Weekend Boxoffice Chart

[Evil Avatar]

James Bond has met his match not a fellow spy but a tap-dancing penguin. The Warner Bros. animated penguin romp Happy Feet debuted with $42.3 million, grabbing an edge for the weekend's No. 1 slot over Sony's Bond adventure Casino Royale, which opened with $40.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Happy Feet $42.3/$42.3
Casino Royale $40.6/$40.6
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan $14.3/$90.5
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause $8.2/$51.6
Flushed Away $6.8/$48.8
Stranger Than Fiction $6.6/$22.9
Babel $2.9/$12.0
Saw III $2.8/$74.8
The Departed $2.6/$113.8
The Queen $2.3/$17.2
Let's Go To Prison $2.1/$2.1
Did anyone see Casino Royale? I'm in the midst of watching the "Ultimate" edition of all the Bond movies.

[Codicier]

You'll get different answers depending on who you ask about how good Casino Royale was.

Personally I thought it was an awesome movie and a great reboot of the series which (in my opinion) was getting pretty cheesy. (The invisible car from Die Another Day was probably the worst). I really like this new Bond style and would love to see it continue.

Also, "Happy Feet"? wtf? Damn these parents and their children! What with their family friendly films and so forth... :p

Well bap must be happy.... ;)

Ugh, lame joke, must be Monday.

[karak]

James Bond has met his match not a fellow spy but a tap-dancing penguin. The Warner Bros. animated penguin romp Happy Feet debuted with $42.3 million, grabbing an edge for the weekend's No. 1 slot over Sony's Bond adventure Casino Royale, which opened with $40.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Happy Feet $42.3/$42.3
Casino Royale $40.6/$40.6
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan $14.3/$90.5
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause $8.2/$51.6
Flushed Away $6.8/$48.8
Stranger Than Fiction $6.6/$22.9
Babel $2.9/$12.0
Saw III $2.8/$74.8
The Departed $2.6/$113.8
The Queen $2.3/$17.2
Let's Go To Prison $2.1/$2.1
Did anyone see Casino Royale? I'm in the midst of watching the "Ultimate" edition of all the Bond movies.
If you expect a bond movie you will probably be disappointed. It's a typical action movie. Nothing amazing but an ok movie. Much like the Bourne Identity in its feel to me for some reason. It could have been worse but it could have been better.

[alienhead]

Casino Royale.....Kickass. Best Bond movie ever. Almost exactly like the book.

[Citizen Philip]

You'll get different answers depending on who you ask about how good Casino Royale was.

Personally I thought it was an awesome movie and a great reboot of the series which (in my opinion) was getting pretty cheesy. (The invisible car from Die Another Day was probably the worst). I really like this new Bond style and would love to see it continue.

Also, "Happy Feet"? wtf? Damn these parents and their children! What with their family friendly films and so forth... :p

Well bap must be happy.... ;)

Ugh, lame joke, must be Monday.

I dunno.. Hallie Berry (sp?) getting out of the ocean.. like a previous Bond movie was such a fucking stupid thing to see: not Hallie Berry in a bathing suit, but copying a previous movie in the same series. Or a North Korean nemesis transformed into a more 'loser friendly' European version...with power armour.. gawd.

I watched Layer Cake again this Sunday. Hope to see the Bond movie next weekend.

[bKangy]

Stupid film industry! This is a brilliant Bond, I dunno how it could actually lose to a shitty animated film that come in handfuls.

[lockwoodx]

I've got an itch would you mind scratching it?

<edit> also be warned tho I loved the movie, it's one giant Ford and Sony commercial, from everyone's cellphone, to cameras, to an entire carribian hotel parking lot full of american ford brands and mabye 1 cadiliac that snuck onto the set while security wasn't looking.

[Codicier]

I dunno.. Hallie Berry (sp?) getting out of the ocean.. like a previous Bond movie was such a fucking stupid thing to see: not Hallie Berry in a bathing suit, but copying a previous movie in the same series. Or a North Korean nemesis transformed into a more 'loser friendly' European version...with power armour.. gawd.

I watched Layer Cake again this Sunday. Hope to see the Bond movie next weekend.

It's Halle (no i) I think (just fyi not a spelling nazi).

Die Another Day was supposed to be an homage to previous films in the series (20th movie so 20th anniversary) so there were a lot of references to previous Bond films (particularly when he goes to that secret repository of gadgets, chock full of old stuff like the concealed shoe blade from "From Russia with Love").

Layer Cake was also really good. Directed by the same guy that did Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (both also really good).

If you expect a bond movie you will probably be disappointed. It's a typical action movie. Nothing amazing but an ok movie. Much like the Bourne Identity in its feel to me for some reason. It could have been worse but it could have been better.

