Movies.com Top 10 Box Office
Find out which movies were the weekend''s winners.
1. Marvel''s The Avengers - $103.0M
Marvel Studios delivers the ultimate comic-book film, which ties together such characters as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) for a big-screen franchise team-up like no other. Taking center stage this time is Nick Fury (played once again by the note-perfect Samuel L. Jackson), leader of the peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury, along with former Russian spy Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), recruits a super team to combat Thor''s ever-deceptive brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) after he brainwashes ace archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) while stealing a cosmic cube from an underground base. Thus the heroes must learn to work together alongside outlaw scientist Bruce Banner (Ruffalo), who can track down the artifact''s gamma signals when he''s not hulking out into a giant green monster. Show runner Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) adapted and helmed the script by Zak Penn. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
2. Dark Shadows - $29.6M
Transformed into a vampire and entombed for 200 years after betraying vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), 18th century fishing magnate Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) returns to Collinwood Manor in 1972, only to find his once proud estate in ruins and his family plagued by macabre secrets. It was the year 1752 when Barnabas'' parents came to America to expand their business empire. But after establishing the thriving New England fishing town of Collinsport, the family experienced a series of misfortunes when Barnabas fell for the gorgeous Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcoate) and cast aside beautiful witch Angelique, who cursed him with eternal life and buried him deep in the earth. Returning home to Collinwood Manor after being dug up by a construction crew in 1972, Barnabas learns that Angelique has nearly driven his family out of business, and turned the townspeople against them. Determined matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) employs live-in psychiatrist Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) and enchanting governess Victoria Winters (Heathcoate) to try and help young David Collins (Gully McGrath) get over the mysterious death of his beloved mother, but as Barnabas gets acquainted with his distant ancestors -- including Elizabeth''s black-sheep brother Roger (Jonny Lee Miller) and headstrong teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz) -- their suffering weighs heavily on his shoulders. Later, when Angelique learns that Barnabas has returned on a mission to restore his family to its former glory and fallen for the radiant Victoria (who is actually Josette reincarnate), she vows to make his suffering unimaginable if he should dare refuse her once again. Jackie Earle Haley, Bella Heathcote, and Gulliver McGrath co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
3. Think Like a Man - $5.8M
This adaptation of Steve Harvey''s non-fiction relationship advice book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man focuses on six friends who regularly get together to play basketball, and usually are commiserating about women issues. Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) is a geeky pothead and comic-book obsessive whose career is stuck in neutral and who won''t pop the question to his girlfriend of nine years. Zeke (Romany Malco) is a former musician-turned-businessman who is great at picking up the ladies but can''t commit to a long-term relationship. Michael (Terrence J) is good looking and charming, but his mother still has him wrapped around her finger and doesn''t want to let him go. Dominic (Michael Ealy) keeps changing career goals, and while he''s an excellent chef, he hasn''t found a way to make it pay. And short, motormouthed Cedric (Kevin Hart) is in the midst of a divorce and can''t wait to be free of his wife. Nerdy but well-meaning Bennett (Gary Owen) is the only one in a functioning relationship, and he gets a lot of grief from his buddies for his happy marriage. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
4. The Hunger Games - $4.5M
Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender (called "Tributes") to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government''s total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12''s latest "Tribute," Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
5. The Lucky One - $4.1M
An Iraq War veteran searches for the woman from a mysterious photo that he credits with saving his life during three tours of duty in this romantic drama adapted from the book by Nicholas Sparks. U.S. Marine sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) was serving his country overseas when he happened across a discarded photo of a beautiful woman. An inscription on the back read "Keep Safe," yet the photo revealed no clues about either the subject or her whereabouts. Upon returning home to civilian life, Logan conducts his own research and discovers that the woman''s name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and that she cares for dogs at a small-town kennel. Before long, Logan manages to get a job at the kennel, and sets his sights on winning Beth''s heart. But it won''t be easy because Beth''s past experiences have made her wary of relationships. Meanwhile, as Logan works to earn Beth''s trust, a dark secret from her past threatens to derail his hope for a happy future together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
6. The Five-Year Engagement - $3.3M
