Mediocre reviews couldn’t keep The Day the Earth Stood Still from vaulting into first place this weekend.

The sci-fi remake starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly earned $30.5 million over the last three days, more than doubling the take of its nearest competitor. Although Earth had the smallest debut for a #1 film since October 17th (when Max Payne grossed $17.6 million), the Fox feature only cost a reported $80 million to make. It was also the studio’s best open since Horton Hears a Who unfolded in back in March.

The only other new entries in this week’s Top Ten were Nothing Like the Holidays and Milk. Holidays took in $3.5 million and scored itself a 7th place finish. Meanwhile, Milk - which had actually reached #10 before - reentered the charts at #9.

Once again, the weekend’s top performers were movies much further down the list. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood’s latest acting and directing vehicle - came in 20th despite a $45,287 per screen average. Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, followed right behind with a $33,815 average.

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still, 20th Century Fox, $30,480,153 (avg. $8562)
2. Four Christmases, Warner Bros., $13,074,470 (avg. $3693)
3. Twilight, Summit Entertainment, $7,951,131 (avg. $2179)
4. Bolt, Disney, $7,464,282 (avg. $2382)
5. Australia, 20th Century Fox, $4,169,277 (avg. $1542)
6. Quantum of Solace, Sony/MGM, $3,715,522 (avg. $1410)
7. Nothing Like the Holidays, Overture Films, $3,531,664 (avg. $2114)
8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Dreamworks/Paramount, $3,181,231 (avg. $1149)
9. Milk, Focus Features, $2,598,638 (avg. $7923)
10. Transporter 3, Lionsgate, $2,351,229 (avg. $925)

(You can review last week’s numbers here.)