Lionsgate

Through the use of computer generated imagery, everyone's favorite doll Barbie takes to the stage to portray both Clara and the Sugarplum Fairy, the two central roles in the Nutcracker. The dances were choreographed by the director of the New York City Ballet. The orchestration is provided by the London Symphony Orchestra. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

Differentiating this TV-movie version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol from the hundreds of other adaptations of the same Yuletide classic is its tongue-in-cheek ambience and a bundle of memorable tunes by perennial Disney composer Alan Menken and former Schoolhouse Rock lyricist Lynn Ahrens. Inspired by a stage musical which used to be presented annually at New York's Madison Square Garden, this Christmas Carol stars Kelsey Grammer as tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge, who sees the errors of his ways just in time to oversee the "best Christmas ever" for his long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit (Edward Gower) and "God Bless Us Everyone" Tiny Tim (Jacob Moriarty). On this occasion, the spirits materializing for Scrooge's benefit include Jason Alexander as a neurotic Jacob Marley, Jesse L. Martin as a laid-back Ghost of Christmas Present, Jane Krakowski as a sexy Ghost of Christmas Past, and Geraldine Chaplin as a spooky Ghost of Christmas Future (in Wizard of Oz tradition, three of these four actors also appear as "real" people in Scrooge's everyday life). Highlights include the song "Link by Link," wherein the ghostly Marley and a chorus of wraiths perform a lively ball-and-chain dance number, and the outsized Christmas celebration in the home of Scrooge's first boss, Mr. Fezziwig (Brian Bedford), which features among other things a "pole dance" by the Ghost of Christmas Past! Filmed on-location in Budapest (which sort of looks like Dickensian London if you squint real hard), A Christmas Carol: The Musical won an Emmy award for musical director Michael Kosarin -- and, alas, tanked in the ratings when first telecast by NBC on November 28, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stanislav Sokolov and Derek Hayes direct this claymation version of the The King of Kings using the voice talents of such well-regarded British actors as David Thewlis, Miranda Richardson, Alfred Molina, Ian Holm -- and Ralph Fiennes as Jesus. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

A young man is looking for the woman he loves, though he wouldn't know her if he saw her in this teen-oriented comedy. Matthew (Jonathan Tucker) is a college freshman who has not been having much luck with the ladies since he started school. One night, Matthew is taking an elevator downstairs at his dorm when someone dashes in just as the door is closing. Moments later, there's a power outage, and Matthew and his fellow passenger are stuck. He soon discovers that he's stranded on the elevator with a woman, and they strike up a conversation; one thing leads to another, and they end up making love. However, Matthew never gets her name or a good look at her face in the darkness, and the next morning, he awakes to discover the power is back on, and the young woman is gone. Matthew is desperate to find her, certain that she is the love of his life, but all he knows for sure is that she lives in a nearby all-girls dorm -- and that she left behind a pair of panties. Posing as a maintenance man, Matthew sets out to visit every girl in the dorm, hoping to find the girl who matches up to the lingerie. Among the many women Matthew runs across in search of his dream girl in 100 Girls are Larisa Oleynik, Jaime Pressly, Katherine Heigl, Marissa Ribisi, and Emmanuelle Chriqui. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Following up on Streetwise, his powerful documentary on the homeless kids of Seattle, director Martin Bell returned to that city for a dramatic feature. Nick Kelson (Edward Furlong) is a troubled teenager whose mother has been dead for many years; he spends much of his time with other throwaway kids roaming the city. When Nick's father Jack (Jeff Bridges) is released from a long stretch in prison, the father and child reunion is a bumpy one. Jack senses an obligation to his son but is trying to focus on taking responsibility for his own life before he can extend himself. Nick is wary of his father's criminal background, but he also craves the stability of a real home life. Aware that a return to the city whose mean streets spawned his criminal career might pull him back into his old ways, Jack talks about moving to Alaska to make a fresh start, but it's not clear if Nick is part of his plan. The film's unsentimental look at its characters always on the verge of backsliding didn't endear it to ticket buyers, but it was lauded by many critics for its honesty and for Bridges' strong performance, which won an Independent Spirit award. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide