This week we finally see the full release of Transformers: Age of Extinction and How to Train Your Dragon 2, and predictable they dominate the upper end of the box office chart.

Taking the top spot is the 4th in the Transformers series of movies from director Michael. The film had previews last weekend and takes the number 1 position with ease this week grossing £11.7 million in the process, it is the biggest grossing opening weekend of the year so far.

It's interesting to note this opening gross does include the £8 million from last weeks preview screenings, a £3 - 4 million is a closer opening weekend figure.

Opening in second place after going on general release is How to Train Your Dragon 2 which also includes money from it's previews over the last 3 or 4 weeks.

Falling to third this week is last weeks top film Mrs. Brown's Boy's D'Movie which after 3 weeks has grossed £11.8 million.

There were a number of other new film this which included - Begin Again at 5 - Boyhood at 7 - Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania at 12

Last year at the box office Monsters University opened at the top of the chart knocking Despicable Me 2 into second place after 2 weeks at the top.

Five years ago Sasha Baron Cohen opened at the top with Bruno which knocked Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs to second place.

Ten years ago Shrek 2 held on tight at the top for another week keeping Around the World in 80 Days in second place for it's debut.

Fifteen years ago there was little change at the top with The Mummy retaining it's lead for a second week, highest new film was 10 Things I Hate About You at 5.

Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie holds on for a second week on top of the UK box office, this week with little competition from the new realises.

Brendan O'Carroll transvestite creation takes a second week gross of £2.2 million which gives it a 10 day gross (2 weekends) of £9.3 million, not bad really.

With little movement on the box office worth mentioning is How To Train Your Dragon 2, still on previews it took £475,270 over the weekend, it has now taken £1.5 million before it's official release on Friday.

Another film doing this is Transformers: Age of Extinction which had previews from Saturday evening and took £s;4.7 million and would have been the top film, this will be added to the opening gross next week so the film WILL be number 1.

Highest new film of the week is Tammy which we all had high hopes for but in the end struggled to get a top 5 entry with £471,429 over the weekend.

The only other new film this week is The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared at 11.

Looking back

Five years ago Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was the new top film which it did on it's debut week of release.

Ten years ago number one and highest new film was Shrek 2 which knocked Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban from the top.

Fifteen years ago The Mummy was still the top film in the UK while Sean Connery was the highest new entry at 2 with Entrapment.

Twenty yeas ago the original The Flintstones movie was the top film in the country for the month of July knocking Four Weddings and a Funeral from the top.

Twenty five years ago Batman was still the top film for the month of July but Indianan Jones and the Last Crusade and Licence to Kill were doing well.

Like a British institution the series of Harry Potter films are not letting up their grip on the UK box office, and the sixth film in the series was unstoppable in 2009, and despite a 6 month delay is the highest grossing film of the year with box office takings of £50,713,404.

With Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince crowned champ the runner up for the year is Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs with £34,872,218 which just about outdid the other big CG animated film of the year, Up, which came 3rd with a total gross of £34,284,193.

The multi award winning Slumdog Millionaire, which in the early part of the year was the top film, held up well and came 4th with £31,664,077, while the robots in disguise, Transformers, finished off the top 5 with £26,539,878.

The UK box office suffered a bit in the UK with the top 10 films taking a total of £287,929,402, comparing this to 2008's £340,360,259 it's far lower, in fact even 2007 had a better box office, 2006 was the last time it was this low.

Take a look at the full top 10 film for 2009.

With 2009 drawing to a close it's time to look back at the top performers of 2009, and topping the list of top grossing films in the US is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

The Michael Bay directed sequel attracted a box office take of $402,076,689 which is way ahead of the crowd by $100,000 of its closest rival.

Its closest rival being Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince which took $301,956,980 and Disney's Up came close in 3rd with $292,913,068.

Biggest surprise of the year is at 4, and the highest grossing 'R' rated comedy ever in The Hangover which took $277,313,371, beating Star Trek which rounds out the top 5 with $257,704,099.

Finishing up the top 10 highest grossing films for 2009 in the US is New Moon, Avatar, Monsters vs. Aliens, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Worth mentioning is that Avatar released late in the year is on track to beat Transformers although much of its takings will be in 2010, and Sherlock Holmes which will enter the top 10 of films of 2009.

As may have expected, Warner Bros's Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the top grossing movie of 2009 across the world in box office recipts.

The sixth Harry Potter movie topped out at $925,948,049 (£573,244,896) in world grosses, which also makes it the 8th highest grossing film of all time right behind Order of the Phoenix.

Behind Potter was the computer animated film Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs which took $882,673,705 (£546,263,204) with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen coming in 3rd with $832,076,689 (£514,953,924).

Disaster movie 2012 did well coming in 4th with $745,190,680 (£461,182,780) and finalising the top 5 for the year was the continuing saga of Twilight, New Moon, with $671,228,000 (£415,363,712).

Also making strong appearances for the year are animated tale Up, Angels and Demons and most surprising of all The Hangover.

James Cameron���s Avatar is doing big business at the tail end of 2009 and will no doubt be a top earner of films released in 2009, but much of its takings will be in 2010.