Sure, The Polar Express might feature some groundbreaking animation techniques and a heaping helping of Tom Hanks. But, as far as the neighborhood megaplex was cocerned, the 'toon wasn't that incredible.
For the second straight weekend, The Incredibles dominated the box office, with the CGI superheroes sweeping up $51 million, according to preliminary estimates Sunday, bringing its total to a whopping $144 million.
On the flipside, Hanks' cartoon Christmas trip, in which the Oscar winner's digital self plays multiple roles, was practically frozen out. Beset by dramatically mixed reviews, the G-rated Warners' adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's kiddies book tallied only $23.5 million from Friday through Sunday and has grossed just $30.8 million since its Wednesday debut.
Checking in at third place was New Line's PG-13 After the Sunset. The jewel-heist flick, starring Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek, registered a below-the-horizon $11.5 million.
The week's other major newcomer, Seed of Chucky, yet another stab at that spooky doll tale, was virtually stillborn in the fifth slot. The PG-13 Focus/Rogue Pictures release, starring Jennifer Tilly and a Britney Spears look-alike, earned just $8.7 million.
Meanwhile, it was a good weekend for a couple of art-house entries seeking some Oscar momentum. Fox Searchlight's R-rated biopic Kinsey, starring Liam Neeson as the controversial sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, averaged a pleasurable $35,005 at five sites for a total of $175,026. And Miramax's PG-rated biopic Finding Neverland, starring Johnny Depp as Peter Pan's quaint creator James M. Barrie and Kate Winslet as the mother of the little boys he adores, averaged $27,557 at eight sites for $220,457.
While the Bridget Jones sequel had the top average among the major players, The Incredibles dropped just 28 percent from its opening weekend and averaged $12,980 at 3,933 theaters.
The Polar Express--which cost upwards of $250 million to make--was railroaded at 3,650 sites, where it managed to do about half The Incredibles business, averaging $6,447.
Still, the distributors insist that the Polar Express was off to a jolly good voyage. "We're very pleased with the five-day result," Dan Fellman, Warners' president of domestic theatrical distribution, told Reuters. "It's a real holiday movie and everyone who sees it loves it."
After the Sunset managed a $4,079 average at 2,819 sites. Seed of Chucky did slightly better, scaring up a$4,258 average at 2,059 sites.
And coming soon to video should be Alfie. The remake starring Jude Law as a inveterate ladies man tumbled 55 percent from its limp opening week, from fifth place to 10th, with just $2.7 million. The Paramount release has grossed $11.1 million in two weeks.
Overall, the top 12 movies tallied $136 million, up about 1 percent over last weekend and 11 percent higher than this time last year, when the romp Elf was stuffing movie theaters.
Here's a recap of the top 10 films, based on studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations; final figures are due Monday:
1. The Incredibles, $51 million
2. The Polar Express, $23.5 million
3. After the Sunset, $11.5 million
4. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, $8.9 million
