Box Office: 'Catching Fire' Opens to Record-Breaking $161M; 'Delivery Man' Proves Impotent

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire- $161.1M
The odds were definitely in the favor of Lionsgate and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which opened with a huge $161.1M, breaking the record for a 2D release and making it the highest-grossing November debut ever. With the help of $12.6M in IMAX-exclusive screenings the film ranks fourth on the all-time list, just ahead of The Dark Knight Rises. Pile on an extra $146M internationally and the total jumps to $307M, setting it on a course to surpass the $691M worldwide haul of The Hunger Games, but probably not by much.
2. Thor: The Dark World- $14.1M/$167.8M
3. The Best Man Holiday- $12.5M/$50.3M
Tumbling 58% from last week is The Best Man Holiday, and it appears those who were waiting 14 years for the sequel all turned out for the opening weekend. Not that it matters since it's nearly tripled the $17M production budget and has Universal cooking up a sequel.
4. Delivery Man- $8.2M
Vince Vaughn's sperm donor comedy Delivery Man was impotent competition against the might of Catching Fire. There's little surprise here that the remake of French-Canadian comedy Starbuck failed to make much of a splash considering its load was spent on Vaughn's name alone. Yet he's proven to be a name that studios can no longer bank on for a sure money shot at the box office. 
5. Free Birds- $5.3M/$48.5M
6. Last Vegas- $4.4M/$53.9M
7. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa- $3.4/$95.4M
8. Gravity- $3.3M/$245.5M
9. 12 Years A Slave- $2.8M/$29.3M
10. Dallas Buyers Club- $2.7M/$6.4M

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Review: 'Delivery Man' Starring Vince Vaughn

Let's just say that Vince Vaughn's attempts to shed his obnoxious hustler persona, finely cultivated over nearly two decades of similarly-toned comedies, have been less than successful. He's simply not that interesting of a leading man minus the slickster attitude, and far too often falls back on old habits when they aren't really called for in order to save forgettable flicks (remember The Dilemma? No?). Nobody pays to see the softer side of Vince Vaughn, but that's all they're going to get in the warm and cuddly Delivery Man, a moderately affecting heart tugger about the joys of parenthood and the need for stricter regulations on sperm banks. Okay, that last one probably wasn't part of the original intent.

As far as unnecessary remakes go, Delivery Man ranks right up near the top, though. The film is essentially a word-for-word port of the charming Canadian comedy Starbuck, not totally surprising considering Ken Scott wrote and directed both movies. Vaughn steps into the role previously occupied by Patrick Huard, playing lovable loser David Wozniak, a meat delivery guy with a pregnant girlfriend (Cobie Smulders) who doesn't think he's father material. She's probably right; David can't even deliver meat properly which causes grief with his family who own the business. Plus he's got enough debt that certain people are threatening to drown him in a bath tub.

Years earlier, a penniless David donated sperm repeatedly at a facility clinic under the anonymous guise of 'Starbuck'(the name of an extremely fertile real-life bull), and unbeknownst to him those donations were used to father 533 kiddies. Now 20 years later, 142 of those children want to meet their daddy, and launch a very public lawsuit to learn Starbuck's identity. Shocked by the prospect of being a one-time father, much less the father of over 500 kids, David initially resists the idea. But when he's presented with a folder detailing the location and status of his children, he embarks on a "My Name is Earl" campaign to enter their lives and help them in any way he can. All of this against the judgment of his clueless lawyer buddy Brett (Chris Pratt), who hilariously struggles to care for his four toddler-aged kids. “They know they're too old to get an abortion" he quips at one point.

The film embraces the hopeful possibilities of parenthood by presenting David with a rainbow coalition of kids; some of whom are more successful than others. One is an NBA player, another is bartender with a dream of being an actor, and a daughter has a drug addiction which David ignores just to win her trust. Yeah, kind of a mixed message on that score. These encounters with his diverse and super-friendly progeny aren't especially deep, but as David begins to unite them (anonymously, of course) around their kinship the film makes a heartfelt message about accepting your family for who they are. Sentimentality is slathered on pretty thick throughout, especially during a retreat attended by hundreds of David's spawn, turns into what looks like a Woodstock reunion. They might as well be singing Cumbaya around the campfire. The film's most poignant moment is also the most understated as David encounters a mentally handicapped son living in a home (played by Sebastian Rene, who played the same role in Starbuck).

Of course, David learns all sorts of snuggly life lessons along the way (prepare for group hugs galore), just enough to make Delivery Man seem more powerful than it actually is. Vaughn is less natural than original star Patrick Huard in portraying David's evolution from single schlub to responsible patriarch. The biggest laughs are reserved for Pratt in his funniest supporting turn yet. In his character we see the harsh reality of parenting, which is screaming babies and bruises and lack of sleep. David's kids are all grown up by the time he chooses to deal with them, and they're arguably better off than he is. If this is meant to be a pro-life message movie (as some will undoubtedly take it), David makes for an odd choice of spokesman.

