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Max Braden: He's approachable and goofy like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell but isn't as noisy. I could see that translating into a Ben Stiller/lovable loser type of career.

Daron Aldridge: I agree in part that he has a nice career as a sidekick/supporting person but as a lead, let's see. I think he can be a dependable box office draw but with more diverse comedy choices. Alas, from 1995 to 1997, the aforementioned Farley headlined Tommy Boy, Black Sheep and Beverly Hills Ninja, which all grossed between $31 to $32 million or nearly identical to Blart's opening. So, there is money in Xeroxing a film but like Jim said today's audience will want more from him.

David Mumpower: I agree with the comments that his previous two films starred Will Smith and Adam Sandler, so he had a crutch. I did, however, always believe that James' presence on Hitch was a key reason why it became the most popular romantic comedy ever. He was perfectly cast in that role, and it's not a coincidence that the trailers featured him so prominently. With Paul Blart's success now established, here is what we can say for certain about Kevin James. He's made three films. Two of them have earned almost $300 million in combined receipts and now the third, the one that is undeniably all him, has opened to $38 million in four days. While this may be an overreaction based on what has happened to date rather than a prediction over what happens next, at this point, an argument can be made that Kevin James - God help us - is a box office draw. People keep mentioning Chris Farley, but the scale of that is way off. "Successful" Chris Farley films like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep and Beverly Hills Ninja all earned around $32 million. James' film has just opened to that and should triple it in final receipts, thereby effectively matching the three films being equated to him. Spin that over in your head for a moment.

Jim Van Nest: Maybe it's not fair, but I still can't jump on the "Kevin James as a box office draw" bandwagon til he does it again. One more and he'll be on the road to joining Belushi, Farley and Candy in the Fat Boy Hall of Fame.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kim Hollis: My Bloody Valentine 3-D, the first horror flick to use the emerging Real-D technology, opened to $21.9 million. Should Lionsgate be pleased with this result?

Brandon Scott: Hell, yes. I think this is a spectacular figure. I think we (those that have seen it anyway, not I..."we" figuratively) have witnessed the re-birth of horror in the movies. This is what will keep people going to theaters and not catching this type of film at home. A gimmick that worked.

Joel Corcoran: Lionsgate shouldn't be pleased with this result, they should be ecstatic. They not only managed to rehash a crazy little '80s slasher flick into a great box-office performer, they managed to overcome the stigma of old-style 3-D glasses. That's a pretty damned good result.

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