Actually I also thought Bourne was superb, so that might explain why I also liked this.

[Worldcrafter]

There were a few scenes at the end of Casino Royale that were oddly paced, and in all honesty could have been scrapped completely, but the rest of the movie was excellent. A much needed change to a series that was becoming a tired old formula. I'd liken it to "Batman Begins" in that it shows the birth of the character in a well realized way. The psychologist in me loves how the situations in this movie affect how Bond behaves in his later adventures.

[Cubfan]

If you expect a bond movie you will probably be disappointed. It's a typical action movie. Nothing amazing but an ok movie. Much like the Bourne Identity in its feel to me for some reason. It could have been worse but it could have been better.

I think that's exactly what they were going for. Part of the impetus for revamping Bond, and the inspiration for the direction they took was the Bourne Identity series (which I'm a big fan of). Haven't seen Casino Royale yet, but definitely intend to.

[Watership]

it amazes me that anything computer animated = huge hit. Pixar does great films, but the majority of animated stuff outside of them has been utter crap.

[pomeroy]

Layer Cake was also really good. Directed by the same guy that did Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (both also really good).

Different directors.

Snatch and Lock, Stock = Guy Ritchie.

L4yer Cake = Matthew Vaughn.

Also, the new Bond was great.

That is all.

[karak]

I think that's exactly what they were going for. Part of the impetus for revamping Bond, and the inspiration for the direction they took was the Bourne Identity series (which I'm a big fan of). Haven't seen Casino Royale yet, but definitely intend to.
Ya your right. The director was quoted as being a fan of Bourne so thats cool. An all around ok action movie in my book.

[Worldcrafter]

Layer Cake was also really good. Directed by the same guy that did Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (both also really good).
Guy Ritchie didn't direct Layer Cake, though it sort of had a smiliar feel. (sort of. same genre at least)
EDIT: Bah! Beaten to it!
Actually I also thought Bourne was superb, so that might explain why I also liked this.
I liked the first Borne movie pretty well, but having read the book before seeing it, I was disappointed in how it turned out. The book, though very plodding (you could kill someone with a book that big) handled the characters better.

[kokyunage]

The local radio show I listen to completely destroyed the penguin movie on the air. They all have kids and took them to see the movie. Apparently, it's a kids movie in disguise with half the movie harping on "global warming and how humans are evil." One of the penguin characters has a 6 pack plastic piece stuck around it's neck the entire movie. Think Al Gore's movie only for the kids.

Ignoring all the environmental issues the movie isn't that good anyway. None of the DJ's kids enjoyed it. The movie probably did well because of all the recent Halloween and rated R movies, there hasn't been many kid films (and I doubt Parents wanted to suffer through another Santa Clause III in November).

[Codicier]

Different directors.

Snatch and Lock, Stock = Guy Ritchie.

L4yer Cake = Matthew Vaughn.

Also, the new Bond was great.

That is all.

Bah, disregard my stupidity. :o

I liked the first Borne movie pretty well, but having read the book before seeing it, I was disappointed in how it turned out. The book, though very plodding (you could kill someone with a book that big) handled the characters better.

I never read the book and only saw Bourne when it came out on DVD so I guess I didn't have any expectations going in, which probably made it a very different experience.

[alienhead]

I you read the books of Ludlam, you'll see that Robert Ludlam was influenced by Flemming. Jason Bourne, James Bond.

[Watership]

Regarding Casino Royale: It was one of the better Bond films in the past 15 years. It got rid of the silliness that the series has had a problem with since the Roger Moore days, and reminds me of the hardness of the books. The books were brutal. Bond was brutal, but he was flawed and sometimes lost his focus due to women, and seeing the big picture. This is what Casio Royale got right and Craig is actually a great Bond. He's more in like with Connery and Timothy Dalton's Bond than with the Moore/Brosnan interpretations.

[captainspankypants]

Casino Royale is divided into three parts: Before the card game, the card game itself, and after the card game. I absolutely loved every second of the first two parts. The card game itself was especially good in how it managed to keep up the tension for a single game of cards that lasted almost an hour of screen time. The last third of the movie though was just a mess. It was predictable, horribly (and I mean HORRIBLY) paced, poorly acted compared to the rest of the film, and in general just BAD.

I had high hopes for the movie, and for the first two parts of it my expectations were easily met and mostly exceeded, but the finale was just shit.

[Oskin]

the series which (in my opinion) was getting pretty cheesy. (The invisible car from Die Another Day was probably the worst).

I havent seen the new Bond yet and i'm REALLY looking foward to it! And i totally agree with ya. The last 2 Bonds were ok... But an invisible car? That was just too much, and the eletricity thing at the end... nawww.

