No pain as 'Hangover' sequel tops box office

AFP

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Madcap comedy sequel "The Hangover: Part II" on Monday toasted a weekend romp at the North American box office where it rang up a dizzying 105.8 million dollars in three days.

The critically-panned sequel, described as quite like the original, follows four men celebrating a pre-wedding brunch in Bangkok, much like the bachelor party in Las Vegas in the first movie "The Hangover" that made stars of underground comedian Zach Galifianakis and actor Bradley Cooper.

It outdid DreamWorks' sequel to the original "Kung Fu Panda," with the 3-D second-take -- which reprised the voice talents of Jack Black and Angelina Jolie -- collecting $62.2 million in its opening days, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The fourth installment in the Johnny Depp-starring "Pirates of the Caribbean" series finished third, taking in $50.4 million.

The Disney romp, which has earned mixed reviews, has taken in a total of $164 million in the past two weeks.

The surprise hit "Bridesmaids," an oddball comedy about a group of women preparing for their wedding day supporting roles, grossed $21 million in its third week to take the fourth position.

Epic action adventure "Thor," starring Chris Hemsworth as the mythical hero banished to Earth from the mystical world of Asgard, took in $12 million to become the fifth-highest grossing film, while its four-week total hit a powerful $162.4 million.

"Fast Five," the fifth volume in the high-speed car chase series, earned $8.2 million to reach the sixth spot, and after five weeks of release saw its total receipts climb to $197.6 million, the highest total take of any movie in this week's top ten.

In its second week out, Woody Allen's latest film, the whimsical "Midnight in Paris," climbed to seventh place earning $2.6 million.

"Rio," an animated film from the makers of the "Ice Age" series, was in eighth place earning $2.4 million. The film has so far earned $135 million during its seven-week run.

Rounding out the top 10, "Jumping the Broom," which explores what happens when two African-American families from different socio-economic backgrounds get together for a wedding celebration, fell to ninth place with $2.4 million and romantic comedy "Something Borrowed" was in 10th earning $2.3 million.