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:
RELATED: Is this the worst movie year ever?
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.
WATCH: Maybe Hop will perk things up at the B.O. this weekend?