''Anger'' manages to top the box office again

Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson were the box office’s Easter buddies. Their ”Anger Management” managed to hold on to the No. 1 slot in its second week of release, with a more modest decline than expected (just 39 percent) from last week. It took in another $25.6 million, according to industry estimates, for a 10-day total of $80.3 million. It should gross well over $100 million by the time its next serious competition comes along: ”X2: X-Men United” on May 2.

Sigourney Weaver’s ”Holes” also did better than expected, opening in second place with a strong $17.1 million. The dearth of other family fare, combined with the name recognition from Louis Sachar’s popular childrens’ book, helped Disney’s ”Holes” dig deep into the pockets of kids and their parents.

Another stronger-than-expected opening belonged to Jamie Kennedy’s ”Malibu’s Most Wanted.” His rap spoof took third place with an estimated $13.1 million, nearly what the film cost to make ($15 million). On the other hand, Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott’s ”Bulletproof Monk” had a disappointing fourth-place showing. Despite its mix of martial arts and goofy comedy meant to attract young men, it drew only $8.6 million, for a total of $11.7 million since its Wednesday opening. Colin Farrell’s ”Phone Booth,” slipping three places to No. 5, took in another $5.7 million, for a three week total of $35.1 million.

At the low end of the scale, ”Chasing Papi,” a comedy with an attractive, all-Latino cast, had been expected to do better, but it opened in 12th place with $2.2 million. That’s the same figure tallied by Christopher Guest’s new spoof ”A Mighty Wind,” which is playing in only 133 theaters, about a fourth as many as ”Papi.” Maybe ”Papi” should have included folk-song parodies.