An Xmas Smorgasbord

What with life, work, and the arrival of Crabby Nephew, it might be a while before I get around to seeing any of the new releases for the Christmas weekend, but for convenience's sake, here is a quick overview.

Charlie Wilson's War:  Looks like liberal revisionist history about US involvement in Afghanistan to me, made to target Moonbats in dentures.  While I'm sure the hedonistic tendencies of the titular Congressman are played up, Tom Hanks looks like he does a good job with the material.

Walk Hard:  Take some Talladega Nights, throw in some Ray, and a skosh of Private Parts, and I think you'd arrive at something like the tale of Dewey Cox.  I call it DOA because the R rating will keep out the 13 year-olds this movie will need to sell big, and its brand of humor will likely steer adults toward other movies.

Sweeney Todd:  Johnny Depp as the lead in the adaptation of the Gothic Broadway musical will probably up the movie's grosses by at least $10 million.  The grisly, macabre story of a wronged man slaughtering those who have done him wrong and turning them into meat pies, all the while singing and dancing just might out-do Hairspray's performance at the box office this summer.  Helena Bonham Carter, Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman (all of which have been part of the Harry Potter franchise), and Sasha Baron Cohen also star.

PS I Love You:  The requisite rom-com of the season, this adaptation of the novel of the same name shows how the deceased character of Gerard Butler set up an adventure for his widow played by Hillary Swank.  Looks promising, but expect Lisa Kudrow as the best friend to show up Ms. Swank.

National Treasure 2:  Gotta love Helen Mirren doing a 180 from QE2 to an action flick like this, but I'm seriously fatigued of Over The Top Sequels.  Ben Gates needs to clear the name of his ancestor from involvement in the assassination of President Lincoln, and this duty leads him into all sorts of shenanigans.

The Waterhorse:  Walden Media has done an outstanding job with making family-friendly entertainment (Narnia, Charlotte's Web, Because of Winn-Dixie), so this is sure to be the big winner of the Christmas Day releases.  A charming tale on the origins of the Loch Ness "monster", the movie is an adaptation of the book written by the author of Babe.

Part of the legacy of Scream has been a horror movie every Christmas, and this year, it'll be AVP-R making its way to theatres.  Also coming out on X-mas are:

The Great Debaters, about a debate team from historically black Wiley College taking on Hahvahd.

The Bucket List, which chronicles the unlikely friendship by two men facing life before they die.

The Orphanage, produced by Guillermo Del Toro, takes a woman back to the house she grew up in, where she and her son share some spooky experiences.

With so many options this holiday season, me and Crabby Nephew wish you a Merry Christmas at home and at the movies.