Comedy took a beating at the domestic box office over Father's Day weekend as 1980s jukebox musical "Rock of Ages" and Adam Sandler's R-rated "That's My Boy" did dismal business in their debuts.

Instead, it was holdovers "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" and "Prometheus" that continued to top the chart, staying at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively with $35.5 million and $20.2 million.

"Rock of Ages" topped out at $15.1 million to place third; "That's My Boy" grossed $13 million to come in No. 5 after being bested by holdover "Snow White and the Huntsman" ($13.8 million).

Video from THR: 'Tom Cruise transformed himself into a rock star,' says Malin Ackerman

"Madagascar 3," from DreamWorks Animation and Paramount, fell less than 42 percent from its opening weekend and has earned $120.5 million in its first 10 days of play domestically and a resounding $277.5 million worldwide (the toon also won the international race in grossing $53 million for the weekend).

Twentieth Century Fox's "Prometheus," falling 60 percent, has now earned $88.9 million domestically.

The soft performances of Adam Shankman's musical "Rock of Ages" -- with an all-star ensemble cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand -- and "That's My Boy" are major disappointments for their respective studios and stars, and particularly Sandler.

"Rock of Ages," from New Line and Warner Bros., received a so-so B CinemaScore. The movie came in far behind Shankman and New Line's 2007 "Hairspray" and Universal's 2008 "Mamma Mia!" Both of those movies -- likewise based on hit Broadway films -- opened just north fo $25 million.

Photos from THR: 28 of summer's most highly anticipated movies

One issue for "Rock of Ages" was that it failed to rally younger moviegoers, despite leads Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta. Nearly 75 percent of the audience was over the age of 25, the demo that most relates to the film's music. Females made up the majority of those buying tickets, or 62 percent.

"The numbers aren't great. It's hard to fathom since the movie plays so well," Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said. "I'm still optimistic we can overperform during the week because of women."

Both "Rock of Ages" and "That's My Boy" cost just under $70 million to produce.

Sony's "That's My Boy," earning a B- CinemaScore, marks Sandler's lowest debut for a comedy since "Spanglish" in 2004 ($8.8 million). The film, pairing Sandler with Andy Samberg, is the actor's first R-rated comedy since "Funny People," which opened to $22.7 million in July 2007.

"Sure we had hoped for more. It is a crazy, off-the-wall raunchy R-rated comedy that audiences laugh like crazy at. Kudos to Adam for mixing it up," Sony president of worldwide distribution Rory Bruer said. "We love being in the Adam Sandler business."

More from THR: What the critics are saying about 'Rock of Ages'

Sandler has been one of Hollywood's most consistent stars in terms of box office performance, although last year's summer comedy"Jack and Jill" underperformed domestically, cuming roughly $74 million.

"That's My Boy" played fairly evenly among males (54 percent) and females (46 percent), even though the picture had been tracking best among younger males. The comedy did succeed in luring younger moviegoers, with 52 percent of the audience under the age of 25.

Elsewhere at the box office, Sony's "Men in Black 3" grew its worldwide gross to $544.3 million, while specialty titles "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "Moonrise Kingdom" continued to land on the top 10 chart domestically.

From Fox Searchlight and directed by John Madden, "Marigold Hotel" came in No. 8 with $2.2 million from 1,184 theaters for a North American cume of $35.1 million. Focus Features' "Moonrise," from director Wes Anderson, continued to expand nicely, grossing $2.1 million from 178 theaters for a cume of $6.8 million.

What did you see in theaters this weekend? Tell us on our Facebook page!

More in msnbc Entertainment: 

• Review: Somebody needs to unplug 'Rock of Ages'
• Review: Sandler up to usual shenanigans in 'That's My Boy'
• Sandler: Without movies, 'What else am I supposed to do with my life?'

REVIEW: Be careful what you wish for, especially if it involves figuring out who invented humankind. That's the warning at the heart of "Prometheus," a visual feast of a 3D sci-fi movie that has trouble combining its high-minded notions about the origins of the species and its "Alien"-based obligation to deliver oozy gross-out moments.

Ridley Scott's third venture into science fiction, after "Alien" in 1979 and "Blade Runner" in 1982, won't become a genre benchmark like those classics despite its equivalent seriousness and ambition, but it does supply enough visual spectacle, tense action and sticky, slithery monster attacks to hit the spot with thrill-seeking audiences worldwide.

