Not that we here at Movieline expected much more from the Russell Brand-led remake of Arthur, but the film is being looked upon as a disappointment this morning after finishing a distant second at the box office. What happened? Pour yourself a Monday morning eye-opener, and click ahead to discuss Arthur around the virtual watercooler.
· Animated tales about jelly bean-pooping bunnies notwithstanding, can Russell Brand actually open a movie or is he doomed to drift through his Hollywood life as a second banana?
· Is Greta Gerwig too "kooky" to be a mainstream leading lady? Should she search out a Zooey Deschanel-like (500) Days of Summer-y script and try to thread the needle between indie goddess and romcom queen?
· Was Arthur sunk by the real world? With the economy still in dire straits, does the idea of watching the consequence-free lifestyle of a careless millionaire seem like bad taste?
· Did you feel that Jennifer Garner's character was too broadly drawn and too mean-spirited?
· How much did Universal opening Your Highness against Arthur hurt its box office performance?
· Was this simply a case of remaking a movie that didn't need to be remade in the first place?
The floor is yours, dear reader; let's get to the bottom of Arthur before last call.