'Transformers 4' blasts to top of North American box office

The fourth installment of the smash "Transformers" franchise topped North American box office returns in its opening weekend, preliminary industry data showed Sunday.
Some bad reviews did not keep Michael Bay's "Transformers: Age of Extinction" -- a massive-budget morphing robots epic -- from becoming the first movie of the year to open with $100 million on the domestic front, according to industry monitor Exhibitor Relations.
This chapter, which stars Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz, sees a powerful group of scientists scrambling to break new tech barriers.
Buddy comedy "22 Jump Street," featuring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, meanwhile pulled in $15.4 million in second place, for a total of $139.8 million after three weeks in theaters.
Another blockbuster summer sequel, "How to Train Your Dragon 2," was third with $13.1 million over the weekend, and $121.8 million total, Exhibitor Relations said.
Starring Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union, comedy "Think Like A Man Too" has all the couples back for a Las Vegas wedding, but romantic plans go awry as their misadventures get them into compromising situations.
It earned fourth place with $10.4 million, bringing its total receipts to $48.2 million after two weeks on the silver screen.
Holding steady in fifth place was Angelina Jolie's "Maleficent," a modern retelling of the life of Sleeping Beauty's arch-nemesis, with $8.2 million for the weekend -- and $201.9 million since its release five weeks ago.
"Jersey Boys," Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical about the 1960s rise to pop success of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, was in sixth place at $7.6 million.
Falling to seventh was Tom Cruise's latest action movie, "Edge of Tomorrow," in which he stars as a soldier caught in a time loop as he battles aliens. It took in $5.2 million.
In the eighth spot was romantic drama "The Fault in Our Stars," based on a popular young adult novel by John Green about teenagers who meet at a cancer support group. It earned $4.8 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were action blockbuster "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($3.3 million), and indie feel-good food-truck comedy "Chef" ($1.7 million).