Next weekend will mark a huge test for the nation’s film critics.

Sex and the City 2 did boffo box office ($32.1 million, second to Shrek‘s $43.3 million) last weekend, in large part thanks to pre-sales that well may have occurred before the nation’s critics came out and lambasted the sequel.

TIME’s Mary Pols said the movie abandoned the basic tone and focus of the TV series.

Will the movie reach beyond its core fan base? Then there’s the other major title that challenges the relevance of film critics:

Killers, this weekend’s big-budget romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl.

The film is not being screened for critics, and no reviews will post until well into Friday afternoon, after reviewers have paid to see the movie with the general public.

Do you often read reviews before seeing a movie? Will the lack of reviews entice you to avoid Killers? Did the bad reviews turn you away from Sex and the City?

[ Source: Time ]