At The Movies: w/c 12 March 2010

Released in cinemas across the UK this weekend, we have: a bounty hunter, a tattoo'd girl, soldiers in Iraq, a dog, gay prisoners, and insane people...

THE BOUNTY HUNTER

Rom-com. A bounty hunter learns that his next target is his ex-wife, a reporter working on a murder cover-up. Soon after their reunion, the always-at-odds duo find themselves on a run-for-their-lives adventure.

Director: Andy Tennant Starring: Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis & Dorian Missick

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Crime thriller. Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson's novel about a journalist and a young female hacker.

Director: Niels Arden Oplev Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Peter Haber & Lena Endre Tomatometer: 91% (FRESH; based on 11 reviews)

GREEN ZONE

Action thriller. Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a U.S. Army officer to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region.

Director: Paul Greengrass Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Amy Ryan & Greg Kinnear

Tomatometer: 49% (ROTTEN; based on 74 reviews) "Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass return to the propulsive action and visceral editing of the Bourne films -- but a cliched script and stock characters keep those methods from being as effective this time around."

HACHI: A DOG'S TALE

Director: Lasse Hallström Starring: Richard Gere, Sarah Roemer, Joan Allen & Jason Alexander
Tomatometer: 80% (FRESH; based on 5 reviews)

I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS

Comedy drama. Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life...

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann & Rodrigo Santoro

SHUTTER ISLAND

Mystery thriller. Drama is set in 1954, U.S Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

Director: Martin Scorsese Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley, Ted Levine, John Carroll Lynch & Elias Koteas

Tomatometer: 67% (FRESH; based on 192 reviews) "It may not rank with Scorsese's best work, but Shutter Island's gleefully unapologetic genre thrills represent the director at his most unrestrained."

Box Office Charts: w/c 5 March 2010

The big news over the weekend was the tremendous success of Alice In Wonderland on both sides of the pond. Tim Burton's adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic made a remarkable $116m over its opening weekend in the US, giving it the highest three-day opening in movie history. In the UK, Alice has the biggest ever opening for a 3D movie (beating Avatar's £8.5m with its £10.5m), became Tim Burton's biggest UK debut, and March's highest-grossing opening ever.

The question on everyone's lips now is: why? Was it the combination of popular source material, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp? Or was the 3D itself a massive draw, as everyone thrilled by Avatar's visuals made a special effort to see something else in 3D? And if so, did they go away disappointed because Alice wasn't filmed in 3D like James Cameron's epic, it just had the third dimension bolted on in post-production? If anyone reading has seen the movie... tell me, what did you think? Also, a quick reminder that there's still time to vote in my Tim Burton poll to find his most popular movie.

US TOP 10

1. (-) Alice In Wonderland - $116,300,000
2. (-) Brooklyn's Finest - $13,500,000
3. (1) Shutter Island - $13,300,000
4. (2) Cop Out - $9,145,000
5. (4) Avatar -$7,700,000
6. (3) The Crazies - $7,016,000
7. (5) Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - $5,100,000
8. (6) Valentine's Day - $4,270,000
9. (10) Crazy Heart - $3,350,000
10. (7) Dear John - $2,850,000

UK TOP 10

1. (-) Alice In Wonderland - £10,555,220
2. (1) Avatar - £908,049
3. (3) The Crazies - £673,551
4. (2) The Lovely Bones - £661,595
5. (4) The Princess And The Frog - £381,760
6. (8) From Paris With Love - £374,620
7. (5) Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief - £369,938
8. (7) Leap Year - £364,875
9. (6) Valentine's Day - £296,561
10. (9) A Single Man - £219,243

At The Movies: w/c 5 March 2010

Opening this weekend in cinemas across the UK, we have: a mad hatter, a social worker, a honey trap, a street artist, an archangel, and a mermaid...

