check back tomorrow for the full three-day box office results.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

Review: "Pride and Glory"

Seen on: October 24, 2008

The players: Director: Gavin O'Connor, Writers: Joe Carnahan, Gavin O'Connor, Gregory O'Connor, Cast: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Ehle, Noah Emmerich, Lake Bell, Jon Voight

Facts of interest: Pushed back numerous times.

The plot: Edward Norton plays a NYPD detective who tries to hunt down a criminal who took out four cops. During his investigation, he finds out his own brother-in-law (Colin Farrell) may be involved in a massive corruption that could endager the entire police department.

Our thoughts: The story of the corrupt police department is not exactly a new one, and Gavin O’Connor’s “Pride and Glory” is the epitome of a lame crime drama sticking to the conventions of the genre without taking a step forward and supplying audiences with something they haven’t seen yet. It just looks and sounds all too familiar to enjoy.

Click to read more ...

'Pride and Glory' web reviews

In Gavin O'Connor's crime drama "Pride and Glory," Edward Norton and Colin Farrell play two cops who tumble into a moral dilemma when their own family is pulled into a corruption investigation. Sounds a bit like "We Own the Night" to me. Anyway, let's see what the Web's critics say about the flick:

• Cinema Blend's Katey Rich: "It does an excellent job pinpointing the racial tensions that the NYPD have a way of stirring up, and the action scenes provide their own appropriate thrill."

• Ron Henriques at LatinoReview: "Some nice dramatic work amongst the four leads but in the end it all becomes them just yelling at each other."

Click to read more ...

'Max Payne' leads box office into 'Saw' weekend

Usually, this time of the year really belongs to “Saw,” but this year, the latest installment in the bloody horror franchise has some serious competition: “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.”

Not only does “High School Musical” have a massive fan base, but it is also the widest release with 3,623 locations. David Hackl’s “Saw V” debuts at 3,060 sites.

“Max Payne” has been clinging to the top spot of the box office all week, picking up another $978,033 Wednesday. The film’s domestic total now stands at $21.1 million.

Meanwhile, Oliver Stone’s “W.” moved up to second place, collecting $683,823 to reach a cumulative of $12.8 million. “The Secret Life of Bees” finished third with $667,519 Wednesday, bringing its total to $12.6 million.

It’s pretty safe to assume this week’s new releases will easily jump to the top of the box office chart. The “Saw” flicks usually pull in around $31 million during opening weekend, and I believe the fifth installment will keep up this tradition.

Click to read more ...