Cast members (from left) William H. Macy, Tim Allen and John Travolta pose next to motorcycles at the world premiere of 'Wild Hogs' at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 27. The movie tells the story of a group of middle-aged friends who go on a freewheeling motorcycle trip to break their routine suburban lives. - Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters):

Moviegoers got their motors running and drove the all-star comedy Wild Hogs to the top spot at the weekend box office in North America.

According to studio estimates issued yesterday, the critically-maligned Walt Disney Co. road movie sold US$38 million worth of tickets in its first three days since opening on March 2, leaving industry expectations in the dust.

Also new were the acclaimed serial-killer saga Zodiac at number two with a modest US$13 million, and the kinky southern drama Black Snake Moan at number eight with US$4.0 million. After two weeks at number one, the Nicolas Cage comic-book adaptation Ghost Rider fell to number three with US$11.5 million.

Wild Hogs stars John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H. Macy and Martin Lawrence as middle-aged pals who head out on the highway looking for adventure and hiding from their personal crises. The male-menopause movie was a hellride for critics.

The Los Angeles Times described it as "an endless cyclorama of rehashed jokes and whiny complaints", while the Washington Post said it was "born to be mild."

Disney said it had hoped the movie would open in the low-to mid-US$20 million range.

It credited the movie's success to a convergence of the stars' individual fan bases all looking for a relaxing laugh.

For moviegoers seeking more serious fare, Zodiac was the best bet. The fact-based movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. as men obsessed with tracking down the titular serial killer who terrorised the San Francisco Bay area in the late '60s and early '70s, who has never been captured.

Black Snake Moan marked writer/director Craig Brewer's follow-up to the 2005 pimp movie Hustle & Flow. Christina Ricci stars as the town slut and Samuel L. Jackson as a grizzled bluesman who tries to mend her wicked ways.

Top-10 movies at the US box office

1Wild Hogs, $38. million

2Zodiac, $13.1 million

3Ghost Rider, $11.5 million

4Bridge to Terabithia, $8.6 million

5The Number 23, $ 7.1 million

6Norbit, $6.4 million

7Music and Lyrics, $4.9 million

8Black Snake Moan, $4.0 million

9Reno 911! Miami, $3.8 million

10.Breach, $3.4 million