New Movies & Box Office Predictions: Dragonball - Evolution, Hannah Montana - The Movie, Observe & Report

April got off to a roaring start behind the monster opening of Fast & Furious will it carry through to May's opening blockbusters? I have to believe that the studios are hoping it does. This holiday weekend features three new releases targeting a variety of demographics in the hopes of getting an audience in between family visits and church services. Will you be making out to any of them?

Dragonball: Evolution. (2009, 100 minutes, PG, science fiction/action) I know nothing about Dragonball or any of its multiple iterations. I have no familiarity with the games, the television series, or any of the countless fans the franchise has attracted over the years. That said, I am in a position of seeing this film in one of two ways, either completely unencumbered with the expectations of knowing the series allowing me to enter in with a fresh set of eyes, or hopelessly lost to the minutia of the series that one must know in order to crack the outer shell of understanding. Either way, this movie should be quite the experience; although I must admit to thinking the trailers look pretty bad. The story centers on Goku (Justin Chatwin) who must battle aliens intent on ravaging the Earth. I think.



Hannah Montana: The Movie. (2009, 92 minutes, G, family comedy) Frankly, I have no words to write about this. I have no interest in the character, the series, the music, the merchandising empire, or this movie. It is here because it is opening wide this weekend and will likely do well at the box office. So be it.



Observe & Report. (2009, 86 minutes, R, comedy) It is weird how so often we get pairs of similarly themed films? Insects, meteors, music legends, whatever. Somehow pairs just seem to line up. This year we have a pair of films about mall cops, yes, mall cops. First there was the surprisingly successful Paul Blart: Mall Cop, with Kevin James as the family-friendly shopping center warden. Now we get a view from the other end of a spectrum with Seth Rogen stepping into a the shoes of mall cop in a film that will certainly be raunchier and considerably more vulgar than James' PG-rated fare. The commercials look quite funny, and the supporting cast that includes Anna Farris, Ray Liotta, and Michael Pena looks to be on point. Here's hoping for a delivery of the funny stuff!



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Anvil! The Story of Anvil
• Lymelife

Box Office Predictions
Last weekend was carried, almost single handedly, by the amazing success of Fast & Furious. Who could have predicted the record shattering open it would enjoy? Certainly not I. How about this week? I am sure that the Easter weekend will put a damper on prospective receipts, but I am sure there will still be enough change to go around. The big question is whether or not last week's champ can hold onto the top spot or will tween superstar Hannah Montana claw its way to the the top?

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Hannah Montana: The Movie	$32 million
2	Fast & Furious	$29 million
3	Monsters vs. Aliens	$21 million
4	Observe & Report	$16 million
5	Dragonball: Evolution	$10 million
6	The Haunting in Connecticut	$5.5 million
7	Knowing	$5.5 million
8	Adventureland	$5.25 million
9	I Love You, Man	$5 million
10	Duplicity	$2.5 million