Ice Age heats up the box office

How cool is cool? If you’re the people behind Ice Age sequel The Meltdown, cool is somewhere around $70.5 million. Yes, despite drawing less positive reviews than the original, the film stomped all over the weekend competition to set records. Apparently, anyway: it’s the second biggest non-summer, non-holiday opening since The Passion Of The Christ (does anyone think they’re really starting to stretch the idea of records?) and ties with The Incredibles for the second biggest animated opening (Shrek 2 is still the champ).

Flooded with cross-promotion – loveable scamp Scrat even turned up on Fox’s Family Guy the week before the opening - families clearly voted with their kids’ feet. Other movies were left flailing to grab the leftovers, with this week’s new openers scattered down the charts.

At two, Spike Lee’s entry into heist society with Inside Man continued to do well, taking $15.7 million in its second week. Third place went to coming-of-age drama ATL, which co-stars Outkast’s Big Boi. With $12.5 million, it was by far the most successful newcomer not featuring an animated sloth. Fourth saw Failure To Launch hanging on in there, with $6.6 million, while V For Vendetta dangles more around the middle, adding $6.5 million to a current US total of 56,830,000. Sixth was gender-swap teen com She’s The Man, making $4.6 million, while seventh place went to under-performing video game horror Stay Alive, which also netted $4.6 million.

Sadly, it looks like TF favourite Nathan Fillion is getting into a habit of starring in cult-loved but low opening movies. Slither, the James Gunn written-and-directed horror comedy, managed a meagre $3.7 million despite a healthy buzz and decent reviews. Parents, shame on you: your kids didn’t need to see a cutesy talking lady mammoth! They needed body horror and nudie bits. Try harder next weekend.

Elsewhere in kiddie-flick land, The Shaggy Dog was kennelled at ninth with $3.5 million and 10th place was taken by Basic Instinct 2. Yes, clearly Sharon Stone overestimated the drawing power of seeing her get nekkid and seducing David Morrissey’s pasty bod. The serial killer thriller barely chipped the charts, with $3.2 million. Basic Instinct 3, then, anyone? Anyone? Hello?