By Chris Kavan - 05/03/18 at 07:43 AM CT
So, as predicted, Avengers: Infinity War made all the money last weekend, setting multiple records along the way. Now just because there are three new films being released this weekend, don't think the superhero smash is going to give an inch. Infinity War should have no problem keeping on top of the box office with minimal challenge from a comedic remake, a low-key thriller and a mama drama(edy). Hopefully the heroes make a little room for the newcomers, but I don't see any of these three making that big of impact on the box office.
OVERBOARD Anna Faris is a comedic gem and Eugenio Derbez is huge in Mexico and looks to conquer the U.S. just as well. It's just too bad that both of them have been saddled with this gender-swapped comedic remake that has gotten about as good an early reception as the gender-swapped Ghostbusters. Overboard is about a put-upon employee to a spoiled, rich, uncaring boss. In the original film, Kurt Russell was the employee and Goldie Hawn the client. This time around, Faris is our harried employee while Derbez plays the boss. The plot remains the same otherwise, the rich person falls off the boat and gets temporary amnesia and the employee takes this opportunity to plot a little revenge - only to find themselves drawn to the boss and falling for them. I don't consider the original to be one of my favorite comedies. Competent? Sure - but nothing I ever found that compelling. Thus this remake really holds little interest to me. It's tough to see this doing well, but if it can appeal to date-night couples it at least has a chance.
On the other hand, Bad Samaritan has a interesting plot but it just coming out at an odd time. The film follows a pair of friends, Sean Falco and Derek Sandoval (Robert Sheehan and Carlito Olivero) who burglarize the rich working as parking attendants who spoof a rich person's navigation so they can find out where they live and when they're gone. Their target is Cale Erendreich (David Tennant), who is just the type of smarmy rich jerk they think should be robbed. Too bad things don't go as planned when as their break-in uncovers a sick, twisted individual holding a woman hostage. And it turns out Mr. Erendreich is a lot more dangerous, and clever, then first imagined as he turns the tables on the would-be thieves. Tennant made one of the more memorable villains in recent memory in the first season of the Netflix series Jessica Jones - so I know he more than capable of playing evil in a good way. The plot is also, as far as I can tell, wholly original and quite interesting. I just find it strange they decided May was a good time to release this. It's not at all a summer blockbuster type film and I think it's going to be buried and forgotten. Oh well - there's always streaming.
Finally that leaves us with Tully, in which we find Charlize Theron is not playing either an apocalyptic badass survivor or a Cold War era special agent - but rather a mother who has too much on her plate. With the arrival of a newborn, she's almost reached her limit, that is until her kind brother gifts her with a nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis). While at first hesitant to accept her help, she comes to realize that Tully is just who she needs and forms a bond with the somewhat eccentric young woman. Director Jason Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and Theron are no strangers, having previously teamed up for Young Adult. And while I'm sure it will attract an overwhelmingly female audience and it looks pleasant enough, I'm not seeing this make massive waves, though I think it should play out well with its target audience.
With another probable $100 million plus weekend on the way, Infinity War is going to have no issues repeating as the box office champion. We'll see where that leaves the competition come Sunday.
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