Movie News & Gossip

NEW YORK - It was a memorable and merry Christmas in Hollywood as moviegoers shattered box-office records, responding in droves to a diverse array of high-profile releases over the holiday weekend.

The estimated $278 million in weekend box-office revenue broke the previous record of roughly $253 million set in July 2008, the weekend "The Dark Knight" was released.

NEW YORK - It was a memorable and merry Christmas in Hollywood as moviegoers shattered box-office records, responding in droves to a diverse array of high-profile releases over the holiday weekend.

The estimated $278 million in weekend box-office revenue broke the previous record of roughly $253 million set in July 2008, the weekend "The Dark Knight" was released.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reigning champ "Avatar" easily beat newcomer "Sherlock Holmes" at the Christmas holiday box office in North America after a closely followed duel that saw both films post sizzling sales, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

"Avatar," a costly 3-D extravaganza from "Titanic" director James Cameron, earned $75 million during the three days beginning December 25, said distributor 20th Century Fox.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British director Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" set a Christmas Day sales record at the box office in North America, taking a narrow lead over last weekend's champ, "Avatar," according to early estimates released on Saturday.

"Sherlock Holmes," in which Robert Downey Jr. reinvents the ascetic Victorian sleuth as a dashing superhero, earned $24.9 million during its first day of release on Friday, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said.

LONDON - Poor Dr. Watson. Always the sidekick, never the star.

Jude Law hopes to rectify that situation with his charismatic performance alongside Robert Downey Jr. in "Sherlock Holmes," making the detective's right-hand-man a handsome action hero in his own right. He's just not that comfortable with his new nickname: "Hotson."

- Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" — a movie that offers exactly two big laughs for its kiddo audience — one involving passing gas, the other a shot to the crotch. In the considerable gap between these two bits of comic invention, you have plenty of time to ponder why the movie turns on the idea of Dave (Jason Lee) sending Alvin, Simon and Theodore to high school. Do chipmunks, particularly world-famous rock star chipmunks, really need a diploma? Aren't they already smarter than Dave? While there's no story, the movie does double the number of rodents, introducing the girl group, The Chipettes. Alvin and the boys compete against The Chipettes in a talent show, while that darned Ian (David Cross) tries to kidnap the ... oh, why bother going into detail? Just know there's twice the chipmunks and about half the laughs of the 2007 holiday hit. 89 minutes. One star out of four.

LONDON - All in all, Guy Ritchie has had a pretty good 2009. He had a blast making his big-budget thriller "Sherlock Holmes," stayed focused on his work — and avoided coverage of the fallout from his split with Madonna.

"I haven't read the papers for so long now," said Ritchie. "I don't watch TV.

- Take it from a lifelong fan of Arthur Conan Doyle: Robert Downey Jr. is so NOT Sherlock Holmes.

That's not a hindrance — in fact, it's a big help — as he and director Guy Ritchie bring Conan Doyle's dusty Victorian-age detective into the modern world.