Will Smith brings hot action to winter screens

Once upon a time, action flicks were considered lesser movies. No longer. Huge stars like Will Smith, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and Nicolas Cage all enjoy taking their turn living out our vicarious “I wish I could do that” fantasies. There will be violence, silly plot turns and some cardboard characters, but there also will be impressive special effects and action that will get you bouncing in your seat.

“I Am Legend”
Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Willow Smith, Charlie Tahan
Director: Francis Lawrence
Story: After a terrible man-made plague strikes Earth, Robert Neville (Will Smith), a brilliant scientist becomes the last man on Earth. Or so he thinks. In fact, he is surrounded by “the infected,” mutated creatures who lurk in the dark and watch him. They are after his blood. Can he come up with the cure for the virus before they destroy him?
Buzz: Having conquered the Fourth of July, Smith has evidently decided to take over the holiday movie season. Last year, “Pursuit of Happyness” earned more than $163 million when it opened on Dec. 15. Nothing to sneeze at for a serious topic. Director Lawrence is primarily known for music videos, but also helmed “Constantine.” Smith told Entertainment Weekly that this film was a perfect combination of artistic and audience-pleasing. “My movies need to mean something,” he said.
Web site: http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com/
Release date: Dec. 14

“Beowulf”

Paramount Pictures

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Story: Beowulf (Winstone) is a warrior seeking glory, so King Hrothgar (Hopkins) hires him to kill the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover) who’s been terrorizing the kingdom. Grendel’s mother (Jolie), however, doesn’t take this attack lightly and wants revenge.
Buzz: Zemeckis (“Cast Away”) shot this film in 3-D CG, using the motion capture techniques he developed in “Polar Express” (let’s hope the characters don’t suffer from the dead-doll eye syndrome that ruined that film). With the magic of technology, the animators were also able to make the 50-year-old Winstone (marvelous in the film, “The Proposition”) look 18. Unfortunately for viewers craving “300”-level computer-animated violence, this film is rated PG-13.
Web site: http://www.beowulfmovie.com/
Release date: Nov. 16

“The Golden Compass”

New Line Cinema

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Eva Green, Daniel Craig, Nonso Anozie Director: Chris Weitz
Story: Based on Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy, this film tells the story of Lyra (Richards), a 12-year-old girl orphan who lives among scholars at Jordan College. In her world, children mysteriously disappear, and when her own friend Roger is kidnapped, she and her daemon (an animal manifestation of her) set off to find him. They wind up in the frozen north among armored polar bears and witches.
Buzz: New Line is obviously going for the “Lord of the Rings” audience here, but this film looks a bit more reminiscent of “Chronicles of Narnia” (as in: more kid friendly). Kidman told Entertainment Weekly that film does not include any references to Catholicism (in the book, a Catholic group kidnaps children). Director Weitz, who is best known for co-directing with his brother Paul (“About a Boy”), goes it alone for this sci-fi adventure. New Line is going to wait to see how this film does before it signs on for any sequels.
Web site: http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
Release date: Dec. 7

“National Treasure: Book of Secrets”

Walt Disney

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Bruce Greenwood, Helen Mirren
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Story: In this sequel to the 2004 film, a missing page from John Wilkes Booth’s diary emerges that implicates Ben’s (Cage) great-great grandfather in the murder of Abraham Lincoln. In order to clear his ancestor’s name, Ben must track down a secret presidential diary and kidnap the president (Greenwood).
Buzz: There’s a certain audaciousness to this plot that’s hard not to be impressed by: A book that contains the secret behind the assassination of JFK and whether or not the moon landing was a hoax? Kidnapping the president? Screenwriters Cormac and Marianne Wibberley are not afraid to embrace the ridiculous. And how did the studio get stars like Keitel, Mirren and Harris to sign on? Could it be that the first film grossed more than $173 million? Maybe Keitel needs a new house.
Web site: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/nationaltreasure/
Release date: Dec. 21

“Southland Tales”

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Jill Ritchie, Miranda Richardson, John Larroquette, Jon Lovitz
Director: Richard Kelly
Story: In July 2005, after both El Paso and Abilene, Texas, have been destroyed by nuclear weapons, and America is at war, the Patriot Act is upgraded so that all citizens are monitored by a new agency called USIdent. Because of fuel shortages, German company Treer designs a generator propelled by ocean currents. This film follows a former film star (Johnson), who’s been stricken with amnesia; an ex-porn star (Gellar); and twin brothers (both played by Scott) whose destines become intertwined.
Buzz: Director Kelly (“Donnie Darko”) has already written three graphic novels that lead up to the story told in this film. An ambitious project, no doubt, but when the Hollywood Reporter’s Ray Bennett saw the film at Cannes, he wrote, “the will to live is lost in the first reel.” And JoBlo.com’s Berge Garabedian called the film an “unmitigated disaster.”  However, the Los Angeles Times’ Mark Cohen reports that the film has been trimmed by 20 minutes and has 100 new visual effects shots. Can those changes fix this flick?
Web site: http://www.southlandtales.com/
Release date: Nov. 14

“Flawless”

Magnolia Pictures

Starring: Michael Caine, Demi Moore, Lambert Wilson, Joss Ackland, Constantine Gregory
Director: Michael Radford
Story: A soon-to-retire janitor (Caine) convinces an American executive (Moore) who’s hit the glass ceiling to help him steal diamonds from their employer: The London Diamond Corporation. This story is loosely based on an actual case.
Buzz: Director Radford is probably best known for the award-winning “Il Postino.” He hasn’t done much since (“Dancing at the Blue Iguana”). Despite appearances in “Bobby” and “Mr. Brooks,” Moore still hasn’t made much of a comeback. Caine has become better about not taking just any role — let’s hope this film isn’t a step backward for him.
Web site: NA
Release date: Nov. 30

“John Rambo”

Lionsgate

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Rey Gallegos, Jake La Botz, Tim Kang, Paul Schulze
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Story: A group of Christian human rights missionaries (led by Benz and Schulze) ask John Rambo (Stallone) to guide them up the Salween River into Burma. But when they arrive at the village, they are attacked by Major Pa Tee Tint (Maung Maung Khim) and a group of Burmese army men. Though Rambo escapes, it’s up to him to go back up the river and save the missionaries.
Buzz: Twenty years is a long time to wait between sequels. Stallone is so busy trying to resurrect his old franchises (see “Rocky Balboa”) that he doesn’t seem to realize that his time has come and gone. “Rocky Balboa” may have made more than $70 million (back in 1988), “Rambo III” only made $53 million. It may be time to start considering a spot on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Web site: NA
Release date: Jan. 25

MORE FROM MOVIE OPINIONS

Oscar season nears, but where’s the buzz?

Oscar season nears, but where’s the buzz? Hollywood’s vampire obsession may bleed out Does ‘Precious’ stereotype big black women? Newsweek: The problem with ‘Precious’ When it comes to stardom, Clooney has smarts ‘Saw’ franchise creates buzz, but is it any good? Remembering concert documentaries that rock theGrio: ‘This Is It’ a final act fit for a king Best actress category looks slim for Oscars theGrio: Tyler Perry can’t do bad all by himself   Add Movie opinions headlines to your news reader: