Image Credit: Richard Cartwright
It was a good and bad day for Hollywood aliens. On the one hand, the alien-invasion action film Battle: Los Angeles debuted at the top of Friday’s box office with a more-than-expected $13.5 million, according to early estimates. That puts Sony’s PG-13 flick, which cost a reported $70 million to produce and received mostly negative reviews, on track for a $37 million weekend. At the other end of the galaxy, though, was Disney’s Mars Needs Moms. The $150 million 3-D animated film, about a young boy whose mother gets kidnapped by Martians, barely levitated with $1.7 million on Friday. Even with its 3-D surcharges and premium pricing at 211 IMAX theaters, the PG-rated movie is headed for a weekend debut of only $7 million.
As evidenced by Rango, the Nevada desert may be more alluring than Mars. Paramount’s $135 million animated Western, starring the chameleonic thespian Johnny Depp as a thespian chameleon, dropped a modest 43 percent for $5.5 million. The PG movie should finish the weekend in second place with about $23 million. In third was the new Twilight-wannabe thriller Red Riding Hood, which performed slightly below industry expectations. The PG-13 film, a revisionist take on the classic fairy tale, swallowed $5 million on Friday and should emerge from the weekend with $14 million. Fourth place went to the sci-fi thriller holdover The Adjustment Bureau, which fell 49 percent for $3.4 million. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report.
1. Battle: Los Angeles — $13.5 mil
2. Rango — $5.5 mil
3. Red Riding Hood — $5.0 mil
4. The Adjustment Bureau — $3.4 mil
5. Mars Needs Moms — $1.7 mil
Box office preview: Aliens to crush werewolves as Battle: Los Angeles clashes with Red Riding Hood
Battle LA was cool, best part was when the aliens make the mistake of invading Watts and Compton, and the LA street gangs kick alien butt.
Too bad that didn’t happen. But the sequel should be Battle: Las Vegas. Casinos destroyed. Strippers needing to be rescued.
I would rather rent Battle of the Planet of the Apes then watch this kind of crappy story.
Too bad they decided to make a stupid movie like this!
This movie will be a flog like the other recent movie about aliens taking over Los Angeles and the world. The movie trailer look stupid to me and the reviews are horrible.
Battle LA was very entertaining. Really surprised it only cost $70 million.
Amanda Seyfried is the hottest
good for Battle, poor for RRH
Man, they have no more original ideas anymore in hollywood. Sad.
Pssh, I’m not going to waste my money in a recession on this crap.
For 70 million you got blood, guts, hostle aliens, U.S. Marines, Fighter Jets, and Michelle Rodrigez. Or you could go with the 150 million monstrocity MoMs on mars that made like 1 mil the opening day as a cartoon…I think someones getting fired.
Wow, that stupid Mars Needs Moms movie cost $150 million? And it made that little? What an enormous bomb.
I’m so glad the movie tanked. What parent would seriously send their kid to a movie about moms being abducted by aliens? Who cares if it has a happy, moral ending. Whoever came up with this needs to be shot in the face and then fired.
Overreacting much?
Geek i agree fully!
At least Mars Invades wasn’t entirely CGI. It had some cool special effects. This is entirely BS.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! BURN IN HELL CATHERINE HARDWICK!!! MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!! YOU’LL NEVER WORK IN THIS TOWN AGAIN!!!
LOL! I can’t stand that talentless hack of a “director” either! Unfortunately, I’m sure she’ll be free to make many more crappy movies soon…
I’m definitely going to avoid working on any of those kinds of shows, if possible.
RRH wasn’t exactly expected to sweep so it’s not surprising. It’s not a total bomb or anything.
It’s a bomb. Expectations were starting at $20 Million so don’t even try to spin it. I was forced to see that crappy movie. It was worse than I thought. Never saw twilight so I don’t know if it’s better or worse.
It sucked. Don’t waste your money.
Battle Los Angeles was very good and entertaining…
Battle LA was actually good, as for most films I never really care what the critics say cause its few and far apart when a movie they like i like too. Everyone in the theater left happy where i was at and many even clapped.
Predicable. Stupid. Copy of that Nine movie with the aliens in South Africa. I mean, come on Hollywood?! Can you guys think up something entirely original for once?
His point, and what many who enjoyed this film are saying is that this is a good action sci fi flick. If you want to complain about cliches how can critics pan this movie for cliches and dialogue and then swoon over Avatar. Avatar was a huge cliche and cheese. Yet critics gave it high praise for what? the story? For fans of Sci Fi Battle LA delivered in some ways more the Avatar.
I Love it… same thing happened in my theater…
Oh, no CinemaScores yet? I’ll have to wait ’til tomorrow.
None of the new releases looked interesting, and I highly doubt Battle: LA will hold in the weeks to come.
Exactly! Americans are stupid. We spend money on the dumbest things then ask our government to bail us out when we are broke. Stop wasting your money on crap people!
I don’t think anyone is asking the gov’t for a bailout because they went to a few bad movies. Maybe because they bought a 5 bedroom house they couldn’t afford.
Imagine where this money could actually be going. Instead we’re wasting it on utterly crap movies.
It makes me sad. Imagine how the people who are trying to break into the business feel about it? It’s a joke. The people who run this town are terrible at there jobs, and have no business being in the position they are to call the shots anymore.
watch Jane Eyre bro. It has Archie Hicox, Billy Elliot and M
Despite the bad reviews, I still want to see Battle: LA just because it looks like a fun popcorn flick. I was mildly interested in seeing Red Riding Hood, but I’m not too sure if I’ll bother now. I’d love to see The Adjustment Bureau again, it was fantastic.
Because there is nothing else good to watch? They schedule releases to work to their advantage with dummies like you.
It’s a shame that Battle: Los Angeles is getting poor reviews. I was really looking forward to seeing it. Maybe I’ll wait for the DVD. I was also considering seeing Red Riding Hood if it receieved good reviews; but now I’m definately skipping it since it has been trashed by critics. At least there’s still The Adjustment Bureau. I’ll probably see that tomorrow. The only other movies I plan on seeing (if they get good reviews) between now and summer are Sucker Punch, Scream 4 and Fast Five.
Yeah, I think Sucker Punch could be fun and entertaining. Scream 4 definitely looks worth the ticket…Fast Five? Really?
Adjustment Bureau was smart, well-acted and entertaining. Unlike most movies I’ve seen since Inception!
It was the worst movie EVER!! I left early more than half the way through!! Told my girlfriend, hey I’m sorry, but Let’s get the hell outta here! They gave me creditslip for next week.. Anything would be better than this stupidhead story! Peace out.
hey dont listen to the critics. BLA was amazing. If your looking for a good action movie with intense scenes then this is the movie for you. Im positive that if you ask people who just came out of the theather watching BLA. 75% will say they loved the movie.
Battle L.A. was awesome. I went and seen it with my boyfriend and 4 of his friends and they all loved it, saying it was kick-ass. The critics have it wrong, as they do many times…..
They must be idiots. This was horrible. I swear!
it’s just a movie with a lot of action, so therefore they liked it. That’s your opinion and they are not idiots.
Also, how is someone an idiot who likes a movie that you don’t? You are the only idiot here.
no one cares if aliens abduct moms take me with them fuc!!!! What a waist of 150million