The Bottom Line: February 21, 2020: Will THE CALL OF THE WILD or THE IMPRACTICAL JOKERS Topple Sonic?

The Bottom Line: February 21, 2020

A little blue hedgehog powered through to the top of the box office this week. Fans were thrilled with the changes to Sonic the Hedgehog ($75,084,412) once it debuted last week. It looked exactly like it does in its video game and the movie was cute, Jim Carrey was an awesome villain, and the movie hinted for a well-deserved sequel. But will Sonic hold its place when The Impractical Jokers’ first major motion picture hits the screen and a dog named Buck want to hold that same coveted spot? Let’s take a closer look at this week’s Top Five and predict how this weekend’s movie debuts might do.

Box Office Top Five

Rounding out the top five below Sonic the Hedgehog is Birds of Prey ($63,527,085), Fantasy Island ($14,810,923), Bad Boys For Life ($184,077,671), and The Photograph ($14,079,830). Three movies open this weekend that are looking to change things up a bit, but by Monday, I don’t think this top five is going to look much different than it does right now.

A Closer Look at Some of This Week’s Films

The Call of the Wild (PG) 100 minutes: The CGI is more than obvious in the movie that is based on Jack London’s 1903 book of the same name. This isn’t the 1935 movie adaptation — consider that an adventurous movie of this scale probably couldn’t have done without some CGI help. This version is directed by Chris Sanders, in his live-action directorial debut, and stars Harrison Ford,  The plot focuses on Buck, a Saint Bernard/Scotch Collie dog who is abducted from his home in California and sold to freight haulers. John Thornton, played by Ford, finds the dog and they embark on an incredible adventure. The movie will definitely break into the Top 10. Where? I’m not so sure because of its competition, but I’m going to predict it will land in the middle of the pack, pushing Downhill off the charts. Harrison Ford is a lovable actor and the many of us that had to read London’s books while young students will love to see the newest version.

Impractical Jokers: The Movie (PG-13) 93 minutes: There’s a fan base for everything and The Impractical Jokers have theirs thanks to a wildly successful television reality show that debuted in December 2011 and stars Joseph “Joe” Gatto, James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, and Salvatore “Sal” Vulcano. Now they are taking their silly competitions to the big screen, but will it translate? Please, no practical jokes on me, but I don’t think it will. The show is extremely successful as it is and it will get lost on the big screen. Maybe the fan base will prove me wrong, but don’t look for The Impractical Jokers to break any records or overtake Sonic. Instead, it might just push Downhill even further downhill, but that’s about it.

Brahms: The Boy II (PG-13) 86 minutes: Can I please repeat that I don’t watch horror? I can barely sit through this trailer without covering my eyes and peeking between the fingers. LOL Remember, this is a no judgement zone, so continue reading. That being said, this is a sequel to the 2016 movie, The Boy which made $64 million at the box office. It stars Katie Homes, Ralph Ineson, Owain Yeoman, and Christopher Convery. Look for it to repeat its success this weekend. I’m thinking that it will even push Fantasy Island down a little bit.

The Bottom Line

The good thing about a weekend like this is that there’s something for everyone — romance, action, fantasy, horror, and animation — so there’s no reason not to get your tickets and enjoy a flick or two or three. Next weekend My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (February 26) and Invisible Man (February 28) open.

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