UP- $68,108,790 *
The heartwarming story of senior citizen Carl Fredrickson and his daring attempt to transfer his home to the jungle by use of balloons captured the amusement of both parents and children alike during its opening weekend this May. Easily taking the box office by storm it lands in the top spot, successfully making a mark on this year’s plethora of animated movies.
Monsters vs Aliens- $59,321,095
The star packed cast of Monsters vs. Aliens certainly helped its second place turn out in the list of box office hits this year, wowing audiences throughout the country in its opening weekend alone. Following the story of a group of monster misfits, who courageously battle (you guessed it) aliens, the movie was hailed a special effects treat, capturing attention spans of even the smallest of children.
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs- $41,690,382
Following the release of Ice Age two and three, Dawn of the Dinosaurs brought in a certainly respectable crowd of established fans. The movies advertisement however, while plentiful seemed to have failed next to its competition, all of whom plagued the channels with trailers, using every possible social networking system to promote their films. Ice Age certainly receives respect however; as it’s reliably cute characters bring home an unexpectedly amusing struggle of evolution, always pursuing even the smallest of smirks.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- $30,304,645
Based off of the hugely popular children’s book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs received enormous hype from audiences before its release, attracting the young and old alike. In doing so it provides what is most likely the best reason for this year’s fifth most successful release. Again, the story of a misfits rise to stardom, captured audiences, its plot cushioned by sometimes subtle, sometimes ridiculous comedy.
A Christmas Carol- $30,051,075
This remake of a Christmas classic certainly remained successful even next to some of the year’s biggest animated pictures, and with Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman as the front men; it’s actually surprising it wasn’t more successful. The only possible explanation seems to be the nature of it larger than life, commercial competition, the type that seemed to capture minds more than a rendition of the Charles Dickens Victorian classic.
The Princess and the Frog- $24,208,916
Hailed as a skillful throwback to classic Disney movies, The Princess and the Frog no doubt attracted nostalgic audiences everywhere, landing itself sixth place this year. Based on the classic story of a princess kissing a frog, the writers succeed in committing to a creative spin, as it seems Disney has always done.
Coraline- $16,849,640
Fantastically creepy, Coraline success opening weekend, or lack there off (in comparison to our other releases) most likely reflects it somewhat mature themes, effectively scaring off the parents of young kids, most likely confused of the pictures target argument. The movie itself however was a treat to fans old enough to appreciate its creative plotline and characters.
Planet 51- $12,286,129
Amusing audiences with the idea of Humans in aliens spot, Planet 51 lack of success may be blamed for its fairly obscure cast, but altogether it seventh place spot appears to be the result of its surprisingly limited advertising compared to say such, blockbusters as Monsters vs. Aliens.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox- $6,965,267
With George Clooney, Meryl Streep and several other well known actors its seems immediately confusing that The Fantastic Mr. Fox wasn’t huge. The only possible explanation seems to be the confusion parents must have had from trailer, as while it was packed with cute characters, the jokes themselves seemed more amusing to adults, although completely clean.
Astro Boy-$ 6,702,923
Following the success of Astro Boy the television series, producers seemed to be excited about the idea of morphing that animae success into a blockbuster. Its lack of advertising however, again brought the movie down hugely, as in comparison to other television remakes (Speed Racer) it became virtually obscure.
*Note, all numerical sums are strictly based to the films success opening weekend.
