Well, they had a nice run. They tore past the competition last week like they were so many tardy tortoises. But Vin Diesel and Paul Walker of Fast Five just couldn’t outrace the mighty hammer of Thor.
Thor, Marvel’s latest comic book icon to be trotted out to the big screen, thwacked its way to a dandy $66 million—propelled in part by a bevy of 3-D screenings that boosted its bottom line. Fast Five, after jolting the movie box office back to life last week, lost 62% of its audience to finish a distant second. But don’t mourn too much for these lead-footed felons: The $32.5 million they earned this weekend helped Fast Five become the biggest movie of 2011 just two weeks out of the gate.
Jumping the Broom, a romantic and familial comedy produced by megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes, finished third with $13.7 million—not bad, considering its makers spent just $6.6 million to create the film. It bested another romcom in Something Borrowed, which took home $13.2 million. Rio flapped into fifth with $8.2 mil.
I had a chance to check out Thor, and I thought the flick was pretty good. I’m not expecting anyone weep through the thing or name their children after the titular character (at least, I hope they don’t), but it was an entertaining, visually compelling romp that had some pretty cool messages embedded therein. But I’ve got a soft spot for superheroes, so take for what you will.
Still, I don’t know if most casual superhero fans like me will keep their interest through the summer’s gauntlet of comic-book fare. X-Men: First Class will hit theaters June 3. Green Lantern lights up the screen June 17. When Captain America: The First Avenger lands July 22, will we all be hankering for a nice historical drama?
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