The Greek titan Prometheus got in trouble for stealing fire from Zeus and putting man on the same level as the gods. Presuming that humans won't rest until we discover where we came from and how we got here, Prometheus proposes that not very long from now, in 2093 to be precise, a plausible source of human life will not only be found but reached by space explorers backed, not surprisingly, by private, not government, interests.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Never-Seen Photos From 'Prometheus'

The striking opening sequence (shot in Iceland) reveals scientist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace, the original Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) discovering ancient cave paintings indicating the likely arrival on Earth of extraterrestrials many thousands of years ago. Such evidence points to the source as a moon in a small solar system a vast distance away, but not out of reach of a trillion-dollar spacecraft built by Weyland Industries.

The buildup and arrival are the best part of the film, suggesting a sense of inquiry and genuine sort of thoughtfulness that promise a truly weighty slice of speculative fiction. Not that this territory hasn't been amply mined in the past: In fact, the particulars of the ship's interior design, visual projections, hibernating crew members, sports workout routines and Michael Fassbender's robot character as a sort of ambulatory HAL with an obsession to look and speak like Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia," which he likes to watch, are unavoidably reminiscent of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

PHOTOS: 28 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Avengers,' 'Dark Knight,' 'Prometheus'

Little by little, however, elements of other, less philosophical films come into play, including "Fantastic Voyage," "Rosemary's Baby" and, inevitably, "Alien." Arriving on the rugged, outwardly lifeless moon, the 17 crew members notice pyramid-like structures that were clearly not fashioned by nature. Inside, the elaborate tunnels and chambers possess moisture, elaborate writing, a large statue of a human head and, more alarming, countless small cylinders that produce a sticky mud-like substance, and an apparent human head.

It doesn't take long for the crew's number to be reduced by untoward circumstances, nor for doubt to set in about the true agenda not only of Fassbender's David, who can be quietly amusing, but of Charlize Theron's Meredith Vickers, the chilly Weyland executive on board who condescendingly treats everyone else, including the ship's captain (Idris Elba), as vastly inferior employees.

PHOTOS: Ridley Scott's Life and Work

Elizabeth and her scientist boyfriend Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) continue to spar about the potential momentousness of their journey -- she, who wears a cross, hopes to find confirmation of her religious beliefs that will point to the existence of a traditional creator, while he is convinced that what they discover will merely prove once and for all that Darwin was right. But such rarefied considerations are thrown overboard when aliens start materializing, shooting their tentacles where you definitely don't want them, getting someone pregnant and otherwise causing the same sort of mayhem they always have in outer-space monster films.

As the survivors are pared down to a precious few, the grisliness and gross-out quotient increases; a self-inflicted cesarian section may be a screen first (certainly the result of it is), while Fassbender's fate is similarly imaginative and far funnier. This project started life as an intended prequel to "Alien" but morphed into something else. Unfortunately, the closer it comes to a climax, the more you feel the elements being lined up to set the stage for a sequel to this film, most of all in a coda that feels like a craven teaser trailer for the next installment.

THR COVER STORY: Secrets of Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus'

Scott doubles his :Alien" pleasure with not just one but two strong female roles here. Rapace credibly expresses her character's combined scientific and religious convictions -- ”It's what I choose to believe,” she insists -- and is more than up to the physical requirements of some very intense scenes. Theron is in ice goddess mode here, with the emphasis on ice (and this just as her turn in Snow White and the Huntsman is about to open) but perfect for the role all the same.

Blonded up, perfect of diction and elegant of body, Fassbender seems almost alarmingly neutered at first as the ship's all-purpose valet but excels as he's allowed to begin injecting droll comedy into his performance. As the captain, Elba has a few strong moments standing up to his “boss,” Theron, while the other actors are mostly cannon fodder, save for an unrecognizable Guy Pearce in a late-on role.

Technically, Prometheus is magnificent. Shot in 3-D but without the director taking the process into account in his conceptions or execution, the film absorbs and uses the process seamlessly. There is nary a false or phony note in the effects supervised by Richard Stammers, which build upon the outstanding production design by Arthur Max. Dariusz Wolski's graceful and vivid cinematography synthesizes all the elements beautifully in a film that caters too much to imagined audience expectations when a little more adventurous thought might have taken it to some excitingly unsuspected destinations.

