LOS ANGELES?Hapless cops played by Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg bumped Leonardo DiCaprio's "Inception" from its three-week reign at the North American box office over the weekend, final figures showed Monday.
Buddy comedy "The Other Guys," about two officers who take over a high-profile investigation, pulled in 35.5 million dollars in ticket sales, according to industry tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.
The movie toppled the mind-bending thriller "Inception," the sci-fi summer blockbuster co-starring Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page, which nevertheless pulled in 18.5 million dollars from Friday to Sunday, totaling nearly $228 million in ticket sales since it first opened.
In the flick DiCaprio stars as a thief who specializes in infiltrating dreams. The movie has impressed critics with its complex science fiction concepts.
Third place was the Disney dance movie "Step-Up 3-D," which was praised for its use of 3-D technology but panned for its paper-thin plot. It grossed 15.8 million.
Fourth was "Salt," starring Hollywood's biggest female action superstar Angelina Jolie, who plays a captivating CIA agent accused of being a Russian spy. The movie raked in $10.9 million in its third week, and nearly 92 million overall.
The latest Steve Carell vehicle "Dinner for Schmucks," about a quest to find the dumbest guy possible to invite to a dinner meal, sank to fifth place on its second week out, earning $10.4 million.
3-D animated film "Despicable Me" meanwhile slipped from fourth to sixth spot, with $9.3 million in sales.
The film from Universal Pictures also stars Carell as the voice of Gru, a villain bent on snatching the moon. It has earned $209 million in its five weeks of release.
Next came the kid comedy "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," with $6.9 million, and teen heartthrob Zac Efron in "Charlie St. Cloud" with $4.7 million.
Ninth was "Toy Story 3," Disney/Pixar's latest release, with $3.1 million, bringing its total box office sales to a hefty $396 million over eight weeks.
Tenth place was held by "The Kids Are All Right," a comedy starring Julianne Moore and Annette Bening as lesbian parents to two teenagers intent on meeting their anonymous sperm-donor father. It pulled in $2.6 million.
