Bah, Box-office!
In the US: Robert Zemeckis' 3D CGI extravaganza A CHRISTMAS CAROL secures #1, but its $30m haul was way below expectations. Did it just open too early, or are people fed-up with motion-capture 3D entertainment? Maybe not, as 74% of its takings came from 3D screenings and $4.2m from IMAX showings. THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS underperforms with $12m at #3... THE FOURTH KIND doesn't ride on Paranormal Activities' coattails, in at #5 with $8m... and there's bad news for Richard Kelly's latest, as THE BOX only scares up $7m...
US TOP 10
(-) 1. A Christmas Carol $30.1m
(1) 2. This Is It $13.2m
(-) 3. The Men Who Stare At Goats $12.7m
(-) 4. The Fourth Kind $12.2m
(2) 5. Paranormal Activity $8.27m
(-) 6. The Box $7.57m
(4) 7. Couples Retreat $6.13m
(3) 8. Law Abiding Citizen $6m
(5) 9. Where The Wild Things Are $4.18m
(7) 10. Astro Boy $2.63m
In the UK: The Jim Carrey-starring A CHRISTMAS CAROL fared even worse in Britain, with an underperforming £1.9m, but it's still enough to steal #1 from Michael Jackson... and it's worth mentioning that the animation 9 dropped 82% to wind up at #15 this week! THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS does quite well to make £1.2m, but that only gets it a #4 placing... THE FOURTH KIND underperforms at #5 with £851,000... and JENNIFER'S BODY only makes £736,000 to debut at #7...
UK TOP 10
(-) 1. A Christmas Carol £1.9m
(1) 2. This Is It £1.3m
(2) 3. Up £1.2m
(-) 4. The Men Who Stare At Goats £1.2m
(-) 5. The Fourth Kind £851k
(3) 6. Fantastic Mr. Fox £784k
(-) 7. Jennifer's Body £736k
(4) 8. Saw VI £345k
(8) 9. An Education £283k
(6) 10. Couples Retreat £213k
UK RELEASES THIS WEEK
2012
Action-thriller. An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.
Director: Roland Emmerich Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiewetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson & Danny Glover
Tomatometer: 37% (Rotten; based on 138 reviews) "Roland Emmerich's 2012 provides plenty of visual thrills, but lacks a strong enough script to support its massive scope and inflated length."
AMELIA
Bio-drama. A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.
Director: Mira Nair Starring: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Ecclestone & Cherry Jones
Tomatometer: 21% (Rotten; based on 135 reviews) "Amelia takes the compelling raw materials of its subject’s life and does little with them, conventionally ticking off Earhart's accomplishments without exploring the soul of the woman."
TAKING WOODSTOCK
Music comedy. A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
Director: Ang Lee Starring: Demetri Martin, Emile Hirsch, Henry Godman, Edward Hibbert, Imela Staunton, Paul Dano & Clark Middleton.
Tomatometer: 50% (Fresh; based on 157 reviews) "Featuring numerous 60s-era clichés, but little of the musical magic that highlighted the famous festival, Taking Woodstock is a breezy but underwhelming portrayal."
