Critically-acclaimed animation adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" clawed back to the top of the North American box office this weekend, early industry figures showed Sunday.
After debuting at number one and a fortnight settling at number three, the DreamWorks fantasy about a young Viking who tames a dragon took 20 million dollars to regain the top spot, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said.
Since its release, "Dragon" has garnered critical and popular attention for its mind-boggling 3D effects and a sharp script, earning 158 million dollars in total so far.
Foul-mouthed superhero comedy "Kick-Ass," starring Nicolas Cage and a host of pint-sized crime fighters, narrowly missed out on the number one sport, taking 19.7 million dollars in ticket sales after its first weekend of release.
Slapstick "Date Night," about a jaded married couple landing in a series of explosive situations after a rare romantic evening without their children, starring Tina Fey and lead Steve Carell, fell from number one this week to the third spot, with 17.3 million dollars.
Another comic newcomer, "Death at a Funeral," featuring a wealth of African American Hollywood talent including stand-up stars Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan held the fourth position after bringing in 17 million dollars in its first weekend.
Greek mythology film "Clash of the Titans" -- a critically-panned blockbuster based on the exploits of Perseus and his battles with the serpent-haired Medusa and a fearsome sea monster -- crashed from last weekend's number one movie to the fifth spot with 15.7 million dollars in ticket sales.
"The Last Song," a romantic teen-targeted Miley Cyrus flick, fell to sixth place in its third week in theaters with 5.8 million dollars, while melodrama "Why Did I Get Married Too?" by writer, director, and actor Tyler Perry came in seventh with 4.2 million dollars in receipts.
Eighth place went to the time-bending R-rated comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine," earning 3.5 million dollars, and the live-action version of Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice in Wonderland" starring Johnny Depp -- which has earned nearly 324 million total -- took 3.5 million dollars this weekend for the ninth spot.
"The Bounty Hunter," a lackluster comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, came in tenth with a 3.2-million-dollar take.
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