“This Means War” Gets No Love at the Box Office

Romance is a fickle thing, and no more so than when comedy is thrown in the mix. This was proved once again this weekend when the new Reese Witherspoon romantic (action) comedy This Means War made a decidedly unimpressive bow at the box office, debuting in fifth place with a so-so $17.6 million. Audiences seem to be in a sappier mood given the success of The Vow which fell from the top spot last week to second place but still adding another $23.6 million to its domestic kitty.

Disappointment was also in order for Nicholas Cage (the guy just can’t catch a break, can he? Is his castle still in foreclosure?) whose latest Ghost Rider outing met not only with a critical drubbing - it garnered a paltry 15% on Rottentomatoes – but debuted at the box office with a lackluster $22 million. The studio had been hoping for something closer to $30 million, but it seems even Johnny Blaze can’t pull that off these days.

Last week’s second place thriller Safe House managed to climb to the top with $24 million. Though the film met with decidedly mixed reviews from critics, it has helped resurrect interest in Denzel Washington’s movie career. And no, we’re not giving Ryan Reynolds all the credit.

The weekend’s top ten films were as follows:


1. Safe House - $24 million
2. The Vow - $23.6 million
3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - $22 million
4. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - $20.1 million
5. This Means War - $17.6 million
6. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (in 3D) - $7.9 million
7. Chronicle - $7.5 million
8. The Woman in Black - $6.6 million
9. The Secret World of Arrietty - $6.4 million
10. The Grey - $3.0 million

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