The box office results for the weekend of March 18th – 20th has audiences looking to test their mental abilities. The brainy “Limitless” was able to trump a “Lincoln Lawyer” and the laidback “Paul.” Meanwhile, “Los Angeles” is rapidly losing ground. Here are the studio estimates:

1. Limitless ($19 million)

2. Rango ($15.3 million)

3. Battle Los Angeles ($14.6 million)

4. The Lincoln Lawyer ($13.4 million)

5. Paul ($13.1 million)

6. Red Riding Hood ($7.2 million)

7. The Adjustment Bureau ($5.9 million)

8. Mars Needs Moms ($5.3 million)

9. Beastly ($3.2 million)

10. Hall Pass ($2.6 million)

Analysis

With “Limitless” opening, the flick is set up for a nice profitable run in theaters. Coming in with a budget of $27 million, Relativity Media’s intriguing product will be operating in the black by the time April rolls in. Audiences and critics are in agreement that the product is a nice alternative to the usual shtick that one typically finds in cinemas during this time of year. Unique is the way to go at the box office these days and this will pay-off here.

Although “Paul” had a weak opening domestically, the flick is rocking overseas. This is due to the popularity of English scribe Simon Pegg. He wrote and stars in this more-or-less stoner-comedy, that should please the majority of his fan base, despite the mild reviews that may alienate some casual moviegoers. The production came in at $40 million, but the worldwide total has negated any worries Universal Pictures may have had with this release.

“The Lincoln Lawyer” may be on path to settling. In the red. Having a $40 million production budget and then factoring in the modest opening, this wordy-thriller will probably have to make up the difference during its DVD and On-Demand run. Based on the subject matter, audiences will not make this a priority to see in the theaters, even with the positive reviews.

Flop Alert: “Red Riding Hood.” Although it avoided the typical 50% drop from its opening weekend, the flick is falling victim to the weak debut. Plus, international totals are non-existent at this point, so recouping that $42 million production isn’t likely.

Sleeper Hit: “Rango.” Even with critics and audiences saying the animated tale fails to embrace the kids, the flick is holding up extremely well in its third week. The domestic total is now up to $93 million. Production budget was $135 million and when accounting the worldwide gross, it has surpassed the production budget.

This Friday, the wholesome comedy “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules,” and the violent “Sucker Punch” enter the box office arena. Reviews will be right here my fellow Shockers.

Report by Joe Belcastro