Despite a few missteps and the feeling it doesn't really need to exist, Delivery Man is a sweet, endearing film that always has its heart in the right place. 

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Vince Vaughn's 'Term Life' Back On; Plus Two Clips from 'Delivery Man'

If you're one of the few who saw Canadian comedy Starbuck here in America (as I did and loved it), then you know it's more than just a string of bad jokes about sperm. This isn't The Back-Up Plan or The Switch we're talking about here. It's definitely funny, but there was a very personal emotional core to the story of a man who never planned on being a father suddenly discovering he has over 500 kids. Will the remake Delivery Man just be more of Vince Vaughn doing what we've come to expect? Or will it afford him the opportunity to go a little deeper?

Two new clips from the film has been released and it seems to be matching the tone of the first film pretty well. Vaughn plays an irresponsible guy whose sperm was used to father over 500 children, who all want his attention. Chris Pratt plays his lawyer buddy and best friend, and in one scene we see Vaughn's character making the decision to be a part of their lives in a "guardian angel" capacity. Pratt features in the second clip as well, showing the downsides that can come with only a handful of kids, much less 500. The film was written and directed by Ken Scott, the guy who gave us Starbuck to begin with, and he doesn't seem to be messing with a formula he knows will work. Delivery Man co-stars Cobie Smulders and opens on November 22nd.

And while that film is right around the corner, one of Vaughn's recently-shelved projects has been given a new lease on life. A couple of weeks ago Universal put the kibosh on Term Life, an adaptation of A.J. Lieberman's graphic novel. Well QED International and Worldview have seen the potential in it and have picked it up for shooting to begin next year. Directed by Peter Billingsley (Couples Retreat) and co-starring Hailee Steinfeld, the story centers on a hated criminal that every underworld figure wants to see dead. When a contract is put out on him, he takes out an insurance policy to benefit his estranged daughter, but must go on the run with her and stay alive for 21 days until it takes effect.

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New Posters for 'Grudge Match', 'Delivery Man', 'Hours', 'The Immigrant' and 'Rio 2'

When you've got a couple of old-fashioned screen vets like Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro channeling their iconic boxing characters in a comedy like Grudge Match, it makes sense to go old school on the marketing. A handful of cool vintage posters have been released for the film, which has the Rocky and Raging Bull stars as rivals drawn into one last big money fight. Ok, the idea for these posters is cool but the Photoshopping on the first one is rather horrid. Grudge Match co-stars Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Jon Bernthal, Kim Basinger, and opens Christmas Day.

"You're never quite ready for what life delivers", but handling this rather boring poster for Vince Vaughn's Delivery Man should be easy. A remake of the hit Canadian comedy Starbuck, and helmed by its director Ken Scott, the film follows a well-meaning but irresponsible guy who learns that his donated sperm has been used to father 533 kids, and they all want to meet their daddy. Delivery Man gets delivered November 22nd and co-stars Cobie Smulders, Chris Pratt, Britt Robertson, and Jack Reynor.

Chances are you may have forgotten about Hours, the Hurricane Katrina thriller starring Paul Walker. Or perhaps the phrase "Hurricane Katrina thriller starring Paul Walker" is the reason you've brushed it from memory. Marking the directorial debut of Eric Heisserer, writer on The Thing remake, the film co-stars Genesis Rodriguez and centers on a father who must keep his newborn child alive as the storm ravages New Orleans. Hours opens on December 13th, and you can check out a trailer for it here.

It's been five years since James Gray's vastly underrated Two Lovers, and unfortunately most of his eager fans will have to wait until next year for his follow-up, The Immigrant. Those who live in France have all the luck as the star-studded historical drama opens there next month, while we have to settle for this poster. Jeremy Renner, Marion Cotillard, and Joaquin Phoenix lead the turn-of-the-century film about a poor immigrant named Ewa (Cotillard) who arrives in America with her sick sister. In her desperation to get help she falls under the sway of a pimp (Phoenix) who forces her into prostitution. Renner plays a magician who may be Ewa's last hope for salvation.

And here's a vibrant international poster for the internationally-flavored Rio 2, featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway. The colorful sequel catches up with rare Macaw birds Jewel and Blu as they've uprooted their new family from domestication and headed into the Amazonian rainforest. Rio 2 escapes its cage on April 11th 2014.

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Vince Vaughn Has Prolific Sperm In First Trailer For 'Delivery Man'

Canadians loved Ken Scott's ingenious fertilization comedy, Starbuck, making it one of their top-grossing comedies a couple of years ago. Hollywood noticed, of course, and after a "blink and you'll miss it" theatrical run here, a remake titled Delivery Man was quickly developed with the original writer/director Ken Scott, and with Vince Vaughn in the lead role played before to great effect by Patrick Huard. A teaser has been out there for a few weeks but now the first full trailer has been released, and it's basically a frame-for-frame recreation, which may be a good thing.

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