Box Office Review: Tweens Rule!

Erect nipples digitally removed to preserve tween innocence. | Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Disney's decision to move the High School Musical series from television to theaters paid off handsomely this weekend as HSM3 raked in $42.5M to win the weekend box-office race. The vile Saw V continued the success of previous installments as future rapists and sociopaths flooded theaters to the tune of a $30.5M weekend. Last week's champ Max Payne slipped to third ($7.6M/$29.6M), beating out the bizarre Beverly Hills Chihuahua ($6.9M/$78.1M) which continues to perform well despite my most fervent prayers.

Newcomer Pride and Glory had a mediocre opening ($6.3M) as it slipped past The Secret Life of Bees ($5.9M/$19.2M) and W. ($5.3M/$18.7M). After that it was the dumb Eagle Eye ($5.1M/$87.9M), the awful Body of Lies ($4M/$30.8M) and the resilient Quarantine ($2.5M/$28.7M). In limited release, Changeling ($33,467 per theater), Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom ($32,200) and Synedoche, New York ($19,222) all performed very well. I've Loved You So Long did okay ($7520) while Passengers ($1480) failed badly.