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Michael Lynderey: I feel like it should've fared a little better - the star combination seemed just right for a minor hit, but as others have said, this is scratching Morning Glory territory. This type of serio-comic drama often does pretty well in December, so maybe they were jumping the gun just a little. But on that note, I have a feeling the legs aren't going to be so bad as far as these things go, even if that oft-hoped for Oscar nomination for Hathaway isn't coming this time.

Maybe if The Rock had shown us his strudel...

Kim Hollis: Faster, the latest action film from Dwayne "Don't Call Me The Rock" Johnson, opened to $12 million over the Thanksgiving holiday, with $8.5 million from Friday-to-Sunday. Given the film's $24 million budget, do you consider this a good enough result for the still fledgling CBS films?

Josh Spiegel: Given the budget, and CBS Films' weak track record, I'll say yes, but this release just seemed odd relative to the other movies coming out this weekend. Obviously, Faster was meant to be counter-programming - what says Thanksgiving like a revenge pic? - but not enough people were aware of it or cared. The Rock will, of course, soldier on and keep making movies that don't hit big but don't do poorly; Faster maintains that streak.





Bruce Hall: Should CBS feel like they got away with something, sneaking off with $12 million on the sidelines while Harry Potter and Rapunzel duke it out in the Octagon? Yes. Will this movie eventually make a profit? I don't think there's any question.

Will this have any measurable effect on Dwayne Johnson's career? In the short run I doubt it, unless he makes too many more of these. Despite his build and his menacing scowl, I don't think that the "one man army" flick is The Rock's forte. As with Vin Diesel, there's a lot of "nice guy" in him. But unlike Diesel, The Rock has it plainly written all over his face. He seems to do better as part of a strong ensemble, a la The Other Guys, or when his image is used for ironic effect, like The Game Plan.

Putting the overall dodgy quality of Faster aside for a moment, I just don't think the man can carry a hit film by himself. Even The Scorpion King, his biggest individual achievement as an action hero, was only a modest (albeit surprising) success. As long as he keeps getting offers, I suppose there are no worries. But I think that the time will come - especially as he begins to age - where the care he takes in choosing his roles will become more significant.

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