Well, it seems that Toy Story 3 had a smashing weekend at the box office doing $110 million over the weekend. They still have a $90 million to go to cover the $200 million budget but should get there by this weekends end. I haven’t had a chance to see it, but all the kids I ask have been telling me that it’s better than both Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Here are some quotes and links to other reputable movie review sources:

“You can’t get your childhood back but for one hour and 38 minutes Toy Story 3 gets you pretty close.” -Dailymail.co.uk

“Toy Story 3 is full of laughs, adventure, great characters and a dose of nostalgia.  It’s a fitting ending to a great trilogy.  It’s possible that this movie will do so well that Disney/Pixar will be tempted to bring the toys back out one more time.  As much as I enjoyed them all, I hope they don’t.  This is the perfect ending to a near perfect series of films.” – Scott of Three Movie Buffs

“The best of the bunch. Touches the funny bone, the brain and the heart.” – Jackie Cooper

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland opened over the weekend and has already attracted a tremendous buzz of interest among moviegoers and fans of the classic tale. In it’s first weekend, Alice in Wonderland brought in $116 million (which even Disney execs were expecting), topped the opening weekend of Avatar! Yet, for all the hype around the film, there are a few things that audiences might want to know before heading out to see the extravaganza.

First, and this is key- the film is not an attempt at remaking the original tale, or any of the various film versions to date. The plot is based on an imaginative new screenplay written by Linda Woolverton, which is based on the idea of Alice’s return to Wonderland, where she must confront the red queen (played by Helena Bonham Carter) and restore tranquility for all of the beloved characters known from the books.

This is not to say that Burton completely ignores the work of the original author, Lewis Carroll. Considerable research into the classic texts and original illustrations was key to understanding the characters. However, as Burton felt dissatisfied with the earlier films, he decided to strike out in a different direction. Burton also felt that simply remaking the original tale of “Through the Looking Glass” would “infuriate the purists”. He also wanted to remake the central character, Alice, in his vision. By beginning the film with an older Alice, Burton was able to give the character more fibre and greater resilience.

The other classic characters are all here as well. From the Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp, to the Cheshire Cat and the unloveable Tweedledum and Tweedledee. And many of the characters are either digitally enhanced in various ways, or consist entirely of computer animation, like the March Hare and the Dormouse. New characters appear as well, such as the ethereal White Queen, played by Anne Hathaway, sister to the villainous Red Queen.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the film is Alice herself, played by Australian actress Mia Wasikowska, a little known quantity. Chosen because of her “emotional toughness”, she portrays Alice as a young woman, on the cusp of making important decisions concerning her future.

Undeniably, the film is a visual masterpiece of computer imagery and live action, which allowed Burton the freedom to develop characters in unusual ways and manipulate the actors to his vision. Despite a heavy pricetag into the millions for the visual effects, the film is sure to wow audiences with its spectacular sweep.

With the 2000’s decade coming to a close I thought it would be interesting to take a look at what the top films were the past 10 years at the box office. As you can see below the Pirates of the Caribbean films did extremely as did pretty much all of the Pixar films. From these numbers it easy to see 2 things. First, when Disney bought Pixar, that was a no-brainer. And the other no-brainer, keep making more POC movies, which is happening as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is currently in production.

Top Worldwide Disney Movies At The Box Office From 2000 – 2009:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $1,066,200,000
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – $961,000,000
3. Finding Nemo – $864,600,000
4. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, Wardrobe – $745,000,000
5. Up – $723,000,000
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $654,300,000
7. The Incredibles – $631,4000,000
8. Ratatouille – $623,7000,000
9. Monsters, Inc. – 525,400,000
10. WALL-E – $521,300,000

Top Domestic Disney Movies At The Box Office From 2000 – 2009:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $423,315,812
2. Finding Nemo – $339,714,978
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – $309,420,425
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $305,413,918
5. Up – $293,004,164
6. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, Wardrobe – $291,710,957
7. The Incredibles – $261,441,092
8. Monsters, Inc. – $255,873,250
9. Cars – $244,082,982
10. Wall-E – $223,808,164