Sci-Fi / Fantasy Films - Dec. 2007

(NOW PLAYING) Motion-capture animation was considered a qualified success after The Polar Express, Tom Hanks's sheer presence overcoming the distraction of watching his soulless onscreen dopplegangers as overslick yet underrealized digital marionettes. Director Robert Zemeckis returned to the well for the brutal Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, capturing the movements and voices of such stars as Ray Winstone, Robin Wright Penn, Anthony Hopkins, and Crispin Glover before molding them digitally into creatures of early medieval myth -- or, in Winstone's case, an unusually rugged L.A. gym bunny. A repeat of the similarly stylized swords-and-gorefest 300 was clearly desired, but these electronic waxworks can't do anything but go through the motions.

(NOW PLAYING) Disney's surprisingly deft parody/tribute to its own animated classics, Enchanted survives on Amy Adams's effortless ability to hold the audience's attention, not to mention that of every character on screen. This updating of the familiar "daft animated heroine meets even-more-beautiful prince" story takes on life and depth, literally and figuratively, when Adams's guileless Giselle is exiled New York City, where she meets cynical divorce lawyer Patrick Dempsey, his doleful daughter, and unproposed-to lady friend (Idina Menzel, from Wicked). Susan Sarandon's turn as the unscary wicked witch is more than made up for by Adams, Dempsey, Timothy Spall, James Marsden, a nontalking chipmunk, and various urban fauna. Pure delight.

(Dec. 7) That Compass has become most hyped fantasy film since Lord of the Rings is no coincidence, since this was New Line's deliberate effort to make lightning strike again with a sprawling, lavishly produced fantasy epic filled with the ineffable LotR mix of heartwarming acting, brilliant digital animation, and stunning world-building. The results are impressive on the technical and acting ends, with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig leading a fellowship of character actors carefully directed by Chris Weitz (who was pushed out only to be asked back). Yet the massive scope and the diligence that has gone into producing Lyra's universe has caused a shortfall on cohesion and vision, making the whole experience disappointingly unsatisfying.

(Dec. 12, L.A. only) Huge Hollywood studios aren't the only folks who can do sci-fi, thank you very much. This 24-minute short, directed by James Ward Byrkit (who storyboarded the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), is described as a "futuristic sci-fi love story" involving two characters on separate quests through space and time who end up finding each other. The stars, Austin Highsmith and Maury Sterling, have done enough TV and small films for viewers to fall into that maddening "Where have I seen them?" distraction; and Highsmith, an avid skydiver, at least has some experience getting away from planet Earth.

(Dec. 14) I'm not sure why Will Smith is the go-to actor for loner heroes in sci-fi thrillers, but I Am Legend's core concept of a single ordinary man immune from a worldwide plague that turns humanity into vampiric monsters seems somehow tailor-made for Smith's more committed side as a performer. Directed by Francis Lawrence (the ambitious but flawed Constantine), Legend is based on Richard Matheson's seminal novel (previously adapted as 1971's The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston and 1964's The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price) following the struggles of this one survivor to save humanity by discovering a cure for the plague, despite his lack of scientific training. Filmed (very expensively) on location in New York.

(Dec. 25) Unclear on why the aliens and predators are still fighting, when they should have retired to North Carolina by now and set up a joint operation selling alien mucus as pesticide to tobacco farmers? Same here. But AVPR deserves attention primarily because of the involvement of its co-directors, the brother effects wizards Colin and Greg Strause, famous for their work as visual effects supervisors on The Day After Tomorrow, 300, and Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Why did they choose to make their directing debut helming an AVP movie, when they could have been working on, say, Beowulf? Wait, I think I answered my own question. The cast is led by Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me), John Ortiz, and Reiko Aylesworth (24).

(Dec. 25) A lonely boy discovers a strange egg that hatches a rapidly growing mythical creature. No, it's not Eragon -- the creature here is a water horse, a peculiar, fun-loving aquantic species only one of which can exist at a time. Another entry in the British effort to corner the market on charming stories about young boys who discover magical worlds, The Water Horse features Alex Etel, the grinning, freckle-faced kid from Millions, alongside a captivatingly quirky supporting cast led by Emily Watson and David Morrissey (who previously starred together in Hilary and Jackie). Water Horse developed slight notoriety when its release date was set to a week before Prince Capian's, obliging Disney to push the Narnia sequel to next summer.