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300 was anything but spartan, reaping $70.9 million on around 4,800 screens at 3,103 theaters in its opening weekend. That eclipses all previous ancient battle pictures by a wide margin, including Troy and Gladiator, and ranks fifth among comic book adaptations.

Burbank, California—An outstanding TV police drama, Hawaii Five-O, premiered on DVD this week. This marks the return of top cop Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord, a chiseled, serious actor—when such actors were desired and sought—who had a memorable role in the first (and best) James Bond picture, Dr. No. The late Mr. Lord also portrayed the young American in The Story of a Patriot, the popular short that welcomed generations of visitors to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia (for all I know it still does).

Prepare for gory: the overblown 300 slices, dices and largely decimates any sign of intelligent life in a computer-generated, music video-styled monster mash that calls itself a movie. It's more like an all-out blitzkrieg against one's perceptual senses, but it is consistently locked in attack mode. Gerard ButlerZack Snyder

The international box office suffered further decay as Ghost Rider continued to lend little excitement and 2006 holdovers have been quickly petering out. Once again, Ghost Rider led the way with a $16.3 million weekend, pushing its total to $61.6 million. Debuting in the United Kingdom, it ranked behind Hot Fuzz's third weekend with $3.6 million from 302 screens, which was only slightly higher than Daredevil's 2003 opening. In Japan, it reaped a measly $1.1 million from 244 screens, ranking fourth. However, in Brazil, it snared one of its best launches to date with $1.9 million from 302 screens. Will Smith

After two weeks under the reign of a skeletal biker, four fleshy bikers took charge of the box office, and overall business was up 20 percent from the same frame last year. John TravoltaTim AllenMartin LawrenceDavid Fincher

Writer and director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's stinging The Lives of Others (in German with English subtitles) is an extraordinarily powerful drama that repudiates altruism, the idea that one must live for the sake of others, as a moral code. Gabriel Yared

Burbank, California—This week's serial murders thriller Zodiac and Buena Vista's family comedy Wild Hogs may hold opposite views of men but both induce sleep. John TravoltaMartin LawrenceTim AllenJake GyllenhaalMark RuffaloEllen DeGeneresMichael MannNancy MeyersCameron DiazJennifer LopezCate BlanchettTom CruisePaula WagnerRobert RedfordMeryl Streep

The international box office sagged over the weekend, and Ghost Rider led the way again with a moderate $16 million, lifting its total to $40.1 million. Top-ranked debuts like Germany's $2.3 million or Peru's $125,516 weren't spectacular, but didn't disappoint either. The comic book adaptation also opened in France, earning about $3 million from 426 screens. Thus far, Ghost Rider has been a respectable earner with predictable drops in its second weekend, including 47 percent slides in Australia and Russia. Though the picture has debuted in 42 territories to date, the bulk of its major markets are still ahead. Hugh GrantLeonardo DiCaprio

Ghost Rider cooled but held the top spot as expected, The Number 23 added up to a relatively fair debut, and not much else transpired over a typically sedate final February weekend. After last weekend's bounty, overall business was down three percent from the same frame last year when Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion opened in first. Jim CarreyJohnny Depp

Q. What records were broken in 2006?

Box office was up in 2006 but it didn't exactly rebound from a tepid 2005. Moviegoing as such hasn't lost its appeal as a powerhouse like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest demonstrated, but Hollywood ratcheted up its shotgun approach and pumped up the grosses with more nationwide releases than ever. Edward NortonPaul GiamattiJessica BielWill SmithMatthew McConaugheySarah Jessica ParkerWill FerrellClint EastwoodSteven SpielbergBrad Pitt

Burbank, California—The nation's top earning picture, writer and director Mark Steven Johnson's Ghost Rider, is a solid, comics-based thriller. Combining irony and action with Nicolas Cage reading Faust and igniting while riding for justice on a roaring motorcycle, Ghost Rider burns rubber. Sam ElliottBrad Grey

Speeding into first place at the foreign box office, Ghost Rider opened to $16.6 million from 26 territories, including first place finishes in Australia ($1.9 million), Mexico ($2.1 million), Russia ($3.6 million) and Spain ($3.1 million) that were higher than Daredevil. Daredevil made $76.6 million in its entire overseas run, and Ghost Rider is poised to crush that figure. Clint Eastwood

Ghost Rider steered a herd of new releases to the highest overall gross the President's Day four-day holiday weekend has ever seen: $188 million. After four down weeks, the box office came roaring back with a 20 percent increase over the same frame in 2006 when Eight Below was on top. Hugh GrantDrew Barrymore

Burbank, California—As an enchanting children's fairy tale, Walden Media's Bridge to Terabithia is a bridge to nowhere, with notions of work, God and friendship floating around a mixed message about the child's role in the family. A sudden, jarring turn of events in the coming of age fantasy—which barely depicts imaginary Terabithia, a place created in the minds of young teenagers Jess (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb)—makes this one Disney picture parents ought to investigate before watching with children. Leslie Nielsen

Writer and director Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Flightplan) brings a fictionalized story about spy Robert Hanssen to the screen in Breach starring Chris Cooper as the traitor to his nation. He does so by carefully tracking the road to Hanssen's capture, facilitated by a young clerk played by Ryan Phillippe, in a tight character study. Laura Linney

Q. How are the Oscar Nominations Determined?

Cupid's arrow strikes a bull's eye with Warner Bros.' clever blend of romance, light comedy and pop nostalgia in Marc Lawrence's Music and Lyrics. The writer and director (Two Weeks Notice) recovers from the wreckage of Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous with a zippy little date movie. Hugh GrantDrew BarrymoreTom Hanks

Norbit consumed far more moviegoers than Hannibal Rising over the weekend as fat suit comedy once again made for a box office banquet. Eddie MurphyAnthony Hopkins

After a one-week hiatus, Night at the Museum reclaimed the lead at the international box office. The family comedy's $13.7 million weekend upped its foreign tally to $230.8 million. France contributed $4.3 million in the picture's impressive No. 1 debut. Night also held onto the top spot in Italy, falling 33 percent for a $9.5 million total. Will SmithHugh GrantDrew Barrymore