By Carl DiOrio

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Tim Allen (news)'s "The Santa Clause 2" had the last ho-ho-ho over anyone figuring the long-stalled sequel would open more naughty than nice, delivering Disney an early holiday gift of $29 million in weekend-winning box office.

And DreamWorks' "The Ring" defied gravity with an estimated $18.5 million performance that matched its previous weekend haul and again delivered second place. But the late autumn magic stopped there, as Sony's "I Spy" -- a pricey adaptation of the classic TV series starring Eddie Murphy (news) and Owen Wilson (news) -- disappointed with a $14 million bow in third place.

Industrywide, the weekend marked a big 19% downtick from the same frame a year earlier with $117 million in estimated total grosses, according to box office tracker Nielsen EDI. The year-ago frame boasted the $62.6 million bow of Disney/Pixar's "Monsters, Inc.," plus a $19.1 million opening for Sony's "The One." Year-to-date, 2002 is now 12% ahead of the same portion of last year with $7.39 billion in total grosses.

'JACKASS' STILL HAS KICK

Incumbent champ "Jackass: The Movie" from Paramount/MTV Films posted a respectable 42% drop to finish fourth this weekend with an estimated $13.1 million.

Sony/Revolution's platforming Adam Sandler (news) starrer hit wide distribution for the first time and rung up $4.2 million from 1,252 theaters, or a middling $3,355 per venue. The studio hopes black comedy, which finished at No. 8 on the frame, will sustain a slow-and-steady build from its current $11.1 million total.

The big "Santa 2" bow followed mediocre pre-release tracking surveys, proving once again that such data offer flimsy help in forecasting the actual performance of family films. The original "Santa" debuted seven years and 51 weeks ago with $19.3 million en route to a $144.8 million domestic haul.

The Michael Lembeck-helmed sequel returns its topliner to a winning track with a personal best for a live-action bow. Allen's last picture -- the Sept. 11-impacted comedy "Big Trouble" -- grossed just $7.3 million domestically, and last holiday season's "Joe Somebody" rung up only $22.8 million.

TEEN AUDIENCES SEE 'SANTA'

Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said the picture's family support was supplemented by teen patronage, with 17% of "Santa 2" patrons aged 12-17.

"That suggests they saw the original and came back to see this picture," Viane observed. "They're comfortable with Tim Allen, who's great in the role."

With "I Spy," tracking data successfully sleuthed out a major culprit keeping action comedy from opening bigger: insufficient support among young males.

"We would have liked more," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer allowed.

"Spy," helmed by Betty Thomas ("Dr. Dolittle"), cost an estimated $70 million to produce.

"The Ring" managed its levitation act -- avoiding any drop whatsoever -- largely because the Naomi Watts (news) starrer continues to play well with all demos. DreamWorks' distribution boss Jim Tharp figures the picture, which sports a $48 million estimated negative cost, is now a lock to gross $100 million domestically.

SAD 'TRUTH'

By contrast, Universal's "Charade" remake "The Truth About Charlie" is drawing few patrons of any kind. "Charlie" fled the top 10 in its sophomore session with just $1.2 million from 755 engagements, or a limp $1,615 per playdate with a 10-day total of only $4.1 million.

Next weekend features the much-anticipated bow of Universal/Imagine's Eminem (news - web sites) biopic "8 Mile." And Warner Bros. unspools Brian De Palma (news)'s erotic thriller "Femme Fatale (news - web sites)" in more than 1,000 locations.

But though the two titles should combine for a good bit of box office, the frame nevertheless faces a tough comparison with a year earlier. That's when "Monsters" enjoyed a $45 million sophomore session, and "Shallow Hal" opened with $22.5 million.

LOS ANGELES, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Following are the final data for the top 10 movies at the North American box office during the November 1-3 weekend, according to studio figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Film Three-day Cumulative

1. The Santa Clause 2 .......... $29,008,696

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $29,008,696

2. The Ring .......... $18,117,187

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $64,543,397

3. I Spy .......... $12,752,803

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $12,752,803

4. Jackass: The Movie .......... $12,729,732

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $42,121,857

5. Ghost Ship .......... $6,654,469

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $21,349,562

6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding .......... $5,623,149

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $185,244,976

7. Sweet Home Alabama .......... $4,598,229

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $113,447,131

8. Punch-Drunk Love .......... $4,003,535

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $10,861,175

9. Red Dragon .......... $2,728,595

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $89,047,085

10. Brown Sugar .......... $1,672,437

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $24,592,014

Reuters/Variety

John L.:  It is a merry Christmas for Tim Allen, but it looks like Eddie Murphy continues to have a coal filled year at the box office as I Spy is a bit too undercover this week.

I SPY - FULL REVIEW

In the 1960s when Robert Culp and Bill Cosby hung out on television catching bad guys it was unique because black people were not really allowed to be in lead roles on television, let alone be on equal footing with a white guy.  But, the chemistry between the two worked for a few years and I Spy is one of the more fondly remembered shows of its time.  It was no Get Smart, but adequate enough for what it was.  Starting with Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the power of the racially different buddy cop story became very popular.  So, when it came time for more Hollywood remakes, the studios went to the guy who has become the king of the modern remakes and the guy who is becoming the king of the buddy movie.  Eddie Murphy has had much success with re-doing the Nutty Proffessor and Dr. Doolitte, so playing a cocky middle weight boxer should be a piece of cake.  Owen Wilson has teamed up with Jackie Chan and Ben Stiller.  Plus you have director Betty Thomas who brought back the Brady Bunch.  I Spy should have been an easy $130 million at the box office at least, but something went wrong.  I Spy falls way short of being a movie good enough to get excited about.  The plot is concerned with the evil that is Malcolm McDowell's Gundars trying to acquire a special plane that can make itself invisible to radar and the naked eye.  If he can get a hold of it and sell it to a nation of questionable motives, he could become rich, and the United States could be in great danger of being attacked by an enemy they would not see coming until it was too late.  It just so happens that Gundars is a boxing fan, and Eddie Murphy's Kelly Robinson will be having a fight in Gundars' neck of the woods.  Owen Wilson's Alex has been assigned to keep up with Robinson while they get in close to Gundars and the plane.  Sounds pretty exciting, and the movie tries hard, but there is nothing new here.  The action sequences, which are actually sort of few and far between are cliched and a bit overly long like the big car chase in the middle of the film.  The point of the film is to build chemistry between Murphy and Wilson, and they have some as they do work well together mainly because both are pretty good actors instead of anything they are given in the script.  For example there are two big bonding moments, one in a sewer and the other with Murphy playing Cyrano De Bergerac to Wilson's Christian de Neuvillette.  Both have there funny moments but are very forced and just slows down the already weak plot.  Famke Jansen plays the Wilson love interest since black guys in spy movies are not allowed to get laid to this day.  She is fine as Rachel, but her role becomes just as predictable as everything else.  The worst part of the film is the portrayl of Malcolm McDowell.  He is given nothing, and I mean nothing to do.  His screen time is about 10 minutes and he is never really a true threat. I am a big fan of McDowell's going back to Clockwork Orange and Time After Time, and him being wasted here is depressing.  I Spy is entertaining enough, but nothing to rush out and see.  It is more comedic than action oriented and if you have nothing to do, then check it out.  It is time for Murphy to make an original story and for Wilson to go solo.  Final Review:  2 stars out of 5; 5 out of 10; C+; thumbs down.