Two stars were just a little bit better than none at the box office this weekend, as Al Pacino and Colin Farrell's "The Recruit" barely edged out "Final Destination 2" to become the No. 1 movie in the country.
"The Recruit," a CIA thriller in which Pacino serves as mentor to Farrell, debuted with $16.5 million, according to studio estimates. "Final Destination 2," the horror sequel featuring no big-name stars, meanwhile, was extremely close behind with $16.2 million. In fact, "Final" was actually ahead of "The Recruit" after Friday, with $5.5 million compared "Recruit'''s $5.4 million. But although "Final" couldn't top the chart, its opening was much stronger than the $10 million debut of the first "Final Destination" in 2000.
The week's other new wide release, "Biker Boyz," took third place with $10.1 million. The motorcycle flick stars Laurence Fishburne, Kid Rock, and "Antwone Fisher'''s Derek Luke. Meanwhile, the kiddie comedy "Kangaroo Jack," starring Jerry O'Connell, slipped only 22 percent to $9 million, bringing its total to $45.9 million. And rounding out the top 5 was the thriller "Darkness Falls," which fell from its No. 1 perch to No. 5, down 38 percent to $7.5 million.
"Darkness Falls''' take was enough to keep it ahead of the Golden Globe winning musical, "Chicago," which nevertheless declined only 13 percent to $7.1 million, good enough for sixth place. Though it's only in a fraction of the theaters as its competitors, "Chicago" has already passed the $50 million mark. And with Oscar surely in its future, that's the beginning of its box office jazz.