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Fantasy adventure. 19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Director: Tim Burton Starring/Voices: Mia Wasikowaska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry (voice), Michael Sheen (voice), Alan Rickman (voice), Paul Whitehouse (voice) & Barbara Windsor (voice)

Tomatometer: 54% (FRESH; based on 138 reviews) "Tim Burton's Alice sacrifices the book's minimal narrative coherence -- and much of its heart -- but it's an undeniable visual treat."

CASE 39

Horror thriller. A social worker fights to save a girl from her abusive parents, only to discover that the situation is more dangerous than she ever expected.

Director: Christian Alvart Starring: Renée Zellweger, Ian McShane, Kerry O'Malley, Jodelle Ferland, Callum Keith Rennie, Bradley Cooper, Adrian Lester, Georgia Craig & Cynthia Stevenson

Tomatometer: 19% (ROTTEN; based on 16 reviews)

CHLOE

Thriller. A doctor hires an escort to seduce her husband, whom she suspects of cheating, though unforeseen events put the family in danger.

Director: Atom Egoyan Starring: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore & Amanda Seyfried

Tomatometer: 52% (FRESH; based on 21 reviews)

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

Documentary. The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend street graffiti artist Banksy...

Tomatometer: 100% (FRESH; based on 7 reviews)

LEGION

Fantasy horror action. A diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race, when God loses faith in humankind and orders an apocalypse that one of his angels plans to resist...

Director: Scott Stewart Starring: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Charles S. Dutton, Kevin Durand, Lucas Black & Adrianne Palicki

Tomatometer: 20% (ROTTEN; based on 82 reviews) "Despite a solid cast and intermittent thrills, Legion suffers from a curiously languid pace, confused plot, and an excess of dialogue."

ONDINE

Fantasy drama. The story of an Irish fisherman who discovers a woman in his fishing net who he believes to be a mermaid.

Director: Neil Jordan Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan, Tony Curran & Stephen Rea

Tomatometer: 33% (ROTTEN; based on 6 reviews)

Box Office Charts: w/c 26 February 2010

In the US: Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island retains the top spot with an impressive $22m... Kevin Smith's poorly-reviewed buddy cop movie COP OUT, starring Bruce Willis, managed a respectable $18m to take #2... and horror remake THE CRAZIES does well to grab #3 with £16m...

US TOP 10

1. (1) Shutter Island - $22,200,000
2. (-) Cop Out - $18,565,000
3. (-) The Crazies - $16,521,000
4. (3) Avatar -$14,000,000
5. (4) Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - $9,800,000
6. (2) Valentine's Day - $9,505,000
7. (6) Dear John - $5,000,000
8. (5) The Wolfman - $4,123,000
9. (7) The Tooth Fairy - $3,450,000
10. (8) Crazy Heart - $2,540,000

In the UK: Avatar's still #1, having regained its position the weekend before... horror THE CRAZIES does nicely with £1.1m to debut at #3... rom-com LEAP YEAR underperforms to premiere at #7 with £728k... there's a terrible reaction to John Travolta actioner FROM PARIS WITH LOVE, which debuts at #8 with £678k... BAFTA buzz helps Colin Firth's A SINGLE MAN break into the Top 10 at #9 with £381k... and there's catastrophic news for Harrison Ford's EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES and Robert DeNiro's EVERYTHING'S FINE, which both fail to break into the Top 10 (in at 17 and 21 respectively)...

UK TOP 10

1. (1) Avatar - £2,260,319
2. (3) The Lovely Bones - £1,203,251
3. (-) The Crazies - £1,194,207
4. (2) The Princess And The Frog - £870,953
5. (5) Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief - £853,859
6. (4) Valentine's Day - £822,366
7. (-) Leap Year - £728,251
8. (-) From Paris With Love - £678,950
9. (-) A Single Man - £381,489
10. (9) Invictus - £292,899

At The Movies: w/c 26 February 2010

On nationwide release across the UK this week, we have: insane people, a road trip, doctors, terrorists, an Irish love story, and quirky arms dealers...

