When director Zack Snyder's $82 million Sucker Punch got decked last weekend, it was but the latest in a long, sorry line of 2011 box-office disappointments.
Here are five major releases that, as things stand now, are the sorriest:
1. Mars Needs Moms: The animated family film cost a reported $150 million. Three weeks in, it's made a measly $33.8 million worldwide, perhaps cost producer Robert Zemeckis his proposed Yellow Submarine redo, and made Hollywoodistas rethink the infallibility of animated family films. Other than that…
2. Drive Angry: Nicolas Cage doesn't detonate as many bombs as you may think. The Sorcerer's Apprentice? Season of the Witch? Both budget-beaters. But when this 3-D exploitation flick opened in late February, it undeniably went boom. Since then, the $45-$50 million movie has grossed just $15 million worldwide.
3. Take Me Home Tonight: At first, it felt wrong to pile on this 1980s-celebrating Topher Grace comedy. After all, could great or even good things really be expected from a film that collected dust for four years?! But then we noticed the reported budget was not insubstantial (in the neighborhood of $20 million), remembered its release was not insubstantial (it opened in 2,000-plus theaters), and saw that its take to date was—insubstantial, that is ($6.8 million).
4. The Dilemma: Vince Vaughn plus Kevin James plus director Ron Howard plus a reported $70 million budget is supposed to add up to more than $67 million worldwide. (The craziest part of this new math? Right now, The Dilemma is Hollywood's 11th "biggest" "hit" of the year.)
5. The Eagle: Wait… Where's Sucker Punch?! Why isn't Sucker Punch on this list?! Because, like a Gilbert Gottfried joke, it's too soon. So, for now, we are awarding temporary custody of its spot to this sword-and-sandal flick, which has been a nominal money-maker ($28.5 million worldwide and counting off a $25 million budget), but got beat out by a cartoon turtle in last weekend's U.K. box-office debut.