It was a big weekend for the Planet of the Apes franchise, as Fox delivered what is perhaps the best franchise reboot since J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The film used a ton of positive buzz to climb to the top of the weekend box office with $54 million. While that number didn’t top the 2001 Planet of the Apes remake’s opening take of $68 million, it will probably be enough to greenlight a sequel. And based on the quality (and brilliant special effects) on display in this latest version, I for one welcome a sequel.
In other box office news, The Change-Up opened to $13.5 million and fourth place, behind both The Smurfs ($21 million) and Cowboys & Aliens ($15.7 million). The Jason Bateman/Ryan Reynolds body-switching comedy received mixed reviews and a 22% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but that doesn’t mean the audience agreed with the critics.
That’s why we’re here yet again, friends, because we want to know what you thought about the new releases in theaters. Cast your vote in the polls below, and sound off in in the comments.
