Rocking in Bad Company The US BO report

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who has had extraordinary luck at the box-office with hits like Top Gun (1986) and Pearl Harbor (2001), saw his latest film living up to its title this week.

While many action-oriented films defy critics, Bad Company (Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock), directed by veteran Joel Schumacher (whose big budget films include Batman And Robin), saw a rare occasion of viewers and critics agreeing. The film, which played widely on nearly 3,000 screens, made about $10 million in three days.

Bruckheimer, who also produced last year's controversial hit Black Hawk Down --- in which director Ridley Scott dealt with the disastrous American intervention to quell mobocracy in Somalia --- specialises in action-oriented flicks. There was intense speculation if Bad Company, which had generated plenty of negative buzz, would be a hit.

On the other hand, Warner Bros' Divine Secrets Of Ya Ya Sisters, a sentimental film about a troubled mother and daughter relationship and emphasising female bonding, did good business. Made at about $60 million and directed by newcomer Callie Khouri (Oscar-winning scriptwriter of Thelma And Louise), Divine Secrets... is based on a huge bestseller of the same name by Rebecca Wells. The film played on about 2,200 screens and opened with a potent $16.3 million --- the second most popular film in America.

If the sisters show steady legs in the coming weeks, it may psyche about $70 million. With impeccable performances from a raft of veteran artistes like Ellen Burstyn and James Garner and an excellent soundtrack, it could become one of the most profitable films of the summer. The film also stars Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd.

The gutsy The Sum Of All Fears remained champion for the second week, taking $18.7 million. Its cumulative is now $62 million. Following its ten-day long trajectory, the film is doing better business than expected and could end up with a $120-million gross in North America.

Bad Company --- whose plot resembles that of Sum Of All Fears --- is about streetsmart hustler goaded into becoming a CIA agent (Chris Rock), and who has to fight terrorists who have planted a nuclear bomb in Grand Central Terminal, New York. Hopkins, whose durable career has seen many hits, including Hannibal about 18 months ago, plays Rock's mentor.

While most reviewers gave the film thumbs down, People magazine, with over two million readers, called the film 'a passable thriller with lots of comic touches'.

'Bad Company suffered considerably in that its theme bore a resemblance to The Sum Of All Fears," the reviewer noted. "Bad Company is far funnier and more likable, and the whale's share of the credit goes to Rock. With his smart mouth, mischievous eyes and this-can't-be-happening-to-me double takes, he offers welcome comic relief in these not so comical times.'

But not too many people felt upbeat about the film. Many of Bruckheimer's films have been drubbed by the critics, yet they have done excellent business. For instance, Pearl Harbor seized about $450 million worldwide. But Bad Company, made at about $75 million, would be lucky to gross $50 million in North America. Since Chris Rock does not have an international following, it may not do big business abroad.

Like The Sum Of All Fears, this film too was scheduled for release last year, but was put on hold in the wake of September 11 events.

Action-packed Bourne Identity (Matt Damon), will challenge The Sum Of All Fears when it opens June 14. While The Sum Of All Fears was based on a bestseller by Tom Clancy, Bourne Identity is carved out of a Robert Ludlum novel.

Set against dramatic European backdrops, Bourne Identity us about a man (Damon), fished out of the ocean by Italian fishermen and saved from death. He recovers physically but he loses his memory. There are no clues to his past except that he is an extraordinary fighter and linguist. While he tries to remember his identity, there are indeed people who know who he is --- and they are determined to kill him.

As the second half of the summer is waiting for potential hits like Men In Black 2 and Stuart Little II, several older hits continue to do well.

Spider-Man, currently at fifth spot with a $10 million weekend gross, has made about $370 million while the fast fading Attack of The Clones has reached $254 million, having grossed $14 million in the weekend. The earlier predictions of the film reaching $400 million was revised after a week of its release to $325 million. Now, it is doubtful if the George Lucas opus could reach even $300 million. Still, the fifth sequel of the Star Wars epics was very profitable.

Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, which opened to lukewarm reviews, is popular among the young audience. The adventures of a wild and brave mustang stallion travelling through the rugged American frontier where it encounters man for the first time, Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron rode to a $9.4 million gross and is headed for a medium-range $80-$90 million. The film, far removed from the success of huge animated hits as Shrek (which grossed about $250 million in America), can still be a very profitable film if its video and DVD sales are excellent.

Insomnia, which has Al Pacino as a police detective working under great stress in Alaska and Robin Williams as a writer with a violent streak, is also headed for a medium hit status. With a $5.8 million take last week and a $52 million gross, it may wind up with $70 million. This would be the first hit for Williams in a negative role. Last year's Death to Smoochy, a dark comedy that featured him as a revenge-prone star of a popular kid show, was a dismal flop, with less than a $20 million gross.

Known for his brilliant comic gifts, Williams has been shopping around for varied parts, even offering to cut his $15 million fee down considerably. The success of Insomnia augurs well for the career of director Christopher Nolan. This is his third film.

Last year, Nolan scored a big success with Memento, an intriguing tale of memory loss. The innovative film was edited like a random pile of mosaic tiles that slowly fall into place. Audiences were asked to follow the story in backward steps by Nolan. The $5 million flick was a surprise hit grossing about $35 million worldwide.

Insomnia does not tease the audiences as much as Memento. Besides, it is a high profile film starring three Oscar winners (Hilary Swank, Pacino and Williams).