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US box office takes the Glory Road |
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Decent but unspectacular returns welcomed the African-American basketball drama Glory Road ($13.5 million), the comedy with Queen Latifah Last Holiday ($13 million), and the animated kids' film Hoodwinked ($12.5 million).
Another new release Tristan & Isolde, a romance based on medieval English legends, was an instant flop. While Steven Spielberg's Munich slipped from the top 10, King Kong passed the $200 million benchmark and is headed for a solid and yet disappointing (because of its $200 million-plus cost) $225 million. Glory Road re-imagined the true story of a Texas university basketball team. In Last Holiday, Queen Latifah plays a woman who takes an expensive trip to Prague after learning that she is going to die in about a month. Among the brilliant smaller parts in the film, watch out for Ranjit Chowdhry as the neurotic surgeon. Hoodwinked is an animated version of the Little Red Riding Hood folk story featuring popular artists such as Anne Hathaway and Glenn Close.
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1. Glory Road Cast: Josh Lucas, Derek Luke. Director: James Gartner.  Feel-good story of the underdog. Yet another basketball drama about African Americans.Number of weeks: New. BO Verdict: Hit.
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2. Last Holiday Cast: Queen Latifah, Gerald Depardieu, L L Cool J, Ranjit Chowdhry. Director: Wayne Wang. The formidable Queen Latifah; a number of good jokes.Becomes predictable after a while.Number of weeks: New. BO Verdict: Hit.
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3. Hoodwinked Cast: Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, James Belushi. Director: Tony Leech. Cheerful vocal performances. Limited imagination; drags in the second half.Number of weeks: New. BO Verdict: Hit.
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4. The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Cast: Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson. Director: Andrew Adamson. Charming and scary at the same time; plenty of thrilling scenes.Second half drags.Number of weeks: 6. BO Verdict: Superhit.
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5. Hostel Cast: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson. Director: Eli Roth. Horror fans will love the scenes that make them squirm.Too much of gore, hardly any wit; weak performances.Number of weeks: 2. BO Verdict: Hit.
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6. Fun With Dick and Jane Cast: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni. Director: Dean Parisot. Jim Carrey is fun as ever.Poor remake of a classic 1977 film.Number of weeks: 4. BO Verdict: Hit.
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7. King Kong Cast: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis. Director: Peter Jackson. Gorilla-size thrills and emotional pull.To some, the film takes too long to warm up.Number of weeks: 5. BO Verdict: Hit. The review
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8. Tristan & Isolde Cast: James Franco, Sophia Myles. Director: Kevin Reynolds. Strong visuals; younger stars.Not much poignancy or excitement.Number of weeks: New. BO Verdict: Flop.
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9. Brokeback Mountain Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal. Director: Ang Lee. Tender love story; great performances.Occasionally a bit too brooding.Number of weeks: 6. BO Verdict: Hit.
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10. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Cast: Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt. Director: Adam Shankman. Bunch of great comic actors in fine form.Very mediocre and overdone script.Number of weeks: 4. BO Verdict: Hit.
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Text: Arthur J Pais
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