Holiday Movie Guide

Following a rather disappointing twomonth
period at the box office, major
studios are banking on a big December
with more than 30 wide releases hitting
theaters in that month alone.

Films starring big-hitters, such as Will
Smith, Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, and
Tom Hanks, are set not only to entertain
moviegoers, but to take a shot at getting
Academy Award attention too. Some
lighter options will be available – i.e.
sci-fi flick “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem”
and R-rated comedy “Walk Hard: The
Dewey Cox Story” – but mostly the
season will be about drama. Below are
some of the high-profile flicks coming
to theaters this month.

Wednesday, Dec. 5

“Juno” (Limited Release) – This indie
film came into the holiday season
with plenty of buzz and glowing
reviews. “Juno” stars Ellen Page
(“X-Men 3,” “Hard Candy”) as the
title character. An intelligent and
feisty teen, Juno faces some tough
decisions when she and a classmate
(Michael Cera of “Superbad” and TV
show “Arrested Development”) sleep
together one night, resulting in her
getting pregnant. The previews look
promising, and the angle is subtler
than the one taken by recent fare,
such as “Knocked-Up” and “The
40-Year-Old Virgin.”

Saturday, Dec. 7

“The Golden Compass” – Having
been extremely successful both
financially (over $2.5 billion worldwide)
and critically (17 Oscars) with
its “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, New
Line Cinema decides to follow up
with another potential franchise.
“Compass,” based on the first book
of Phillip Pullman’s trilogy, “His Dark
Materials,” concerns a young girl
who finds a valuable artifact that
could save or destroy the universe.
Prospects look promising, as the
generally reliable combination of
fantasy, sweeping epic story, and
cutting-edge special effects are
utilized here to the fullest. The PG-13
rating could turn off some potential
audiences. (“The Chronicles of
Narnia” was a softer PG.) In the end,
however, the rating could draw as
many people as it turns off.

“Revolver” – Call it “Crank 2.” Action
star Jason Statham (“Crank,” “The
Italian Job”) stars as a con man just
released from a seven-year prison
term whose first order of business
is to get revenge on the man who
put him there (Ray Liotta). Statham
has increasingly gained a following
among numerous audiences – teens
interested in the action, women
interested in the . well you know
– and that draw led his first starring
vehicle, the $12 million “Crank,”
which premiered with a surprisingly
strong $10 million opening.

Saturday, Dec. 14

“I Am Legend” – Based on Richard
Matheson’s classic horror story of
the same name, Will Smith stars as
Robert Neville, literally the last man
on Earth. Half sci-fi and half horror,
the film focuses on Neville’s survival
first from solitude – his best friend
is his dog – and then from a new
species of being, which can only be
described as vampires. Smith is the
top box-office draw in Hollywood
at the moment – his last six films
have grossed more than $130 million
domestically (almost $1 billion combined).
And judging from the success
of his last literary adaptation, Isaac
Asimov’s “I, Robot,” Smith should be
primed to strike gold here as well.

“The Kite Runner” – “The Kite Runner”
is another literary adaptation,
though this one is a bit more current
and appropriate for the times. Based
on the bestselling novel by the
Afghan-American author Kahled Hosseini
and published in 2003, the story
tells the tale of two inseparable boyhood
friends – Amir and Hassan – in
Afghanistan during the tension-filled
’70s. When they are separated for
years, Amir decides to return to the
country, now under extremist Taliban
rule, in search of his long lost friend.
Although the novel was well received
according to polls, the subject matter
– political and fairly dark – might turn
some viewers off.

Saturday, Dec. 21

“Charlie Wilson’s War” – Based on
a true story and set in 1980s Cold
War America, “War” is the story of a
Texan congressman named Charlie
(Tom Hanks) who conceived and executed
plans to arm the Mujahideen
in Russian-occupied Afghanistan. He
is helped by an extremely affluent
woman (Julia Roberts) and a CIA
operative (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).
The story’s relevance is all too
obvious – the men we armed would
one day viciously attack our
nation with airplanes – and the
pedigree is undeniable: Hanks,
Hoffman and Roberts have each
won Academy Awards, as well
as director Mike Nichols (“The
Graduate”).

“National Treasure: Book of
Secrets” – The sequel to smash
hit “National Treasure” once
again stars Nicholas Cage, Jon
Voight, Harvey Keitel and virtually
everyone else from the first
film. “Book of Secrets” concerns
a worldwide conspiracy related
to the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln. Director/producer Jon
Turteltaub (“Phenomenon,”
“Cool Runnings”) has a knack
for directing intelligent and witty
family fare, and like the first “National
Treasure,” expect “Book of Secrets”
to rake in substantial box office and
entertain the kids.

“Sweeney Todd” – The indomitable
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, who
previously teamed up for “Sleepy
Hollow” and “Ed Wood” collaborate
yet again for an adaptation of the
classic musical about a barber who
is driven to killing customers and
making meat pies out of them. If the
plot sounds dark, that’s because it
is. But the musical element lightens
the mood, and Burton, who also
directed the whimsical “Big Fish,”
always adds an element of fantasy
to his productions. As “Sweeney
Todd” is a quirky, dark, yet humorous
R-rated musical set to open near
Christmas day, it is quite possibly the
hardest sell of the holiday season.
The reviews – along with the ad
campaign – will factor in heavily in
the musical’s success.

“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”
– From the writer and director of
“Knocked Up” comes this fake
biography of recording artist Dewey
Cox (John C. Reilly, hilarious in
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of
Ricky Bobby.”) The comedy focuses
on Cox’s struggle to make it to the
top and should make for a rollicking
good time, though the hard-R rating
– the MPAA sites “strong sexual content,
graphic nudity and drug use”
– could turn off some viewers that
brought their kids to the similarly
themed “Anchorman” and “Talladega
Nights.” The biggest test is to see
whether Reilly, who previously made
a name for himself co-starring in
dramas such as “The Perfect Storm”
and “Chicago,” can carry a humorous
film solely on his shoulders.

Tuesday, Dec. 25,

Christmas Day

“Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” – The
first film, “Alien vs. Predator,” drew –
surprise, surprise – horrible reviews.
But the box office was substantial
enough to warrant a second one, and
the sequel promises to be a lot more
violent, which fans of the first will
be happy to hear. “Requiem” is also
set in a more believable setting, a
Colorado town instead of Antarctica,
which makes for an even higher
body count. But let’s just tell it like
it is: “AVP:R” will provide fan boys
without girlfriends the opportunity to
see their favorite videogame-turned-
film series on the big screen and not
have to worry about plot, character
or anything resembling actual acting.
Considering the relatively low budget,
executives are already seeing
green with this one.

“The Bucket List” – Jack Nicholson
and Morgan Freeman star as retirees
who find out they are both dying
of cancer. As a result, they resort
to fulfilling a list of experiences
they never had, such as skydiving
and visiting the Pyramids of Giza,
to actually “live” the last days of
their lives. Their list ends up taking
them on a road trip of discovery and
redemption. Nicholson’s trademark
charm and sarcasm are always
a draw among older adults, and
Freeman (“The Shawshank Redemption”)
has a reputation as one of the
most respected actors in Hollywood.
Directed by Rob Reiner (“Sleepless
in Seattle,” “The Princess Bride”), this
one should skew older and, for that
reason, have some legs at the box
office.