Arts & Entertainment

'Lose a Guy,' 'Knights' top spots in box office

By DeShawn Morris
The Daily Cougar

Every year around Valentineis Day, chick flicks start pouring into the box office, hoping to feed off of hopeless romantics. Of the three films that opened this weekend, two were romantic comedies.

Photo by Richard Cartwright

Stealing first in the box office was the romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This movie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, opened in 2,923 theaters around the country and grossed an unbelievable $24.1 million. 

The movie has an interesting, though often used, story line. When McConaughey, a typical player, makes a bet that he can stay in a relationship for 10 days, he picks the wrong woman: Hudson, who is desperately trying to get rid of him as a dating experiment for a column she writes in a womenis magazine.

Jackie Chan returned to the big screen, and he took second place in the box office. Shanghai Knights, starring Chan and Owen Wilson, opened in 2,753 theaters and grossed $19.77 million. 

This action-adventure comedy, which reunites the main characters from the 2000 release Shanghai Noon, takes Chon Wang (Chan) and Roy OiBannon (Wilson) to London to find the murderer of Chonis father.

Taking a leap toward the top of the box office list was Chicago, which made it to No. 3 from its previous No. 6, grossing $10.7 million. In its seventh week in the theaters, this movie, starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, is still going strong in the top ten.

Falling from its No. 1 spot to fourth this weekend was The Recruit. In its second week at the box office, The Recruit grossed $9.5 million. Final Destination 2, which was in the second spot under The Recruit last weekend, grossed $8.65 million, coming in at No. 5.

Grabbing sixth at the box office was another new release, Deliver us from Eva, starring Gabrielle Union and L.L. Cool J. This romantic comedy, about two females who pay L.L. to date their sister-in-law (Union) so she will stop meddling in their lives, opened in 1,139 theaters and grossed just less than $7.1 million. 

Eva proved that though sparks may have flown on the screen, there just wasnit enough chemistry in the film for it to grab a spot in the top five.

Kangaroo Jack stayed in the top 10, falling from No. 4 last weekend to No. 7 this weekend, grossing $5.89 million in its fourth week at the box office.

Grossing $4 million and coming in eighth was Biker Boyz, which fell significantly from its No. 3 spot last weekend. 

Darkness Falls, in its third week in theaters, came in ninth place, grossing $3.8 million. 

The No. 10 spot, closing off the box office top 10 for the weekend, was none other than The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, grossing $3.3 million. Two Towers is determined to stay in the top 10 in its eighth week in theaters.
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