Fantasy fiends in the form of rampagin Lycans and storybook villains brought to life took to theatres this weekend but none of them could compare with the awesome power of...Paul Blart?

For reasons defying explanation (but not expectation given the bizarre American preference for crap comedy) Kevin James' latest movie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop remained the number one movie of the weekend bringing the total cash squandered on the film to a ridiculous $64 million.

The third film in the Underworld franchise, Rise of the Lycans, came in a close second with $20 million. Since the movies have consistently made money there's a good chance a fourth movie won't be far behind. The only bright side is that it's keeping Bill Nighy in pay checks and freeing him up to work on more interesting, lower paying gigs.

Inkheart bowed in at a disappointing $7 million and seventh place on the chart. Given that the film was a disappointment as a fantasy film, it's no tragedy that it matched the effect at the box office.

Riding the wave of Oscar nominations The Curious Case of Benjamin Button slipped back into the top ten. So far it's totaled $111 million in American theatres and less than $40 million overseas. When you consider how much of that cash will actually get back to the studio he film will be hard pressed to back its star studded budget of $150 million. Enjoy those noms Paramount. Unless DVDs fly into homes like kids into the Pitt/Jolie fold, Benjamin Button will end up in the red.

1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop $21,500,000   -   Total: $64,800,000 LW: 1     WR: 2     THTRS: 3,144

2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans * $20,700,000   -   Total: $20,700,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2,942

3. Gran Torino $16,000,000   -   Total: $97,576,000 LW: 2     WR: 7     THTRS: 3,045

4. Hotel for Dogs $12,360,000   -   Total: $36,955,000 LW: 5     WR: 2     THTRS: 3,271

5. Slumdog Millionaire $10,550,000   -   Total: $55,916,000 LW: 10     WR: 11     THTRS: 1,411

6. My Bloody Valentine 3-D $10,050,000   -   Total: $37,725,000 LW: 3     WR: 2     THTRS: 2,534

7. Inkheart * $7,725,000   -   Total: $7,725,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2,655

8. Bride Wars $7,000,000   -   Total: $48,702,000 LW: 6     WR: 3     THTRS: 2,621

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button $6,000,000   -   Total: $111,044,000 LW: 11     WR: 5     THTRS: 2,263

10. Notorious (2009) $5,700,000   -   Total: $31,795,000 LW: 4     WR: 2     THTRS: 1,641