Once again, it’s a weekend battle of head-to-head stars and this week is positively titanic in scope. We've got two monumental talents whose genius and charisma have propelled them both to the very top of the Hollywood food chain. In this corner, we have funnyman-turned-producer, writer, director and, almost I forgot, back-to-back Oscar award winning actor, Mr. Tom Hanks, ladies and gentlemen! And in this corner we've got one of the most successful guys in the world, heartthrob-turned-indie-film- god-turned-heartthrob-A-Lister: Mr. Johnny Depp! You know the rules. Let’s drop the cage. Two men enter! One man leaves!

In the box office this weekend: Winner = Hanks
Thank god, an easy one to start off with. First of all, Hanks will win this in a walk, but mostly due to the fact that Depp's Sweeney Todd is opening limited before its wide release. Once Sweeney goes wide, however, methinks the musical starring every 17-year-old girls' favorite pirate will rapidly outpace the sharp political comedy of Charlie Wilson's War; though, both of these films will no doubt get their tails handed to them by National Treasure 2.

In the critical arena: Winner = Tie
This is going to be split evenly. As far as acting goes, much critical love will find its way to Depp, who stretches his chops by playing a lovesick madman bent on revenge… and who also sings. Hanks, on the other hand, does a fine, fine job with Charlie Wilson's War, but has Philip Seymour Hoffman acting circles around him, which is something every critic will be quick to note in their reviews. HOWEVER, Sweeney Todd is finding itself a bit uneven in the reviews, and there are scads of critics out there who love to lie in wait and ambush Tim Burton at every opportunity. But Charlie Wilson's War has been finding a lot of critical love over all. So yeah, a tie.

In their careers: Winner = Tie
Both of these guys are at the top of their games with only a few real differences between them. Hanks has two Oscars while Depp still gets to be that guy that deserves them but hasn't gotten them. Depp is still a heartthrob with a young, devoted audience while Hanks is that comfortable, safe actor that plays very well to older crowds. Both bring in huge crowds and prick up the ears of pretty much everyone when it is announced that they are in a particular movie. The winner in this category is more of a it-depends-on-who-you-ask sort of basis. So yeah, another tie.

In a fight: Winner = Whoever gets to see it
I don't foresee this fight as having a clear winner. It could go either way and the only real winner would be the guy whose camera phone caught the whole thing.

Winner = Us
Let's face it; whenever EITHER of these guys makes a movie, we win. They are the kind of actors who rarely, if ever, make bad films and even when they do, it is worth watching for them. Both of these films rock HARD, and the only real winners are the people who get to see them both. That would be us.

C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me
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Austin-based Cargill, who not only loves but owns The Cutting Edge, writes on movies and DVD five times a week.

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