Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg's new film 2 Guns soared at the box office grossing 27.4 million and opening at No. 1 this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.

The unique chemistry between Washington and Wahlberg is a probable reason for the success of the movie, according to some critics.

"As a team, Washington and Wahlberg keep the riffs going as this action-comedy shimmers and builds to a terrifically entertaining heat haze. Then the bullets fly, almost as fast as their mouths, and everything hits its target," The New York Daily News wrote about the duo in its July review of the film.

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Wahlberg explained where his professional chemistry with Washington stems from in an interview with Moviefone.

"We were serious about the work, but we had a lot of laughs," he told the website, cited in an August report. "We'd actually been friendly for quite some time; I know his wife and kids, so there was a comfort level. Doing this kind of movie, you could risk looking a bit ridiculous at some points, but you could spend some time trying to look cool. I think we're both at a place and an age where we're trying to do new and interesting things."

In the interview, the 42-year-old also referred to Washington as "one of the greatest actors of all time."

The movie managed to top Smurfs 2, which premiered two days before the action film. The animation film opened at No. 3, collecting $18.2 million this weekend. Since it first premiered in theaters on July 31, Smurfs 2 has grossed $27.7 million. The numbers are disappointing in relation to the $35.6 million the first installment earned in late July 2011.

The Wolverine took the No. 2 spot. The movie, which premiered on July 26, grossed an estimated $21.7 million this weekend. The Hugh Jackman flick pulled in $55 million domestically in its opening weekend alone. It has now earned a cumulative total of $95 million in North America and a worldwide gross of $255.2 million, to date.

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Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg