Holiday Movie Preview

Turkey on the holiday table? Delicious.

Turkey on a holiday movie screen? Detestable. And possibly indigestible.

But if you're overwhelmed by this Thanksgiving week's cinematic menu (see "Opening This Week" for the full array), prepare for even more indulgence this holiday season.

Just don't expect nonstop visions of sugarplums dancing on the screen.

There will be dancing, to be sure, but the accent's on obsession with ballerina Natalie Portman in "Black Swan," while "The Tourist's" Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie dodge death in Venice. Vengeance rides in a new "True Grit" as Jeff Bridges dons the badge John Wayne once wore as one-eyed Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn. Bridges also reprises his 1982 "Tron" role in the high-tech "Tron: Legacy." Elsewhere on the sequel front, Ben Stiller reunites with Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman in "Little Fockers," while the "Chronicles of Narnia" saga sails on in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

And in the ever-popular Voyage of the Oscar Hopefuls, Colin Firth (the guy Bridges beat in this year's best actor race) returns in the historical drama "The King's Speech," while Mark Wahlberg plays "The Fighter" -- and shares Oscar buzz with co-star Christian Bale. Speaking of Oscar, writer-director James L. Brooks -- who won three for "Terms of Endearment" -- returns with "How Do You Know."

And how do we know all these movies will open at local theaters? We can only hope. But we do know that we'll have to wait until 2011 to catch some of 2010's most heralded dramas. (Stay tuned to Neon for weekly updates.)

In the meantime, prepare to trade turkey for popcorn as you tuck into the season's cinematic banquet. Happy moviegoing to all, and to all a good night -- or matinee!

Dec. 3

"Tamara Drewe" -- The title British journalist ("Prince of Persia's" Gemma Arterton) returns to her small town to sell her late mother's house -- and stir up some old flames -- in a comedy inspired by Posy Simmonds' graphic novel, directed by Stephen Frears ("The Queen," "High Fidelity") and co-starring Dominic Cooper.

"The Warrior's Way" -- East meets West(ern) when a the title assassin (Korea's Dong-gun Jang) refuses an assignment -- and hides out in the Badlands; Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush and Danny Huston round out the starring cast of this made-in-New-Zealand martial arts fantasy.

"Wild Target"-- A veteran hit man (Bill Nighy) finds himself drawn to an intended victim (Emily Blunt) and shadowed by an unlikely apprentice ("Harry Potter's" Rupert Grint) in this crime comedy from "My Cousin Vinny" director Jonathan Lynn.

Dec. 10

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" -- Dragons and merfolk and dwarves, oh my! That's what Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) find when they join Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) for a fantastical voyage aboard the title ship in the third chapter of C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" tales.

"Four Lions" -- A group of self-styled British jihadists launches a series of harebrained terrorist schemes in an acclaimed satire that debuted at this year's Sundance film festival.

"The Nutcracker in 3D" -- In 1920s Vienna, a lonely 9-year-old (Elle Fanning) receives a special Christmas gift from her uncle (Nathan Lane): the title wooden nutcracker, whose arrival triggers a new 3-D fantasy inspired by Tchaikovsky's holiday favorite.

"The Tourist" -- A lovelorn American (Johnny Depp) trying to recover from heartbreak finds his Venice itinerary altered after a close encounter with a mystery woman (Angelina Jolie). The thriller marks the English-language debut of director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck , whose 2006 "The Lives of Others" won an Academy Award for best foreign-language film.

Dec. 17

"Black Swan" -- Two young ballerinas (Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis), competing for the lead role in "Swan Lake," find their rivalry transformed into a twisted friendship in this mind-bender from director Darren Aronofsky ("The Wrestler," "Requiem for a Dream") featuring Winona Ryder, Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey.

"The Fighter" -- The relationship between Boston boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his brother Dicky (Christian Bale), who helped train Mickey before he went pro, inspires this drama from "Three Kings" director David O. Russell; Amy Adams and Melissa Leo co-star.

"How Do You Know" -- A former athlete (Reese Witherspoon) feeling a bit past her prime finds herself torn between her baseball player beau (Owen Wilson) and a crisis-torn business guy (Paul Rudd) in this romantic comedy from writer-director James L. Brooks, who directed co-star Jack Nicholson to Oscars in "As Good As It Gets" and "Terms of Endearment."

"Tron: Legacy" -- Two decades after his father Kevin (Jeff Bridges) disappeared inside Tron's video-game world, tech-savvy Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund) finds himself sucked into the same cyber-universe in a sequel to the 1982 sci-fi romp with Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen and "Tron's" original title character, Bruce Boxleitner.

"Yogi Bear" -- It's pic-a-nic time with this small-to-big-screen cartoon transfer as Yogi (voiced by Dan Aykroyd), sidekick Boo-Boo (voiced by none other than Justin Timberlake) and pals cross paths with a documentary filmmaker visiting Jellystone Park.

Dec. 22

"Gulliver's Travels" -- Jonathan Swift's satire has been around since 1726, but this latest cinematic version (directed by "Monsters vs. Aliens' " Rob Letterman) shows off 21st-century effects when the title travel writer (Jack Black), heading to Bermuda, winds up on the island of Lilliput, where he dwarfs the diminutive denizens.

"Little Fockers" -- It's family reunion time yet again in the second "Meet the Parents" sequel, which finds another baby's imminent arrival striking comedic sparks for parents (Ben Stiller, Teri Polo) and grandparents (Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand) alike.

"True Grit" -- Jeff Bridges reteams with "Big Lebowski" creators Joel and Ethan Coen, stepping into the legendary John Wayne's boots as one-eyed lawman Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn, who helps determined young Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) track down her father's killer in a new adaptation of Charles Portis' novel. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, star of the Coens' Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men," co-star.

Dec. 25

"I Love You Phillip Morris" -- A car accident triggers major changes for a happily married cop (Jim Carrey), who embraces his homosexuality, turns to a life of con artistry and falls for the title character (Ewan McGregor) in a fact-based comedy from "Bad Santa" screenwriters Glenn Ficara and John Requa.

"The King's Speech" -- After his brother abdicates the throne and makes him king, Britain's George VI (Colin Firth) turns to an unorthodox speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) to help rid him of his stutter -- and find his voice so he can lead his country through World War II.

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.