'Avatar' wins second week in a row

Warner Bros.’ “ Sherlock Holmes ” couldn’t crack the case of the crowded Christmas boxoffice, outfoxed by Fox-distributed “ Avatar ” in its second weekend and the sci-fi actioner’s remarkable marketplace hold.

James Cameron’s motion capture-and-live action epic used positive word of mouth and premium ticket charges in 3D venues to concoct a nearly imperceptible 2% decline from week-earlier grosses, topping domestic rankings with an estimated $75 million for a 10-day cume of $212.3 million.