“Ice Age” is cooling, but it still has enough to nip the competition.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” proved a little weaker than analysts expected, though it mustered enough to win the box office this weekend. The fourth installment of the animated franchise earned $46 million, according to studio estimates.

Though analysts had expected the film to take in at least $50 million, the debut marked the third time in four films that an installment opened
at No. 1. “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” opened over the 2009 July 4 weekend to $41.7 million, a hair behind “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

Gitesh Pandya of Boxofficeguru.com says kids coming back for repeat viewings could make it a hit.

“The Amazing Spider-Man,” second this week with $35 million, has earned $200.9 million since its release July 3.

Tim Briody of Boxofficeprophets.com says the film has faded faster than experts predicted. “This is not calling it a flop by any means,” he says. But he says the dropoff has been a “disappointment.”

Gannett News Service