Martial arts movie The Forbidden Kingdom has managed to beat other newcomers for the weekend’s first place according to box office revenue estimates. Box Office Mojo reports that the fantasy story of a far-away kingdom has estimatedly snatched $21 million in box office revenues.

The second place belongs to another new entry, Universal’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which managed to reap only $17 million. On the third spot stands last week’s topper, Prom Night, with $9 million.

“The Forbidden Kingdom” has an irrefutable strength: the two grand names of the genre, Jackie Chan and Jet Li united for their first production together. Therefore, any flaws will be forgiven and forgotten. Even though the two tough guys have accustomed their fans with action movies in which every scene takes place so fast that it makes your head spin, “Kingdom” slows down, to allow children and parents to enjoy the film’s fantasy world. Those who have seen Chan’s “Drunken Master” or Li’s “Shaolin  Temple” might frown upon “Kingdom,” until they finally acknowledge that this one is a family movie.

Behind the successful cast members, stands a successful team. Based on the script written by John Fusco, the story’s magic is augmented by computer-generated effects under the wing of director Rob Minkoff (we were marveled by his work in “Stuart Little”). The fight scenes, even though not bloody, are so spectacular that they seem detached from a peculiar dance; behind them we find choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, whose outstanding work we’ve seen in the “Matrix” trilogy or “Crouching Tiger.”

Judd Apatow’s romantic comedy of the new kind, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” is an extremely funny story about a nerd who loses the girl of his dreams, and who is haunted afterwards by obsessive thoughts to win her back. Focusing on Jason Segel’s main character, is that the feminine characters do not excel in anything besides looking good. However, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is amusing and charming enough to keep the ladies in front of the silver screen.

There are two other new entries in the top 10: on fourth place, Sony’s 88 Minutes with $6.8 million and the dubious Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed on ninth place. The Al Pacino thriller is about a successful forensic psychiatrist who is announced he has only 88 minutes to live. The other new entry is a documentary about the controversy surrounding the systematic banning of intelligent design from academic circles and the teaching of a single world view in the United States.

Here are the first ten places, according to Box Office Mojo:

1. “The Forbidden Kingdom,” $20.9 million.
2. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” $17.3 million.
3. “Prom Night,” $9.1 million.
4. “88 Minutes,” $6.8 million.
5. “Nim’s Island,” $5.7 million.
6. “21,” $5.5 million.
7. “Street Kings,” $4 million.
8. “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!”, $3.5 million.
9. “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” $3.2 million.
10. “Leatherheads,” $3 million.