No Payne No Gain

Max Payne beat up on the competition to take the top spot...



Pamela McClintock of Variety:

Twentieth Century Fox was feeling no pain at the weekend box office as Mark Wahlberg actioner “Max Payne” put the studio back on top and Fox Searchlight’s “The Secret Life of Bees” buzzed its way to a photo finish with family holdover “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” for No. 2.

Lionsgate’s high-profile George W. Bush biopic “W.” also performed on the upper end of expectations. The Oliver Stone film grossed an estimated $10.6 million from 3,326 runs to place fourth, according to Rentrak.

“Max Payne,” based on the vidgame, opened to an estimated $18 million from 3,239 locations.

After that, it was a relatively close race. Disney’s “Chihuahua” declined just 37% in its third weekend to gross an estimated $11.2 million from 2,030 runs for a cume of $69 million, according to Rentrak.

“Bees” grossed an estimated $11.1 million from 1,591 runs for a sweet-as-can-be location average of $6,945--the best of any film on the top 10 chart.

Overall, the domestic box office was up by as much as 10% from the same frame last year, despite the grim economy and all-consuming presidential race.

The only blemish was Summit Entertainment's “Sex Drive,” the weekend’s other new wide release. The R-rated teen comedy grossed an estimated $3.6 million from 2,421 runs to come in No. 9. ...

Joshua Rich of EW:

Mark Wahlberg's action film was No. 1, as ''The Secret Life of Bees'' and ''W.'' also opened well...