When is a second place finish considered good news? When it’s the biggest debut you’ve had in your career.

Despite recently being kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight and losing out to Shutter Island, Kevin Smith still has something to smile about. His latest directorial project, Cop Out, opened to $18.2 million over the weekend. That figure surpasses his previous best of $11.1 million for 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

And while Bruce Willis has clearly seen better days, he hasn’t in some time. Fortunately, his comedic partnership with Tracy Morgan raised over $3 million more than his last major outing, Surrogates, did last September.

1. Shutter Island, Paramount, $22,665,205 (avg. $7548)
2. Cop Out, Warner Bros., $18,211,126 (avg. $5781)
3. The Crazies, Overture Films, $16,067,552 (avg. $6489)
4. Avatar, 20th Century Fox, $13,655,274 (avg. $5560)
5. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, 20th Century Fox, $9,583,421 (avg. $2902)
6. Valentine’s Day, Warner Bros., $9,063,036 (avg. $2533)
7. Dear John, Sony Screen Gems, $4,808,498 (avg. $1600)
8. The Wolfman, Universal, $4,259,865 (avg. $1400)
9. Tooth Fairy, 20th Century Fox, $3,425,333 (avg. $1523)
10. Crazy Heart, Fox Searchlight, $2,462,384 (avg. $2145)

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