I really hope Casino Royale is what Goldeneye was ;)

[pomeroy]

Am I the only guy that actually thought Brosnan was a great Bond? Yeah, he was in some terrible Bond movies...but he ruled as Bond. Craig is great in the role, but I would have liked to see Brosnan get the chance at a grittier and more realistic Bond.

[Codicier]

I havent seen the new Bond yet and i'm REALLY looking foward to it! And i totally agree with ya. The last 2 Bonds were ok... But an invisible car? That was just too much, and the eletricity thing at the end... nawww.

I really hope Casino Royale is what Goldeneye was ;)

Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies were the best of the Brosnan films. They (to me) are the best example of what the old suave and smooth British agent Bond should be like.

Well time to go to class. :(

[Oskin]

Stupid film industry! This is a brilliant Bond, I dunno how it could actually lose to a shitty animated film that come in handfuls.

Maybe because a 8 years old prefers an animated film to a Bond movie and MAYBE because some parents are intelligent enough to bring a kid see an animated for instead of an action movie. Don't you think?

[Watership]

Am I the only guy that actually thought Brosnan was a great Bond? Yeah, he was in some terrible Bond movies...but he ruled as Bond. Craig is great in the role, but I would have liked to see Brosnan get the chance at a grittier and more realistic Bond.

I think Brosnan is a good actor, but his role seems to be more of an interpretation of all the James Bond characteristics, mushed together. There was one excellent part of his role as Bond, his drinking scene in "Tomorrow Never Dies".

I hate to do it, but i must RANK the Bond actors. :)

Sean Connery
Timothy Dalton
Daniel Craig
Peirce Brosnan
Roger Moore

[karak]

Am I the only guy that actually thought Brosnan was a great Bond? Yeah, he was in some terrible Bond movies...but he ruled as Bond. Craig is great in the role, but I would have liked to see Brosnan get the chance at a grittier and more realistic Bond.
Love him as bond

[Balthasar]

Did anyone see Casino Royale? I'm in the midst of watching the "Ultimate" edition of all the Bond movies.
I saw it and thought it was a much better Bond flick than any of the Brosnan Bonds, for sure. It's still a Bond flick, so it only goes so far with the emotional depth of its characters, but I left the theater feeling pretty satisfied and looking forward to the next film (which should continue around where this one left off). The last 20 minutes was, as some reviewers noted, a bit like "Return of the King" in the way the editing makes you think it's about to end, but doesn't, but in the end the payoff was more satisfying than ROTK's pillow-fight, so I let it slide.

[Balthasar]

I really hope Casino Royale is what Goldeneye was ;)
Casino Royale is what Goldeneye should have been.

[grimjoe]

i saw Harsh Times this weekend since Casino Royale was sold out. I cant believe this movie didnt get more press and had such a limited release. Bale was amazing in it and a great movie to watch

[Food Nipple]

I hate to do it, but i must RANK the Bond actors. :)

Sean Connery
Timothy Dalton
Daniel Craig
Peirce Brosnan
Roger Moore

Your list has two mistakes, it omitted George Lazenby entirely and you have Timothy Dalton as 2nd.

[JazGalaxy]

Casino Royale was absolutely fantastic.

Three thigns really sold the movie for me:

Thing the first: Bond is coolest in the 60's. Super Spying is a 60's concept. Bond belongs in the 60's. The movie totally acomplishes this in an amazingly artistic way by providing a constant visual anachronism. The colors in the film are bled a little, dulled, then super saturated to give it this Technicolor feel, and Bond and the rest of the cast are costumed amazingly to present a stylistic anachronism. All the technology is completely modern, but the visuals are completely retro. It's fantastic to look at.

Thing the second: CR dispenses with the "Bond is the male fantasy" apporoach and instead gives you a look at a guy who has lost most of his humanity already, and is in the final stages of becoming a monster. A lot of people don't like the movie because they wish there was more Bond in it, but they fail to realize that the point of the movie is NOT wanting to see James become Bond.

Thing the third which is really part of the second: I loved how it wasn't a vicarious affair where you're supposed to get your thrills by wishing you were part of the action. THere's no glorified kung fu fights, or glorified gunplay and car chases. All the punches look like they hurt, and all spy gear has a purpose and isn't just there to be "cool".

All in all, I think Casino Royale is, like, the best Batman movie every made, frankly. It hits all the notes that Batman Begins SHOULD have hit, in watchign someone slowly spiral into being a monster, even if that monster exist for the good of the public.

[TheSlup]

Casino Royale.....Kickass. Best Bond movie ever. Almost exactly like the book.

I agree 100%. It added a bit in the beginning, but very well done. One of the best.

[Worldcrafter]

...poignant words...
*slow clap*

Very well said. I agree whole heartedly.

[Jack9]

Stranger Than Fiction is hands down the best film I've seen all year...and I see EVERYTHING.

