The week before Christmas is traditionally a slow time at the multiplex. Most people are too busy shopping or traveling to take in a movie. Toss in bad weather in many parts of the country, and you have the recipe for a bleak weekend. Despite that, “Tron: Legacy 3D” opened strong with a domestic debut of $43.6M to take the number-one spot. A distant second with $16.7M was “Yogi Bear 3D.”

“Narnia/Dawn Treader 3D” took a 48% drop to bring in $12.4M in its second week. “The Fighter” was close behind with $12.2M in its second week. The Johnny Depp/Angelina Jolie starrer “The Tourist” took a big drop to attract only $8.7 in its second week, making it one of the year’s biggest disappointments. “Tangled” took in another $3.8M for sixth place.

“Black Swan” continues to move into more theaters for $8.3M. Look for a major jump next week, as the film adds another 500 screens. “How Do You Know” opened with a dismal $7.6M weekend. 2010 has been a miserable year for romcoms, as one star-packed film after another sank into oblivion. The top ten was rounded out by a pair of holdovers: “Harry Potter/Deathly Hallows, Pt 1” ($4.8M) and “Unstoppable” ($1.8M.)

The Christmas weekend should be cheerier, with both “True Grit” and “Little Fockers” opening nationwide on Wednesday, December 22, and “Country Strong” going into limited release.