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'Spy Kids' adds a new dimension

Hollywood is not famous for taking risks, but Dimension, an arm of Walt Disney, did take one last year. It signed director Robert Rodriguez, known for is horror (From Dusk Till Dawn) and suspense films (The Faculty) to direct a kid's movie, a James Bond for kids, in fact.

This weekend, Dimension's Spy Kids soared to the top of the box-office charts, drawing a strong $27 million.

The movie does not have typical Hollywood stars. Antonio Banderas is big in Spain and South America, but not in North America. And yet its story about a brother and sister who embark on a mission to rescue their parents, who are secret agents, appealed to many.

Add to that appeal the imaginative narration, fast action and witty scenes, and there certainly was a winner.

Rodriguez says he wanted to challenge himself and see if he could make a film that had wide appeal. He wanted to give it a feel that his three children would enjoy it. He wanted it be very "innocent".

"It totally is kid empowerment," said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of Miramax, which releases its suspense and adventure films under the Dimension banner. The movie could end up with $100 million.

Among the big money-makers this week are two top Oscar-winners.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon grossed $5 million and its total reached to a phenomenal $114 million, with box-office experts predicting a $125 million tally. The next highest grossing foreign-language film, Life Is Beautiful, earned about $58 million in North America. The Italian import also won the best foreign film Oscar.

And Traffic took about $4.1 million while its total reached $114 million.

Steven Soderbergha's movie is expected to stop at $125 million, the same amount earned by his other year 2000 release, Erin Brockovich, which fetched Julia Roberts her first Oscar.

Ironically, every big studio in Hollywood rejected the Traffic project, saying it was a commercial risk. The movie was made for about $40 million, while Brockovich cost about $80 million, with Roberts getting $20 million, her highest remuneration. She usually gets about $12 million for movie.

But the best film winner, Gladiator could not flex its muscles. Though the movie had ended its very profitable run many months ago, with a $187 million gross, and is available on DVD and video, its distributor released it in 577 theatres this weekend. But the film grossed just about $450,000. However, its DVD and video sales are soaring after the Oscars.

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