This week – The Empire Strikes Back to put Star Wars back in action while Disney’s Onward and Trolls World Tour battle it out at the top of the UK Top 10 Movies
“Oh. Nice guy, I hope. Everyone’s been trying to kill me lately”. For those of you who know where that line comes from, you’ll know what I’ve been watching on Blu-Ray and Digital several times over the past few months. And even though the film is 31 years old this year, it still makes me laugh and marvel at what goes on during its 90 minutes runtime. It goes to prove that classic movies still have the power to entertain us years after they came out. And with that, let me welcome you once more to the official rundown of what we have been watching and hopefully enjoying over the past seven days.
Yesterday’s shock announcement from Warner Bros. regarding all of its various departments including the DC Comics division which has resulted in thousands of people losing their jobs has had a knock-on effect with their slate of upcoming movies. After all, is said and done, analysts are saying we should expect lengthy delays to films such as ‘Wonder Woman 1984‘ which is due to open in October of this year and to fare such as ‘Godzilla Vs Kong‘, ‘The Batman‘ and ‘The Suicide Squad‘ which are due for release next year. I cannot fathom how the announcement has threatened the release slate in such a negative way. The upcoming film ‘Tenet‘ has somehow managed to swerve the expected delay by being released worldwide from August 26th and so, with it being less than two weeks away from launch, has cemented itself into getting released. But in the long run, the announcement could see the DC comic book movie universe ended, DC comic books themselves to be discontinued (although I seriously doubt that) and everything that is currently being shown on the DC Universe network could easily be moved straight onto HBO Max as DC Universe looks likely to be discontinued. No matter which way you look at it, it appears that we will suffer from a distinct lack of cinematic, television, and home entertainment from Warner Bros. very shortly.
As for the top ten of the titles, we have been enjoying over the past week, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you! Four movies make themselves known inside the top ten this week, one of which is a new entry I predicted last week while the others are films that have re-entered the chart after weeks and months away. So, to make way for these movies, we say goodbye to ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope‘, ‘Dolittle‘, ‘Knives Out‘ and ‘Bad Boys For Life‘ which return to placings outside the top ten. The returnees could thank the reduction in their retail prices on streaming sites for their good fortune as many of them have seen their digital purchase price drop to around six pounds or less. Good value if you can grab it at that price (I did!). ‘Deep Blue Sea 3‘ swims itself up a place to end up hooked at the eleventh position while the children’s fantasy film ‘Four Kids And It‘ based on the novel by Jacqueline Wilson enters the charts in the fifteenth position. At the top of the chart, we have a non-mover at number one. So grab your bottles of water, put on some comfortable clothing and let’s all sit down and see what is what.
Holding firm at the top of the tree and becoming the chair-people of our board for a fourth week in succession and becoming the title to hold the number one position for the longest amount of time in 2020 is ‘Trolls: World Tour‘. Who would have thought it? Despite not getting a cinematic release anywhere in the world and not in the UK until early in July before the rest of the chains opened their doors again, the film became a smash hit on the PVOD market and has repeated its feat on home entertainment as it became available to download and keep and buy on a disc, making it quite possibly the highest-grossing film of 2020 up to this point. With rental and retail figures like it has garnered and with whatever cash it brings in now it has finally opened on the majority of the world’s cinema screens, it isn’t beyond the realms of probability that the lovable creatures will get a third outing somewhere down the line.
Taking the silver medal position this week and rising up the charts by sixteen places and once again delighting us with their presence, let us all welcome back those delightful Lightfoot brothers as ‘Onward‘ makes its comeback in the second position. Once again, the film has hit the cinema screens after its original run was curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic but like ‘Trolls‘, has made a huge pile of cash by being on the PVOD circuit as well as its download and keep and retail sales. Adding to its good fortune is its reduction in the digital retail price which has possibly boosted it back up the charts.
So, last week we got ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope‘ as a new entry as it hit steel book and entered the top ten countdown for the first time in its 43-year-old life only to drop out of the chart this week. And what has replaced it by being the only new entry into this week’s chart? What has made its top ten debut 40 years after it was first released? And has also been recently released in a Steel Book version? And was something I predicted last week? You guessed it. Congratulations to ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back‘ as it FINALLY makes itself known inside the top ten charts. The second of the original trilogy and the best film of the entire nine-film saga has followed its older brother in hitting the chart in the third position. Fans around the country and it has to be said, around the world have purchased the Steel Book in their droves and added it to their collections. I can understand why. I cannot confirm whether I bought a copy of the new release of the film. All I shall say is I now own three different copies of the film!
