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Top 'Doo'
"Scooby Doo", Where are you?  He is at the top of the box office, as he surpisingly brings home $56.4 million this weekend.  by Mark Whipkey
Scooby Doo fans were out in full force this weekend, as the late 70's and early 80's cartoon turned movie adaptation became the third biggest movie of the summer.  Despite two other action openers this weekend, The Bourne Identity and Windtalkers, "Scoob" managed to collect a wopping $56 million this weekend. 

This was definitely a surprise to all.  Who would have thought that Scooby had that much of an attraction after all of these years.  There was little hype about the movie, not until the week before release, and it did not have such good reviews.  You be the judge.
Scooby and Shaggy were just as surprised as the rest of us  
when they saw their total gross for this weekend.
I guess the audiences this weekend needed a comedy with our familiar dog pal.  So let it be said  that "Scooby Doo" is a hit already.  It has to be, it scored big by outdueing "The Sum of All Fears" opening of $31.2 million and blowing away the other openers this week by more than $20 million.  So the lesson learned quick, in this summer bonanza, is that you have to open big   because next week the competition will eat you alive, as what was seen with Bad Company.

So "Scooby Doo" comes out all right with $56.4 million, making the third biggest opening this summer.  In second, was Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity with $27.5 million.  This was a good opening for Damon, who now shows that he may be able to carry a movie on his own, maybe even become an action star.  Although he does fall short of his buddy Ben Affleck's action stardom in "The Sum of All Fears" which had an opening of $31.2 million.  Third this week was John Woo's Windtalkers with $14.5 million, which was the lowest grossing opener of the week.  This is also Woo's lowest grossing American movie since 1993's Hard Target, with Jean-Claude Van Damme, which opened with $10.1 million on August 20th of that year.  In fourth this weekend was The Sum of All Fears with another good weekend bringing in $13.5 million, totaling $84.5 million.  With this total "Sum" becomes the third highest grossing Tom Clancy movie adaption, with Clear and Present Danger and The Hunt for Red October leading the pack.  Finally in fifth this week, is The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with another surprising $9.8 million, bringing it to a total of $34.9 million.  This movie actually was number one, in front of Ben Afleck, for most of the week.   Well that ends "Star Wars" and "Spider-Man" run in the top five. 

Can Scooby "doo" it again next week?  I don't think so.  Not with Cruise and Spielberg in town.  Minority Report comes out next week and it should crush the competion.  That is my accusation before it even happens, kind of like the plot to the movie, huh.  I do believe that the new Disney movie Lilo and Stitch, which also comes out next week will pose some threat.  Both "Report" and "Lilo" have been striking up much buzz, in the past few weeks.  So it should be another showdown this weekend.  But hey, if the Juwanna Man is in the house, the only other opener next week, then Tom Cruise may have to settle for second.  Yeah right.

Top Ten
  1.  Scooby Doo                              $56.4
  2.  The Bourne Identity                $27.5
  3.  Windtalkers                              $14.5
  4.  The Sum of All Fears               $13.5        $84.5
  5.  The Divine Secrets of the
           Ya-Ya Sisterhood                 $9.8        $34.9
  6.  Star Wars Episode II                 $9.2         $270.5
  7.  Spider-Man                                $7.9         $382.4
  8.  Bad Company                             $6.1         $21.8
  9.  Spirit; Stallion of the                 $5.5         $63.8
10. Undercover Brother                 $4.6         $31.5
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