Despicable Me 2 holds onto box office crown

An army of minions claimed their second victory this week as they conquered giant robots, massive monsters and a bunch of grown ups this weekend. Despicable Me 2, which currently has an impressive Tribute rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, is the reigning box office champ, bringing in an estimated $44.7 million in its second week. It passed the $200 million mark Saturday at the domestic box office. Newcomer Grown Ups 2 almost beat the animated kids film bringing in a total of $42.5 million over the weekend, which is an improvement from the 2010 original‘s debut of $40 million. Adam Sandler’s first sequel ever, has a Tribute rating of 3.4 stars, and did lead the pack momentarily on Friday with a $16.1 million debut.

However, the highly anticipated big-budget film Pacific Rim failed to impress with a $38.3 million debut at number three. Monsters and 3D robots couldn’t bring in a large enough audience despite strong reviews and a 4.1 star Tribute rating.  “Three weeks ago we were looking at $25 million-$30 million, so we’ve come a long way and this gives us something to build on,” said Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman. In fourth, with a weekend gross of $14 million in its third weekend in the top five, was buddy cop comedy The Heat with a Tribute rating of 4.1 stars. Rounding out the top five was Disney’s The Lone Ranger, with an additional $11.1 million, and a Tribute fan rating of 3.9 stars. ~Naomi Leanage