Box office keeps on dreaming with “Inception”

Not that there’s a rivalry, but Leo beat Angie this weekend at the box office. This proves the age-old argument that boys are better than girls, among other things.

Okay, so maybe not. Jolie continued to show that she’s as bankable as they come and that 35 is still a prime age for an action star, regardless of gender. However, it wasn’t enough to give her action thriller “Salt” the title of number one film in America. “Inception” fell by less than a third of its opening weekend totals, earning a terrific $42.7 million in its second week, which puts it at just below $150 million for its 10-day total. “Salt” took in a very respectable $36 million.

1. Inception – $42.7 M (weekend) … $142.8 (gross)
2. Salt – $36 M … $36 M
3. Despicable Me – $23.6 M … $161.2 M
4. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – $9.6 M … $42.6 M
5. Toy Story 3 – $8.9 M … $379.4 M
6. Ramona and Beezus – $7.8 M … $7.8 M
7. Grown Ups – $7.4 M … $142.2 M
8. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – $7.1 M … $279.8 M
9. The Last Airbender – $4.2 M … $123.3 M
10. Predators – $3.1 M … $46.8 M

This weekend’s only other newcomer was “Ramona and Beezus,” a kids family film aimed primarily at girls. The numbers reflected that with a weekend total of $7.8 million, short of the top five and below animated family films “Despicable Me” and “Toy Story 3” in their third and sixth weeks respectively.

Declining small amounts were Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which needed a break after a pathetic $17.6 million last weekend and Adam Sandler’s comedy “Grown Ups,” which continues to add more insurance to its title of highest-grossing live-action comedy of 2010, now at $142 million domestic.