'Unleashed' Swamped

In the battle for box office bucks left over from STAR WARS, our man Jet Li did not fare too well.

UNLEASHED, his best Hollywood-style movie ever, dropped 64.8% in its second weekend of release, for a cumulative total of $17.5 million.

Audiences in the US preferred to see Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez battle it out in MONSTER-IN-LAW, or watch Will Ferrell battle soccer balls in KICKING AND SCREAMING.

KUNG FU HUSTLE did fine in its seventh week in release, adding $252,000 for a total of $16.2 million.

What a difference in budget and perception. UNLEASHED will likely be viewed as a disappointment, because of it's bigger budget -- including the salaries of supporting stars Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins. Though HUSTLE did not break through to a truly wide audience, because it's a "foreign" title and sub-titled, it will likely be viewed as a success.

Opening this Friday in limited release: Alice Wu's SAVING FACE, starring Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec, and Richard Chang, from Sony Pictures Classics.