This past weekend was an interesting study in box-office expectations and Hollywood conventional wisdom. A fantasy called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice-an empty, brain-shutting-down, CGI-heavy spectacle based on an existing title, more or less aimed at kids but sort of advertised to attract older viewers as well (and ultimately appealing to neither)-bombed loudly and badly at the box office, earning only around $24 million since opening last Wednesday.
By contrast, director Christopher Nolan’s Inception-a daring, challenging, cerebral science fiction thriller with an original premise, ties to no previously existing brands and a solidly adult approach-earned just over $60 million over the weekend, hitting the high end of nearly every industry estimate for the film…