Like every major corporation, Hollywood has to occasionally look back and assess its weaknesses. Because the 2013 box office is lagging a bit from where it was at the last week of April last year, studios are looking for anywhere to place the blame.

Of course, one probable cause is the lack of a “Hunger Games”-esq breakout. The movie was a huge success, grossing north of $100 million its first weekend. Of course, no studio has had a titanic flop like “John Carter” yet this year either.

There’s also a good chance the flood of R-rated films has hurt the box office. Of the 38 wide releases at the box office so far this year, 18 have been rated R. Action flicks like “The Last Stand” and “Olympus Has Fallen” probably would have performed better with a PG-13 rating. “A Good Day to Die Hard” could have thrived with its R rating if written better, but the movie was so disappointing not even a PG-13 would have improved its prospects.

There are both positives and negatives so far this year, so before Hollywood enters the summer season, which may be what is needed to revive the box office, one should reflect on what’s been good, what’s been bad, and what’s been just plain ugly.

The Good:

The biggest hit so far this year is “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” which has grossed more than $475 million worldwide. Obviously this total comes nowhere near touching Disney’s similar “Alice in Wonderland,” which made more than a $1 billion worldwide, but it’s certainly an improvement from “John Carter.” The movie was entertaining enough, but it lacked the breakout power to become as successful as some of its fantasy brethren.

DreamWorks’s “The Croods” has also been a success, and deservedly so. The movie has grossed nearly $430 million worldwide and is the studio’s best film since “How to Train Your Dragon.” “The Croods” takes some bold steps the studio has been afraid to take before, placing characters in perilous situations that could be quite upsetting for the movie’s target audience. But because it makes that leap, it’s appealing to parents as well as kids. I’d label it as a huge success.

Melissa McCarthy proved her box office staying power with “Identity Thief,” a buddy road trip comedy that we’ve seen done time and time again, most notably with “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” and most recently with 2010’s “Due Date.” However, McCarthy and Bateman played well off each other. Too bad the script was too weak to give either of them a good amount of funny jokes. McCarthy’s signature boisterous attitude drives the whole movie, and it’s simply not enough. However, audiences ate it up to the tune of $165 million worldwide.

2013 has been a pretty good year for independent flicks as well. Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers,” while slightly uncomfortable to watch, uses unique storytelling devices such as trance-like dialogue and protracted camera shots to turn the typical teen party movie into a nightmare. “The Place Beyond the Pines,” starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, is a parable about how sons are doomed to repeat the mistakes of their fathers. Great supporting performances by Ben Mendelsohn and Bruce Greenwood cap the Shakespearean drama. It’s one of the best indie films I’ve seen in the last few years.

The Bad:

While no film has flopped quite as badly as “John Carter,” “Jack the Giant Slayer” was quite a disappointment. Worldwide it has earned back most of its production costs, but has not earned enough to cover marketing costs, let alone create a profit. The film was a bit of a mess, as it dragged for about 20 minutes too long and featured some rather weak performances. The only bright spot was Stanley Tucci, who plays the main villain and appears to have a fun time in his role. It’s safe to say Warner Bros. wants to forget about this one.

“Scary Movie 5,” the latest in the series of movies that hasn’t generated a funny joke in more than 10 years, tanked at the box office. Anna Faris, who was usually game and was the best part of the series, was replaced by ho-hum Ashley Tisdale, who is desperate to break away from her Disney image. The movie made fun of “Inception.” Too bad “Inception” is almost three years old. The good news? The movie is doing so horrible at the box office that we may be free from these movies forever.

This has been a losing year for ‘80s action stars as well. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The Last Stand” tanked, opening at 9th place and earning a little more than $6 million opening weekend. It made back its budget, yes, but that’s not a big victory considering it only cost about $30 million to make. Sylvester Stallone’s “Bullet to the Head” tanked similarly, and was a stale movie to begin with. Perhaps the most disappointing is “A Good Day to Die Hard,” which actually did well at the box office, grossing more than $300 million worldwide. But the U.S. sales were lackluster, and the movie felt like a poor replica of what the Bruce Willis franchise used to be.

The Ugly:

“Movie 43.”

Enough said.