THE CRAZIES

Horror-drama. About the inhabitants of a small Iowa town suddenly plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply.
Director: Breck Eisner Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker, Joe Anderson, Christie Lynn Smith & Glenn Morshower
Tomatometer: 73% (FRESH, based on 77 reviews) "Tense, nicely shot, and uncommonly intelligent, The Crazies is the rare horror remake that works."

EVERYBODY'S FINE

Drama. A widower who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children.
Director: Kirk Jones Starring: Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Damian Young, Lucian Maisel & James Frain
Tomatometer: 47% (ROTTEN, based on 112 reviews) "A calm, charismatic performance from Robert De Niro nearly saves the movie, but ultimately, Everybody's Fine has the look and feel of a stereotypical Christmas dramedy."

EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES

Drama. A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder.
Director: Tom Vaughan Starring: Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, Keri Russell, Jared Harris, Sam Hall, Alan Ruck, Courtney B. Vance & Dee Wallace
Tomatometer: 28% (ROTTEN, based on 123 reviews) "Despite a timely topic and a pair of heavyweight leads, Extraordinary Measures never feels like much more than a made-for-TV tearjerker."

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

Crime thriller. In Paris, a young employee in the office of the US Ambassador hooks up with an American spy looking to stop a terrorist attack in the city.
Director: Pierre Morel Starring: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden & Amber Rose Revah
Tomatometer: 35% (ROTTEN, based on 136 reviews) "Thought not without its charms -- chief among them John Travolta's endearingly over-the-top performance -- From Paris with Love is too muddled and disjointed to satisfy."

LEAP YEAR

Rom-com. A woman who has a scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day (an Irish tradition which occurs every time the date February 29 rolls around), faces a setback when bad weather threatens to derail her planned trip to Dublin.
Director: Anand Tucker Starring: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, John Lithgow & Adam Scott
Tomatometer: 21% (ROTTEN, based on 112 reviews) "Amy Adams is as appealing as ever, but her charms aren't enough to keep Leap Year from succumbing to an overabundance of clichés and an unfunny script."

MICMACS

Crime-comedy. A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Dany Boon, Andre Dussollier, Nicolas Marie, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolance Moreau & Julie Ferrier
Tomatometer: 67% (FRESH, based on 12 reviews)

Box Office Charts: w/c 19 February 2010

In the US: In a poor week for new releases, Martin Scorsese's SHUTTER ISLAND with Leonardo DiCaprio debuts at #1 with a fantastic $40m haul...

US TOP 10

1. (-) Shutter Island - $40,200,000
2. (1) Valentine's Day - $17,160,000
3. (4) Avatar -$16,100,000
4. (3) Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - $15,300,000
5. (2) The Wolfman - $9,846,000
6. (5) Dear John - $7,300,000
7. (6) The Tooth Fairy - $4,500,000
8. (9) Crazy Heart - $3,025,000
9. (7) From Paris With Love - $2,500,000
10. (8) Edge Of Darkness - $2,210,000

In the UK: Avatar regains the #1 spot, perhaps because of its recent award nominations/wins... Peter Jackson's critically derided THE LOVELY BONES is a decent hit with £1.6m to take #3... and SOLOMON KANE garnered decent reviews, but only attracted £611k to premiere at #7...

UK TOP 10

1. (2) Avatar - £2,817,009
2. (4) The Princess and the Frog - £1,725,519
3. (-) The Lovely Bones - £1,637,579
4. (1) Valentine's Day - £1,583,142
5. (5) Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - £1,487,446
6. (3) The Wolfman - £774,890
7. (-) Solomon Kane - £611,886
8. (9) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - £608,154
9. (7) Invictus - £570,801
10. (10) Astro Boy - £523,215

At The Movies: w/c 19 February 2010

Opening nationwide this weekend in UK cinemas, we have: a country musician, a dead girl and a Russian author...

"CRAZY HEART"

Music drama. A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.
Director: Scott Cooper Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Bower, Rick Dial & Paul Herman
Tomatometer: 92% (Fresh; based on 170 reviews) "Thanks to a captivating performance from Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart transcends its overly familiar origins and finds new meaning in an old story."

