FLICK PICKS

‘Identity Thief’ Wins Box Office

One of top five openings for R-rated comedy.

Take that, Rex Reed. Melissa McCarthy’s Identity Thief brought in a whopping $36.6 million in its opening weekend, one of the top five opening weekends ever for an R-rated comedy, and a surprise especially with a blizzard paralyzing the Northeast that resulted in an estimated 10 percent decline in ticket sales. Identity Thief is McCarthy’s first starring vehicle since her breakout role in 2011’s Bridesmaids, and producers later adapted the role for her after seeing that film. In its second week, the zombie rom-com Warm Bodies came in second, bringing in $11.5 million, while Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects came in third with $10 million. But one of the biggest surprises may have been Ben Affleck’s Argo, which brought in $2.5 million in its 18th week, coming back into the top 10 at No. 8.