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Sly’s guys muscle past chick flick ‘Eat Pray Love’ at box office

Sylvester Stallone has proven that he’s not expendable at the box office.

Stallone and his pumped-up pals lifted the 1980s-style action romp “The Expendables” to a No. 1 debut and $35 million at the box office, according to studio estimates.

The movie features such action stars as Jet Li and Jason Statham — along with cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger — in a tale of mercenaries aiming to overthrow a dictator.

While the macho flick lured male audiences, Julia Roberts delivered a crowd-pleaser for women with “Eat Pray Love,” which opened at No. 2 with $23.7 million.

PHOTOS: JULIA ROBERTS’ LEADING MEN

Women made up 72 percent of the audience for “Eat Pray Love.” Older women dominated the crowds, with 56 percent of the audience over 35.

The previous weekend’s top earner, “The Other Guys,” slipped to third place, with $18 million, bringing its 10-day total to $70.5 million. “Inception” was fourth, with $11.4 million, for a total of $248.6 million.