"THE LOVELY BONES"

Fantasy drama. Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family, and her killer, from heaven. There she must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
Director: Peter Jackson Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci & Michael Imperioli
Tomatometer: 33% (Rotten; based on 199 reviews) "It's stuffed full of Peter Jackson's typically dazzling imagery, but The Lovely Bones suffers from abrupt shifts between horrific violence and cloying sentimentality."

"THE LAST STATION"

Bio-drama. A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.
Director: Michael Hoffman Starring: James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti & Anne-Marie Duff
Tomatometer: 69% (Fresh; based on 96 reviews) "Michael Hoffman's script doesn't quite live up to its famous subject, but this Tolstoy biopic benefits from a spellbinding tour de force performance by Helen Mirren."

Box Office Charts: w/c 12 February 2010

In the US: Couples flock to see VALENTINE'S DAY at the weekend, taking a mighty $52.4m to debut at #1... PERCY JACKSON & THE LIGHTNING THIEF comes in with a very decent $31.1m to take #2... and THE WOLFMAN isn't far behind with a healthy £30.6m to make #3...

US TOP 10

1. (-) Valentine's Day - $52,410,000
2. (-) Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - $31,100,000
3. (-) The Wolfman - $30,627,000
4. (2) Avatar - $22,000,000
5. (1) Dear John - $15,300,000
6. (5) The Tooth Fairy - $5,600,000
7. (3) From Paris With Love - $4,740,000
8. (4) Edge Of Darkness - $4,585,000
9. (8) Crazy Heart - $4,000,000
10. (6) When In Rome - $3,429,000

In the UK: In similar fashion to how rom-com Dear John topples Avatar in the US last week, VALENTINE'S DAY does likewise here in the UK, making £3.7m to take #1... THE WOLFMAN makes a decent impression, in at #3 with £2.3m... there's relatively poor news for PERCY JACKSON & THE LIGHTNING THIEF, which only managed a #5 debut with £1.5m... Bollywood romantic drama MY NAME IS KHAN does amazingly well to premiere at #6 with £936k... and Colin Firth's Oscar-nominated A SINGLE MAN bows in at #8 with £502k...

UK TOP 10

1. (-) Valentine's Day - £3,732,393
2. (1) Avatar - £3,316,855
3. (-) The Wolfman - £2,367,849
4. (2) The Princess And The Frog - £1,504,908
5. (-) Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief - £1,502,663
6. (-) My Name Is Khan - £936,454
7. (4) Invictus - £778,146
8. (-) A Single Man - £502,009
9. (8) Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - £424,622
10. (3) Astro Boy - £422,382

At The Movies: w/c 12 February 2010

This Valentine's weekend, on nationwide release in UK cinemas, we have: a demi-God, a suicidal man, loving couples, and a werewolf:

"PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS:
THE LIGHTNING THIEF"

Fantasy adventure. A teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.

Director: Chris Columbus

Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Kevin McKidd & Uma Thurman

Tomatometer: 54% (Fresh; based on 61 reviews) "Though it may seem like just another Harry Potter knockoff, Percy Jackson benefits from a strong supporting cast, a speedy plot, and plenty of fun with Greek mythology."

"A SINGLE MAN"

Drama. A story that centres on an English professor who, after the sudden death of his partner tries to go about his typical day in Los Angeles.

Director: Tom Ford

Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult & Matthew Goode

Tomatometer: 83% (Fresh; based on 120 reviews) "Though the costumes are beautiful and the art direction impeccable, what stands out most from this debut by fashion designer Tom Ford is the leading performance by Colin Firth."

"VALENTINE'S DAY"

Rom-com. Intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine's Day.

Director: Garry Marshall

Starring: Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessical Biel, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Anna Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Queen Latifah, Emma Roberts & Taylor Lautner

Tomatometer: 16% (Rotten; based on 89 reviews) "Eager to please and stuffed with stars, this squanders its promise with a frantic, episodic plot and an abundance of rom-com cliches."

