'Pirates' is box office gold

LOS ANGELES: The fourth installment in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series captured $90 million in box office treasures as Jack Sparrow's latest adventure debuted at number one, Sunday estimates said. In "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," Johnny Depp's character looks to get "savvy" with the Fountain of Youth. Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane co-star in the Disney romp, which has earned mixed reviews from critics. The $90.1 million North American take was enough to knock "Thor" off its throne, according to estimates from industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. The surprise hit "Bridesmaids" held onto the second spot, grossing $21 million in its second week. The comedy about an oddball group of women preparing for their wedding day supporting roles has earned $57.5 million total. After two weeks on top, "Thor," starring Chris Hemsworth as the epic hero banished to Earth from the mystical world of Asgard, slipped to third, earning $15.5 million and raising its three-week total to $145 million. "Fast Five" kept its engine revving by picking up $10.6 million. The fifth volume in the high-speed car chase series, which added action star Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson this time around, has grossed $186 million in a month. In the fifth spot was "Rio," a family-friendly tropical bird comedy which took $4.65 million for a total of just over $131 million over its six-week run. Horror flick "Priest" starring Paul Bettany on the hunt for vampires who kidnapped his niece fell two spots to number six. It grossed $4.6 million in its second week. "Jumping the Broom," about two African-American families meeting for a wedding, earned $3.7 million, slipping one spot to seventh. Next was romantic comedy "Something Borrowed" with $3.4 million, followed by Depression-era romance "Water for Elephants" with $2.1 million. Rounding out the top 10 was "Madea's Big Happy Family," which took in just under $1 million. (AFP)