DREAMWORKS - KUNG FU PANDA SMASHES WAY TO NUMBER ONE AT US BOX OFFICE

New animated comedy Kung Fu Panda has topped the US box office charts with the third-highest opening ever for a digital animation.

The Dreamworks film, featuring Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, pulled in $60 million (£30.4 million) in its opening weekend to topple Sex and the City from the number one spot, exceeding its expectations of a $30-$40 million (£15-£20 million) debut.

"It provides a great mix of action, comedy and lots of heart, which appeals to every member of a family," said DreamWorks Animation's worldwide marketing chief Anne Globe.

"It's a great start for us," she told Variety.

Adam Sandler's new action-comedy You Don't Mess With the Zohan earned a commendable $40 million (£20.3 million) to take second in a weekend which saw 30 per cent more business at US cinemas than during the same period in 2007.

While Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the fourth outing for the adventurous archaeologist, had been knocked off the summit by Sex and the City, Harrison Ford has proved a more enduring prospect for moviegoers than Sarah Jessica Parker, with Indy falling one place to third while the HBO spin-off dropped from first to fourth.

The disappointing performance of Speed Racer continued as it fell from the top ten while Iron Man continues to attract more business than The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, with Robert Downey Jr's performance as billionaire Tony Stark having earned a massive $288 million.

The top ten films at the US box office are: (last week's position)

1 Kung Fu Panda - $60 million [£30.4 million] (-)
2 You Don't Mess With the Zohan - $40 million [£20.3 million] (-)
3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - $22.8 million [£11.6 million] (2)
4 Sex and the City - $21.3 million [£10.8 million] (1)
5 The Strangers - $9.3 million [£4.7 million] (3)
6 Iron Man - $7.5 million [£3.8 million] (4)
7 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - $5.5 million [£2.8 million](5)
8 What Happens in Vegas… - $3.4 million [£1.7 million] (6)
9 Baby Mama - $779,000 [£395,122] (8)
10 Made of Honor - $775,000 [£393,084] (9)