(SNN Hollywood) Sony pictures reported an estimated weekend earning of $224 million dollars worldwide. This makes "The Da Vinci Code" the second highest international movie debut ever, second only to "Revenge of the Sith".

Domestically, the film had the 13th highest opening of all time. The film had a more popular opening than "Jurassic Park" and "Austin Powers:Goldmember". This definitively proves that Jesus was married and had children, but dinosaurs and gold penises are fictional.

While most critics rightly called the movie unwatchable, some were paid to give favorable reviews. However, the Code had the kind of star power that always sells well in the box office, Vatican criticism.

Films criticized by that Vatican have traditionally done quite well. Some people believed it was the criticism itself that made the Monty Python film "The Life of Brian" so popular. Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ" did reasonably well, despite the fact that it made absolutely no sense at all. And who could forget "The Passion of St. Tibulus", which drew the highest gross ever on Craggy Island.

posted by NewsBlog 5000  # Sunday, May 21, 2006