The arrival of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa seems to have hailed the beginning of the holiday hits season, bringing in the first $50+ million opening weekend since summer called it quits. From here on out expect to see an upswing in audience attention with a new major release just about every weekend from now until Christmas.

Dreakworks seems to have pretty good luck with their computer animated sequels. This weekend the follow-up to Madagascar banked $63 million, handily topping the $47 million that the first film took in on its debut. That's not quite as powerful as the Shrek films which jumped from a $42 million opening for Shrek to a whopping $108 million for Shrek 2. I blame it on the characters. For all those cute fuzzy jungle animals the Madagascar films have nothing to compare with Puss-n-Boots.

Role Models took a distant second place with $19 million. That's almost as much as Zack and Miri made in its first ten days. Sure, the comedy for both movies is tasteless and juvenile, both easily earn their R ratings, and both starred Elizabeth Banks. So what made one more financially successful than the other? Let's just say that I suspect audiences are more interested in a raunch comedy starring cute kids than one threatening full frontal Seth Rogen. Can't say as I blame them.

Bernie Mac's posthumous release Soul Men struggled in its debut weekend, making only $5 million and coming in at sixth place in the top ten. That's one of the lowest openings for a movie headlined by Mac, and a poor send off for one of the funnier stand-up-comedians-turned-actors to grace the screen. America, you ought to be ashamed.

1. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa * $63,500,000   -   Total: $63,500,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 4056

2. Role Models * $19,251,000   -   Total: $19,251,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2792

3. High School Musical 3: Senior Year $9,293,000   -   Total: $75,707,000 LW: 1    WR: 3     THTRS: 3464

4. Changeling $7,281,000   -   Total: $20,587,000 LW: 4    WR: 3     THTRS: 1855

5. Zack and Miri Make a Porno $6,521,000   -   Total: $20,933,000 LW: 2    WR: 2     THTRS: 2735

6. Soul Men * $5,610,000   -   Total: $5,610,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2044

7. Saw V $4,200,000   -   Total: $52,320,000 LW: 3    WR: 3     THTRS: 2829

8. The Haunting of Molly Hartley $3,490,000   -   Total: $10,235,000 LW: 5    WR: 2     THTRS: 2576

9. The Secret Life of Bees $3,125,000   -   Total: $29,938,000 LW: 7    WR: 4     THTRS: 1481

10. Eagle Eye $2,594,000   -   Total: $96,401,000 LW: 9    WR: 7     THTRS: 1407