Given the distinct lack of competition, this is hardly surprising. Still, Riddick wasn’t a terrible film so it’s not entirely undeserved either. Some of these other films on this list though… let’s just say that the pickings are a bit slim.
#1 — Riddick
Budget: $38 Million
Totals: $18.6 M, Weekend and Current Domestic / $7.4 M, Foreign / $26 M, Worldwide
Weekend 1
In terms of story and filmmaking skill, this is easily the best film in the series. It’s well paced, has a good story, really makes us care for Riddick, and doesn’t get mired down with either the horror genre, or the action/adventure genre.
I did find it a little strange that this film has almost nothing to do with the plot of the previous and where we last left Riddick given that it felt that we were supposed to be going somewhere with that plot line, but I quickly got over it.
Unfortunately, though the last two films were rated R, this film is rated R with a bit more reason. One scene includes full upper nudity, and one additional scene gives us a glimpse from the side. It’s extremely frustrating that an otherwise pretty decent movies has to cause my recommendation to fall so low.
#2 — Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Budget: $30 M
Totals: $8.9 M, Weekend / $91.9 M, Total Gross
Weekend 4
My general rule of thumb is, if Oprah Winfrey is involved I want nothing to do with it. Fair or not, that’s my feeling on the matter. General movie goers seem to disagree however, because this, her latest film, has once again topped the box office for the second weekend in a row.
I don’t know what to think though because I didn’t hear much about this film until right before it came out and it looks pretty pathetic.
#3 — Instructions Not Included
Budget: N/A
Totals: $8.1 M, Weekend / $20.3 M, Total Gross
Weekend 2
I really have no idea what this is. But it made more than last week and has moved up two spots. Very strange.
#4 — We’re The Millers
Budget: $37 M
Totals: $7.9 M, Weekend / $123.8 M, Domestic / $55.1, Foreign / $178.9 M, Worldwide
Weekend 5
Would someone please get this trash out of the cinemas? Seriously, how is such a horrible film doing so well?
#5 — Planes
Budget: $50 M
Totals: $4.2 M, Weekend / $79.2 M, Domestic / 41.9 M, Foreign / $121.1 M, Worldwide
Weekend 5
This film looks completely awful, but given some of the other trash in the theaters right now, it’s really no wonder that it’s continuing to hang on.
#6 — One Direction: This Is Us
Budget: $10 M
Totals: $4.1 M, Weekend / $23.9 M, Domestic / $26 M, Foreign / $49.9 M, Worldwide
Weekend: 2
Hey, a teen heartthrob pop boy band, I always wanted to know more about them… NOT! I believe this encapsulates everything wrong with the human race, right here. This is it. This explains everything. The quality of RogerEbert.com may not be what I had hoped it would be in the wake of Ebert’s passing, but I will quote from Christy Lemire writing on RoberEbert.com since I have not seen the film:
With “One Direction: This Is Us,” Spurlock becomes a cog in the machinery. In chronicling the juggernaut of the British boy-band during their recent world tour, he presents a piece of propaganda as glossy and managed as similar depictions of The Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber.
Young, female fans of the fab five probably won’t care, and the parents who are forced to accompany them to the theater probably won’t mind. The lads are lively and likable, their songs non-offensive and interchangeably poppy. “This Is Us” does what it needs to do for its target audience. But anyone looking for actual substance or insight will be disappointed and maybe even a little bored with its repetitive nature.
That’s about what I would have expected. That fact that it has made $49.9 Million (5 times production budget) is one of the biggest crimes perpetrated against humanity.
#7 — Elysium
Budget: $115 M
Totals: $3.1 M, Weekend / $85M, Domestic / $127.1 M, Foreign / $212.1 M, Worldwide
Weekend 5
This film is still clinging to the box office, though I suppose that’s only because the box office is a little anemic right now and folks are not coming out to see films in droves — nor are there a lot of great films out right now. I sure hated this one.
#8 — Blue Jasmine
Budget: N/A
Totals: $2.6 M, Weekend / $25.4 M, Total
Weekend 7
Sort of odd how this worked out. This is the film’s 7th weekend, but it has made it onto the charts this week by brining in only $2.6 Million. Crazy.