November 25th

Old Dogs

The Synopsis:

Two best friends -- one unlucky-in-love divorcee and the other a fun-loving bachelor -- have their lives turned upside down when they're unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kid-savvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins, leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what's really important in life.

The Buzz:

Another in the long line of family fun from the team of Robin Williams and Disney, but this time we have John Travolta thrown into the mix. Partner those elements with one of the more outrageous trailers of the year, and you get a film that will be either hilarious or a complete tragedy.

The Reviews:

Watching the predictable, lazy “Old Dogs,” you can’t help but think about the great Michael Caine line, about why such a great actor would appear in “Jaws: The Revenge.” He’s never seen it, he explained, and he understands it’s terrible. But the house it paid for was fabulous.

- Bill Goodkonntz, Gannett Chief Film Critic

The Road

53/100

The Synopsis:

Based on Cormac McCarthy's beloved, best-selling and Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen leads an all-star cast in the big screen adaptation of The Road, the epic post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father and his young son across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth.

The Buzz:

Based on the literary blockbuster, The Road's road to the big screen hasn't been fairy tale. The film was originally set for a November 2008 release, but was pushed back a year to find a better release date a less crowded field and perhaps some critical recognition, but reviewers familiar with the source material have been uneven about whether the spirit of the novel shines through to the film.

The Reviews:

Better would have been to focus intently on the constant, simple tension of their survival — surveying the path ahead, gathering drips and drops of gas, making it through the night. Later, the Man instructs the Boy: "Remember how we did things" — but we never rightly see that, ourselves.

- Jake Coyle, Associated Press

It looks great, and the performances are solid, but it's missing something vital from the book. Clumsy exposition and overeager narration sap the story of its mystery -- whereas the book challenged readers to piece together this strange new world themselves. Too much emphasis is put on the few uplifting moments, which actually has the opposite effect. The lush, strings-laden score is distractingly cloying. And so on.

- Michael Machosky, Tribune-Review

Ninja Assassin

The Synopsis:

A rogue ninja enlists the help of the Interpol agent whose life he saved to bring down the clan of hired killers who trained him as an assassin.

The Buzz:

Director James McTeigue and the Wachowski brothers take on the martial arts genre with this simple, yet stylish revenge tale. While the reviews have skewered the story, the action scenes are getting almost unanimous praise...but will that be enough to draw big crowds?

The Reviews:

In typical Wachowski fashion, these set-pieces embrace both comic-book and video-game aesthetics; the frames are carefully composed and packed with rich colors, but the camera is rarely locked down, toggling around the space as if McTeigue were controlling it with a joystick. This approach may upset old-school kung-fu movie fans, but it results in some of the most entertaining and over-the-top martial-arts action this side of Kill Bill. Ninja Assassin isn't a great movie, but if you're in the right frame of mind, it is a bloody good time.

- Ethan Alter, Internationl Film Journal

All of the back story in the world can't make us care about what made a ninja assassin just that, though, similar to how all of the whooshing sounds can't help us grasp just who is sparring with who when the chit-chat does subside, and all of those flying fluids can't disguise the fact that Ninja Assassin is a thoroughly bloodless experience.

- William Goss, Cinematical

December 4th

Brothers

The Synopsis:

After Army officer Michael is reported dead during a peace keeping mission in Afghanistan, Jannik, his ex-con brother, decides to do right for his brother's widow. Their lives are rattled once again when Michael comes home with PTSD.

The Buzz:

Director Jim Sheridan is known for powerful dramas, but his last film, the 50 Cent vehicle Get Rich or Die Tryin' left many scratching their heads. Will this be a return to form? Will we be seeing Oscar nods for the cast?

The Reviews:

After Army officer Michael is reported dead during a peace keeping mission in Afghanistan, Jannik, his ex-con brother, decides to do right for his brother's widow. Their lives are rattled once again when Michael comes home with PTSD.

- Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

Up in the Air

The Synopsis:

Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is a corporate-downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

The Buzz:

Jason Reitman's follow-up to Juno, and an early contender for the Best Picture Oscar according to critics. Up in the Air has been popping up on everyone's top ten lists for the year, and it's been quietly screening for journalists all over the nation for two months now. Could this be the year's best picture?

