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David Mumpower: I consider this situation similar to The Possession. The premise is so strong that even the cheapest production possible will provide the requisite scares to satisfy audiences. Horror's 2012 track record in terms of revenue versus financial outlay is as strong as I can ever remember. And the defending champion is up next week.

There was supposed to be an earth-shattering ka-boom!

Kim Hollis: Here Comes the Boom, the Kevin James comedy featuring mixed-martial arts, opened with only $11.8 million this weekend. Why do you think this fell below his previous films?

Edwin Davies: There's two possible explanations; either people weren't interested in the subject matter (MMA) or Kevin James' star is on the wane. I think it's probably a mixture of the two. We already know from Warrior's lackluster performance that MMA is a pretty niche subject even when the film is good - which, by most accounts, Here Come The Boom is not - so there probably wasn't much widespread interest in it to begin with. This also continues a downward trend for James' films from the highs of Hitch and Paul Blart. Considering that it shot under The Dilemma, I think James may have reached the point where he needs to be pickier or to stick to out and out family films like Hotel Transylvania.

Felix Quinonez: I think a lot of it has to do with the subject matter. MMA definitely has its hardcore fans but it is still a niche sport. Even when the movie is good, it has trouble attracting audiences. Last year's Warrior had great reviews and even generated some Oscar talk but it barely made over $13 million domestically. And the fact is that the violence might have actually turned off some of Kevin Jame's audience. I don't know if it's his star waning although that could be part of the reason why it disappointed. But I think the bigger reason it under-performed is the fact that the subject matter might not be appealing to mass audiences and particularly the audience that would go see a Kevin James movie.

Bruce Hall: I think it was a mistake for anyone to place their box office expectations here relative to Kevin James' involvement. Yes, it's the worst opening of his career, but I'd argue that Kevin James isn't necessarily the draw of a Kevin James film. It's usually the whole "generically funny fat guy surrounded by chaos" trope that sucks people in, and I think that says more about America than it does about Hollywood. I'm not so sure things wouldn't have turned out the same way with Will Sasso at the helm. I'm sure the MMA theme turned off a lot of mainstream consumers, but the generic story and hokey tag lines probably didn't help. Whether Kevin James is on the way out or not is hard to say, but I'm not convinced Here Comes the Boom is going to be the determining factor.

Kim Hollis: Ultimately, I think Kevin James needs a more populist gimmick in order for his films to succeed. I do think he was riding a high point in popularity when Hitch and Paul Blart become hits, and since then we've seen his potential audience eroding. The "funny fat guy" shtick only goes so far, and while I think James is affable, he's also not really someone who compels people to say, "Oh my gosh! I have to see the latest Kevin James film!"

David Mumpower: Suffice to say that I am shocked by this result. Everyone else here doesn't seem to feel this is an extraordinary disappointment. I do. The Funny Fat Man is a concept that almost always sells in Hollywood. The Nerd Playing Sports also has a magnificent box office track record. Kevin James getting destroyed should be a lucrative proposition. The fact that it wasn't is remarkable to me. In hindsight, I believe that a key ingredient is that James appeals to the older CBS crowd that watched his show. Few of those people are aware enough of cage fighting to carry a movie. The under-35 crowd that cannot get enough of it isn't the Kevin James demographic.

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