Hits & Misses 28th January – Because you’re worth it, Disney

I'm sure there wasn't a chameleon sideckick in the Grimms' version

Audiences gave Disney something to celebrate on the release of its 50^th animated feature, propelling it to the number one Box Office spot. The Grimms’ Rapunzel was given a Pixar-style makeover in TANGLED, which capitalised on the recent resurgence of 3D. Where it was shown in 2D it also fared quite slickly, with total weekend takings over the thick and voluminous £5m mark. The hirsute princess looks set to join the ranks of Disney legend with this feature, already in the record books as the second most expensive film in history (number one was the last Pirates of the Caribbean instalment, if you must know).

Next in the openers with fourth place in the Box Office was THE MECHANIC, which came out of the weekend not nearly as well coiffed as TANGLED. Jason Statham steps into Charles Bronson’s shoes in this remake of the 1972 film. The hit-man thriller hardly delivered hair-raising figures, but nonetheless proved a steady shot with a £3,000 screen average. In seventh position Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon pair up again for HEREAFTER. The beyond-the-grave fantasy proved to be a dead duck at the Box Office, weekend takings barely treading water. Tim Robey of The Telegraph hammers the nail in the coffin, concluding that “this large-scale failure about the beyond has ‘bottom drawer’ and ‘huge padlock’ scrawled all over it”. James L. Brooks’ love triangle drama HOW DO YOU KNOW? is the last of the openers within the top ten. The film flopped, its dream rom com cast list “wasted in a fatuous parade of nothingness”(Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian).

Outperforming both Brooks’ and Eastwood’s new offerings by average was BIUTIFUL. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s unrelentingly grim outlook has had critics torn. However unanimous praise has been reserved for Javier Bardem’s Cannes-crowned performance as Uxbal, a working-class father struggling to navigate a moral minefield. Following good performances from recent Bollywood releases DHOBI GHAT and YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA, DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI followed suit this weekend. Turkish topical thriller KURTLAR VADISI: FILISTIN also opened to great takings considering its two print release. The film, whose title translates as VALLEY OF THE WOLVES: PALESTINE, is a fictional account of a Turkish commando team seeking revenge for the Gaza Flotilla killings by the Israeli army.

Still in cinemas this week THE KING’S SPEECH continues its reign high at the Box Office, despite being finally deposed to second place by Disney royalty. Gliding along serenely behind it in third place is BLACK SWAN. Nowhere near scratching its glossy plumage in terms of takings is THE DILEMMA, which retains fifth place in its second week. Taking up the rankings either side of HEREAFTER are 3D family romps THE GREEN HORNET and GULLIVER’S TRAVELS. Also surviving in the top ten after a month on screen is 127 HOURS.

Over in the US Anthony Hopkins returns to trademark horror-mode in THE RITE, which topped the charts following its release this weekend. It nevertheless underperformed, given the precedent set by previous exorcism-themed chillers. THE MECHANIC also opened stateside on Friday performing slightly better to action-hungry US audiences.

Up for release next week we have a mixed bag on offer: Kate Hudson rom com A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN, re-make of Graham Greene gangster novel adaptation BRIGHTON ROCK, boxer-flick THE FIGHTER, 3D cave action with JAMES CAMERON PRESENTS SANCTUM, Nicole Kidman Oscar contender RABBIT HOLE and finally on a limited release NENETTE, documenting the life of a middle aged orangutan from the Jardin des Plantes zoo in Paris.