December marks the time of year when we can anticipate the arrival of two very exciting things: Santa Claus and the latest Will Smith movie.
After years of growing up on television on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and maturing through flicks like “Independence Day” and “Men In Black,” Smith has gotten to the point in his career where he can enjoy basking in the glow of the year’s most anticipated movies.
Now, Smith is once again settling into blockbuster bliss with another role that could earn him recognition during the upcoming awards season.
“I Am Legend,” is Smith’s latest vehicle, a sci-fi flick that brings back memories of his role in 2004’s “I, Robot,” a film now in heavy cable television rotation.
In the new flick, Smith plays the last man on earth. Left alone in New York City, he is the only human immune to a devastating virus. Equipped with a background in science and some fierce determination, he struggles to survive without his family and friends.
Adding further conflict to this existential-themed film are the mutants who seem to be chasing after Smith’s character. If anyone can make this work, it’s Smith, who is once again making this movie a family project. His daughter, Willow Smith, also stars.
Children of the ’80s, please fork over your cash! That’s what movie distributors would like you to do this holiday season. Why else would they bring back “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” a cartoon where three chipmunks with human attributes sing and live with their human father figure in peaceful harmony?
Who could forget Ross Bagdasarian’s characters, Simon the geek, Theodore the glutton and Alvin the bossy punk? Now they’re being marketed to a whole new generation: the children of the children their cartoons originally targeted.
Add Jason Lee, of television’s “My Name is Earl,” as the live-action dad, and Generation Xers will flock to the box office with their little ones in tow. It worked for “Garfield,” right?
Also vying for your holiday box-office buck is a sweet but otherwise pointless Gabrielle Union flick. “The Perfect Holiday” finds Union playing a divorced woman whose daughter conspires with a mall Santa Claus to find her the perfect new husband. Queen Latifah also stars in this fluffy holiday movie offering.
