Although it was widely believed that (hunky) Jason Statham would emerge as this weekend’s winner, Tropic Thunder somehow managed to hold its ground. The comedy, which only raked in $16.2 million during this outing, became the third movie this year to make a repeat appearance at #1. (The other two films were those giant blockbusters called Iron Man and The Dark Knight.)

Overall, this was an unimpressive weekend for films. Theatergoers probably confused (like me) by Joan Allen’s participation only poured $12.6 million of their dollars into Death Race. Meanwhile, The House Bunny became this week’s highest-grossing chick alternative (Sorry, Sisterhood!) with its $14.5 million gross.

1. Tropic Thunder, Dreamworks/Paramount, $16,272,195 (avg. $4854)
2. The House Bunny, Sony, $14,533,702 (avg. $5355)
3. Death Race, Universal, $12,621,090 (avg. $4985)
4. The Dark Knight, Warner Bros., $10,542,424 (avg. $3333)
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Warner Bros., $5,661,456 (avg. $1640)
6. Pineapple Express, Sony, $5,452,163 (avg. $2081)
7. Mirrors, 20th Century Fox, $5,010,663 (avg. $1881)
8. Mamma Mia!, Universal, $4,314,840 (avg. $1855)
9. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Universal, $4,177,950 (avg. $1725)
10. The Longshots, MGM, $4,080,687 (avg. $1953)