It’s Thanksgiving weekend, which means plenty of new releases to try and please the boatload of people who’ll be out at the theaters from Wednesday through Sunday. Burlesque should appeal to the younger female audiences, Faster will pique the curiosity of young males, Love and Other Drugs will appeal to the middle aged women and couples looking for a date movie and Tangled will appeal to families. There will no doubt be some cross-over, but these are the key demos being sought. For the bigger city families, The Nutcracker will be playing in 3D; and for Oscar enthusiasts, they’ll have The King’s Speech to try and be impressed by. And this is what we think of the showdown. (Updated: 11/25/10, 8:44a – Added Wes’ comments)
Consensus
Below is a list of what we have come to a general consensus on. The number in parens represents the percentage of our contributors who agree with the statement.
Burlesque: We are against seeing it (75%) and agreed there are no Oscars in its future (100%).
Faster: Another film we aren’t going to watch (100%) and aren’t going to see at the Oscars (100%).
Love and Other Drugs: We are at least likely to see it (75%) and agree its an Oscar contender of some type (100%).
Tangled: We are likely to watch it, but not all at the theaters (100%) and we agree Best Animated Feature is a possible Oscar category (100%).
The King’s Speech: We are agreed that this is at most a must see, at least a likely (100%) and we’re unified that this is a major Oscar contender (100%).
The Nutcracker in 3D: Our decision is not to see it (75%), but we’re split on whether it’s a tech contender or not (50%).
WIDE RELEASES
| BURLESQUE | ||||
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See the original
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Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
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Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
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ThoughtsIt looks like it should be fun, which will be perfect for some light weekend entertainment. As for Oscar, it depends on how it is handled by critics and whether the art direction is worth noting. |
ThoughtsIf I do end up seeing this, it will be on DVD or cable TV, but given its tired old plot this film could have been made 80 years ago. |
ThoughtsThis films looks like it contains nothing to hold my interest. |
ThoughtsNo… just, no. |
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| FASTER | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
See the original
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Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
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Oscar Chances |
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ThoughtsI can smell that The Rock is bombing. |
ThoughtsLooks like a standard Grade B gangster film. |
ThoughtsWhat happened to Billy Bob Thornton that he went from making great independent cinema to films like this. I want another Sling Blade. |
ThoughtsIt looks like a crappy remake of The Fast and the Furious. Is it a coincidence that The Rock is starring in Fast Five next summer? |
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| LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
See the original
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Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
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Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
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ThoughtsCritics haven’t hated it, but they haven’t loved it either. However, with the presence of both Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal, it’s certainly a must see. |
ThoughtsAdvance word on this highly publicized film is not good, but Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal make an interesting team. |
ThoughtsI am unabashed in my love of Anne Hathaway, and this looks like a great vehicle for her. |
ThoughtsA one-time major contender that has really slipped in recent weeks. I honestly don’t think it’s going to receive any nominations, but Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal will probably both be nominated for Golden Globes, which makes them at least contenders for nominations, albeit very unlikely ones. |
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| TANGLED | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
See the original
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Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
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Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
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ThoughtsIt looks like some of your late-’90s Disney, which doesn’t bode well, but I could be surprised and I’ve seen nearly every one of their animated films, so I’ll be there. |
ThoughtsCould be an Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature, but I will wait for the DVD. |
ThoughtsThis doesn’t look like one of Disney’s great achievements, but it could be fun. |
ThoughtsIt could be a lot of fun. Disney Animation Studios has really improved significantly since John Lasseter took over (see last year’s fantastic The Princess and the Frog). It’s been receiving glowing reviews, and is a huge contender for a Best Animated Feature nomination. |
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LIMITED RELEASES
| THE KING’S SPEECH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
See the original
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Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
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Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
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ThoughtsPersonally, I don’t think it looks all that great, but this is one of the major Oscar contenders, so it must be seen. |
ThoughtsEarly speculation says this is the film to beat for this year’s Best Picture Oscar. Should be fun. |
ThoughtsAn amusing story that is quickly becoming a leading contender for the Oscars. |
ThoughtsOne of this year’s top contenders, not just for a Best Picture nomination, but for the win. It should give The Social Network a run for its money and will likely win a couple of major guild awards. Colin Firth is also a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination (and this year’s frontrunner at this point in the race). |
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| THE NUTCRACKER in 3D | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
See the original
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Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
Will We See? |
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Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
Oscar Chances |
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ThoughtsThe lush design work should make it a competitor in Art Direction and Costume Design and while it seems a bit too family-oriented, Elle Fanning is one of the most interesting young actors working today, so it might be worth checking out. |
ThoughtsThe director hasn’t made a decent film in more than twenty years, and this doesn’t look any better than most of those. |
ThoughtsWhy go see this when you can go see one of hundreds of live performances going on this season. |
ThoughtsI’m not going to waste my money, especially to see this “movie” in 3D. |
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