Paramount’s LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATELY EVENTS, with Oscar-contending vfx by ILM, finished first in its opening weekend with $30M for the period ended Dec. 19, 2004. Warner Bros.’ OCEAN’S TWELVE dropped to second with $18.1M for a two-weeks’ bounty worth $68.5M. Sony’s SPANGLISH debuted in third with $8.8M. Warner Bros.’ THE POLAR EXPRESS (with vfx by Sony Imageworks) is still hanging in there, holding firm at fourth with $8.4M and a cume of $123.4M, thanks to strong IMAX 3D support. New Line’s BLADE: TRINITY (with vfx by Giant Killer Robots and 3D scanning by Eyetronics) drifted to fifth place with $6.8M and $35.6M. Buena Vista’s NATIONAL TREASURE (with vfx from Asylum) hit the sixth spot with $6M and a cool total of $132.7M total. Coming in seventh place, Sony/Revolution’s CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS tallied $5.3M for a cume of $61.9M. Fox’s FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX remake (with vfx by The Farm West) collected $5M in its debut to finish eighth. Sony’s CLOSER came in ninth with $3.3M and a total of $18.8M. Disney/Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES slipped to 10th with $3.1M and a sweet total of $236.9M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.