Love beats action as 'The Vow' bows with $41.7M

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Love has triumphed over action at the weekend box office with a No. 1 debut for the romantic drama "The Vow."

Studio estimates Sunday show that the love story starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum took in $41.7 million to come in ahead of two new action tales and the first 3-D "Star Wars" reissue.

Landing a close second with $39.3 million was Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds' action thriller "Safe House." Coming in solidly at No. 3 was Dwayne Johnson's family action sequel "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" with $27.6 million.

And adding to George Lucas' riches was the 3-D premiere of "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," which was No. 4 with $23 million. That raises the lifetime domestic total for "Phantom Menace to $454.1 million.