Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

The Malcontent's call for a boycott of "MI:3" must be working. I wish I could take all the credit, but nonetheless the early box office returns for Tom Cruise's latest have not fulfilled expectations:

The JJ Abrams-directed blockbuster took in only $17 million according to website www.boxofficemojo.com. That's a good $3 million off the lowest predictions, and $8 million off what a real mega hit would have been.

Box Office Mojo's Brandon Gray says that the weekend total should now be in the $45 million range. It's not a catastrophe by any means, but it does show that star Tom Cruise's public persona and negative publicity plus a raft of mediocre reviews for the film have put a dent in his plans to rule the universe.

Grays says the new "Mission" numbers are a disappointment because both installments 1 and 2 did much better. "They each sold around 50 percent more tickets on their opening weekends (Friday-Sunday)," Gray says, "despite opening on Wednesdays."

Guess that Katie Holmes publicity stunt didn't quite pan out.