NEW James Bond movie Skyfall has smashed UK records to give it the biggest opening weekend in 007 film history.
The 23rd Bond film took £20.1m, notching up the second biggest three-day opening for any film in the UK.
The latest Bond, Daniel Craig, has rugged physicality in abundance. Director Sam Mendes sensibly surrounds his leading man with an ensemble of award-winning actors, who bring gravitas and humour to their iconic roles.
In the brilliantly orchestrated action sequences, Craig is in his element and Mendes opens with a breathtaking 12-minute pre-credits sequence.
The mission ends in apparent tragedy. While M (Judi Dench) fends off sustained attacks on her reputation, news filters through that Bond has survived and M engages her physically bruised agent to track down menacing cyber terrorist Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem).
FRANKENWEENIE 3D (PG)
VICTOR Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) is an outcast in the sleepy community of New Holland, where he lives with his parents (Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara). His only friend is the family's bull terrier Sparky, who has a crush on Persephone, the pampered black poodle that lives next door with Victor's classmate Elsa Van Helsing (Ryder). When tragedy strikes and Sparky is laid to rest in the pet cemetery, Victor is plunged into despair. Then teacher Mr Rzykruski (Martin Landau) plants the seed of an outlandish idea. “Science is not good or bad, Victor, but it can be used both ways,” counsels Mr Rzykruski. In the dead of night, the boy digs up Sparky, constructs a machine to harness lightning and the dog is reborn. Once classmates Toshiaki (James Hiroyuki Liao), Bob (Robert Capron) and Edgar (Atticus Shaffer) discover Victor's breakthrough, they plot similar experiments with their pets.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED (PG)
ALEX (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) hanker for a return to New York's Central Park Zoo. They leave Africa and head first to Monte Carlo to reunite with the penguins, where the gang has a close encounter with tenacious animal control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) and her scooter-riding cronies. Alex and co seek refuge on a circus train and persuade Vitaly the tiger (Bryan Cranston), Gia the jaguar (Jessica Chastain) and Stefano the sea lion (Martin Short) that they are performing animals too. Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria nervously train alongside the professionals, knowing they must impress a big promoter in Rome in order to secure a booking in the Big Apple.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (15)
IN the leafy community of Henderson, Nevada, plucky teenager Alice (Kathryn Newton) lives with her parents (Stephen Dunham, Alexondra Lee) and younger brother, Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp). When a single mother, who lives next door, is taken ill, Alice's mother agrees to provide temporary refuge for the sick woman's son, Robbie (Brady Allen). Alice quickly realises that there is something peculiar about the new arrival. With the help of her boyfriend Alex (Matt Shively), who is a technical wizard, Alice rigs up cameras around her family home to spy on Robbie.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (U)
HOTEL Transylvania is a five-star resort run by Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler), which is situated far from the eyes of pesky humans. Monsters flock to the hotel for their holidays and Dracula invites some of his favourite guests to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez). Among the attendees are Frankenstein's monster (Kevin James) and his wife Eunice (Fran Drescher), Griffin The Invisible Man (David Spade), Wayne Werewolf (Steve Buscemi) and his wife Wanda (Molly Shannon), and Murray The Mummy (Cee Lo Green). When a wayward tourist called Jonathan (Adam Samberg) stumbles upon the hotel Dracula has to hide the human interloper from his guests.
COMING NEXT WEEK...
Ben Affleck directs and stars in the gripping true-life story of Argo... and four Aboriginal girls entertain the troops in Vietnam in the uplifting musical comedy The Sapphires
1 (-) Skyfall
2 (1) Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
3 (2) Taken 2
4 (3) Paranormal Activity 4
5 (4) Hotel Transylvania
6 (6) Sinister
7 (7) Frankenweenie
8 (5) Looper
9 (-) Otello – Met Opera
10 (10) Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Chart courtesy of Cineworld Cinemas: www.cineworld.co.uk