Related content:

• Five disturbing moments in film
• 'Prometheus' not 'Alien' for Fassbender, Rapace
• Aliens, Batman top our list of most-anticipated movies

The upcoming Ridley Scott vehicle “Prometheus” is practically a shoo-in to make big bucks at the box office, but it’s also a great bet for plenty of new nightmare fodder. A particular scene, in which an alien infiltrates the body of Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), a young scientist aboard the “Prometheus” vessel en route to the alien home world, was one of the most disturbing parts of the film for Rapace and her costar Michael Fassbender.

“It’s something that’s literally under your skin and already makes you feel kind of queasy,” Fassbender told the AP. “With any luck, millions of people will be suffering nightmares from that hectic scene ... ”

In honor of Fassbender’s wish for nightmares, we’ve put together a list of our favorite disturbing scenes that have cost us many sleepless nights. (Proceed to video links with caution.)

Our top five most disturbing moments in film

Orion Pictures

"Silence of the Lambs."

5. “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) -- Clarice kills Buffalo Bill
In a scene that carries massive amounts of tension, we see Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling stumbling in the dark through the night vision goggles of serial killer Jame Gumb, known as Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). The scene seems to last forever as Buffalo Bill slowly stalks her with no music or tricks for added effect. When he eventually cocks his gun, Clarice hears it, turns, and fatally shoots the antagonist -- a disturbing, yet satisfying end to this beautifully drawn out scene. The extremely close and creepily lurking presence of Buffalo Bill combined with the knowledge that he plans to flay her for his suit of skin ratchets up the disturbance factor. 

New Line Cinema

"The Evil Dead."

4. “The Evil Dead” (1981) -- Molesting shrub
Trees aren’t usually scary. But, then again, one usually assumes they’re standing still and keeping their branches to themselves. Not the case in Sam Raimi’s cult horror film that mixes tongue-in-cheek plotting, campy acting, and legitimate scares. Raimi has since said that he regrets using the scene where a tree chases down a young woman in a forest. Thankfully he went out on a limb, and the film stands as a classic of low-budget horror. It demonstrates how pushing the envelope can create a slice of cinema where you’re not sure whether you should laugh or hide your eyes.

20th Century Fox

"Alien."

3. “Alien” (1979) -- Alien chest burster
It’s always a surprise to see an alien burst from a writhing man’s chest, but it was even more of a surprise to see it done so realistically in 1979 when special effects were in their nascent stages (“Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” was released only two years earlier). The alien chest-burster scene has left its mark on sci-fi history as the perfect execution of what seems like a ridiculous and implausible cinematic moment. John Hurt (it sure did!) convincingly chokes and croaks in epic fashion and undoubtedly left film fans with a frightening breakfast table vision for years to come.

2. “Funny Games” (1997) -- Anna’s abrupt murder
Austrian director Michael Haneke asks the audience to confront their own expectations and sit through the sickening murder of an innocent bourgeois family. Not surprisingly, audiences didn’t approve (the original and 2008 remake couldn't even gross a combined $8 million). Yet, the ending scene in which the mother Anna (Susanne Lothar) is tied up and casually tossed off a boat to die after it appeared that she would set herself free is both startling and questions the way we separate what we see in film and what happens in real life. The scene is never violent or gory, but it asks us to wonder why we view violence as entertainment when, in the real world, it’s usually not the good guys that get in the last blow. 

1. “The Exorcist” (1973) -- Father Damian exorcises the demon

Warner Bros.

"The Exorcist."

It’s the realistic nature of this classic supernatural horror film that affords it the most disturbing scene of all time. When Father Damian Karras (Jason Miller) finally exorcises the foul demon from 12-year-old Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), he throws himself out a window and down a flight of stairs to kill himself and the demon that had taken to possessing him. The combination of such a young girl committing violent sex acts, spewing profanity, and being generally vile perfectly complements the realistic way in which the film is shot. The innocent being possessed by demons is a supernatural idea that has been around for thousands of years; “The Exorcist” makes it real.

What's one of the more disturbing moments you remember from a film? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Related content:

• Latest 'Prometheus' trailer tempts with holographic aliens
• Best Bets: 'Prometheus' returns to 'Alien' universe
• 'Prometheus' not an 'Alien' world for Fassbender, Rapace

The summer movie season is heating up, whether you're a fan of superheroes or super laughs. We asked our staff members to tell us what movie they're most excited about this summer. Pass the Raisinets and crank up the air conditioning.