Rising an impressive twenty-three places from number twenty-seven to make itself at home again inside the top ten by taking the fourth place on our chart, we once again welcome back Will Smith and Tom Holland as ‘Spies In Disguise‘ makes an epic return once more. The animated film had quite a good run inside the top ten a while back before dropping out. Once more, its digital retail price has dropped and the film became a bargain to snap up and to add to a digital library which is why I presume it has jumped all those places to land inside the chart once again. An entertaining family film, the story concerns the world’s greatest spy Lance Stirling (Smith) and his accidental transformation into a pigeon by a bumbling, socially awkward but genius tech officer (Holland) and their attempts together to save the world.
Rising two places as it continues its resurgence inside the top ten as it rounds out the first five top-sellers this week is the sequel ‘Jumanji: The Next Level‘. Dwayne Johnson and his band return once more for a second helping of fun, action, adventure, and mayhem. The film returned to the top ten charts last week and is another title that has benefitted from a drop in its digital retail price. The film itself gets premiered on Sky Movies Premiere from this Friday but that won’t stop it from hanging around the top ten for a while longer yet.
As we start our look at the lower half of the chart, we find that the return of several titles to the top half of the chart means that some titles suffer a bit of a nasty fall. And so it proves as ‘Frozen II‘ takes a tumble down the chart by losing four places as it falls from last week’s second position to become this week’s number six.
His legs are weary and he needs a rest, especially in this heat as we see ‘Sonic The Hedgehog‘ slip down the top ten by three places as it halts itself in the seventh position.
He said he’d be back. He also said in his last film that he wouldn’t be back. He lied. Thanks yet again to the reduction of its digital purchase price, ‘Terminator: Dark Fate‘ does come back into the chart, rising an incredible thirty-one places to occupy this week’s eighth position. The final appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger as our favorite killer cyborg and Linda Hamilton’s swansong as Sarah Conner thanks to the film being a flop at the box office, something it didn’t deserve, the film is an all-action and completely thrilling and entertaining blockbuster, one that brings the franchise back onto its proper keel after the disasters that were the 3rd, 4th and 5th films in the franchise. If you haven’t got the film in your library, then take my advice and get it while it’s cheap and you’ll be in for one final treat in the Terminator franchise as it comes to an end.
Dropping four places to hang fire at this week’s ninth position, we find Sam Mendes’ masterpiece that is ‘1917‘ as it hovers very close to the chart exit door for the first time in its chart life.
And finally, holding up the rest in the tenth and final position in the chart, his voice has gone hoarse, the comedy is drying up and the applause is dying once more as ‘Joker‘ drops four places to sit right on top of the trap door of the chart.
Coming to download and keep from Monday 17th August, you can pick up the comedy-drama ‘Come As You Are‘. The film, starring Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) is a remake of a 2011 Belgian film ‘Hasta La Vista‘. I haven’t seen the film or the original movie on what it is based on but it holds a 94% critical approval average and has been described as something that “approaches sensitive subjects with heart and humor, taking audiences on a thoroughly entertaining road trip to a crowd-pleasing destination”. If that sounds like your type of film, why not grab yourself a copy or rent it on digital if you choose to.
And that brings us once more to the end of yet another week and the look at what home entertainment has been keeping us going. My thanks to you all for checking in with us once again and so, only one question remains. What do YOU think will make the grade and be in the chart this time next week? Why not drop us a line and let us know. Also, if there’s a film you’d like us to take a look at and give you an unbiased, honest opinion on, let us know and we will do our best!
Until next time, whatever you buy, whatever you decide, stay safe, be kind, look after each other, and happy viewing!
Anyone wishing to buy any of the titles featured in the chart can do so via FindAnyFilm.com
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Carl Roberts is a Senior Staff Writer and Books and Literature Correspondent for Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter @CarlRoberts2 where he uses the force frequently!
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Editor’s Note | All videos and information have been supplied by Find Any Film and used under authorization.
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
