By Chris Kavan - 07/26/12 at 01:07 PM CT
The Dark Knight Rises faces a two-pronged attack for the top spot from two different films: an ensemble comedy and the latest in the Step Up dance series. Despite the competition, I'm sure that Christopher Nolan will notch another top-grossing weekend
1) Despite what looks like a solid cast: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade and Will Forte, amongst others, I haven't really heard that much about The Watch. In fact, other than changing the name, I don't know if I've heard a peep about this film involving a group of bored, suburban guys who form their own type of watch club only to stumble on an alien invasion plot. I like the names involved but current reviews are rather tepid, so I don't see this opening with eye-popping numbers. In fact, anything in the top three would be a win for this film as far as numbers are concerned.
2) On the other hand, you have the somewhat popular Step Up series coming out with fourth film, Step Up Revolution. Now, I never got behind all these dance films - it all seems to follow the same formula - someone with dreams of being a professional dancer joins with some street crew, clicks with a the right guy (or girl) and as they fall in love, they change the world! Or something like that. The biggest news right now about Revolution is their decision to keep a "controversial" gas mask scene following last week's Aurora shooting. I, for one, am glad they decided to keep it in. This is not a violent film by any means, and I'm sure the way it is used in the film will not be an affront to victims or families of the shooting. That being said, this is the kind of film that has a very select audience and its success or failure will be determined if that audience shows up, or is still entranced by The Dark Knight Rises. So far the response has been just as tepid as The Watch, so I'm expecting both to wind up in the mid-range.
I don't think we're looking at a big shakeup at the box office this weekend. However, audience tastes can change, so on Sunday we'll see if The Watch or Step Up Revolution manages to rise above their lukewarm receptions thus far and make an impact in theaters.
