- Drive took a backseat to a 3-D version of The Lion King, according to weekend box office results.
- The Lion King collected $29.3 million domestically, while Drive brought in $11 million, according to Variety.
- Drive opened to mixed reviews, with one critic calling it "unsettling."
LOS ANGELES — Drive took a backseat to a 3-D version of The Lion King, according to weekend box office results.
The Lion King collected $29.3 million domestically, while Drive brought in $11 million, according to Variety. Drive, however, trounced I Don't Know How She Does It, the new Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy. Drive debuted on Friday.
Ryan Gosling plays a getaway driver in Drive, an artsy film that was called an "exhilarating ride" by The Hollywood Reporter. The dark drama won a positive 92 percent rating from moviegoers, according to the Web site Rotten Tomatoes.
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times decried the "disturbing violence" in Drive. He said the movie "doesn't spend a lot of time on mayhem, but what does get put on screen is intense, unsettling and increasingly grotesque and graphic."
A.O. Scott in The New York Times called Drive a "prisoner of its own emptiness, substituting moods for emotions and borrowed style for real audacity."
Inside Line says: Warm and fuzzy trumps slick driving as audiences clearly were in a nostalgic mood this weekend.
Add A Comment »
fredpzo says:
09:01 AM, 10/07/2011
I was able to see "Drive" yesterday at the end of it's local engagement. Although the car chase scenes where by no means epic (e.g., "Bullit", "French Connection", "Ronan"), I found them to be top-shelf material and extemely riveting because of how essential they were to the overall story. If it weren't for these scenes the movie would not at all have been to my taste. Nevertheless, I was thoughly engaged and entertained by the movie in a way I was not by "Furious Five." "Drive" is not a car movie but is instead a crime drama that uses chase scnese very effectively (I guess that's what "Bullit" was too, and that's exactly what the chase scene between the Mustang GT and the Chrysler 300 reminded me of, although it was much too short and with too many close-ups for my taste). Although the gratuitous violence was part of the story line, it was still overdone for my tastes. For my money the best recent car movie was the "Senna" documentary that showed earlier this year. That was truly awesome!
f1guy1 says:
01:11 PM, 09/20/2011
I too want a great racing movie, but sadly, that will never happen. I LOVE F1, my favorite form of motorsport on the planet. Le Mans is a close second, but an F1 race is boring to watch at times. Sure, watching Button close in on Vettel and making a last-second pass is great, but those are rare occasions, even with the new regulations.
Point is, great driving can't sell itself to people who aren't car buffs like us. My favorite movie of all time is Le Mans. Why? Little stupid dialogue, LOTS of fast Porsche's and Ferrari's. This movie I'm sure will be great, can't wait to see it. Just don't be shocked that it doesnt appeal to mainstream audiences. The FF series does a better job with that.
lateloop says:
06:53 AM, 09/20/2011
@Mrproa: They made that movie, it's called Days of Thunder.
As for this article, they mention the movie has gotten "mixed reviews". I hardly consider 92% positive on RottenTomatoes.com to be "mixed". It's supposed to be great and I can't wait to see it.
supra4 says:
01:28 PM, 09/19/2011
Mrproa:
There is no sex. The violence is not excessive like a war movie or Rambo, but it is very realistic. The movie is about a wheel man, thus it focuses on the seedier side of life. Moreover, car chases and violence tend to go hand in hand. Why else would you be chasing someone, other than to gain physical control of them? If you didn't need to restrain them then why not let them go?
mrproa says:
01:03 PM, 09/19/2011
I would love to see a good driving movie, but couldn't they make one without all the sex and violence. I want to see cars and racing not t*ts & @ss.
supra4 says:
12:49 PM, 09/19/2011
I saw Drive over the weekend. In my opinion it is the best movie of the year. The violence is ultra graphic, so if you have a weak stomach you should get some 3D glasses and watch the Lion King. The car chases include a 5.0 GT, 300 SRT8, classic Malibu, Impala, and numerous crown vic's.
miscpippa says:
10:14 AM, 09/19/2011
"Warm and fuzzy "ALWAYS tops "slick driving."
akitadog says:
09:04 AM, 09/19/2011
How about a great racing movie. When's the last time we had one of those?
ed124c says:
08:57 AM, 09/19/2011
Maybe people are done with the fast and stupid.