Weekend US box office report: A deja vu win for New Moon

Did you read last week's box office report? No? Well, if you had, you'd notice something's awfully similar about this week's top five at the box office. Namely, four of the five held these very same positions last weekend.

Once again, the top three at the theaters this weekend were The Twilight Saga: New Moon ($42.5 million), The Blind Side ($40.125 million), and 2012 ($18 million). Somehow, The Blind Side has actually made more money this weekend than it did in its debut weekend, probably due to the holiday and all the good buzz for Sandra Bullock, bringing the feel-good picture to a very quick $100 million. Meanwhile, New Moon has picked up $230 million in its two weeks. 2012 has $138 million this weekend, making for a very top-loaded box office.

Coming in fifth place this weekend was last week's fifth place film, A Christmas Carol, which took in $16 million this weekend to cross over $105 million domestically. In fact, the only interloper into the top five that's new is Old Dogs, which somehow debuted in fourth place with $16.8 million, despite the fact it looks absolutely terrible.

The other wide release this weekend, Ninja Assassin, stabbed and killed its way to a fairly impressive $13.1 million opening weekend. Despite the incredibly negative reviews, this is the kind of picture that's going to find an audience regardless, and it's a whole lot more entertaining than New Moon could hope to be if you're a big fan of brainless action movies. See my review, if you're so inclined.

Sony's $70 million dollar animated comedy, Planet 51, took seventh place this weekend on a take of $10.2 million, but it's looking like it's not going to break even. It's only grossed $28.4 million at theaters so far, and given the upcoming competition, it won't fare very well. Sony is trying like hell to get an animation division off the ground, but it's just not working. They're a distant third, maybe even fourth, when it comes to money-making animation studios. But, as the PS3 proves, if you throw enough money at something, you might break even in five years.

Precious drops to eighth place this weekend, but considering it has only played in 660 theaters or so at its widest opening, the $7.09 million weekend, and $32 million overall, is definitely a success for a very intense, very difficult to handle drama with limited appeal. Plus, you know, all the sexual assault, abuse, and the like.

Entering the top ten this weekend was The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated film starring the voice of George Clooney as the eponymous Mr. Fox took in $7.02 million this weekend in its first week of wide release. I didn't know this one was going wider, and I kind of want to see it if only because I like stop-motion.

The Men Who Stare At Goats ended up in tenth place this weekend, with only $1.5 million. In fact, it was the only movie in the top ten not to make at least $7 million, which is kind of strange. I guess, since it was a weekend and a holiday, there were a lot of people out in the theaters.

Opening this weekend, after months of me getting beaten by the trailer, is Brothers. The drama about an Iraq war veteran who is presumed dead, only to come home and find out his brother has been shagging his wife, has been playing in theaters for months, and I'll be damn glad when I don't have to look at Tobey Maguire anymore.

Also bowing is the action flick Armored, and two comedies, Transylmania (please, God, make it go away) and Everybody's Fine, which looks like one of those sweet family comedies that cleans up this time of year.