Singing Chipmunks Beat Sci-Fi Geekfest at the Cineplex So Far This Holiday Weekend

Despite all the obsession with the Web in this column, the big Hollywood movies opening around the holidays grab all the attention–and justifiably.

While new computers and game players are among the top-selling gifts, giant crowds of consumers have still descended and will be flocking to cineplexes across the country yesterday, today, tomorrow on Christmas Day, and throughout the weekend.

And from the first box office reports, it looks like “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” is besting sci-fi blockbuster “Avatar.”

Yes, pretty crude special effects–at least from what I saw in the first “Alvin” movie multiple times with my kids–and very charming chipmunks have earned almost $20 million so far, while the James Cameron-helmed story about a heroic blue-skinned indigenous tribe at risk is at $16 million.

Nonetheless, tech-heavy “Avatar” has done about $243 million at the box office worldwide since it opened last weekend, so it should not feel too bad about being beaten this weekend by a trio of singing rodents.

Here are videos of the competing trailers:

[Full disclosure: Both top two movies this weekend are from 20th Century Fox, which is owned by News Corp. News Corp. (NWS) also owns Dow Jones, which owns this site.]