Penguin Chicks, Chick Flicks Hit Box Office

By: Sarah Kopman-Fried

Posted: 1/19/07

To quote Eli Wallach's character, Arthur, in this winter's box-office hit, "The Holiday," "Nine movies came out this week? I remember when nine movies would come out a year …" Winter break did seem to provide viewers with an abundance of new titles to choose from, ranging from animated adventures to spy thrillers, and much in between. However, for those readers not fortunate enough to spend their holiday parked below a 30-foot movie screen, here is a guide to what you may have missed.

"Happily N'ever After"

From the creators of "Shrek," this film puts a decidedly comical spin on the traditional Cinderella story by attempting to "alter the balance between good and evil." Featuring the voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sigourney Weaver, and Freddie Prinze Jr., the cast was certainly impressive. However, it wasn't impressive enough to carry the over-all lifeless movie. At barely more than an hour long and lacking the wit and originality of the "Shrek" movies, "Happily N'ever After" felt like a waste of both time and money.

Overall rating: 4/10

"Happy Feet"

The newest in a series of penguin dominated movies that has captured the American screen, "Happy Feet" is a cute story about a penguin who is born different. The voice of Robin Williams lends humor to the film, which otherwise is laden with the dual messages that we must be proud of our differences, and we must respect our environment. It's a fairly good film that plays on the apparent fact that no one can resist a cute penguin.

Overall rating: 6/10

"Night at the Museum"

I must admit that when first asked to watch this film, I was not thoroughly excited. From the previews, the movie looked like a shoddy product that would glean a few laughs from predictably slapstick humor. However, all in all, "Night at the Museum" turned out to be a favorite movie of winter break. Ben Stiller provides a solid performance as a mediocre father figure (think Jim Carrey in "Liar Liar") looking for a way to stop disappointing his son. Owen Wilson turns in an incredibly funny performance as Jedediah, the cowboy, and Robin Williams is impressive in the serious role of Theodore Roosevelt.

Overall rating: 9/10

"The Good Shepherd"

Walking into this movie I was filled with anticipation to see what the combination of the very beautiful Angelina Jolie and the talented Matt Damon would produce. As it turns out, the answer is: nothing special. Although the movie begins by delighting audiences with its twists and turns, the plot eventually begins to drag, especially in a movie just shy of three hours in length. Despite A-list stars and a solid concept, this movie was less than stellar.

Overall rating: 5/10

"The Holiday"

This season's token "chick flick" turned out to be far more original and endearing than anyone might have hoped for. Starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as single women desperate to get away for the holiday season, the film endears itself to viewers with both heart-warming performances and an overall sense of familiarity. Winslet's relationship with aging actor Eli Wallach is particularly sweet and leaves most of the audience, even many of the men, in tears.

Overall rating: 8/10

"The Pursuit of Happyness"

By the end of this movie, the audience was definitely cheering for the poor and down-trodden character played by Will Smith. The problem was, after two hours of watching Smith struggle against homelessness, lack of funds and a series of unfortunate events, the audience never gets to see Smith happy. With no real resolution, this film is more like two hours of depression, followed by a 30-second blurb which informs viewers that Smith's character ends up happy in the end.

Overall rating: 4/10