G.I. Joe crushes enemy forces at box office

A new action movie based on the G.I. Joe line of toy soldiers crushed enemy forces at the worldwide box office during the weekend, ending the three-week reign of the sixth Harry Potter fantasy. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra sold about $100.3 million worth of tickets, distributor Paramount Pictures said on Sunday. The three-day take of $56.2 million from the United States and Canada ranks as the fourth-highest August opening ever. The foreign component of $44.1 million -- from 35 markets comprising 75 percent of international sales -- was led by South Korea ($5.6 million). The film opened at No. 1 in two countries not exactly favorable to American militarism, China ($4.8 million) and Russia ($4.6 million).