Get your writing pens handy because I’ve just stumbled upon incontrovertible proof of the existence of a deity: the “incredibly offensive as a children’s movie” flick, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, failed to be the “opening weekend” box office of Spider-Man 3.

At the final tally, it looks like $116 million for the Johnny Depp piece of trash, compared to a much heftier $151 million for Spider-Man 3. Just goes to show that good ol’ Stan Lee sells better than the Disney brain-fart that is the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise.

While critics have attempted to shellac Spidey 3, the movie is well over $300 million domestically and rocketing past $800 million worldwide. A summer-movie blitz has taken some of the steam out of Spidey’s sales, but it was still going strong enough to manage third place this week, a full month into its run, trailing only the newly-released Pirates and the week-old Shrek the Third.

Spider-Man 3 was accused of having too many villains, but played on classic themes like self-sacrifice, the dangers of ego, and even forgiveness, which has seemed to play well to audiences of all ages. Compared to the bawdy, suggestive themes of the Pirates movie franchise, Spidey 3 seems to be the more family-friendly fare.

A rare moment of sanity from moviegoers. Will Hollywood listen?