After the months of hype and expectation, Watchmen has finally arrived in the proving ground of the cinema. The result? A healthy, if unspectacular $55.7 million opening weekend.

It won’t please the studio bean counters, who had been hoping for the movie to match or beat 300’s $70.9 million from 2007, but with a longer running time, Watchmen couldn’t support as many screenings. It remains to be seen if the film will have “legs” and keep earning.

Meanwhile, Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail was pushed to second place, making $8.8 million while Taken continued to show live, nabbing third with $7.5 million and a surprising $118 million total to date.

Fourth place was Oscar hit Slumdog Millionaire, which added $6.9 million to its $125.4 earnings and fifth went to Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which held up well for $4.2 million.

Here is the weekend’s top 10:

1. Watchmen ($55.7 million)
2. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail ($8.8 million)
3. Taken ($7.5 million)
4. Slumdog Millionaire ($6.9 million)
5. Paul Blart: Mall Cop ($4.2 million)
6. He’s Just Not That Into You ($4 million)
7. Coraline ($3.3 million)
8. Confessions Of A Shopaholic ($3.1 million)
9. Jonas Brothers 3D ($2.8 million)
10. Fired Up ($2.6 million)
     

[Data Source: Box Office Mojo]