Weekend Box Office: The Vow Snags The Year's Biggest Opening

Whatever dent last weekend's Super Bowl event took out of the box office, this weekend's Valentine's holiday status more than made up for it. Four new movies gave audiences a wide range of options and, while the weekend didn't shape up to be a record breaker, it was still a nice boost for the film industry.

Even though the top two movies of the weekend took a hammering from critics, they fared well with ticket buyers. In keeping with the approach of the most commercially romantic holiday of the year, romantic drama The Vow [ RT: 27%, CB: 2/5 ] took the number one spot with $41 million, the largest opening of the year so far. Action-thriller Safe House [ RT: 52%, CB: 2/5 ] took a close second place with $39 million.

Family action sequel Journey 2: The Mysterious Island [ RT: 42%, CB: 2/5 ] banked $27 million to take the number three spot while the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [ RT: 57% ] debuted at $23 million. That topped Beauty and the Beast's $17 million re-release opening weekend earlier this year, but it fell short of The Lion King's 3D return which opened with $30 million last fall.

For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:

1. The Vow * $41,700,000 Total: $41,700,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2,958

2. Safe House * $39,300,000 Total: $39,300,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 3,119

3. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island * $27,550,000 Total: $27,550,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 3,470

4. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (in 3D) * $23,000,000 Total: $23,000,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2,655

5. Chronicle (2012) $12,300,000 Total: $40,167,000 LW: 1     WR: 2     THTRS: 2,908

6. The Woman in Black $10,300,000 Total: $35,456,000 LW: 2     WR: 2     THTRS: 2,856

7. The Grey $5,080,000 Total: $42,822,000 LW: 3     WR: 3     THTRS: 2,801

8. Big Miracle $3,900,000 Total: $13,200,000 LW: 4     WR: 2     THTRS: 2,133

9. The Descendants $3,500,000 Total: $70,729,000 LW: 8     WR: 13     THTRS: 1,581

10. Underworld Awakening $2,500,000 Total: $58,900,000 LW: 5     WR: 4     THTRS: 1,657