Josh Tate

In an instance of fitting justice, Pixar's Up, uh, ballooned past expectations to pull in a mammoth $68.2M and easily top the weekend box office chart. Night at the Museum 2: Needless Sequel lost more than half its audience from last week's debut, but still managed to earn $25.5M ($105.2M). The week's other newcomer Drag Me To Hell scared up $16.6M worth of business to edge a plummeting Terminator Salvation ($16.1M/$90.6M). Meantime, the reliable Star Trek continued to plug along at a good pace ($12.8M/$209.5M).

Maybe Bill Hader can remind Ben Stiller how to be funny. | Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox While it was expected to be a close race, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ($53.5M) easily topped Terminator Salvation ($43M) to capture the weekend box office crown. Both of these borderline movies will surely be blown out of the water next week by the absolutely fantastic Up (saw it; loved it). Star Trek...

Captain Kirk and Harold prepare to go parasailing. | Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures J.J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek franchise soared past expectations to bring in a huge $76.5M this weekend at the box office. Early tracking had pegged a $50-60M haul, but the well-reviewed film blew past those estimates. Last week's champ, Wolverine, endured an expected, precipitous drop but still managed to bring in $27M ($129.6M). The awful Ghosts of Girls...

Last time I get in the jacuzzi with this dick. | Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox The summer box-office season officially began on May Day this year as X-Men Origins: Wolverine slashed its way to the top of the chart with a huge $87M weekend. Despite generally poor reviews (even from the fanboy set), audiences filled the seats to see Hugh Jackman don the sideburns once more. The dreadful Ghosts of Girlfriends Past...

Speaking of relatively unknown but superb actors. | Photo courtesy of Sony In the latest example of Hollywood underestimating the size of the African-American audience, Basic Instinct knock-off Obsessed stormed to the top of the box office this weekend with a healthy take of $28.5M. Last week's lame champ 17 Again ($11.6M/$39.9M) edged out newcomer Fighting ($11.4M) while newbies The Soloist ($9.7M) and Earth rounded out the top 5 ($8.5M). Kiddie hit Monsters vs....

Yet another hilarious scene! | Photo courtesy of New Line (R.I.P.) Hordes of sexually-confused young girls made Zac Efron and 17 Again this week's box-office champ as it pulled in an impressive $24M. The superb State of Play lagged far behind ($14M), just edging Monsters vs. Aliens ($12.9M/$162.7M), Hannah Montana: The Stupid Movie ($12.6M/$56.1M) and Fast and Furious and Stupid ($12.2M/$136.7M). Crank: High Voltage disappointed in its opening frame ($6.5M) despite the angelic presence...

Thank you for rescuing my failed career, daughter. | Photo courtesy of Disney Millions of Americans ignored Christ this weekend in order to fill the already overstuffed pockets of the vaguely satanic and horribly buck-toothed Miley Cyrus. Hannah Montana: The Movie picked up a cool $34M to rule the box-office roost, eclipsing last week's winner Fast and Furious ($28.7M/$118M). Monsters vs. Aliens enjoyed a strong third weekend ($22.6M/$141M) to crush disappointing newcomer Observe and...

Biggest weekend since...The Dark Knight? Wow. | Photo courtesy of Universal Defying all expectations (and good common sense), Fast and Furious roared to the top of the weekend box office chart with an April-record haul of $72.5M. Last week's champ, Monsters vs. Aliens, came in a very distant second ($33.5M/$105.7M), but easily outdistanced A Haunting in Connecticut ($9.5M/$37.2M), the awful Knowing ($8.1M/$58.2M) and the hilarious I Love You, Man ($7.8M/$49.2M). In the latest indictment...

Yeah, I know this picture has nothing to do with this weekend's movies. | Photo courtesy of Paramount Monsters vs. Aliens stormed past expectations en route to a rousing $58.2M opening weekend win at the box office. The Haunting in Connecticut may just be another generic horror pic, but it still managed to scare up a healthy $23M worth of business. Last week's champ, Knowing, slipped to third but still had a distressingly strong...

No, this isn't nakedly manipulative. | Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment Two very good studio films opened at the box office this weekend (I Love You, Man and Duplicity) and, naturally, neither of them managed to win the box office crown. That went to the terrifyingly moronic Knowing which tricked America's rubes into shelling out approximately $24.8M of hard-earned money. The quite funny I Love You, Man under-performed to the tune of $18M as...

Listen! Do you smell something? | Photo courtesy of Disney In the latest blow to Western civilization, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Escape...er, Race to Witch Mountain knocked off the epic and ambitious Watchmen to capture the weekend box-office crown. The entirely unnecessary re-make tallied an impressive $25M to easily vanquish the quickly-fading superhero flick ($18M/$86M). Another re-make, The Last House on the Left slashed its way to a successful $14.6M debut, well ahead of...

Get ready for the scrap pile, boys! | Photo courtesy of Disney In what has to be considered terrible news by all decent Americans, Madea Goes to Jail triumphed at the box office again this week ($16.5M/$64.8M). Many had expected Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience to top the charts, but it only managed a $12.7M debut. The tween audience moves quickly and it appears that the glory days of the Jonas Brothers may...