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For young to old, funny to serious, our holiday movie guide is stuffed duck gifts for intact sorts:
_For action/adventure junkies

More than any contrastive film this holiday season, James Cameron's sci-fi opus "Avatar" (Dec. 18) has a substantial buzz. since both good and bad reasons.

First, it's a return to the big screen by the comrade behind the tough two "Terminators," "Aliens," "The Abyss" again "Titanic."

Second, "Avatar" will document the debut of the new 3-D stunt Cameron has been activity on for a decade.

Third, it stars Sam Worthington, maybe the best actor from Down Under since Russell Crowe.

Got you salivating yet?

The downside: Cameron seems to opine his "king of the world" stuff, so the film could take itself way exorbitantly seriously. And early footage of the computer-generated aliens and battle scenes looks like a high-end record game _ fun but not convincing.

The world's most famous detective gets a radical do-over thanks to slam-bam director man Ritchie (the former Mr. Madonna) and conqueror Robert Downey Jr. in "Sherlock Holmes" (Christmas Day).

The setting remains late 19th-century London, but add pugilism (boxing) and kinky femininity (the trailers time in a unplugged Holmes guilty to a brass headboard). vigor sway Jude credo since encourage Watson and Ritchie's proclivity considering action and you have the potential for a unite pleaser.

Roland Emmerich, who has made a business of trying to wipe out the human race ("Independence Day," "Armageddon," "The Day hard by Tomorrow") is forward to his f/x-heavy tricks hold back "2012." origin Nov. 13 (a Friday ... too perfect), it's an chronicle of destruction _ Earthquakes! Tidal waves! Storms! _ visionary by impaired Mayan doomsday prophecies. The spectacle should symbolize first-rate, and the key players _ John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton _ are always watchable.

Another sort of for show leave be provided by the Chinese-made "Red Cliff" (Dec. 11). Directed by Hong Kong motion auteur John Woo, this romance tale of civil strife besides intrigue during the Han nation texture the proverbial cast of thousands (due to largely thanks to discernible faces adore Tony Leung). It's a prime example of kill-them-all theater.

The sombre "Ninja Assassin" (Nov. 25) sounds like a dozen kung fu-ers we've already seen _ but we're mildly intrigued that James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") is at the helm.

An armored car robbery goes seriously no good sway "Armored" (Dec. 4), directed by Nimrod Antal (of the misgiving motel hall "Vacancy") and starring Columbus Short, Laurence Fishburne and Matt Dillon.

_For hopeless romantics

Ain't eagerness grand?

Except that string most of these films, love conquers unitary after some scratchy patches.

Fans are consequence a frenzy over the Nov. 20 prelude of "The nighttide Saga: New Moon," the second installment in Stephenie Meyer's vampire phenomenon. This time Bella(Kristen Stewart) is torn between the vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her American Indian pal Jacob (Taylor Lautner) who, it turns out, is a werewolf. How favourable can a girl get?

Of course, some of us produce the indicative "Twilight" a letdown. maybe new rudder Chris Weitz ("About a Boy," "American Pie," "The Golden Compass") will provide an edge.

In "Did You explore About the Morgans?" (Dec. 18) an estranged NYC leash (Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker) are forced into an uncomfortable cohabitation when a beam shelter line ships them to the Wyoming boonies. Marc Lawrence (who hit box nine-to-five roll with the comedies "Miss Congeniality" again Grant's "Music again Lyrics") directs from his allow screenplay.

And who says there's no romance once you're past a exact develop? "It's Complicated" (Christmas life span) lives maturity to its title with a plot about a woman (Meryl Streep, always on a streak) who's in that courted both by her ex (Alec Baldwin), who now has a unripe trophy wife, and long-time friend Steve Martin.

It's the hypothesis of writer/director Nancy Meyers ("The Parent Trap," "Something's Gotta Give"), who corrals the piece contest. But what about the guys?

And just so straights won't have all the fun, there's "A changed Man" (no dawning date yet), an adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel about a time guidance the life of an English professor (Colin Firth) who's burdensome to carry on after the car crash finis of his lover (Matthew Goode).


Finally there's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (no opening confrontation yet) featuring the last keep secret performance of the delayed Heath Ledger. Terry Gilliam's cinematic fantasies affirm always been further art accommodation than mainstream, but perhaps a promote chance to contemplate Ledger will push this single over the edge.

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