'Grandpa' pranks its way beyond 'Gravity' to claim No. 1
- Latest %27Jackass%27 installment scores solid debut
- %27Gravity%27 falls after nearly a month at No. 1
- Viewers object to %27The Counselor%22
Gravity didn't go down without a fight, but it was no match for a cranky grandpa struggling with his own forces of nature.
Despite a strong performance in its fourth week of release, the sci-fi thriller fell to Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, which supplanted the Sandra Bullock film after nearly a month at No. 1.
The fourth chapter of the Johnny Knoxville hidden-camera series collared $32 million, according to studio estimates from Rentrak.
The debut eclipsed most projections, which hovered around $25 million.
Despite the R-rated movie's raunchy humor, critics and fans fell for the prank premise. About 61% of critics gave it a thumbs-up, according to Rottentomatoes.com, while moviegoers gave it a collective B grade, says pollsters Cinemascore.
Ray Subers of Box Office Mojo says that, for nearly two months, audiences have been craving good humor.
"The marketplace is wide open for a comedy hit," he says. "There hasn't been one since August's We're The Millers," which did $148 million.
Gravity, meanwhile, finally vacated the top spot at the box office for the first time since its release Oct. 4. Its haul of $20.3 million gave the film a second-place finish and overall revenues of $199.8 million.
The Tom Hanks high-seas thriller Captain Phillips continues to chug along. Phillips captured $11.8 million and third place.
Seas weren't so calm for The Counselor, Ridley Scott's drama that drew A-list talent including Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt. But viewers objected heartily to the film, written by Cormac McCarthy. Counselor earned awful approval ratings from critics (35%) and moviegoers (39%), Rottentomatoes.com says, and the film mustered just $8 million and fourth place. Critics predicted $10 million.
Subers says Counselor boasts "an impressive lineup that theoretically should guarantee a certain level of attendance."
Alas, he says, the film offered "tons of star power and not much else."
The horror remake Carrie rounded out the top 5 with $6.1 million. Final figures are due Monday.