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“Beverly Hills
Chihuahua” lost the No. 1 spot it
maintained at the North American box office these past two weeks as Twentieth
Century Fox released its video-game-inspired action film “Max Payne.”
Walt Disney Pictures family film “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”
enjoyed a friendly two consecutive weekends at the top of the North American
box office as audiences appeared to be in the mood for some light peaceful
laughs in the first half of October, but this has now changed.
“Max Payne,” based on the popular video game of the same
name, starring Mark Wahlberg in the title role and Mila Kunis as a literal
femme fatale, earned $18 million in ticket sales during its first three days of
availability in theaters. “Chihuahua”
was no longer a priority as the action film rose to the top spot and the pooch
comedy slipped to No. 2 with $11.2 million. Second place is not bad for “Chihuahua” though as its
total has now raised to $69.1 million.
“Max Payne” tells the story of an FBI agent who seeks vengeance
on the people who brutally murdered his wife and infant child. He becomes
allies with a stone cold assassin named Mona Sax (Kunis) and their story
evolves so that the film earns its PG-13 rating for violence including intense
shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong language.
The videogame adaptation did not impress film critics,
receiving 17% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Third and fourth place both went to debuts. Sue Monk Kidd’s
“The Secret Life of Bees” earned $11.1 million for Fox Searchlight, settling at
No. 3. The film, based on the director’s novel of the same name, stars Dakota
Fanning, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson.
Lionsgate’s “W.,” the George W. Bush biopic directed by
Oliver Stone, opened at No. 4 with $10.6 million. The film stars Josh Brolin in
the title role, Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza
Rice, James Cromwell as George H. W. Bush, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney and Scott
Glenn, Ellen Burstyn, Ioan Gruffudd, and Jeffrey Wright in other roles.
According to studio polls, 55 percent of moviegoers who
turned up to see “W.” called themselves liberals, another 31 percent considered
themselves moderates and a modest 14 percent said they were conservatives.
Dreamworks/Paramount’ action thriller “Eagle Eye” earned
another $7.3 million in its fourth week, settling for fifth place. The film, directed
by D. J. Caruso, stars Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan.
Image Credit: www.maxpaynethemovie.com
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