The James Logan Courier

By Amy Kaufman
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

LOS ANGELES _ There's only one rival that may be able to trip up the seemingly unstoppable "The Hunger Games" at the box office this weekend: a trio of out-of-shape goofballs. Although the fantasy epic starring Jennifer Lawrence looks primed to claim the No. 1 spot for the fourth consecutive weekend, it may face some competition from a new spin on "The Three Stooges."

After 21 days in release, the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel has already grossed more than $300 million domestically and could take in $18 million to $20 million more this weekend, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys.

"The Three Stooges" probably is headed for a debut of $15 million to $18 million, giving the PG-rated comedy a healthy shot at the top position.

By Colin Covert
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)(MCT)

If true art is achieving profound results with economy of means, there may be no finer artists in film than brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Their beautifully observed, scrupulously realistic dramas distill the lives of working-class Belgians into experiences that are moving and universal.

With its small cast, minuscule budget and compressed story, "The Kid With a Bike" could have been a minor film. It is a major achievement. The subject is 11-year-old Cyril (Thomas Doret) and the lives he touches on his search for the father who abandoned him to state care. An emotionally volatile firecracker with more energy than maturity, he bolts from school, literally running into a potential guardian, Samantha (Cecile De France, "Hereafter"), a hairdresser. Unmarried, childless, she takes on the troublesome boy as a foster parent and the pair negotiate a sometimes rocky relationship.