Friday 29 August 2008

Box Office Charts: w/e 29 August 2008

Friday 29 August 2008
In the US: Tropic Thunder keeps the #1 spot, but faces surprise competition from Anna Faris comedy "THE HOUSE BUNNY", about a Playboy bunny kicked out of Hugh Heffner's pad... Jason Statham stars in Paul W.S Anderson's "DEATH RACE" remake as a criminal who must compete in a dangerous car sport to secure his freedom... Kiefer Sutherland's TV appeal doesn't stretch to scaring up a cinema audience for "MIRRORS", which disappointingly debuts at #7 with just $5m... and sports comedy "THE LONGSHOTS" is a certified turkey, only managing a #10 placing $4m...

US TOP 10

(1) 1. Tropic Thunder $16.3m
(-) 2. The House Bunny $14.5m
(-) 3. Death Race $12.6m
(2) 4. The Dark Knight $10.5m [review]
(3) 5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars $5.66m
(5) 6. Pineapple Express $5.45m
(-) 7. Mirrors $5.01m
(7) 8. Mamma Mia! $4.31m
(6) 9. The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor $4.18m
(-) 10. The Longshots $4.08m


In the UK: "HELLBOY II" connected with audiences (perhaps helped by the original being shown on TV last week), going straight to #1 with nearly £3m, knocking Dark Knight down to #4... and "GET SMART" shoots in at #3 with a decent £1.5m haul, just behind Mamma Mia! at #2...

UK TOP 10

(-) 1. Hellboy II: The Golden Army £2.9m
(2) 2. Mamma Mia! £1.8m
(-) 3. Get Smart £1.5m
(1) 4. The Dark Knight £1.4m [review]
(3) 5. You Don't Mess With The Zohan £781k
(4) 6. The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor £641k
(5) 7. Wild Child £585k
(7) 8. WALL•E £459k
(6) 9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars £347k
(8) 10. Space Chimps £135k


UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

"Babylon A.D"

Sci-fi action. A mercenary agrees to escort a woman from Russia to the USA, unaware she's the host of an organism wanted by a bizarre cult.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Mark Strong, Charlotte Rampling & GĂ©rard Depardieu
Tomatometer: 7% (Rotten; based on 29 reviews) "A poorly constructed, derivative sci-fi stinker with a weak script and poor action sequences."

"Daylight Robbery"

Crime thriller. A group of England football supporters steal millions from a London bank, using the World Cup as a cover.
Starring: Geoff Bell, Vas Blackwood, Robert Boulter & Max Brown.

"Step Brothers"

Comedy. Two middle-aged men still living at home become step-brothers when their single parents get married, causing upset and competitiveness.
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen & Richard Jenkins.
US Box-Office: $96 million
Tomatometer: 53% (Fresh; based on 153 reviews) "The relentless immaturity of the humour is not a total handicap for this film, which features the consistently well-matched talents of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly."

"The Strangers"

Horror-thriller. A young couple are terrorized in their isolated vacation home by three masked strangers.
Starring: Liv Tyler & Scott Speedman
US Box-Office: $52 million
Tomatometer: 42% (Rotten; based on 130 reviews) "The Strangers provides a few scares, but offers little else to distinguish itself from other slasher films."

"The Wackness"

Comedy-drama. New York, 1994. A lonely teenager spends his last summer before university selling marijuana – where his clients include his unorthodox psychotherapist.
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen & Josh Peck
US Box-Office: $1.8 million
Tomatometer: 67% (Fresh; based on 106 reviews) "Sympathetic characters and a clever script help The Wackness overcome a familiar plot to make for a charming coming-of-age comedy."