Battle Los Angeles: Film Review

Sony's male-driven Battle: Los Angeles is on its way to grossing$38 million or more for the weekend in a much needed win for Hollywood, which is facing a steep downturn in domestic box office revenues. Battle , costing $70 million to produce, made an estimated $13.5million Friday as it opened in 3,417theaters nationwide. It also debuted in a number of key international territories.

       There also was good news for Paramount's family friendly Rango , which played great in its second Friday, dropping a narrow 43% toan estimated $5.4 million for a cume of $51.1 million. The JohnnyDepp -voiced toon placed No. 2. Rango did nearly three time the business of Disney's new family entry Mars Needs Moms , which grossed a dismal $1.7 million from 3,117 theaters, despite higher priced 3D tickets. The performance capture film could have trouble reaching $8 million for the weekend, breaking Disney's recent winning streak with family fare. Mars , coming in No. 5 Friday, cost$150 million to produce and is thefinal film under Robert Zemeckis ' now-severed deal withDisney. Placing No. 3 Friday behind Battle and Rango was Warner Bros.' darkfantasy Red Riding Hood , starring Amanda Seyfried and targetingthe Twilight crowd. Film grossed an estimated $5 million as it opened in 3,030 theaters, a softer-than-expected showing, although Warners expects traffic to pick up Saturday. Red Riding Hood had been projected to gross $18 million to$20 million for the weekend, but it may not meet that mark.

        Still, Warners is in solid shape financially, since the movie -- directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke -- only cost $39 million to produce. Among holdovers, Universal's The Adjustment Bureau came in No. 4 on Friday, falling 49% to an estimated $3.4 million for a cume of $30.4 million as it heads into itssecond weekend. The Weinstein Co.'s The King's Speech fell to No. 10 on Friday, grossing an estimated $950,000 for a cume of $126.4 million.