Carl Roberts 
This week on The Official Film Chart, the Minions rise, and Bullet Train speeds in, but it’s all Love & Thunder at the top as Thor hits number one!
Welcome to The Official Film Chart.
DC LEAGUE OF SUPERPETS IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY!
The build-up towards Christmas is gathering pace. And with it, the release of the biggest movies ready to be gifted as stocking fillers. This week, we have one for the whole family as the ‘D.C League Of Superpets’ becomes available to buy on all formats. The animated film was a success at the box office, earning almost $200 million against a $90 million budget.
The film tells the story of Superman’s pet dog Krypto and shelter dog Ace who work with other animals to save the captured superheroes from Lex Luthor and Lulu. With Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves on vocal duties, the film is a great way to spend time together.
THE OFFICIAL CHART
It is another huge shakeup in the chart this week. Last week’s bottom four titles have dropped out completely. In their place, we have three new entries and one title that rises an incredible twenty-six places to hit the top ten for the first time. And so, it’s the end of the line for ‘The Batman’, ‘Uncharted’, ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore’, and ‘Jurassic World: Ultimate Collection.’
But what is occupying the top spot this week? Have the dinosaurs roared again? Has Elvis rocked back to the top? Or has something else managed to hit the chart heights this week? Grab your hammers as we find out.
LOVE & THUNDER ROARS AT THE TOP!
After sitting just outside the top two places for the past couple of weeks, the Norse god finally rises to take the throne. The Marvel Studios hit ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’ rises three places to take the top spot. The fourth solo outing for Chris Hemsworth as the title character sees Thor attempting to find inner peace but must return to action and recruit Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster—who is now the Mighty Thor—to stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all of the gods.
Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, and Natalie Portman co-star in a comic book movie that will split opinions amongst the audience. I hated the film, but some friends of mine loved it.
BRAD PITT CATCHES THE BULLET TRAIN INTO NUMBER TWO!
Our first new entry this week speeds into the second spot as it lags a mere six and a half thousand copies behind Thor. And it’s a warm and genuine welcome to Brad Pitt as the action comedy ‘Bullet Train’ speeds into the chart. Now, my favorite film of the year is currently residing in seventh place this week. But this film comes ever so close to replacing it. It is one of those films that you expect little from but end up enjoying from start to finish.
The film stars Pitt as a begrudging assassin who must battle fellow killers while riding a fictionalized version of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Japanese high-speed rail line. With terrific support from Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, and Sandra Bullock, the film is a ride you won’t want to get off of.
THE DINOS ARE DEFEATED!
Last week’s number one falls two places to become this week’s third-placed title. After just a single week of topping the chart, ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ is on its way down. The film is the sixth in the ‘Jurassic’ franchise, and closes out the story that started back in 1993 with the original ‘Jurassic Park.’ It is also the worst of the entire franchise.
Far from being the gigantic, franchise closer we all expected, it has the same effect of being hit with a wet lettuce leaf. To say I thought it was boring would be an insult. To boredom. It is one of the most uninspired, poorly-written films I’ve seen in a long time. And is an insult to the original film.
THE MINIONS RISE AT NUMBER FOUR!
Our second new entry of the week manages to make its mark in the fourth position. And it is a big Bello! to ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru.’ In the film, an 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carrell) plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6. I couldn’t help myself. As a massive fan of the Minions, I bought the film and finally sat down alone to watch it.
And had to put a cushion over my face to muffle my laughter. The film is completely hilarious from start to finish. Our little yellow friends are in top form once again (yes, I know they’re animated!), in a film that had me crying with laughter at times.
ELVIS ROLLS DOWN TO NUMBER FIVE!
The king of rock and roll is just rolling down the chart this week as ‘Elvis’ loses three places to become this week’s number five. But the film remains, for the most part, a terrifically entertaining musical drama that Elvis fans will love. Austin Butler gives the performance of a lifetime as the king with great support from Tom Hanks as Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
There are many things I didn’t know about Elvis’ relationship with Parker. Or the fact that Parker manipulated Elvis to such an extent, he should have been brought up on criminal charges. All this and more are seen here in Baz Luhrmann’s musical epic.
THE CRAWDADS SING AT NUMBER SIX!
Our final new entry for the week comes in the form of the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel ‘Where The Crawdads Sing.’ The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones in a movie that gained mixed reviews from critics but a good box office return, grossing $135 million on a $24 million budget. The story follows an abandoned yet defiant girl, Kya, who raises herself to adulthood in a North Carolina marshland, becoming a naturalist in the process.
When the town’s hotshot is found dead, she is the prime suspect and is tried for murder. Also starring Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr., Jojo Regina, Garret Dillahunt, Ahna O’Reilly, and David Strathairn, the film will appeal to the fans of the source novel.
MAVERICK GETS SHOT DOWN!
My favorite film of the year gets shot down by four places this week as it crashlands in seventh place. Tom Cruise and his magnificent sequel ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ see their fortunes reversed once again. However, the film will be hitting the physical formats in just under three weeks, giving it the chance to fly high again.
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN RETURN AT NUMBER EIGHT!
Steaming its way into the top ten for the first time as it rises an incredible twenty-six places into eighth place is the family sequel ‘The Railway Children Return.’ Those of us (myself included) who grew up with the 1970 original film can find a lot to like and enjoy with this new film.
Jenny Agutter returns to her role as Bobbie, now a mother and grandmother as a new set of children are evacuated to live in Yorkshire in 1944. Sheridan Smith, Tom Courtenay, and John Bradley co-star alongside Jenny Agutter, the only cast member of the original film to return.
THE BLACK PHONE GETS DISCONNECTED!
Falling three places to become this week’s ninth-placed title is the horror mystery ‘The Black Phone.’ Ethan Hawke plays the villainous creeper in an effective and engaging chiller that is perfect for Halloween.
A NEW ERA IS ALMOST OVER!
And finally, dropping five places to end the week in the tenth and final position, it’s looking like ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ is preparing to close its doors as it sits over the chart exit door.
ALL STOP!
And that’s all, folks! We have come to the end of this week’s chart journey. But what a week it has been. Many of the older titles that have been hanging around the chart for a while are now departing to make way for this year’s biggest films to take their places.
Of course, Halloween is coming soon and so, we can expect to see a few horror movies arrive and then depart quickly. But that will be a minor bump in the chart road as we speed towards Christmas. And so…
Whatever you decide, Whatever you buy, stay safe, be kind, look after each other, and happy viewing!
Anyone wishing to buy any of the titles featured in The Official Film Chart can do so via FindAnyFilm.com. All videos and information have been supplied by Find Any Film and used under authorization.
Carl Roberts is the News Editor for 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!
