Set a course for box-office glory; engage!
In the US: JJ Abrams' reboot of STAR TREK goes down a storm to grab #1, surfing the crest of almost unanimously positive reviews to take an impressive $75m in its opening week (the best opening of any Star Trek movie since First Contact scooped $50m in 1996)... comedy caper NEXT DAY AIR inevitably can't compete, so flops in at #6 with $4m...
US TOP 10
(-) 1. Star Trek $75.2m
(1) 2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine $26.4m
(2) 3. Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past $10.3m
(3) 4. Obsessed $6.56m
(4) 5. 17 Again $4.23m
(-) 6. Next Day Air $4.11m
(6) 7. The Soloist $3.95m
(5) 8. Monsters vs Aliens $3.26m
(7) 9. Earth $2.67m
(8) 10. Hannah Montana: The Movie $2.19m
In the UK: STAR TREK also draws big crowds here at home, thanks to the excellent reviews and great word-of-mouth (expect a sequel within the next 3 years), to take #1 with just shy of £6m... and stop-motion 3D animation CORALINE does decent business, refusing to be overshadowed by Trek, to take #2 with a healthy $2.4m...
UK TOP 10
(-) 1. Star Trek £5.9m
(-) 2. Coraline £2.4m
(1) 3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine £2.2m
(2) 4. Hannah Montana: The Movie £1.3m
(4) 5. Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past £787k
(3) 6. State Of Play £585k
(5) 7. 17 Again £289k
(6) 8. Monsters vs Aliens £281k
(8) 9. I Love You, Man £211k
(7) 10. Fast & Furious £193k
UK RELEASES THIS WEEK
ANGELS & DEMONS
Mystery drama. A symbologist is called into the Vatican to prevent a plot by a secret society involving murder and terrorism...
Director: Ron Howard Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard & Ayelet Zurer
Tomatometer: 41% (Rotten; based on 133 reviews) "Angels and Demons is a fast-paced thrill ride, and an improvement on the last Dan Brown adaptation, but the storyline too often wavers between implausible and ridiculous, and does not translate effectively to the big screen."
FIGHTING
Action drama. A young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting...
Director: Dito Montiel Starring: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Zulay Heano, Michael Rivera & Flaco Navaja
Tomatometer: 41% (Rotten; based on 106 reviews) "Though Fighting has a likable lead performer, and the fight scenes are impressive, the paper-thin plot ultimately unravels."
SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
Drama. A theatre director attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse, where actors are employed to recreate his own life...
Director: Charlie Kaufman Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Tom Noonan, Sadie Goldstein & Peter Friedman
Tomatometer: 66% (Fresh; based on 153 reviews) "Charlie Kaufman's ambitious directorial debut occasionally strains to connect, but ultimately provides fascinating insight into a writer's mind."
