G.I. Joe: Retaliation deploys straight to the top of the box office The action film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum as the gun-toting military toys brought to life marched into the No. 1 position at the weekend box office, earning $41.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Retaliation opened Wednesday at midnight, which helped bring its domestic total to $51.7 million. Paramount postponed the sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra last May from its original June opening date to convert the film to 3-D. The last-minute change came just weeks after Battleship, another movie based on a Hasbro toy, sank at the box office. At that time, Paramount had already begun its advertising campaign for Retaliation. "It certainly vindicates the decision," said Don Harris, the studio's head of distribution. Any time you make those sorts of moves, people always assume the worst. The truth is I'd seen this movie a long time ago in 2-D, and the movie worked in 2-D. It's not trying to be Schindler's List. This movie is intended to be enjoyed as a big, action spectacle. Internationally, Harris said Retaliation earned $80.3 million, making it the biggest international opening of the year. The film opened in 53 markets outside of the US and Canada, including Russia, South Korea and Mexico. After debuting in the top spot last weekend, the 3-D animated prehistoric comedy The Croods from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox slipped to the No. 2 spot with $26.5 million in its second weekend. The film features the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Catherine Keener as a cave family on the hunt for a new home. Among the other new films this weekend, Tyler Perry's Temptation starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Lance Gross opened above expectations at No. 3 with $22.3 million, while the science-fiction adaptation The Host featuring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, and Jake Abel as characters from the Stephenie Meyer novel landed at No. 6 in its debut weekend with a modest $11 million. Overall, the weekend box office was on par with last year when The Hunger Games continued to dominate in its second weekend of release with $58.5 million. After a slow start, Hollywood's year-to-date revenues are still 12 percent behind last year, heading into next month when the summer movie season unofficially kicks off with Iron Man 3 on 3 May. "It's getting us back on track after many weekends of down trending box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. Last weekend was a turning point with the strength of The Croods and Olympus Has Fallen doing better than expected. We're heading toward the summer movie season on solid footing. It's been a tough year so far. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $41.2 million ($80.3 million international). "The Croods," $26.5 million ($52.5 million international). "Tyler Perry's Temptation," $22.3 million. "Olympus Has Fallen," $14 million. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $11.6 million ($22.2 million international). "The Host," $11 million ($6 million international). "The Call," $4.8 million. "Admission," $3.2 million. "Spring Breakers," $2.7 million. "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," $1.3 million. Estimated weekend ticket sales at international cinemas (excluding the US and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak: "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $80.3 million. "The Croods," $52.5 million. "Jack the Giant Slayer," $25.2 million. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $22.2 million. "Dragon Ball Z: Kami to Kami," $7 million. "The Host," $6 million. "Identity Thief," $5.5 million. "Wreck-It Ralph," $4 million. "A Good Day to Die Hard," $3.6 million. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $3.3 million.