June 8: 'Prometheus'
Two of my favorite films ever are science-fiction films directed by Ridley Scott. “Alien” and “Blade Runner” defined what the future should look like cinematically, and now Scott is taking us back to his future with "Prometheus," a much-hyped space odyssey. Since the film stars Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender, among others, I have high hopes that I'll be moved as much by the characters as by the visual effects. It was Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in “Alien” and Harrison Ford’s Deckard in “Blade Runner” who made those movies stand out amidst the cutting-edge sights and sounds. No one has scared me with a movie as much as Scott did with “Alien.” And no one has wowed me as much with his vision of life beyond the here and now as the filmmaker did with “Blade Runner.” I know “Prometheus” will look fantastic -- the trailers have already assured that. Time will only tell if the futuristic thriller becomes a thing of the forgotten past.    --Kurt Schlosser

June 22: 'Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter'
Forget the superheroes in their fancy tights and masks: The coolest evil-hunter of summer moviedom is a tall lanky president in a stovetop hat, swinging presumably the same axe he used to split logs back home in Illinois. But now he's using it against the vamps who killed his mother. Yes, someone's playing fast and loose with historical facts, but the trailer makes this film, based on the 2010 novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, look like a delight. President Obama and Mitt Romney may think they've got the right stuff, but seriously, how many vampires have you seen them personally take down? Lincoln in 2012!  --Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

June 22: 'To Rome With Love'
After unexpectedly enjoying Woody Allen's “Midnight in Paris” so much, I’m ready to travel from France to Italy for the acclaimed director’s new release. In addition to a star-studded cast featuring Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Greta Gerwig, Roberto Benigni and Judy Davis, Allen is also reunited with his “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” star Penelope Cruz as a confused call girl. By the looks of it, this film appears to run along the lines of Allen’s laugh-out-loud comedies, featuring locals and lovable misfits whose lives are interrupted by fate, with unintended and funny consequences. And of course, there will be plenty of sexy romping around in the gorgeous streets and famous hot spots of Rome.    --David Gostisha

June 22: 'Brave'
In our house, a new Pixar movie is an event. And having spent more time than I’d like to admit watching every “Brave” trailer that’s been released, I’m particularly stoked for the upcoming film from the best movie factory in the business. Having figured out it’s long past time to feature a female heroine, Pixar has gone all out to make this film's star, Merida, a modern gal in princess garb. She'll be chasing adventure and a bear across the gorgeous Scottish Highlands, all while flipping a lush mane of red hair that should squash any ginger jokes forever. I expect to again be wowed by the technical details, entertained by the goofy yet spot-on humor (particularly if the animals talk) and driven to tears by the emotional arc. (There are few Pixar releases that don’t turn on my waterworks at some point.) Bring it on!  --Randee Dawn

June 29: 'Magic Mike'
I’m no movie buff. I don’t go to the theater because some film is winning awards left and right. I don’t pay $11 to see what visual wonders a director can accomplish. I go to the movies to relax and have a good time. And with “Magic Mike,” a film starring some incredibly good looking men (Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello and Matt Bomer) playing ridiculously hot male strippers, I know that plenty of fun is going to be had. In fact, my gal pals and I are so sure of it, we started planning our sure-to-be-giggle-packed girls’ night out weeks ago. And seeing as how the comedy is directed by Steven Soderbergh, we may be getting not just eye candy and laughs, but a good movie to boot.    --Anna Chan

July 20: 'Dark Knight Rises'
From "Star Wars" to” Lord of the Rings," successful movie epics invariably end in good triumphing over evil.  "Dark Knight Rises" director Christopher Nolan doesn’t exactly play that way. While Batman will almost certainly defeat Bane, his newest nemesis, Nolan isn’t always clear about what’s good and what’s evil.  Even Batman himself isn’t completely a hero. (Remember, he’s the reckless, megalomaniac playboy Bruce Wayne too.) What Batman will have to do, what he will face and what he will sacrifice in order to achieve the quintessential triumphant ending could be much murkier and more difficult than what we’re used to. We can’t know what exactly to expect from Nolan -- we only know it will be complex, dark and dazzling.      --Cody Delistraty

What summer movie are you most looking forward to? Tell us on Facebook.