"THE WOLFMAN"

Horror thriller. Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving & Art Malik

Tomatometer: 31% (Rotten; based on 95 reviews) "Suitably grand and special effects-laden, The Wolfman suffers from a suspense-deficient script and a surprising lack of genuine chills."

Box Office Charts: w/c 5 February 2010

In the UK: Avatar is still at #1, having now become the highest-grossing film in British cinemas ever, beating Mamma Mia! (with £72m so far)... Disney's return to "traditional" filmmaking with the "2D" PRINCESS & THE FROG debuts at #2 with a healthy £2.2m... Japanese CGI adaptation ASTRO BOY manages £1.09m to enter the chart at #3, rather surprisingly given the bad reviews... and Clint Eastwood's sports biopic INVICTUS is a relative disappointment given its high praise and marketing push, in at #4 with £1.06m... and Michael Cera's YOUTH IN REVOLT only manages £743 to debut at #7...

UK TOP 10

1. (1) Avatar - £4,338,774
2. (-) The Princess And The Frog - £2,219,769
3. (-) Astro Boy - £1,091,872
4. (-) Invictus - £1,068,388
5. (4) Sherlock Holmes - £783,681
6. (3) Edge Of Darkness - £768,013
7. (-) Youth In Revolt - £743,932
8. (2) Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - £729,683
9. (5) It's Complicated - £560,573
10. (6) Up In The Air - £481,810

In the US: The Channing Tatum/Amanda Seyfried romcom DEAR JOHN dethrones Avatar from #1 finally, taking $32m... John Travolta's thriller FROM PARIS WITH LOVE debuts at #3 with a fairly poor $8m... and CRAZY HEART enters the Top 10, no doubt because of Oscar acclaim for star Jeff Bridges...

US TOP 10

1. (-) Dear John - $32,400,000
2. (1) Avatar - $23,600,000
3. (-) From Paris With Love - $8,120,000
4. (2) Edge Of Darkness - $7,005,000
5. (4) The Tooth Fairy - $6,500,000
6. (3) When In Rome - $5,504,000
7. (5) The Book Of Eli - $4,835,000
8. (14) Crazy Heart - $3,650,000
9. (6) Legion - $3,400,000
10. (8) Sherlock Holmes - $2,630,000

At The Movies: w/c 5 February 2010

This week on national release across the UK, we have: a robot boy, rugby players, a princess and a frog, a mercenary and a virgin:

"ASTRO BOY"

Animated sci-fi adventure. When a scientist's young son dies, he secretly creates a powerful robot child to replace him, however the robot uses it's incredible powers to become a world famous super-hero, and faces his biggest challenge when an alien race threatens Earth.

Director: David Bowers

Voices: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Samuel L. Jackson, Eugene Levy, Billy Nighy, Matt Lucas, Ryan Stiles & Nathan Lane.

Tomatometer: 48% (Rotten; based on 95 reviews) "While it isn't terribly original, and it seems to have a political agenda that may rankle some viewers, Astro Boy boasts enough visual thrills to please its target demographic."

"INVICTUS"

True life sporting drama. Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Adjoa Andoh, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng & Julian Lewis Jones.

Tomatometer: 77% (Fresh; based on 209 reviews) "Delivered with typically stately precision from director Clint Eastwood, Invictus may not be rousing enough for some viewers, but Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman inhabit their real-life characters with admirable conviction."

"THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG"

Animated adventure. A fairy tale set in Jazz Age-era New Orleans and centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again.

Directors: Ron Clements & John Musker

Voices: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody & Jim Cummings.

Tomatometer: 85% (Fresh; based on 144 reviews) "The warmth of traditional Disney animation makes this occasionally lightweight fairy-tale update a lively and captivating confection for the holidays."

"SOLOMON KANE"

Fantasy action-adventure. A mercenary who owes his soul to the devil redeems himself by fighting evil.

Director: Michael J. Bassett

Starring: James Purefoy, Pete Postlethwaite, Max Von Sydow, Mackenzie Crook & Rachel Hurd-Wood.

