Shrek the Third opened to the enormous tune of $122 million in its opening frame. Now, if you want to compare, it doesn't look all that impressive next to Spider-Man 3's $151 from two weeks ago, it is likely to be outdone by next week's release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Still, you have to step back and realize that this is the third biggest opening in history, and it is the biggest opening ever for an animated feature, besting the record of $108 million set by its predecessor, Shrek 2, back in 2004.

Something else to consider when looking at Shrek the Third's opening, is that a large portion of its tickets were sold to children, which are a cheaper ticket than adult admittance. Meaning, if all ticket prices were equal, you could very well have seen Spdey's record fall. Still, it is a fun movie that lacks much in the way of substance and is likely to see a second week drop similar to Spidey, especially in the face of the new Pirates movie.

Coming in with a solid second place finish was Spider-Man 3, whose ticket sales have seen a substantial slowdown, although it is well on its way to a finally tally north of $300 million. It dropped 50% from last week and has seen its weekend totals dip below $30 million. It is a film that also survives off the hype and spectacle and considerably less off of its actual quality.

Going down the list a little further, you will find that 28 Weeks Later has suffered a near 50% drop off in its second weekend. Something I believe had to be expected. It is the kind of movie that is going to have more of a niche appeal with the cinema-goers at large, and will likely find renewed vigor once it hits DVD. But the big drop offs are not the real story as you look down at the rest of returning films.