Dungeons and Dragons
Starring: Marlon Wayans, Thora Birch and Jeremy Irons
The lowdown: Live action version of the popular role playing game has Wayans and a partner (Justin Whalin) battling to save their kingdom from a crazy magician (Irons).
What's hot: Great cast, plus D&D already has a built-in audience.
What's not: Sci-fi flicks rarely do well around the Holidays.
Release: Dec. 8
Proof of Life
Starring: Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe
The lowdown: Crowe plays a hostage negotiator who tries to help Ryan locate her kidnapped husband.
What's hot: Ryan and Crowe, whose off-screen romance has generated tremendous buzz.
What's not: Test audiences reportedly snickered during the movie's serious scenes.
Release: Dec. 8
Vertical Limit
Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Robin Tunney
The lowdown: A former extreme rock climber must trek into the mountains to rescue his sister.
What's hot: Death defying stunts and breath-taking special effects.
What's not: The film's setting is --literally -- very cold.
Release: Dec. 8
Chocolat
Starring: Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche
The lowdown: Depp becomes smitten with small-town chocolate shop owner, Binoche.
What's hot: Director Lasse Hallstrom, whose last picture was the Academy-Award nominated The Cider House Rules.
What's not: Depp's career. (The Ninth Gate, anyone?)
Release: Dec. 15
Dude, Where's My Car?
Starring: Seann William Scott, Ashton Kutcher
The lowdown: Two potheads awake from a night of partying and can't remember where they left their car.
What's hot: Scott and Kutcher, both riding high from successful career ventures (Road Trip and That 70's Show, respectively).
What's not: The goofy antics could grow old.
Release: Dec. 15
The Emperor's New Groove
Starring: the voices of David Spade, John Goodman and Eartha Kitt
The lowdown: Animated Disney flick in which a selfish emperor gets turned into a llama.
What's hot: Just in time for Christmas break, a Disney flick for the kiddies and adults.
What's not: The project has undergone many, many renovations, including a re-write that changed the plot from drama to comedy.
Release: Dec. 15
The Family Man
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni
The lowdown: A ruthless stockbroker (Cage) gets the chance to see what his life would have been like if he'd settled down and married his high school sweetheart.
What's hot: Cage and Leoni reportedly have great onscreen chemistry.
What's not: Why pay $7 to see this when you can stay home and watch It's a Wonderful Life on TV?
Release: Dec. 15
What Women Want
Starring: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt
The lowdown: Mel Gibson's life turns upside down when he gains the ability to read women's minds. He proceeds to get in touch with his sensitive side.
What's hot: Mel Gibson -- who is, indeed, what most women want.
What's not: Hunt's career. Her recent films (Pay it Forward and Dr. T & the Women) haven't been box office smashes, to say the least.
Release: Dec. 15
Thirteen Days
Starring: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood
The lowdown: Costner plays the chief advisor to JFK (Greenwood) during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
What's hot: Costner and Greenwood, two of Hollywood's finest actors.
What's not: With a production cost of $80 million, it will be tough for Thirteen Days to pull a profit.
Release: Dec. 20
Cast Away
Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt
The lowdown: Disturbing story of a FedEx executive who returns home after being lost at sea.
What's hot: Great effects, spooky concept and wonderful cast.
What's not: Americans may (finally) have gotten burned out on Survivor-esque stories.
Release: Dec. 22
The Gift
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes
The lowdown: A mysterious tale --Blanchett portrays a widow who uses her psychic powers to track down missing people.
What's hot: The script was co-written by Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton.
What's not: The film hasn't received much publicity to date.
Release: Dec. 22
The House of Mirth
Starring: Gillian Anderson
The lowdown: Based on the novel by Edith Wharton, this version finds Anderson playing a beautiful wealthy socialite who learns that her good looks can attract the wrong sort of people.
What's hot: Early screenings are a hit -- Anderson's been garnering rave reviews for this performance.
What's not: Anderson has yet to truly break free from her X-Files role.
Release: Dec. 22
Miss Congeniality
Starring: Sandra Bullock
The lowdown: Bullock plays a gawky FBI agent who must go undercover as a beauty pageant contestant.
What's hot: Bullock has a real knack for comedy.
What's not: Bullock also has a real knack for choosing bad roles: Practical Magic, Speed 2 and Hope Floats to name just a few.
Release: Dec. 22
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Starring: George Clooney
The lowdown: An adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey set in the Depression-era South.
What's hot: Clooney, off the trails of last summers mega-grossing The Perfect Storm.
What's not: The Odyssey crossed with the Depression doesn't exactly equal Holiday fun.
Release: Dec. 22
Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jeri Ryan
The lowdown: Dracula goes on a rampage.
What's hot: Star Trek: Voyager's Jeri Ryan could draw a large fan base.
What's not: The crew is rushing to ready this film for its release date -- haste could make waste.
Release: Dec. 22
An Everlasting Piece
Starring: Barry McEvoy, Brian O'Byrne
The lowdown: Two men (one Protestant and one Catholic) team up to sell wigs in 1980s Belfast, Ireland.
What's hot: Could be just the thing for those seeking a change of pace.
What's not: With so many other big name pictures coming out, this will likely go unnoticed.
Release: Dec. 25
Traffic
Starring: Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones
The lowdown: A conservative Judge discovers his own daughter has a drug problem.
What's hot: Crowds may turn out to see real-life couple Douglas and Zeta-Jones.
What's not: With the constant media coverage, haven't we seen enough of them already?
Release: Dec. 27
The Claim
Starring: Wes Bentley, Sarah Polley
The lowdown: Bentley and Polley play a married couple who head west during the great California gold rush.
What's hot: Bentley earned his place as one of Hollywood's hottest new actors with his performance in American Beauty
What's not: American Beauty was a year ago. What's he been up to?
Release: Dec. 29
