Ben and Jen's 'Polly' Topples 'King'

Monday January 19, 2004 01:55 AM EST

Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston may have taken a knock from the critics for their new comedy "Along Came Polly," but the flick still managed to rake in $26.7 million and boot "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" from its four-week perch atop the box office.

In fact, director Peter Jackson's odds-on Oscar favorite tumbled to fourth place, with $10.2 million, according to studio estimates.

And while PEOPLE critic Leah Rozen, like most of her colleagues, found "Polly" to be "formulaic in the extreme ... cue the toilet jokes," Nikki Rocco, president of Universal Pictures distribution (which released "Polly"), tells the Associated Press: "Sure, (Ben Stiller)'s done this before, but now (Aniston's) with him. That might have something to do with it."

Also notable: "Torque," featuring rapper-actor Ice Cube in a "The Fast and the Furious"-like motorcycle action film, debuted in third place.

This weekend's Top 10, according to estimates, were as follows:

1. "Along Came Polly," $27.6 million
2. "Big Fish," $10.4 million
3. "Torque," $10.3 million
4. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $10.2 million
5. "Cheaper by the Dozen," $8.7 million
6. "Cold Mountain," $7 million
7. "Something's Gotta Give," $6 million
8. "My Baby's Daddy," $3.6 million
9. "The Last Samurai," $3.12 million
10. "Calendar Girls," $3.10 million

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