Sore Winner

The number one movie at the box office this past weekend was "The Bourne Supremacy."

This comes as no shock to me. It was a solid spy-thriller that was well promoted and had very little competition. It opened like a summer blockbuster should, will probably break a hundred million, and will be out of theatres by mid-August.

Imagine my surprise then when on my way to work this morning I heard a radio ad for the film that spends more time gloating than selling the film. The announcer brings to attention that the film was number one for the weekend and that it made over 52 million dollars at the box office. He goes on to further explain that that is a "bigger opening than the biggest Bond."

Now I hate this.

This some-what anti-Bond campaign from Universal after the movie has opened and done well confuses me. Are people going to say, "Wow, it opened better than any Bond movie. I don't like spy-thrillers but I have to see this puppy." Of course not.

I don't feel that I have to point out that the Bond films are some of the most successful films of all time, but I will. Twenty films in over forty years, and not one from the last ten years has opened during the summer, a time when big box office is almost guaranteed.

The past few Bond films have opened in the late fall, and have had modest opening weekends and tremendous legs.

And actually, come to think of it, this is probably why Universal has attacked the Bond franchise. No other spy series has come close to replacing Bond, so why not brag about Bourne's bigger number and ride on the coat tails of the greatest spy series of all time?