Clooney's 'American' powers to top of box office

"The American," the spy thriller starring George Clooney, topped the North American box office this weekend beating gory action film "Machete," final holiday break figures showed Tuesday.

"The American" earned 16.7 million dollars in US and Canadian theaters over the three-day Labor Day weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Machete," mixing violence with a campy tribute to 1970s exploitation movies from directors Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis, came in second with an estimated 14.1 million dollars over the Friday-Monday period.

Last week's winner, "Takers," starring Hayden Christensen, Idris Elba and singers Chris Brown and T.I., earned 13.5 million dollars and fell to third place in its second week of release.

Fourth place went to the gruesome documentary-style horror movie "The Last Exorcism," which fell back from its runner-up spot last weekend, taking 8.8 million dollars.

The movie, directed by Daniel Stamm and co-produced by Eli Roth, a director known for his bloody thrillers, follows a disillusioned minister supposedly filming his last exorcism for a documentary.

At number five was new release "Going the Distance," a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long about a couple living on opposite US coasts who try to make their relationship work. It earned 8.5 million dollars in its opening weekend.

In sixth place was "The Expendables," Sylvester Stallone's film about a group of weathered mercenaries out to topple a South American dictator, which earned 8.3 million dollars in its fourth week in theaters.

Falling to the seventh spot was "The Other Guys," the latest Will Ferrell slapstick comedy, about two mismatched police officers paired on a high-profile crime investigation, which had a 6.7-million-dollar take at the box office.

"Eat, Pray, Love," Ryan Murphy's adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's novel about a divorcee's jaunt to Italy, Indonesia and India, starring Julia Roberts, fell to the eighth position with a take of 6.2 million dollars.

Ninth was blockbuster "Inception" starring Leonardo DiCaprio as an expert infiltrator of people's dreams, which took 5.9 million dollars.

"Nanny McPhee Returns," the sequel to a popular kid's film starring British actress Emma Thompson in the title role, rounded out the top 10 with 4.8 million dollars in box office receipts over the weekend.