Third 'Apes' victorious over 'Spider-Man'

Monkey business still pays. "War for the Planet of the Apes" took down "Spider-Man: Homecoming" at the North American box office, opening with an estimated $56.5 million in ticket sales.

Though some initially expected a closer race, "Spider-Man" dropped to second with $45.2 million after its $117 million debut last weekend. But director Matt Reeves' "Apes" pulled away thanks to strong reviews. Led by Andy Serkis' celebrated motion-capture performance as the ape leader Caesar, "Apes" won a 94 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Fox's "Apes" led something of a summer anomaly: There is an unusual confluence of acclaimed films in release. Five of the top six at the box office ("Apes," "Homecoming," "Baby Driver," "The Big Sick" and "Wonder Woman") boast Rotten Tomatoes rankings of 92 or better, and the sixth ("Despicable Me 3") was largely received as a solid enough family release.

Summer, rarely a critics' paradise, is suddenly flush with good movies.

"What I think sets the 'Planet of the Apes,' these three films, apart from other franchise films, is that it's not gratuitous sequel-itis," said Chris Aronson, Fox's distribution chief. "This is storytelling, and it's episodic storytelling. It's not 'Well, let's put the band back together.' "

Next weekend, Christopher Nolan's World War II thriller "Dunkirk" lands in theaters following estatic early reviews.

Estimated weekend ticket sales:

2. "Spider-Man: Homecoming," $45.2 million.

3. "Despicable Me 3," $18.9 million.

4. "Baby Driver," $8.8 million.

5. "The Big Sick," $7.6 million.

6. "Wonder Woman," $6.9 million.

8. "Cars 3," $3.2 million.

9. "Transformers: The Last Knight," $2.8 million.

10. "The House," $1.8 million.