“10,000 BC” took its prehistoric tale of survival and romance to the top spot on the North American box office, with an opening weekend worth more than $35.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates.

Warner Bros.’ film “10,000 B.C.” topped the weekend box office in North America with $35,730,000, according to studio estimates quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

The prehistoric epic may have had poor scores on review aggregators Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic but moviegoers did not let critics’ opinions stay in their way. This was an attitude cinephiles adopted both within North America and outside.

“10,000 BC” opened at No. 1 in 19 of 20 territories, with total earnings of $25.3 million. It was most successful in Spain ($4.5 million) and Mexico ($3.8 million).

The Roland Emmerich-directed film stars Steven Strait as D'Leh, a young mammoth hunter who fights the wildest and scariest of beasts in order for he and his tribe to survive and to be reunited with his true love Evolet, portrayed by Camilla Belle.

Walt Disney Co.’s G-rated family comedy “College Road Trip” ranked No. 2 for the weekend, with an estimated $14 million. Directed by Roger Kumble and starring Raven-Symoné and Martin Lawrence, the film tells the story of a college-bound teenager who visits various colleges with her policeman dad. “College Road Trip” was also received with criticism.

Political thriller “Vantage Point” placed third, with another $7.5 million, bringing its three-week total to $51.7 million. Last week’s No. 1, the Will Ferrell basketball spoof “Semi-Pro” took in $5.8 million at No. 4.

“The Bank Job,” a Lions Gate Films heist thriller starring Jason Statham and Saffron Burroughs as bank robbers, opened at No. 5 with $5.7 million. The film, directed by Roger Donaldson (“The Recruit”), is based on the 1971 robbery of a Lloyds bank in London.