Hollywood's best holiday movies
(CBS News) A whole new batch of movies coming to a multiplex near you this holiday season will be vying for your attention and your hard-earned dollars.
Fandango's chief correspondent Dave Karger stopped by the "CBS This Morning: Saturday" studio to give his two cents on what to see. Here's his advice:
"Silver Linings Playbook" - Bradley Cooper plays a man who is just out of a mental institution and has to put his life back together. So, he moves in with his parents and meets a woman also dealing with mental issues. The film balances comedy and drama and Karger predicts Oscar nominations all around.
"Do not miss this movie," he said. "This is the best movie I've seen so far this year."
"Life of Pi" - This film is based on a very popular book with the same name and follows the journey of a young boy who gets shipwrecked and finds himself in a small lifeboat with a tiger. Karger said if you haven't read the book yet, don't -- until after you see the movie.
"It is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous to look at and it's really a fascinating story," he said. "I saw it weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it."
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" - Peter Jackson, the director of all three "Lord of the Rings" films, releases the first of his three "Hobbit" movies. The film is full of technological advances that will give it a truly unique look, but keep its familiar cast of characters.
"I think the hardcore fans are going to love it because it's Peter Jackson doing what he does best," he said.
"The Impossible" - Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts star in this story of a family caught in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and how they tried to survive. The director used a combination of digital effects and real water to achieve a hyper-realistic depiction of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time.
"It's really a 'There but for the grace of God, go I' kind of moment, when you watch this movie," Karger said.
"Les Miserables" - The Broadway mega-hit is now a movie musical with a star-studded cast including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway. What makes this film unique is that director, Tom Hooper, had the cast sing live during the shooting, rather than lip sync to a pre-recorded track.
"It gives it more urgency, immediacy, and it heightens the drama," Karger said. "And it also will teach us if these people can actually sing."