Dickens Christmas classic tops UK box office

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Walt Disney's high-tech adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" dominated the box office over the weekend, but takings were sharply lower than other big autumn chart-toppers in Britain.

Director Robert Zemeckis' reworking of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Jim Carrey, only managed 1.89 million pounds, according to Screen International on Tuesday.

By comparison, Michael Jackson's "This Is It," which was down in second place, made 4.8 million pounds on its debut, while "Up," down one place in third, managed 6.4 million on its first weekend.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats," a military farce with George Clooney and Jeff Bridges, was new at four while alien abduction thriller "The Fourth Kind" came in at five.

The stop-motion animated version of Roald Dahl's "Fantastic Mr Fox" was down three in sixth spot, just above high-school comedy horror newcomer "Jennifer's Body" which came in at seven.

"Saw VI" was four places down at eight, while 1960s coming-of-age tale "An Education" slipped one place to nine.

"Couples Retreat," the story of four couples trying to heal their relationships at a New Age therapeutic resort, was down four places at 10.

(London newsroom;stephen.addison.reuters.com@reuters.net)

Keywords: FILM BRITAIN/BOXOFFICE