Tomatometer: 60% (Fresh; based on 5 reviews)


"YOUTH IN REVOLT"

Rom-com. While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, Nick Twisp sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity.

Director: Miguel Arteta

Starring: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart, Zach Galigianakis, Ari Graynor, Ray Liotta, Justin Long & Steve Buscemi.

Tomatometer: 71% (Fresh; based on 136 reviews) "It may not entirely do its source material justice, but Miguel Arteta's Youth in Revolt is a fun, funny comic romp that lets Michael Cera stretch a little and introduces filmgoers to a major find in Portia Doubleday."

Box Office Charts: w/c 29 January 2010

In the US: Avatar is still raking in the dough, making $30m last weekend, having recently become the biggest selling movie of all time (perhaps helped by its Golden Globe wins)... Mel Gibson's remake of classic British miniseries EDGE OF DARKNESS has to settle for #2 with $17m... and the poorly-reviewed Kristen Bell romcom WHEN IN ROME is a disappointment at #3 with just $12m...

US TOP 10

1. (1) Avatar -$30,000,000
2. (-) Edge Of Darkness - $17,120,000
3. (-) When In Rome - $12,065,000
4. (4) The Tooth Fairy - $10,000,000
5. (3) The Book Of Eli - $8,770,000
6. (2) Legion (2010) - $6,800,000
7. (5) The Lovely Bones - $4,735,000
8. (6) Sherlock Holmes - $4,510,000
9. (7) Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - $4,000,000
10. (9) It's Complicated - $3,720,000

In the UK: Avatar is likewise proving unbeatable at the British box-office still, taking £4.8m to keep #1... Mel Gibson's EDGE OF DARKNESS does okay to get #3 with £1.1m... and critical darling PRECIOUS makes £260k, debuting at a dismal #9, but that's actually pretty good considering it was only available at 47 cinemas nationwide...

UK TOP 10

1. (1) Avatar - £4,865,081
2. (3) Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - £1,195,220
3. (-) Edge Of Darkness - £1,172,927
4. (2) Sherlock Holmes - £1,149,268
5. (5) It's Complicated - £849,416
6. (4) Up In The Air - £735,463
7. (6) Toy Story 2 - £690,291
8. (7) The Book Of Eli - £484,983
9. (-) Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire - £260,921
10. (8) Daybreakers - £238,849

At The Movies: w/c 29 January 2010

There aren't many new releases this week in the UK, beyond a vigilante Mel Gibson and an illiterate teenage girl from Harlem, of course...

"EDGE OF DARKNESS"

Thriller. As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.

Director: Martin Campbell

Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic, Shawn Roberts, David Aaaron Baker & Jay O. Sanders.

Tomatometer: 57% (Fresh; based on 76 reviews) "For better and for worse, Edge of Darkness offers vintage Mel Gibson, working within the familiar framework of a bloody revenge thriller."


"PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE"

Drama. In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enrol in an alternative school, in the hope her life can take a new direction.

Director: Lee Daniels

Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz & Stephanie Andujar.

Tomatometer: 91% (Fresh; based on 164 reviews) "Precious is a grim yet ultimately triumphant film about abuse and inner-city life, largely bolstered by exceptional performances from its cast."

Box Office Charts: w/c 22 January 2010

In the US: Avatar is still flying high at #1 in the States, having taken an impressive $36m last weekend, and it's now the highest-grossing movie of all time (having toppled Cameron's own Titanic on Monday with a worldwide gross of $1.843 billion)... Paul Bettany's supernatural action-thriller LEGION does quite well, in at #2 with $18m... Dwayne Johnson's critically slated comedy TOOTH FAIRY makes $14m to grab #4, which isn't too bad considering the bad reviews... and the Harrison Ford/Brendan Fraser drama EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES debuts at #7 with just $7m, which isn't good news...

