The 2010 holiday movie season has quite a few big-name actors attached to large movie franchises. Here is a list of the films with the most buzz as the holiday movie scene begins this weekend:
“Skyline” (November 12)
Previews for this movie have already started appearing on television. The story revolves around a pretty formulaic concept, except this sci-fi movie was made on a budget of only $10 million. In this take on alien invasion, Los Angeles is barraged by alien spacecrafts that suck humans inside through an ominous blue light. The film, which stars Eric Balfour, is a survival story that lends its inspiration to movies like “Independence Day” and “Cloverfield.”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1” (November 19)
Possibly the most hype of the holiday season revolves around the first part of the last installment of a franchise that has amassed $5 billion in worldwide box office with six movies over the past nine years. Helping add to the epic end of the Harry Potter series is the fact that the studio made the decision to split the adaptation of the last story into two separate films. At 146 minutes, Part 1 follows Harry, Ron and Hermione on their mission to destroy the last of the Horcruxes and vanquish Voldemort for good.
“Love and Other Drugs” (November 24)
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, “Love and Other Drugs” is a romantic movie about a charming, successful playboy (a Viagra salesman) who chases a free-spirited, attractive woman. Adding a hitch to this relatively smooth, cliche plot is the fact that Hathaway’s character is incurably sick. From there, the story follows the two as they ride the rollercoaster ride of reality.
“Black Swan” (December 3)
Darren Aronofsky, who most famously directed “Requiem for a Dream,” releases his latest project, starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Winona Ryder. The film follows a ballet dancer in hopes of theatrical success who falls victim to the psychological stress and pressure from a rival dancer.
“Tron: Legacy” (December 17)
Appearing to be a visually amazing movie, “Tron: Legacy” is going to be to the 2010 holiday season that “Inception” was to the summer blockbusters. Full of bright lights and booming sound, the story is about the son who tries to track down his once successful father that disappeared mysteriously. His search takes him into the virtual world his father created, which is full of deadly games around every corner. “Tron: Legacy” is the sequel to the 1982 version that was one of the first movies to completely deal in computer animation.
“True Grit” (December 22)
The Coen brothers enter the holiday lineup with a western that has a lot of buzz around it. The cast is accomplished with Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. In the film, Bridges plays a gritty U.S. Marshal who makes the decision to help a young girl avenge the death of her father. Full of unexpected turns and twists, the film seems to have the same excitement of the Coen’s “No Country for Old Men.”
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