Twilight vs Australia - who won?
Twilight versus Australia was 2008's last great cinematic battle.
Well, it was always on the cards.
With Harry Potter being shunted back to 2009, Twilight being moved up and the hype following the departure of the director for Twilight's sequel (coupled with its $70million opening in America), as well as Baz Luhrmann's almost epic Australia , there was inevitably going to be a massive scrap for our dollar over Christmas.
If you'd been a betting person, in the battle between Australia and the vampire stomper franchise, you'd have bargained on the might of Twilight 's tween/ emo audience - after all their power at the cinema with High School Musical 3 almost toppled James Bond from the top. In the end though Daniel Craig was bested by a brood of beasties in Madagascar Escape 2 Africa .
And Australia was bested by Twilight .
Easily.
In its first weekend of release Twilight took over $556,000 compared to Australia 's $330,000 to many, that may not be a surprise; but given the amount of hype surrounding Nicole Kidman/ Hugh Jackman and the Luhrmann return, one may have expected a closer contest.
It wasn't down to running times either with both clocking in over 2 hours.
However, Luhrmann's wannabe epic and paean to Australia divided the critics and that may have proven the deciding factor when it came to choosing an escape from the rellies.
Twilight was slightly better received but the power of the tween audience is so strong, and the fanbase so rabidly passionate for this film, there was never really going to be any other competition.
The other Christmas releases fared not too badly with the Top 10 seeing a total of 6 new entries: Twilight, Australia , The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Bedtime Stories, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Bollywood action flick Ghajini.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season is how slowly Frost/ Nixon is doing.
It's outside the Top 10 despite being showered in Golden Globe accolades and praise heaped on the meeting of then chatshow host David Frost and disgraced former president Richard Nixon.
Then again, maybe that's the message for Christmas when it comes to the box office, all we want is a bit of entertainment and nothing too serious.
It's a quiet release week to start off New Year Jim Carrey comedy Yes Man (based on the much loved book by UK author Danny Wallace ) and animated 3D flick Bolt will be vying for our cash.
But let's be honest we'll either be at the bach, on the beach or in the sales!
The Top 10 films at the New Zealand Box office from December
25 to December 28th
1) Twilight - check out tvnz.co.nz's review here!
2) Australia - check out tvnz.co.nz's review here!
3)
Madagascar Escape 2
Africa
- check out Francesca Rudkin's review
here!
4)
The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button -
watch the trailer here!
5) Bedtime Stories
6)
Quantum of Solace
- check out
tvnz.co.nz's review
here!
7)
High School Musical 3: Senior
Year
-
Watch the trailer
here!
8)
The Day The Earth Stood Still
- check
out tvnz.co.nz's review
here!
9)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
- check out
tvnz.co.nz's review
here!
10)
Ghajini
Figures and details courtesy of Motion Picture Distributors'
Association of New Zealand Incorporated.