US TOP 10

1. (1) Avatar - $36,000,000
2. (-) Legion - $18,200,000
3. (2) The Book Of Eli - $17,000,000
4. (-) Tooth Fairy - $14,500,000
5. (3) The Lovely Bones - $8,800,000
6. (5) Sherlock Holmes - $7,115,000
7. (-) Extraordinary Measures - $7,000,000
8. (4) Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - $6,500,000
9. (7) It's Complicated - $6,190,000
10. (6) The Spy Next Door - $4,750,000

In the UK: There's still no stopping James Cameron's Avatar in the UK, as it's still sitting pretty at #1 with a mighty £5m over the weekend (repeat business?)... the 3D re-release of TOY STORY 2 perhaps didn't do as well as one would hope, in at #6 with £909k... Tobey Maguire drama BROTHERS doesn't open very well, taking just £366k to debt at #9... French prison drama A PROPHET actually does quite well considering its lack of advertising and reliance on word-of-mouth, in at #10 with £312k... and there's terrible news for NINJA ASSASSIN and THE BOYS ARE BACK, with both failing to make the Top 10, in at #11 and #14 respectively...

UK TOP 10

1. (1) Avatar - £5,155,844
2. (2) Sherlock Holmes - £1,632,172
3. (3) Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - £1,454,278
4. (5) Up In The Air - £1,205,881
5. (4) It's Complicated - £1,140,684
6. (-) Toy Story 2 - £909,093
7. (6) The Book Of Eli - £825,508
8. (7) Daybreakers - £420,199
9. (-) Brothers - £366,290
10. (-) A Prophet - £312,237

At The Movies: w/c 22 January 2010

This week on general release across the UK, we have: a French prison thriller, an armoured truck, a sports writer, the war in Afghanistan, ninjas, and toys in 3D...

"A PROPHET"

Crime drama. A young Arab man is sent to a French prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin.

Director: Jacques Audiard

Starring: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi & Reda Kateb.

Tomatometer: 97% (Fresh; based on 34 reviews)




"ARMORED"

Action-thriller. A newbie guard for an armoured truck company is coerced by his veteran co-workers to steal a truck containing $42 million. But a wrinkle in their supposedly foolproof plan divides the group, leading to a potentially deadly resolution.

Director: Nimród Antal

Starring: Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Fred Ward, Milo Ventimiglia & Skeet Ulruch.

Tomatometer: 43% (Rotten; based on 44 reviews) "This B-grade thriller has a good cast and director but is undone by plot holes and messy conclusion."

"THE BOYS ARE BACK"

Drama. A sports writer becomes a single parent in tragic circumstances.

Director: Scott Hicks

Starring: Clive Owen, Laura Fraser, George MacKay, Emma Booth, Natasha Little, Emma Lung & Julia Blake.

Tomatometer: 71% (Fresh; based on 93 reviews) "Great performances by Clive Owen and The Boys save this melodrama from entering into the sappy territory it might have in less competent hands."



"BROTHERS"

War drama. A young man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan.

Director: Jim Sheridan

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Clifton Collins Jr., Sam Shepard & Bailee Madison.

Tomatometer: 58% (Fresh; based on 129 reviews) "It plays more like a traditional melodrama than the Susanne Bier film that inspired it, but Jim Sheridan's Brothers benefits from rock-solid performances by its three leads."


"NINJA ASSASSIN"

Action-thriller. A young ninja turns his back on orphanage that raised him, leading to a confrontation with a fellow ninja from the clan.

Director: James McTeigue.

Starring: Rain, Sung Kang, Randall Duk Kum, Jonathan Chan-Pensley, Ben Miles, Naomie Harris & Ill-Young Kim.

Tomatometer: 26% (Rotten; based on 103 reviews) "Overly serious and incomprehensibly edited, Ninja Assassin fails to live up to the promise of its title."



"TOY STORY 2 – 3D"

Animated adventure. When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends vow to rescue him, but Woody finds the idea of immortality in a museum tempting.

Directors: John Lasseter & Ash Brannon.

Voices: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts & Wayne Knight.

Tomatometer: 100% (Fresh; based on 133 reviews) "Entertaining characters and eye-popping animation make this sequel an instant classic."