The Reviews:

Just as "Thank You for Smoking" and "Juno" did in their own ways, Jason Reitman's third film cleverly taps into specific cultural aspects of the contemporary zeitgeist, although in a somewhat less comically convulsive manner. Unlike many of the characters onscreen, nobody is going to lose any jobs on the basis of their work here, as a buoyant commercial flight lies ahead. - Todd McCarthy, Variety Laughs and heartbreak meld seamlessly in this brilliant character drama.

- Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter

December 11th

The Princess and the Frog

The Synopsis:

A beautiful girl named Tiana (ANIKA NONI ROSE), a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.

The Buzz:

Disney's return to traditional 2D animation has a lot of high hopes attached to it, but it's also the first time Disney has cast an African American heroine. It also has powerhouse Oprah Winfrey providing a voice to the cast.

The Reviews: None

Invictus

The Synopsis:

The true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar, to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

The Buzz:

When you think Oscar you think Clint Eastwood, and the December release of Invictus is more evidence that he's eyeing another statuette. Partner that with Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela, and we might be seeing Eastwood on Oscar night.

The Reviews: None

The Lovely Bones

The Synopsis:

After a 14-year-old girl is raped, murdered and dismembered, her ghost watches an idealized version of the high school she never lived to attend, as she sees life continue, and the search for her murderer continues.

The Buzz:

Mr. Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson comes back to theaters after a long absence, and he has an adaptation of a beloved book, The Lovely Bones. The film was originally set for a March 2008 release, but pushed over a year and a half when the studio saw award possibilities.

The Reviews: None

December 18th

Avatar

The Synopsis:

A wounded ex-marine (Sam Worthington) is sent to settle the planet Pandora against his will. He gets caught by the planet's natives, called Na'vis, and falls in love with one of them (Zoe Saldana). On their planet, he undergoes an experiment to transform into an avatar, another physical version of himself, which is a giant otherworldly creature who he can control through his mind. Filmed half live-action and half-CGI, director James Cameron attempts to create a virtual universe that is realistic and seamless to the naked eye.

The Buzz:

Buzz has been mounting for a while now around James Cameron's first narrative film since 1997's Titanic due to a variety of factors. A mixture of groundbreaking digital effects, the very cutting edge of 3D technology, and of course James Cameron's return to the film world, all add up to big interest.

The Reviews: None

Nine

The Synopsis:

Nine follows the life of famous film director Guido Contini as he reaches a creative and personal crisis and has to balance the numerous women in his life, including his wife, his mistress, his film-star muse, his agent and his mother.

The Buzz:

The buzz around this one has been immense, and with a cast that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, and Nicole Kidman, and is helmed by director Rob Marshall, director of Chicago, we can see why. The Academy loves musicals. They love Daniel Day-Lewis. Will they love this?

The Reviews: None

December 25th

Sherlock Holmes

The Synopsis:

The action-adventure mystery Sherlock Holmes is helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Guy Ritchie, for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Robert Downey Jr. brings the legendary detective to life, and Jude Law stars as Holmes' trusted colleague, Watson, a doctor and war veteran who is a formidable ally for Sherlock Holmes. Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective. Mark Strong stars as their mysterious new adversary, Blackwood. Kelly Reilly plays Watson's love interest, Mary.

The Buzz:

Add heartthrobs Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, superstar juggernaut Robert Downey Jr. and the style of Guy Ritchie, what do you get? Well, we're still not sure, but it looks like a lot of fun. Guy Ritchie's last film, RocknRolla, made only $25 million at the box office so Ritchie is in need of a hit. On the other Robert Downey Jr. is fresh off of hits like Iron Man and Tropic Thunder and we're just months away from the next Iron Man movie.

The Reviews: None

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

The Synopsis:

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a traveling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.

The Buzz:

Heath Ledger's last film, and partially recast with some of the world's most famous actors (including Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell), could make this one a surprise hit. Reviews from Cannes were not kind though, and the last few films from Terry Gilliam haven't been well received.

The Reviews:

With clumsy dialogue, poor plotting and some downright terrible performances, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a huge disappointment for any fan of Terry Gilliam's work.

- Chris Tilly, IGN UK

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

The Synopsis:

Alvin, Simon and Theodore enter a battle of the bands contest to save a school's music program.

The Buzz:

Many people don't quite realize what a force the first Chipmunks film was, earning over $350 million dollars at the box office on a paltry $60 million budget. It was also one of the biggest DVDs of 2008. So can the same formula work a second time?

The Reviews: None