Crowe's 'Cinderella Man' fails to impress

America's second-largest cinema chain is trying to boost lacklustre ticket sales for Russell Crowe's new film, Cinderella Man, by offering to give movie-goers their money back if they don't like the picture.

Since its June 3 opening, the big-budget Depression-era boxing film has struggled to reach the US$50 million ($73 million) mark at the US box office and cover its costs.

"We felt it was getting lost and we needed to bring more attention to it," AMC spokeswoman Pam Blase told Daily Variety. Audience members have been able since last weekend to get their money back on the same day of the screening, but AMC said it had received only a "handful" of refund requests.