Casino, eh...too long. Borat, some funny. Happy Feet, god I hate music trying to make up for plodding plots. Santa Clause, even *I* didn't bother. Departed, good formulaic with a lil extra everywhere. Queen, boring. Saw III, same gimmicks _still_ and AWESOME franchise. Flushed Away, save your money and rent Osmosis Jones.

[Citizen Philip]

So.. after 4 pages of praise.. Casino Royale is an excellent movie, reminds some people of the Bourne Identity, etc.

Sounds good. I'll be seeing it next weekend.

[BlackPete]

I saw Happy Feet -- I was expecting something kiddie and happy and sickeningly sugarly sweet shit of a movie, but my female friend wanted to see it, so....

Turns out that the movie was pretty fucking scary at times and surprisingly dark. And yeah, that bird being strangled by the plastic 6-pack holder was pretty harsh. "Happy" indeed... some kids in the theaters were crying.

Which means it was an awesome movie :D

No seriously I actually liked it despite it getting a bit preachy at the end. I'm buying it on DVD when it comes out.

[Watership]

Your list has two mistakes, it omitted George Lazenby entirely and you have Timothy Dalton as 2nd.

Well I would put Lazenby at the very last place. Lazenby was only in one film, and although he was in one of the best Bond films, he really didnt' make much of a mark. Dalton's 007 is considered by many hardcore Bond fans to be one of the best protrayals. Many were taken aback by his role however, because after Moore he was more serious and less gadgety. Of his two movies the Living Daylights was fantastic, and License to Kill.. was not. :)

[Goronmon]

So.. after 4 pages of praise..4 pages? l2use40ppp n00b

;)

Anyways, I'm pumped about the Bond movie, will have to catch it sometime.

[KingGorilla]

I am not ashamed to say, I saw Borat again...1 week after seeing it already. With a chick this time, so it is better.

[cp#]

Those are two very, very strong openings!

[Nim]

"He's more in like with Connery and Timothy Dalton's Bond than with the Moore/Brosnan interpretations."

"The Moore/Brosnan interpretations" is a nice euphemism for "oily nancy-boys."

[Butters66]

Casino Royale is divided into three parts: Before the card game, the card game itself, and after the card game. I absolutely loved every second of the first two parts. The card game itself was especially good in how it managed to keep up the tension for a single game of cards that lasted almost an hour of screen time. The last third of the movie though was just a mess. It was predictable, horribly (and I mean HORRIBLY) paced, poorly acted compared to the rest of the film, and in general just BAD.

I had high hopes for the movie, and for the first two parts of it my expectations were easily met and mostly exceeded, but the finale was just shit.

Capt' Spanky -

You nailed it. I've been saying this all weekend. The first scene is so old school Bond. People forget how edgy the Bond films / movies were for their day thanks to Moonraker. Moore made everything goofy. I like goofy, and I like the Moore versions, but the Connery ones had substance, and every spy action doesn't have to result in world destruction or takeover. It can still be a good movie. CR nailed this. It was terrorism and bad and stuff, but the world wasn't about to end leading to fake tension.

[jeditanuki]

I saw Happy Feet with my friends because they had brought their young daughter to visit. The commercials for the movie make it seem like a Ice Age-type movie skewed to the 5-and-under age group, but Happy Feet, as another poster stated, is somewhat dark at times, somewhat slower-paced, and without the "zany animal antics". The theater was packed with kids, but I don't think most of the younger ones enjoyed it much. There's also a weird sorta "Moulin Rouge"-type vibe with the mix of modern music from different genres. It's worth a look, but perhaps best suited til DVD.

[bKangy]

Maybe because a 8 years old prefers an animated film to a Bond movie and MAYBE because some parents are intelligent enough to bring a kid see an animated for instead of an action movie. Don't you think?

Yeah, but it's telling of how cinema audiences are going down the pan when a Bond movie can't beat what appears to be a second rate, yet-another CGI kids film.

[Balthasar]

Yeah, but it's telling of how cinema audiences are going down the pan when a Bond movie can't beat what appears to be a second rate, yet-another CGI kids film.
I don't know that the top-grossing film being a CGI kids' movie is indicative of anything beyond the fact that kids like CGI. Mind you, it barely won out the week. I think it's also gotten decent reviews, so it's not entirely shocking. It might be indicative of the fact that there have been so many bad Bond movies (right up until that absolutely awful Die Another Day) that audiences were slightly hesitant to waste their money yet again.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I saw the Prestige this past weekend and absolutely loved it. I know I'm way behind here...

I also thought The Queen was excellent. The only other movie on this list that I've seen so far is Saw III, and that was just gross.

I can't wait for The Fountain and For Your Consideration this weekend - two movies I've been waiting all year for hitting at the same time!