A couple named Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) find their wedding plans interrupted by a number of disappointments and surprises over the course of five years, as Violet is forced to move to Michigan for school and Tom becomes frustrated by missed job opportunities in this romantic comedy from producer Judd Apatow. Nicholas Stoller directed from a script co-written by Segel, and the supporting cast includes Alison Brie, Chris Pratt, and Rhys Ifans. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
7. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - $3.1M
Set sail for fun with this family-friendly Aardman Animations adventure following a bumbling, abundantly bearded scallywag who competes against his two biggest rivals for the title Pirate of the Year. Try as he might, the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) just can''t be taken seriously as a plunderer. But that might change if he could only manage to win the Pirate of the Year competition. As the event gets under way, the Pirate Captain makes it his mission to leave dreaded foes Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) sinking in his wake. Before that can happen, though, the determined Pirate Captain will have to seek out the help of a love-struck scientist (David Tennant) and defeat a malevolent queen (Imelda Staunton), who might just send him down to Davy Jones'' Locker. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - $2.6M
A small group of British retirees learn that the life they want to live might not be the life they need to live after pooling their resources to spend their twilight years in a unique setting located in India. Upon arriving at the once-opulent Marigold Hotel, however, the eager pensioners come to realize that rumors of the building''s restoration have been greatly exaggerated. But just when it starts to seem that the privileged seniors have been swindled out of their life savings, they summon the courage to sever their ties to the past, and embrace their new life with a sense of wonder and adventure. Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Dev Patel star in this uplifting comedy-drama from director John Madden (The Debt, Shakespeare in Love). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
9. Chimpanzee - $1.7M
World Chimpanzee Foundation head Christophe Boesch joins filmmakers Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield for this documentary offering an intimate look into the world of chimpanzees. The chimpanzee is an exceptionally intelligent species of anthropoid ape, and by spending over three years in the tropical jungles of Uganda and the Ivory Coast, filmmakers and experts offer viewers a unique opportunity to better understand their distinct role in our global ecosystem. The story in Chimpanzee centers on Oscar, a young simian born into a large family of 35 others, and eager to learn the ways of life in the jungle. As Oscar''s mother Isha teaches her newborn how to find food and avoid dangerous predators, the leader of their family, Freddy, vigilantly defends their territory from his rival Scar. Scar and his clan covet the nut grove at the center of Freddy''s domain, and it''s only a matter of time before they attempt to take the precious resource by force. When tragedy strikes and Isha perishes, Oscar struggles to survive without a parent to feed and protect him. But just as it begins to appear as if all hope for Oscar is lost, something miraculous happens - Freddy adopts the orphaned youngster, and provides the support he so desperately needs to survive. But it may come at a devastating price, because somewhere out in the trees, Scar has noticed that Freddy has ceased defending the perimeters of his territory, providing the perfect opportunity for him and his clan to take the coveted nut grove by force. Narrated by Tim Allen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
10. Safe - $1.4M
A suicidal New Jersey cage fighter protects a young Chinese math prodigy from Triads, Russian gangsters, and corrupt cops in this action thriller from producer Lawrence Bender (Pulp Fiction) and writer/director Boaz Yakin (Fresh, A Price Above Rubies). Ten-year-old Mei (Catherine Chan) is a genuine numbers wizard from Nanjing. Unfortunately, her unusual proficiency in mathematics has made her the target of Triad boss Han Jaio (James Hong), who abducts the young girl from her home and sends her to America to help keep his underhanded business dealings a well-guarded secret. Mei has the ability to store a virtual library of financial information in her head, and by having the young girl as his personal bookkeeper, Han is able to operate without fear of being implicated by a telling paper trail. Meanwhile, as Mei follows her new "father" Chang (Reggie Lee) on his many extortion outings, Luke Wright (Jason Statham) takes flight from the Russian mafia after botching a fixed fight and seeing his wife murdered in retribution. Mei''s and Luke''s fates collide, however, when, soon after Han Jiao makes the trip to America to give the young girl a secret number, the fallen fighter witnesses her fleeing from Russian gangsters just as he is about to take his own life. At that moment, Luke pulls himself back from the brink and decides to take action. But now Luke''s death wish may come true sooner than he anticipated; not only are the Triads and the Russians determined to get that number by any means necessary, but corrupt NYPD captain Wolf (Robert John Burke) is hell-bent on beating them to it -- and has the power of the law on his side. As day turns to night, Luke realizes that his time is quickly running out. Perhaps if Luke can save Mei, he will have finally taken the first crucial steps down the road to redemption and toward a new life where he won''t have to fight in order to survive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
