DreamWorks SKG
Jeremy Irvine plays young Albert, the first person of many to love Joey, the "War Horse."
By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
The Hollywood studios are rolling out plenty of big movies this week, knowing many moviegoers will have?a few days off for the holidays.
Movies:
Steven Spielberg has been busy -- he has?two films in this roundup. The first, "War Horse," is based on a children's book, in which Joey the horse must leave the boy who loves him so to do his duty for?England (and a few other countries) in World War I. It's Spielberg through and through, with breathtaking scenery, crashing war scenes, and a horse and characters you come to love. And it opens on Christmas, optimized for family viewing. (Opens Dec. 25.)
One of the year's most-anticipated films is the American version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," starring Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Some fans of Stieg Larsson's novels were angry at first that an English-language film was being made of the book, since the trilogy has already been made into well-reviewed Swedish movies. But that buzz has quieted down a bit, and now moviegoers just seem interested in seeing how this one has come together. (Opens Dec. 21.)
No, not Rin Tin Tin. Tintin. The character is well-known in Europe, but many Americans have never heard of him. They will now. With Steven Spielberg directing and Peter Jackson producing, "The Adventures of Tintin" can't help but be huge. In the film, young goofy-haired journalist Tintin and his dog Snowy find themselves caught up in a mystery. The 3-D film was made with performance capture, giving the characters that eerie not-quite-human, not-quite-animated look. (Opens Dec. 21.)
You may have to seek out an arthouse theater to see it, but spy drama "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" looks to be worth it. Gary Oldman plays author John LeCarre's famed spy, George Smiley, who's pulled back into service to help hunt down a Soviet spy. The cast is an Anglophile's dream, as it includes Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and Toby Jones, among others. (Opens wide Dec. 23.)
People have different ideas about what to spend big on, but few families would think as Benjamin Mee did. Mee and his family bought a dilapidated English zoo, and the book he wrote about it is now a film, "We Bought a Zoo." Matt Damon plays Mee, and Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church also star. (Opens Dec. 23.)
TV:
When Simon Cowell left "American Idol" for his new show, "X Factor," some didn't know what to think. Would "Idol" go under without Cowell's bitter tongue, and would "X Factor" replace it in viewers' hearts? "Idol" appears to have outlived Cowell's departure, but his new show has its loyal fans as well. The "X Factor" finale airs this week, and Mariah Carey reportedly is scheduled to?perform a new song on the episode. Remember, the prize here is huge: A $5 million recording contract. (Dec. 21 and 22, 8 p.m., Fox)
DVD:
In Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," Owen Wilson plays a screenwriter who suddenly finds himself wandering that magical city with the long-dead writers and artists who are his heroes. Cole Porter, Salvador Dali, Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway are among the famous who spring back to life in this well-reviewed film. (On DVD Dec. 20.)
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