New Jack City: What to See This Weekend? Jack to the Rescue!

It’s been a fantastic holiday week at the boxoffice thus far…

It kicked in midday on Christmas and is primed to continue strong through New Year’s weekend. If you’ve even driven past Kansas City’s theater parking lots the past few days you know what I’m talking about.

Still haven’t decided on what to see? Let me be of help. Here are MY BEST BETS AT BOXOFFICE—by catagory:

First for ALL-AGES (family friendly) FILMS:

It’s a toss-up between Steven Spielberg‘s sweeping and epic PG-13 rated adventure of a boy’s search for his beloved horse Joey through the World War 1 battlefields of Europe in WAR HORSE—and Cameron Crowe‘s feel-good, PG-rated story of perseverence, WE BOUGHT A ZOO, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

In the ACTION catagory nothing comes even close to Tom Cruise with Jeremy Renner in MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL.

Cruise’s encounter with the world’s tallest building alone is worth the price of admission.

I’m also thumbs-up for Robert Downey, Jr. who back as the world’s most famous—and coolest—detective in SHERLOCK HOLMES–A GAME OF SHADOWS.

For hard-hitting DRAMA, my two current picks are director David Finche‘s americanization of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara—and George Clooney forced to reexamine his past and embrace his future in THE DESCENDANTS.

Finally in the COMEDY catagory—frankly, I’m not high on any current entries.

So instead I’ll move the unique black and white, silent movie THE ARTIST into the catagory, which really is in a class all its own. THE ARTIST is not for everyone. But this homage to Hollywood’s early years is a true gem and possible contender for the upcoming Academy Awards.

And those are JACK’S BEST HOLIDAY BETS at the boxoffice.