"A Christmas Carol" (Nov. 6): The first film out of the gate-and the only truly seasonal story- is director Robert Zemeckis's ("The Polar Express") 3D, motion-capture reimaging of the holiday classic. Casting the rediscovered funnyman Jim Carrey in the role as Mr. Scrooge was a brilliant move and likely to guarantee a more cross-generational appeal. With the Walt Disney stamp of approval, how could this film go wrong?
Outcome: Smash
Will it be any good?: This is Zemeckis's third motion-capture experience and though I long for the days of his live action work ("Back to the Future," "Forrest Gump," "Castaway"), the film will more than likely be a reasonably good, family-oriented, special-effects driven interpretation of the tale.
"2012" (Nov. 13): No one makes disaster films with such mainstream appeal and awe-inspiring sequences like director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow"). While his last film, "10,000 BC," was a critical and financial failure Emmerich is on more secure footing with this world-spanning, near future epic. Nonetheless, are enough people familiar with or care about the Mayan calendar's day of Armaggeddon?
Outcome: Crash
Will it be any good?: While the majority of Americans might overlook this picture because its sandwiched between Disney's "A Christmas Carol" and "Twilight: New Moon," from the early trailers and the respectable cast it is likely to be our loss.
"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (Nov. 20): The financial success of this picture is a no-brainer. The sequel to the darkly romantic, female-oriented "Twilight" appears from the trailers to have more special effects, more action, and a developing love-triangle between human girl Bella, immortal vampire Edward, and Native American wolf-man Jacob. Girlfriends will drag their boyfriends, parents will take their kids, and wives will blackmail their husbands into seeing this picture.
Outcome: Smash
Will it be any good?: The new director, Chris Weitz, may be more comfortable with computer-generated effects than the prior director (the weak spot of the last film) but he had a recent failure with the kid-oriented picture, "The Golden Compass." I think Weitz will get the tone and the action right for this film, as long as he can make those giant dogs believable.
"The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (Nov. 25): Fringe, indie director Wes Anderson somehow was given the go-ahead on adapting a Roald Dahl story into an animated film. Despite the big-name voice cast the animation has an unappealing retro feel, there is a dry-ness to the humor, and the storyline will be unfamiliar to the masses. I'm not sure what audience the film is supposed to attract but I expect both Anderson's art-house regulars and families will find more familiar pictures to see.
Outcome: Crash
Will it be any good?: Anderson's pictures have a unique personality but his movie's very particular sensibilities only play well to a certain crowd. Mainstream audiences aren't likely to "get" this animated flick and if you cannot appeal to a significant segment of the family marketplace with a children's story, you are not doing your job.
"The Road" (Nov. 25): "The Road" is another apocalyptic story just in time for the holiday season, based upon the Pulitzer Prize winning Cormac McCarthy novel. It follows a boy and his father looking for safety and shelter after an undisclosed world-altering disaster. An Australian director John Hillcoat, who is little known stateside, was given the reigns of this powerful tale by The Weinstein Company. The movie's release date was moved back several times, leading to some concern regarding the overall quality of the picture. The movie will need strong word of mouth and critical acclaim to become a true blockbuster.
Outcome: Crash
Will it be any good?: The quality of the material and the cast guarantees a solid picture but the director must take the strong written word and make it independently powerful on the screen. I'm not certain Hillcoat has the experience to pull this off.
"The Princess and the Frog" (Dec. 11): When audiences started to take hand-drawn animation for granted and CGI animation became more popular, films like this one disappeared. Disney was known for its yearly princess film which was an annual cinematic mecca for families. Finally, Disney has created a new hand-drawn film out of the frog kissing fairy tale. The movie is set in New Orleans French Quarter and is likely to have all the humor, romance, and adventure audiences forgot they missed.
Outcome: Smash
Will it be any good?: The co-directors of Disney's hit “Aladdin” are the filmmakers behind "The Princess and the Frog." Disney has had plenty of time to develop a good story and won't let slip this last opportunity to save hand-drawn animation.
"The Lovely Bones" (Dec. 11): The much talked about adaptation of the emotionally powerful mystical book is finally making its way into theaters. The capable cinematic eye of Peter Jackson will tell the story of a young girl who is murdered but still looks over her parents and her killer, seeking ultimate resolution. While this film may be a bit emotionally draining for the holidays, Jackson will likely find a way to make it work. With a heavenly supernatural element, "The Lovely Bones" may actually work as the religion-lite drama of the season.
Outcome: Smash
Will it be any good?: Mr. Lord of the Rings and King Kong deserves plenty of good cinematic will for his achievements. Can we expect anything less from his latest passion project?
"Avatar" (Dec. 18): Is this the film that James Cameron fans have been waiting a decade for? Cameron disappeared from feature films for a decade after his award tour-de-force "Titantic." Cameron returns to Hollywood with a big budget, cutting edge, 3D CGI alien vs. space marine extravaganza. The trailers look to be as alien as the storyline. Has Cameron been away too long and tried for too much in his returning picture?
Outcome: Crash
Will it be any good?: Is this movie too strange and serious for audiences who are simply looking for cinematic action and thrills? If Cameron can make this melding of live action and computer animated backgrounds and characters work, he deserves all the acclaim in the world. But this feels like a vanity project gone too far, a science fiction version of Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto."
"Sherlock Holmes" (Dec. 25): Since "Iron Man," Robert Downey Jr. has been a hot commodity. Using him to remake a familiar franchise with a more comical, action-oriented style appears to be an intelligent studio move. The movie trailer looks fun and exciting. The addition of Jude Law and Rachel McAdams gives Downey Jr. a capable supporting cast to work with.
Outcome: Smash
Will it be any good?: Indie, Brit tough guy director Guy Ritchie will keep the film from going too far overboard, while Downey Jr. redefines a classic character for a new generation.
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Dec. 25): Heath Ledger's final role in Terry Gilliam's madcap, trippy film has attained a word-of-mouth sensationalism since Ledger's death and the casting of several famous actors in his place. The story and Ledger's role allows for the replacement in the picture of him by actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Gilliam is a hit-or-miss director who makes interesting pictures which sometimes lack coherence. Is this movie too weird for box office success?
Outcome: Crash
Will it be any good?: It is hard to say whether this will be more "12 Monkeys" or "The Brothers Grimm." Gilliam will want to respect Ledger's memory with the best final product possible but there is a healthy amount of skepticism circling this picture.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" (Dec. 25): A new, veteran director brings "The Squeakquel" to December's silver screen two years after the initial offering. Can the studio catch lightning in a bottle twice with the CGI chipmunks singing their way into families' hearts? The movie may be too late in the month to catch the maximum good will of the season but audiences's fondness for the first film will still be fresh in their memories. Plus, this film introduces romance to the Chipmunks with the Chippettes.
Outcome: Smash
Will it be any good?: In two words, probably not. This bubblegum sequel is unlikely to improve on the mediocrity of the original picture and kids can tell the difference between classics and space fillers. Sadly, parents have shorter memories.
"Nine" (Dec. 25): Rob Marshall adapts this little known Broadway musical for the big screen, hoping for the same success he had with "Chicago." Despite the award-winning cast, including Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicole Kidman, the songs and story are too little known to cause a stir among the masses.
Outcome: Crash
Will it be any good?: Marshall will make a decent picture which will appeal to the small, musical-theatre crowd but won't create the lasting impression of "Chicago."