Video Rental Chart : ‘Mermaids’ Making Its Move

Will “Mermaids” swim past “Predator 2” and splash “Ghost” out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard magazine rental chart? Starring Cher and Winona Ryder, “Mermaids” certainly has the momentum, zooming up to No. 3 in just two weeks. At this point, “Predator 2”--though lodged in the runner-up slot--is just a long shot for No. 1. If “Mermaids” isn’t the new chart leader in the next two weeks, a good bet is “Kindergarten Cop,” the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller that enters the chart next week and could take over No. 1 by the end of the month. The other hot newcomer is “The Rookie,” a buddy-cop movie starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen. After entering at No. 15 last week, it bounded up to No. 5.

* Critics complained that “Jacob’s Ladder,” starring Tim Robbins and Danny Aiello, was too confusing. Still, this psychological thriller about Vietnam veterans plagued by demons grossed fairly well ($25.9 million) for a movie that features no major box-office draws. It’s doing well in the rental market too, jumping to No. 8 in two weeks.

Ranking Weeks Ranking 2 Weeks On Rental Top Rentals Last Week Ago Chart 1. “Ghost” (Paramount) 1 1 10 2. “Predator 2” (FoxVideo) 2 7 3 3. “Mermaids” (Orion) 12 ... 2 4. “Three Men and a Little Lady” (Touchstone) 3 8 4 5. “The Rookie” (Warner) 15 ... 2 * “Jacob’s Ladder” (LIVE) 11 ... 2