It came right down to the wire this weekend as both Warner Brothers and Fox claimed victory over the weekend. Who would it be? Sam Worthington and last week's winner Clash of the Titans or the Tina Fey/Steve Carell upstart in Date Night? Well, it took until Monday when the final numbers were announced to see that Fox overestimated Sunday's figures a little and Warner Brothers emerged victorious with the second weekend of Clash of the Titans. Frankly, I did not see that coming, the close finish nor the Titans victory.
Now, it may see the lesser film return to the top of the chart, but this weekend saw a real dogfight for the top spot. The top three films all finished within $2 million of each other. Clash of the Titans dropped 56% from its debut frame but had the strength to hold off Date Night and How to Train Your Dragon. I thought for sure Date Night would climb to the top. After seeing it, it is clearly the better film in the top two.
Date Night proved to be a fun movie. It may not be as sophisticated or nuanced as either of the stars' respective sitcoms, but it does put the focus of a romantic/comedy/action film on a boring suburban married couple instead of young up and coming starlets. It is fun and definitely worth checking out.
The third place finisher is the best of the three and a film that looks like it is en route to a solid theatrical run. How to Train Your Dragon may not be the most original of stories, but it is told with great execution, heart, warmth, and some very nice animation. Just to add icing to the cake, the 3D is quite spectacular.
Pretty much all of the returning films had solid holds from last week. The only two to suffer steep dips are the previously mentioned Clash of the Titans and the fourth place finisher Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too. The sequel fell more than 60% in its second weekend. This does not bode well for continued big screen success. I suspect it will find renewed life once it hits home video.
I am happy to see the modest success that is finding Hot Tub Time Machine. No, it is not the best movie, but it is a lot of fun. It is quite possibly the funniest film I have seen this year.
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