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Coming out on top. Despite some pretty bleak reviews, everyone predicted that The Hangover 2 would make a scary amount of money over Memorial Day weekend. And it didn't disappoint. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie had the biggest five day opening of an R-rated film ever, raking in $137.4 million through Monday. That beats the $134.3 million earned by The Matrix Reloaded in its first five days. It was also the biggest opening ever for a comedy. And you know what this means? More sequels! Probably with even worse reviews! Director Todd Phillips played coy. "We'll see," he said. "It's about audience's desire to see it, and how well this one does, and if these guys are up for taking another trip and doing something crazy." We're guessing: it's going to happen,
But it wasn't just Hangover 2 that was showered with cash. It was the best Memorial Day weekend in history. DreamWorks Animation and Paramount’s 3D cartoon Kung Fu Panda 2 came in a strong second, grossing roughly $67 million in its first five days. Perhaps surprisingly for a sequel of its kind, Panda 2 had strong reviews, with some saying it surpassed the first. Roger Ebert reviewed, "the animation is elegant, the story is much more involving than in the original, and there's boundless energy." But only 45% of the gross came from 3D screens, indicating audience's love affair with the technology might soon be ending.