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For months, the ad campaign behind this weekend's experimental ensemble comedy asked filmgoers: What is Movie 43?

Now we know: a flop.

The collection of of gross-out shorts, directed by big names like Elizabeth Banks and Brett Ratner and featuring Oscar-caliber actors including Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts, couldn't muster much excitement this weekend, collecting $5 million and just seventh place, according to studio estimates from Hollywood.com.

The debut fell well below expectations and posed no threat to the latest craze in Hollywood: updated fairy tales. The latest, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, which topped the box office with $19 million.

Movie 43's performance wasn't a complete surprise, as critics and fans pummeled the movie the moment it hit theaters. Only 5% of the nation's critics liked it, while only 49% of fans said they could recommend it, say pollsters Rottentomatoes.com.

Gitesh Pandya of Boxofficeguru.com says the film tried "to attract older teens and young adults with bold, R-rated humor and a head-scratching mix of stars." But word of mouth doomed the movie.

Not so Hansel & Gretel, starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton.

While it didn't fare much better with reviewers -- 15% gave it a thumbs-up -- 69% of fans liked it, giving it enough momentum to meet analysts' expectations.