Keanu Reeves, sci-fi remake 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', made a $31-million debut, to come in as the top weekend movie. An updated tale about the 1951 film of an alien and his giant robot enforcer, who try to warn the Earthlings about the consequences of humanity's destructive nature, it is a visually stunning movie, carrying timely issues everyone can relate to.

Warner Bros. romantic comedy romp 'Four Christmases' slipped to second place, while another seasonal tale featuring John Leguizamo, Debra Messing and Alfred Molina 'Nothing Like the Holidays', a story of a Chicago family's holiday reunion, had a weak $3.5-million opening, standing at No. 7.

Compared with the same weekend last year, the box office seem to plummet overall, with this weekend's Top 12-movies taking in $83.3-million, down 45% from last year.

'Twilight' at No. 3, 'Bolt' at No. 4 and ' Australia ' at No. 5 rounded out the Top Five movies.

The Top 20 movies in U. S. and Canadian theatres over the weekend, as under:

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still.
2. Four Christmases.
3. Twilight.
4. Bolt.
5. Australia.
6. Quantum of Solace.
7. Nothing Like the Holidays.
8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa .
9. Milk.
10. Transporter 3.
11. Slumdog Millionaire.
12. Cadillac Records.
13. Role Models.
14. Punisher: War Zone.
15. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
16. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
17. Frost/Nixon.
18. Delgo.
19. Doubt.
20. Gran Torino.