Pamela McClintock of THR:
Bringing one of the world's most popular toys to the big screen, Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's The Lego Movie opened to a gigantic $69.1 million in North America, the second biggest opening of all time for the month of February and launching an instant franchise.
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ holds the record, debuting to $83.8 million in late February 2004.
Lego, nabbing an A CinemeaScore, was made in association with the Denmark-based Lego Systems A/S. The voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman. Warners and Village Roadshow made the 3D animated pic with Lin Pictures and Vertigo Entertainment.
The story follows an ordinary minifigure named Emmet who is mistaken for the hero who can save the Lego universe. With the aid of Batman, Uni-Kitty and Benny, among other characters, he must learn to defeat the tyrant Lord Business.
George Clooney's latest directing effort, The Monuments Men, enjoyed a pleasing debut despite largely negative reviews, grossing $22.7 million and coming in No. 2 domestically. Its the biggest opening for a film Clooney has directed and underscores his appeal among adults.
From Sony and 20th Century Fox, the $70 million World War II comedy-drama stars Clooney opposite Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett.
Monuments Men, earning a B+ CinemaScore, was originally supposed to roll out over Christmas, but its release was pushed back until this weekend. On Saturday, it made its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation. Berlin was a natural fit for the movie, since it was shot in Germany.
Monuments Men, made in association with Babelsberg Studio and based on the nonfiction book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, follows a ragtag Allied squad of out-of-shape museum directors, artists, architects, curators and art historians tasked with saving important works of art before they are destroyed by the Nazis.
The weekend's third new offering, Vampire Academy, quickly tanked, earning only $4.1 million and coming in No. 7. The movie is the latest YA film adaptation to disappoint outside of the Twilight and Hunger Games. Vampire Academy was financed by IM Global and Reliance, and released in the U.S. by The Weinstein Co.
Based on Richelle Mead's 2007 novel and directed by Mark Waters, Vampire Academy stars Zoey Deutch, Danila Kozlovsky and Lucy Fry. The story revolves around three friends who are dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, where they must contend with a dangerous hierarchy, along with lies and secrets.
Among holdovers, Universal's Ride Along came in No. 3 in its fourth weekend, grossing $9.4 million and zooming past the $100 million mark to finish Sunday with a cume of $105.2 million.
Amazingly, Disney's animated blockbuster hit Frozen stayed high up on the chart despite Lego. Coming in No. 4 domestically with $6.9 million, Frozen's North America is now $368.8 million, passing up Despicable Me 2 ($368.1 million).
Worldwide, Frozen passed the $900 million mark to become the No. 4 animated title of all time, not counting re-issues. Its total through Sunday is an estimated $913.8 million.
Next Up: RoboCop is back on beat on Wednesday--this time "The Killing" actor Joel Kinnaman wears the metal.in this remake of Paul Verhoeven's 1987 classic.
On Friday the cineplex will be bursting with love. Kevin Hart Michael Ealy Regina Hall and Joy Bryant talk About Last Night in this remake of the 1986 rom-com. Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde share an Endless Love which is a remake of the 1981 film that starred Brooke Shields and Martin Hewett as the teens in love. Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay and Russell Crowe star in the mythic romance Winter's Tale.
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