Now that the fall season of "artsy," award-worthy film is over, it's now time to look onward to the holiday season where Hollywood studios sneak in the big-budget, crowd-pleasing blockbusters. We have seen this in recent years with films like "Avatar" (2009) and "Tron: Legacy" (2010). However, it's also the time when studios screen last-minute award-worthy films before the Oscar season begins. Here are films to look out for.
1. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Out of all the films this holiday season, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is definitely the most anticipated. Based off the Stieg Larsson novel, the movie features a disgraced journalist (Daniel Craig) who teams with a genius Goth hacker (Rooney Mara) to solve a decades-old mystery involving a missing girl and one of the wealthiest, most powerful families in the world. Despite what you may have heard, this movie is actually not a remake of the Swedish film but rather a reinterpretation of the novel. Expectations for this film are very high with director David Fincher ("The Social Network") at the helm and a musical score composed by Oscar-winning duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Finch, who also composed the score for "The Social Network." Opens Dec. 21.
2. "The Adventures of Tintin"
A motion-capture CGI film that features an Indiana Jones-like adventure under the combined minds of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Color me intrigued. Based off the series of European comic books, the story revolves around young Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his faithful dog Snowy as they discover directions to a sunken ship once captained by the pirate Haddock (Andy Serkis) and go on a treasure hunt. It has already been hailed as one of Spielberg's most entertaining films in Europe, but whether or not the motion capture effects are as stunning as they look is a different story. Opens Dec. 21.
3. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
If you're sick of seeing the usual James Bond spy action and interested in a more realistic look at the spy world, then see the adaptation of one of novelist John le Carré's best works. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" follows Gary Oldman as retired espionage veteran George Smiley, who is forced back into action to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6 during the Cold War. The film opened earlier in English and has already raked in the accolades. Reportedly, it is already considered one of the greater spy films with its top-notch British cast (Colin Firth, John Hurt, Tom Hardy and Mark Strong) and the direction of Tomas Alfredson ("Let the Right One In"). Opens Dec. 9.
4. "Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol"
Of course, it wouldn't be the holidays without big budget action films, would it? In the "Mission Impossible" series' fourth installment, IMF is shut down when implicated in a bombing of the Kremlin, forcing Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team to go rogue and clear their names. If you need a reason to see this sequel, there are two, and none of them have to do with Tom Cruise. They are the inclusions of Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker," the upcoming "Avengers" film) and director Brad Bird, who is mostly known for his animated successes "The Iron Giant" (1999), "The Incredibles" (2004) and "Ratatouille" (2007). Opens Dec. 21.
5. "New Year's Eve"
There are only two films that I strongly recommend against seeing this year: "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked" (2011) and, more important, "New Year's Eve," another film of vignettes centered on a holiday. "New Year's Eve" focuses on the lives of several couples and singles who intertwine in New York over the course of New Year's Eve. It boasts a large cast (Ashton Kutcher, Zac Efron, Lea Michele, Jessica Biel, Sofia Vergara, Abigail Breslin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Alyssa Milano, Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert De Niro) and, based on the success — or lack thereof — of similar films, this is why it won't be great. Case in point, "Valentine's Day" (2010). Opens Dec. 9.