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Kim Hollis: I'm not particularly surprised by the international numbers so far at all, because as Brett noted, Iron Man 3 plays out like a sequel to The Avengers. It takes the most popular character from that ensemble, one that already propelled two films to tidy sums, and dials it up a notch thanks to the goodwill coming from the awesomeness provided in The Avengers.

I think this film looks likely to beat its predecessor domestically, which is rare for sequels. From what I'm reading it's enjoyable (if not quite as good as the first Iron Man) and Robert Downey Jr. is just...well, he's the best thing ever.

One other factor we have to consider is that often times when we see lulls in the box office like we have so far in 2013, when an "event" film hits theaters, it explodes even more than expected. There's a real possibility that this happens, purely because movie audiences are so starved for product right now.

David Mumpower: One of the aspects of The Avengers that we chronicled meticulously last year comes into play now. The belief back then was that each character included in the film effectively leveled up, becoming a more iconic movie (and comic book) protagonist. Iron Man 3 provides the first test of that theory, which is exactly why I agree with Edwin about the importance of chronological order. I personally loved Iron Man 2, yet I accept that I possess the minority opinion on the subject. Since the prior film directly impacts the opening weekend of its sequel, that would have been a problem. Then, The Avengers came out and if we consider that the prior movie, which we as a group apparently do, Iron Man 3 should have blown up in its global debut. It already appears likely to earn a billion dollars worldwide. For reference, Iron Man and Iron Man 2 grossed $267 million and $312 million overseas. Iron Man 3 will beat that in its first 10 days. We are witnessing the genesis of a juggernaut right now.

Kim Hollis: Mud, a limited release drama featuring Matthew McConaughey, debuted with $2.2 million amidst fantastic reviews. How has McConaughey recently been able to reinvent himself as a critically lauded actor?

Brett Ballard-Beach: Easy, he gets older and the high school girls stay the same age (Sorry, had to use that quote. It's been 20 years since that film opened!) For an intriguing comparison, consider that he and Brad Pitt both played stoners in small supporting roles in the fall of '93 and I would argue those performances still rank among their best. I think both of them are character actors cursed with hunky leading man bodies and that rom-coms and typical action films are not to their strengths. McConaughey has either realized that or been given the chance to go down that road in recent years. Post-Ghosts of Girlfriend Past (possibly the height of his rom-com lows), he has a great streak going with The Lincoln Lawyer (kind of his Primal Fear-esque reinvention), The Paperboy (his character arc left me flabbergasted), Magic Mike, Killer Joe, and now Mud, which I am humbled to say I was not aware of until Thursday evening (but a Huck Finn-type saga as reimagined by the director of Take Shelter intrigues me). He isn't afraid to go dark and unlikable or play shades of grey. It fits him well.

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