Despite the harsh beating from the critics, Disney movie “Race to Witch Mountain” grabbed the top spot in the weekend box office with $25 million in ticket sales, beating industry estimates.

The film which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who portrays a role as a taxi driver with a couple of alien-teenager passengers. The film dislodged “Watchmen” in the top spot this week. The R-rated superhero film earned $18.1 million in its 2nd week.

Disney officials said that there have been estimates of $20 million or less in ticket sales for the film, which was a re-imagination of the 1975 movie “Escape to Witch Mountain.”

“I think audiences this weekend were really drawn to the action adventure of ‘Race to Witch Mountain,’” said Disney Motion-Picture Group President Mark Zoradi.

“There was also this element of parents over 30 who remembered the original and were drawn to this one, so I think that combination is what helped us exceed what folks in the industry thought this movie was going to do,” he added.

Here are the top ten films last weekend:

1. “Race to Witch Mountain,” $25 million.
2. “Watchmen,” $18.1 million.
3. “The Last House on the Left,” $14.7 million.
4. “Taken,” $6.7 million.
5. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,” $5.1 million.
6. “Slumdog Millionaire,” $5 million.
7. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” $3.1 million.
8. “He’s Just Not That Into You,” $2.9 million.
9. “Coraline,” $3.3 million.
10. “Miss March,” $2.4 million.

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