More from movies:

• Whoops! 'Great Gatsby' trailer has giant typo
• Can WWII film hidden by Army help returning veterans?
• 'Blade Runner 2' will feature female star

LOS ANGELES -- The latest international trailer for "Prometheus" gives audiences brief, tantalizing glimpses of some ornery alien creatures.

Ridley Scott has kept his "Alien" prequel's plot twists tightly under wraps, so even the few glimpses of deep space carnage chalk up to the most extended look yet at the creatures that will menace Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and the rest of the "Prometheus" crew.

Of course, the extraterrestrials in question appear outlined in holograms or as some sort of snake-like creature, so it's difficult to tell how closely they resemble the flesh-eating monsters from the first film.

Based on the blood, screaming and chilling music in the trailer, this mission to the far reaches of space does take a similar turn for the worse.

More movie news:

• 'Think Like a Man' remains No. 1 at box office
• Super, heroic 'Avengers' set to rule the world

20th Century Fox

Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw in "Prometheus."

There's been lots of debate about what to call "Prometheus," which hits theaters June 8. A prequel to "Alien"? Not really a prequel, but in the same universe? Fans have hunted for "Alien" hints (that space jockey!) in the teaser trailer and debated details dropped in interviews and on Twitter.

Now that a full trailer is out (actually, three different ones--a U.S. version, a U.K. version, and an IMAX version), the exact relationship of "Prometheus" to "Alien" is less important to fans than the mere fact that the new movie looks heart-pounding and exciting all on its own.

British critic Chris Hewitt at Empire Magazine has an exhaustively thorough, shot-by-shot, 61-slide breakdown of the U.S. trailer. (Don't read if you don't want spoilers.)

As Hewitt points out in slide 28, the trailer offers a very brief shot of one of the creatures from "Alien." And slide 31 offers a holographic version of the space jockey's ship. Hewitt also wonders if slide 49 is offering a gigantic spoiler for "Prometheus'" conclusion, so you may want to skip that if you think he could be right.

Watch the trailer for yourself and see what you think.

Will you see "Prometheus"? Tell us on Facebook.

Related content:

• New 'Snow White' isn't dark, it's real
• 'Dark Shadows' trailer reveals film's a comedy
• 'Prometheus' teaser trailer is a face-hugging hit

20th Century Fox

Sigourney Weaver's Ripley was a big part of the original "Alien" films.

As someone who considers "Alien" and "Aliens" to be possibly the scariest set of movie-and-sequel ever made, you bet I'm all over the upcoming "Alien" film, "Prometheus."

In my opinion, the "Alien" films got badly off-track with 1992's "Alien 3," losing the pervasive terror of the original two.  (Although I heartily enjoyed the Alien-Predator spinoff films for what they were, monster shoot-em-ups that don't take themselves too seriously.)

But Ridley Scott is getting the original "Alien" mythology back on track, and I for one can't wait. Scott hasn't made a sci-fi movie since 1982's "Blade Runner," and after 30 years, anticipation is high.

The new trailer is short (one minute) and a little dark. It's unclear exactly how the plot will unfold, and that's fine -- doesn't everyone hate trailers that give too much away? This one tantalizes with the same feelings of dread and claustrophobia of the original two films -- when a creature has acid for blood, you can't just unleash a gun at it and come out unscathed.

There's been some debate about whether "Prometheus" is actually a prequel to the other films. First people thought it was, then Scott and writer Damon Lindelof (co-creator of "Lost") said no, it wasn't, that the events do not actually precede the events of the first two. (Meaning that aliens concurrently are face-hugging people on different planets, I guess?) 

 But the trailer certainly seems to position it as as a prequel. It shows elements of the first film, including that weird dead alien who appears to have been chest-bursted eons before the Nostromo crew stumbled upon him. (The fun blog I Watch Stuff refers to him as a "space jockey.") And though they're not at all mentioned, I can't be the only fan who's spent time wondering about poor Newt's family, and how their band of terraforming colonists met their horrible ends.

Prequel or no, I can't wait till the June 8 release.

Will you see "Prometheus"? Are you excited for the return of "Alien" done right? Tell us in the comments.

Related content:

• 'Hobbit' trailer tantalizes fans
• Football field crumbles in 'Dark Knight Rises' trailer
• Follow us on Twitter