I think everybody wanted a bigger box office. Then again, everybody wanted a better picture. I've said I thought the movie was very good, but not great, and far from perfect. I think the box office reflects this very well. $178 is certainly good, but not great.
On a related subject: I've been mixing it up with some forum members at JWFan.net who are claiming that Richard Donner was not involved in the 2001 cut of S:TM. I find it laughable when one article gets cited with an out-of-context quote describing Richard Donner's surprise about the changes in the sound mix, when the very same article and a related article describes over and over his involvement with the project.
Am I wrong for getting annoyed at people who quote out of context for their own purposes and mislead others who aren't diligent enough to do their own follow-up?