Pat Dollard

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(AFP) – Sylvester Stallone’s aging action hero “Rambo” was beaten into submission by a camp crew of Spartan warriors at the North American box office this weekend, final figures showed Monday.

Stallone’s comeback as Vietnam war veteran “Rambo” took 18.2 million dollars in its opening weekend, narrowly trailing “Meet the Spartans”, a parody of last year’s hit blockbuster “300,” which took 18.5 million.

The follow-up to the classic 1980s film trilogy, “Rambo” sees 61-year-old Stallone rampaging through the jungles of Myanmar against genocidal forces threatening Christian missionaries.

Romantic comedy “27 Dresses,” about a serial bridesmaid, came in third with 13.4 million dollars of receipts in its second weekend.

Last week’s top hit, monster movie “Cloverfield,” fell sharply to fourth, taking 12.7 million in its second week of release, after a strong opening weekend of more than 40 million dollars.

A third new release, the serial killer thriller “Untraceable,” took 11.3 million to come in fifth.

In sixth place was “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, with 10.5 million in its fifth week.

The two star as cancer patients on a quest to whittle down their life-long wish list before they “kick the bucket.”

In seventh place was Oscar-nominated sleeper hit “Juno,” a comedy-drama about an unplanned teenage pregnancy, which took 10.1 million dollars.

The low-budget movie which cost only 2.5 million dollars to make has now grossed more than 100 million at the box-office.

Nicolas Cage’s action-adventure “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” remained in the top 10 with 4.9 million dollars, to take eighth place.

Ninth spot was taken by dark oil industry epic “There Will Be Blood,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, which earned 4.8 million dollars in its fifth week, buoyed after receiving eight Academy Award nominations last weekend.

The top 12 films were rounded out by comedy “Mad Money,” (4.6 million) family film “Alvin and the Chipmunks” (4.5 million) and “How She Move” (3.9 million).