Another week, another stupid movie takes box office

By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

He may have hung up his dancing shoes for now, but Zac Efron remains an acting force.
His latest film, 17 Again, coasted to the top of the box office with $24.1 million, according to studio estimates from box office tracking firm Nielsen EDI.

The debut was about $4 million more than analysts projected and marked another No. 1 bow for Efron, star of Hairspray and the High School Musical franchise.

Riding the shoulders of strong reviews and older moviegoers, the Russell Crowe newspaper thriller State of Play was second with $14.1 million, meeting the top end of expectations. The film earned recommendations from 81% of the nation's critics, according to RottenTomatoes.com, and 75% of the audience was 35 or older.

The animated comedy Monsters vs. Aliens continued its resilience, taking the third spot after a month in theaters with $12.9 million.

Hannah Montana: The Movie dropped 61% from its No. 1 debut to claim fourth place with $12.7 million. The film has done $56.2 million in 10 days.

Fast and Furious was fifth with $12.3 million, bringing its three-week total to $136.7 million.

The only other significant newcomer of the weekend, Jason Statham's thriller Crank High Voltage, underperformed with $6.5 million, good for sixth place.

Ticket sales continued their blistering pace, surging 21% over the same weekend last year.