AVATAR FTW!

They can try all they want, but they still can't come close to topping Avatar.  In its seventh week atop the Box Office, the film brought in $30 million this weekend.  Shall it go for an eighth consecutive week?  Likely.

Coming in second in its debut weekend was Warner Bros.' The Edge of Darkness starring Mel Gibson, which earned $17.2 million.  Gibson's definitely still got it despite one P.R. botching after another.  What is it about him that keeps the public asking for more?  

Touchstone Pictures' romantic comedy starring television show Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell, who has successfully transitioned into a bankable film actress, came in third in its opening weekend with $12.1 million.  Not stellar, but not horrible either. Read my review of it here.

Rounding out the Top Ten this weekend were The Tooth Fairy, which is showing some gumption in its second week with $10 million in slipping to fourth spot.  The Book of Eli drops to fifth spot, but in its third week has almost recouped all of its $80 million production budget.  The bottom three, Sherlock Holmes, Alvin and The Chipmunks 2 and It's Complicated respectively, are all showing amazing resiliency after having opened on Christmas Day.

Also noteworthy is Fox Searchlight's Crazy Heart in fourteenth spot, which in only 250 theatres, is averaging just under $10,000 per theatre.  The musical drama starring Jeff Bridges showcases the actor at his absolute finest. Read my review of it here.  The film will expand to 500 theatres next Friday.

CHRISTMASSIVE BOX OFFICE WEEKEND

Avatar holds on a second week on top of the Box Office, eclipsing its performance from last week with $75 million this weekend.  The praise continues to pour in for the film shot in 3-D technology and internationally to-date it has made $615 million worldwide in two weeks alone. Hopefully this will silence Perez Hilton in his claims that this film has "tanked".  Are you serious, Perez?  Get real, girl.

Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr., Canadian darling Rachel McAdams and Jude Law opened in second this holiday weekend with $65.4 million.  The film has received some great reviews overall.  The film broke the previous record set by Marley & Me, with $24.7 million on its opening day - the biggest Christmas Day opening film of all time.

Fox's animated feature Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel opened in third with a hefty $50.2 million in its debut.  I myself cannot believe how impressive this years' opening day numbers are.  I would attribute to this to being a result of Christmas Day falling on a Friday, normally an opening day for new films anyhow, enticing movie-goers with a wider selection of new films.

Universal Pictures' romantic comedy It's Complicated starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin performed very well in fourth, exceeding most expectations, taking in $22.1 million this weekend.  Read my review of it here.

Up In The Air expanded to 1,900 theatres this weekend and it took in $11.8 million alone based on all the Oscar buzz it continues to get.  Best Picture?  Not quite.

The Weinstein Company's musical Nine, which I absolutely adored and saw twice this weekend, performed well below expectations in eight spot, earning just $5.5 million.  The studio takes a severe hit after investing $80 million in this film, although hopefully it will fare better overseas when it gets a foregin release next year.  Perhaps this was an issue of timing because there certainly was enough buzz surrounding the film and the fine performances it features.  Oh well...  Check out my review of it here.

REVIEW: IT'S COMPLICATED

Director and screenwriter Nancy Meyers knows her audience and she caters to them with dedication.  Her latest work It's Complicated stars heavyweights Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin and it is a love story centering around a middle-aged woman, not seen often enough in Hollywood.

Streep plays Jane, divorced mother of four who gets involved in an affair with former husband Jake, played by Baldwin after they both fly to New York City for their son Luke's (Hunter Parrish) graduation.  The catch however, is that Jake is now married to a woman 25 years his junior, Agness (Lake Bell).  As their affair continues, Jane and Jake struggle to keep the affair a secret and question is raised to whether or not things might work around a second time for them.  Jake's wife Agness is controlling and perhaps this is his escape from a life he doesn't want anymore.  Jane perhaps is lonely after having been single for ten years.

A successful bakery owner, Jane decides to have her home renovated and she enlists the help of an architect, Adam (Steve Martin) who is a recent divorcee.  Sparks begin to fly between them both, and Jane is caught between renewed ties to her ex-husband and this new guy she develops feelings for.  The always likable John Krasinski (Away We Go) plays Jane's soon-to-be son in law Harley and by chance, he spots Jane and Jake at a hotel together for a rendezvous.