Does Eddie Murphy still has what it takes? Will a choo-choo win the box-office race? Or will they both be dragged down by “What Lies Beneath”? Well, the answer to those questions will come when “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” opens Friday.
That said, here’s an overview of the flicks opening this weekend:
“Nutty Professor II: The Klumps”
NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS (See the trailer) The Skinny: Eddie Murphy reprises his many roles in this sequel to the 1996 comedy (which, in itself, was sort of a remake of an old Jerry Lewis flick). The Upside: “It’s funny, it’s good. It’s four years later, and the story is fresh and different. It focuses on the Klump family instead, which had sort of a minor role in the first film. And they are able to put all five or six different Eddie Murphy characters in the same space seamlessly,” boxofficeguru.com’s editor Gitesh Pandya tells us. “‘Nutty Professor II’ is going to devour all the dollars this weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Nutty Professor II’ opens in the mid $40 million range.” The Downside: Janet Jackson, what have you done for me lately?
“Thomas and the Magic Railroad”
THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD (See the trailer) The Skinny: A computer-animated flick following a girl, as she and her train journey to her grandfather turns into something trippy. The Upside: “It’s a kid flick. There’s always room for kid films in the summer,” says Pandya. The Downside: “But it’s not a property that’s well known, like a Disney character or Pokemon. It is going to be tough for it to find an audience. So it will be a minor player this weekend.”
Besides these flicks, also expect “What Lies Beneath,” “X-Men,” “Scary Movie,” and “The Perfect Storm” to hang around the battlefield.
