Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Winter Solstice or Festivus, chances are that this time of year is filled with memories of warmth, joy and juvenile giddiness. Some people get their wintery childhood nostalgia on with a mug of ‘nog (rum optional) and a plate full of snickerdoodles. But if that’s not your style, than thankfully, Hollywood is here to help us along.
This holiday season is jam-packed with much-anticipated family-oriented releases, from sources as unlikely as Jason Segal (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Martin Scorcese (a bunch of movies in which people get shot a lot).
The first of these is Happy Feet 2 (November 18). The film is a sequel to the 2006 critical-financial hit, Happy Feet. It is the continued story of Mumble, the penguin who could dance, but could not sing like all the other penguins, which are of course champion vocalists. Mumble now has a son who encounters a puffin, and believes that puffin to be a flying penguin. It’s in fabulous 3D, like all other movies, but whether or not it will have an insidious agenda of leftist propaganda has yet to be seen. Also yet to be seen is whether it will be any good. Happy Feet felt distinctly standalone, and the end didn’t leave much room for a sequel.
Thanksgiving Day (November 23) heralds the release of two highly-anticipated films. Hugo is Martin Scorcese’s first go at a children’s film. The story, based on the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, it a steampunk-tastic tale of a a French orphan, an eccentric girl, toymaker and an automaton running around pre-WWII Paris. The cast and scope of the film are impressive, from the pedigree of the director to the star-studded cast (Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Chloe Grace Moretz) Steampunk might not be a genre traditionally attributed with kids’ movies, but perhaps the infectious allure of trailer will be enough to make this film a hit.
Speaking of wonderful trailers, The Muppets is also finally hitting theaters the same day. Starring Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, several Muppets and a list of cameos unfathomably long, this film is the resurrection of the much-beloved Jim Henson franchise. When an evil oil magnate announces plans to knock down the Muppet Theater, Segal’s character tries to reunite the Muppets who have scattered to different career paths in different corners of the country. The film has had four spoof trailers spoofing other genres and recent blockbusters. The soundtrack, Muppets: The Green Album was free to stream on NPR.com this summer, and features tracks by OK Go, My Morning Jacket and Andrew Bird. The film has received some criticism for being too far from canon or too meta, but has not evaporated the surge of media excitement surrounding it.
If the Muppets is the most hyped release of the season in the United States, across the pond it is unquestionably The Adventures of Tintin. Something about this computer-animated American-produced story of young journalist Tintin and his loyal dog Snowy makes the entire continent of Europe go wild. It is based on a series of Belgian comics that was a cult-hit in Britain and wildly popular on the continent. Not to mention, it was created by an all-star team of producers and writers, an illustrious list including Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings); Steven Spielberg (every movie ever); Kathleen Kennedy; Steven Moffat (Doctor Who); Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and Joe Cornish. The film uses motion capture, which was lukewarmly-received in films like The Polar Express. This time around, the visuals were received more favorably. The movie currently has 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, as it has already been previewed and screened in Belgium, but the wider release happens on December 21.
Bonus Holiday Releases:
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is coming out on December 16. Somehow, this film made it past the planning stages. It is the story of how the Chipmunks and the “Chipettes” get trapped on a deserted island. Given that the first film in the trilogy had 27% on Rotten Tomatoes and the second had 33%, it is probably skippable.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not a children’s film, but sounds like a kid’s game. It has already been in limited release, and, unlike Alvin and the Chipmunks, holds 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. This British espionage film might not be a family release, but is still a must-see this holiday season.
Kelly Dickinson!
Now that I have your attention. Read these words. With a probability of over 75% Chipwrecked is worth going to see! This comes from Rotten Tomatoes. It will succeed in taking in more tickets than Your choice: The Muppets. Their new CD is now headed to stores. They have been around for 50 plus years. The only thing that is Skippable is your opinion on this matter. The global fanbase won’t be stopped from watching.