Box-office victory for 'Battle: Los Angeles'

By Sarah Sluis

Sometimes, you just can't go wrong with a mix of soldiers, explosions, and aliens. Though Battle: Los Angeles treads familiar ground, the sci-fi flick earned $36 million this weekend. The movie's television spots were particularly impressive, catching my usually impervious attention.

The animated lizard Western Rango held its ground, dipping 40% to $23 million, undoubtedly thanks to its positive reviews. Mars Needs Moms was not so lucky. The younger-skewing tale had a scathing reception. It finished with just $6.8 million. Considering the motion-capture film's $150 million budget, this is a huge loss, and I'm sure the big players involved want to hide under a rock on Mars just about now.

In a blow to supernatural romance projects everywhere, Red Riding Hood opened to a soft $14.1 million. Thought is performed better than last week's Beastly, which opened to $9.8 million, its haul was below expectations. I'm not too surprised. When Harry Potter hit, there were tons of fantasy books and movies that tried to capitalize on the series' success, but none of them measured up to the original. Supernatural romances do not seem to be the next blue-chip genre.

What is something of a blue-chip genre is the Bronte adaptation. Jane Eyre made a stunning debut with a $45,000 per-screen average in four theatres, helped along by Bronte fans and those looking for polished, awards-quality films. In anticipation of St. Patrick's Day, Kill the Irishman opened to a $31,000 per-screen average. The true-life mobster tale had positive reviews and a recognizable cast, including performances by Ray Stevenson, Val Kilmer, and Christopher Walken.

This Friday, three wide releases enter the mix: Sci-fi comedy Paul, action flick Limitless, and the law & order drama The Lincoln Lawyer.