Dive Into the Christmas Weekend with <i>True Grit</i>, <i>Little Fockers</i> and <i>Gulliver's Travels</i> in This Week's Film Roundup

BY Robert BellPublished Dec 24, 2010

Unsurprisingly, Tron: Legacy took the box office crown last weekend, bringing in roughly $44 million from audiences looking to check out the shadowy, neon 3-D videogame fantasy. It will likely continue to attract audiences looking for stylized, escapist fun this weekend, but for the keeners that already saw it, this week delivers a new batch of titles to devour and discuss around the water cooler, or Christmas tree, and we have reviews of them in the Exclaim! Recently Reviewed section.

Perhaps the biggest competitor to hit the multiplex this weekend -- in terms of ticket sales -- is the latest instalment of the Focker legacy, misleadingly titled Little Fockers. In this outing, emasculated male nurse Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) is wrangled into the role of family "Godfocker" by his father-in-law (Robert De Niro), while fighting off the urge to cheat on his wife with hottie pharmaceutical rep, Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba). Read our review to find out if comedy gold strikes this franchise for the third time.

If you're looking for something a little more dignified and cognitive, the Coen brothers have unleashed another sharply crafted dark dissection of American identity and culture shifts with True Grit (pictured). More a straight adaptation of the original novel by Charles Portis than it is a remake of the John Wayne western, taking the perspective of young Mattie Ross (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) as she hires bounty hunters to track down her daddy's killer. Check out review to see why our review calls this "one of the best films of the year."

Lastly, and quite likely least, Jack Black is back on the big screen and up to his usual manic shenanigans in Gulliver's Travels. Taking little from the original Jonathan Swift novel, this seeming adaptation throws broad pop culture geek Lemuel Gulliver (Black) into some weird Bermuda Triangle vortex that transports him to the land of Lilliput. Can you guess what happens next? Read our review to find out of there are any surprises to be had.

Read these theatrical film reviews and more over at the Exclaim.ca Recently Reviewed section.

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