Watch out film world, Quentin Tarantino is back. At least in terms of box office magic.

Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” hauled in more than $41 million at the box office over the weekend – bested only by the much-ballyhooed remake of “The Lion King” which climbed its way to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for the second week in a row.

Although Musafa continues to win the hearts and wallets of moviegoers – but not critics, Tarantino has to be pleased with the opening weekend, as audiences and (most) critics alike hailed the film a success.

A love letter, of sorts, to the yesteryear of Hollywood, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has a rather understated start for what we’ve become accustomed to in a Tarantino flick.

A western TV series star, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his full-time stunt double and part-time handyman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) grapple with the changing direction and attitudes in the movie industry as the ’60s come to a close. Both feel out of sorts – and pushed out – as a new generation (in their view, the hippies) take over the scene.

There aren’t too many surprises at the start, just a lot of solid filmmaking with cinematography that reminds you why you fell in love with the movies in the first place. The film, set in 1969, is so well researched that multiple viewings are likely necessary to fully appreciate the lengths Tarantino went to in recreating this bygone era.

With the characters fully fleshed out, the turning point takes place when Booth takes a visit to Spahn Ranch to drop off a hitchhiker who, unbeknownst to Booth, happens to be a member of the Manson Family (in reality, cult leader Charles Manson and his members lived on the dilapidated film Ranch in 1968 and 1969). At this point, Tarantino turns up his signature slow burn tension that makes you squirm uncomfortably in your seat. 

It should come as no surprise that the lives of Dalton and Booth intersect with other key characters of that time and place. Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski, Squeaky Fromme, Charles Manson, Bruce Lee and others, all add a sense of urgency (and in some cases, comedic relief) as the film violently hurtles to its conclusion.

What might surprise you is the ending. Given that the story parallels certain historical events, you may think you know where it’s headed. But as he has proven in the past, anything can happen in a Tarantino film and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is no exception.