When it was first released in 1982, “Tron” was the pinnacle of computer generated effects, mostly because it was one of the first films ever to have them. Since then, last year’s “Avatar” — blue people and all — has been crowned king of CGI. It’s only fitting that “Tron’s” sequel, “Tron: Legacy,” will hit theaters now and attempt to reclaim its throne from “Avatar” in the ranks of over-the-top visual epics.
So how exactly does “Tron” plan to beat the highest grossing film of all time? Five words: Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges. Nearly 30 years later, Bridges has returned to his iconic role of Kevin Flynn. Now rocking the grizzled white beard of old age, he brings wisdom to his reprised role, and, lucky us, audiences get a double dose. Bridges also plays primary antagonist Clu 2.0, a digital copy of younger Kevin Flynn that betrayed its creator and trapped him in the computer world.
Enter newcomer Garrett Hedlund as Kevin’s son Sam Flynn. When his search for his lost dad brings him to the digital world, father and son, with the help of fighter program Quorra (Olivia Wilde), team up to fight their way back to the real world. Top this all off with a groundbreaking soundtrack by Daft Punk, and it becomes increasingly clear that when “Tron: Legacy” hits theaters, it will be the biggest movie of the holiday season, and — “Avatar” be damned — of the past 10 years.
—Rusteen Honardoost
Staff Writer
“The Fighter” – Dec. 10
Though we’ve had our fill of the boxing-underdog archetype, volatile director David O’Russell and a hauntingly gaunt Christian Bale give “The Fighter” a few knockouts in its corner to keep us guessing.
“Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a struggling boxer looking to make a name for himself, with brother/mentor Dicky (Bale) as his trainer. After a string of defeats and family-related trauma, Micky starts to show promise, thanks to the help of sassy girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams) and his managerial team — but his family isn’t willing to let him walk away that easily.
The weak spot in “The Fighter’s” tough-guy strut seems to be vanilla leading man Marky Mark. Fortunately, Wahlberg and Russell have made good partners before (“I Heart Huckabees”), making it hard to sideline “The Fighter” for this Oscar season.
For Bale — the ass-o-holic method actor that denies being, well, a method actor (and sometimes a regular person) — the dickish attention to detail is paying off. His transformation from the stoic, washboard-abed Batman to cracked-out Dicky is startling. Between Dicky’s brawls, delusional behavior and slurred speech, it’s a wonder Bale’s body emerged unscathed post-film — and if his dedication doesn’t work the Academy, nothing will.
—Rusteen Honardoost
Staff Writer
“The Tourist” – Dec. 10
People will watch “The Tourist” for one reason only: The upcoming action flick pairs powerhouse actors Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie for the first time. Filmed in Venice, Italy, the film follows an unexpected love affair between naïve American tourist Frank Taylor (Depp) and British femme fatale Elise Ward (Jolie), as Frank gets sucked into Elise’s world of international intrigue, chases and gunfights galore. The film is a Hollywood remake of the 2005 French film “Anthony Zimmer,” and the cast gets a glamorous update, including ex-James Bond Timothy Dalton. The pedigree of the actors elevates “The Tourist” a couple notches above your typical spy thriller, and the millions eager to see Depp and Jolie make out will surely help it rake in money at the box office.
—Imran Manji
Senior Staff Writer
“How Do You Know” – Dec. 17
“How Do You Know,” unfortunately, could be yet another film joining the ranks of mediocre rom-coms, though it aspires to much higher territory. The flick follows Lisa Jorgenson (Reese Witherspoon), a professional softball player with commitment issues. Lisa is unsure about whether she’s in love with MLB-pitcher boyfriend Manny (Owen Wilson) and, unlike her girlfriends, hasn’t had her wedding day planned since childhood. The plot thickens with the addition of a love triangle with high-powered executive George (Paul Rudd), up for indictment because of his shady father played by none other than Jack Nicholson.
Despite the charming A-list cast, the film would seem unremarkable if it weren’t directed and written by Academy Award winner James L. Brooks, the mastermind behind romantic comedy gems “Terms of Endearment” and “As Good As It Gets.” With such a fantastic pedigree, this film may actually be worth the trip to the movie theater over winter break.
—Revathy Sampath-Kumar
Staff Writer
“True Grit” – Dec. 22
It’s good to be a Coen Brothers fan. From “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski” to “No Country For Old Men” and last year’s hugely overlooked “A Serious Man,” the hardest-working duo in filmmaking seems to have a limitless cache of instant classics up their sleeves. And if the menacing, “OMG” trailer for “True Grit” — an adaptation of the darkly comic, 1968 Charles Portis western novel — is anything to go by, they’re not planning on taking a break any time soon.
The infinitely badass, eye patch-sporting Jeff Bridges leads as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (played by none other than John Wayne in the 1969 Oscar-winning original). The film chronicles the story of a 14-year-old Mattie Ross (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) who commissions the help of Cogburn and a Texas Ranger named La Boeuf (Matt Damon) to track down her father’s murderer — a drifter named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Frequent Coen collaborator Carter Burwell delivers an epic score to match the film’s dark content, complete with thundering percussion and haunting, Protestant hymns.
Even with just a movie trailer to go off of, the thought of a gun-toting, bloodthirsty Arkansas tween giving grown men a run for their money (not to mention, it’s the goddamn Coen brothers) should be enough to keep the theaters packed and the Oscar nods coming.
—Ren Ebel
Staff Writer
“Rabbit Hole” – Dec. 17
“Rabbit Hole,” an adaptation of a 2005 Tony Award-nominated play by David Lindsay-Abaire, possesses all the components of the too-familiar Hollywood tearjerker formula: a sudden death, two grief-stricken parents, a distraught wife banging on her steering wheel, all wrapped in a broken marriage. In this case, Becca and Howie Corbett (played by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) are struggling to cope after their four-year-old son dies suddenly in a car accident.
Both parents have different ways of coping with the loss. Becca becomes oddly fixated on her son’s teenage killer, Jason, while Howie remains focused on the past, holding in his anger. Their conflicting reactions inevitably cause a rift between the couple.
Judging by the trailer’s mournful piano numbers and long shots of parents staring at old photographs, there will be few positive moments in the film’s 91 minutes. Potential viewers might wonder if the flick bears too much similarity to the unsolved depression they saw from Kidman in “The Hours.” But even so, “Rabbit Hole” does, at least, promise award-caliber performances from its leads.
—Kirsten Mauro
Staff Writer
