So, the odds were good that his 2008 follow-up Seven Pounds, which is directed by the same man, Gabriele Muccino, would continue Smith’s streak of consecutive $100-million earners.

Unfortunately for Smith – though we can hardly feel sorry for his rare flop – audiences read right through the obscure previews and opted to not see the flick – or at least wait until DVD. It was a good choice.

While half of the people who spent money on Seven Pounds thought the drama was well worth the money, the other half wasn’t fooled by its convoluted direction and feinting plot devices. Intelligent moviegoers will figure out the ending within the first minute or two, and will identify the rest of the mystery by the half hour mark… which will leave them an hour and a half of fidgeting as they wait for the end credits to roll.

Seven Pounds is not terrible – it’s just a movie that isn’t nearly as good as some people, including those involved in the film, claim it to be. Judging by the interviews on the DVD, which comes to stores on March 31, 2009, the filmmakers, cast and the rest of the crew honestly believed that audiences don’t mind a completely simple story twisted into a cluttered mystery. Their excitement about the film shows; I just can’t share in their anticipation.

You can read my full Seven Pounds movie review here.

Despite the movie’s pitfalls, it will make a moderately good DVD, assuming you rent it – or, better yet, get a friend to rent it so you can watch it for free. As a free movie, Seven Pounds is worth it. For a drama, it also has some decent bonus features.

There are a few forgettable deleted scenes and an audio commentary with director Gabriele Muccino, but the meat lies in the variety of featurettes included. The DVD takes an in-depth look at a variety of aspects of the film, including the central theme and story. While I don’t agree with the filmmakers, their explanations and passion for the project show; the director’s motivations are quite clear. Beyond that, they talk about the characters and casting, and most of the actors are involved in the interviews.

While I’m usually not crazy about filler features, the Seven Pounds DVD also examines two areas of the movie that normally wouldn’t be covered (SPOILER ALERT), the printing presses and jelly fish featured in the story. The jellyfish featurette is pretty interesting, as is the printing press one. More importantly, I found the narration by the content experts entertaining and well-delivered.

Seven Pounds isn’t a great movie, and the bonus features aren’t anything to scream about, but there’s enough here to warrant a rental.

The movie is about a drunk of a man (Will Smith) who just happens to be the only superpowered being on Earth. While he saves people at times, he is pretty careless about his actions, leaving people to become frustrated with the so-called hero. After he really gets himself in trouble, though, his newfound PR agent (Jason Bateman) convinces him to turn his act around and become the person everyone expects him to be. That synopsis is based on what I’ve seen from the previews – I’m not going to go see Hancock until tomorrow unfortunately.

Here’s the new Hancock movie trailer:

This is the injection the box office so desperately needed, and once again cements Will Smith’s place at the top of box office leaders. With exception to a few stumbles (mostly dramas), Smith can open movies big, and I Am Legend is his biggest yet. Not only does I Am Legend’s opening beat the $62 million summer opening of Smith’s I, Robot, but it will likely surpass the number one December opening previously held by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’s $72 million. Amazing!

I Am Legend opened on 3,606 theaters. In comparison, The Golden Compass – in its second weekend – earned only $2.6 million on Friday from almost as many theaters.