You’ve just closed the blue book on your last final exam of the semester. You’ve finally caught up on your sleep after pulling all-nighters for a week straight, and you’ve got cash burning a hole in your pocket after selling your books back for a fraction of their original cost.

So hop in the car and head off to the movies.

Between now and the start of class in January, more than 25 films will open in theaters nationwide. From emotionally heavy dramas to action/adventure spectacles and high-concept comedies, the holiday season is packed with exciting, potential blockbusters.

HIT: The Last Samurai (Dec. 5)

Tom Cruise plays Nathan Algern, a Civil War veteran who is hired by the Japanese government to train its ragtag army. At first a cocky Westerner in a foreign land, he learns the true value of honor and discipline when he is captured by the country’s last clan of samurai. Guys will get a kick out of the elaborate sword fights and gun battles, and the ladies – when not swooning over Cruise – will appreciate his character’s tender romance with a Japanese widow. It’s the perfect cinematic compromise.

MISS: Love Don’t Cost a Thing (Dec. 12)

Nickelodeon superstar Nick Cannon and wannabe pop diva Christina Milian star in ‘Love Don’t Cost a Thing,’ a romantic comedy aimed at teenagers. Based on the ’80s cult classic ‘Can’t Buy Me Love,’ Cannon plays a high school science nerd who pays a popular cheerleader (Milian) in hopes of boosting his own social status. ‘Love Don’t Cost a Thing’ aims to be a sweet-smelling romance, but instead reeks of unoriginality. Not only will it have to suffer unavoidable comparisons to the beloved original, but the storyline also seems to rip off other teen comedies like ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘She’s All That.’ Plus, it’s never a good sign when the title comes courtesy of a Jennifer Lopez song.

MISS: Stuck on You (Dec. 12)

Film-making brothers Bobby and Peter Farrelly have mined the mentally handicapped, incest and multiple personality disorder for laughs in over-the-top comedies like ‘There’s Something About Mary’ and ‘Shallow Hal.’ With their new film ‘Stuck On You,’ they hope that lightning will strike again. Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear play conjoined twins Bo and Walt. The two are the best of friends, until Walt convinces Bo to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. While there are probably laughs scattered throughout the film, the sight of an attached Damon and Kinnear bumbling around will likely get old fast.

HIT: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Dec. 17)

It just wouldn’t be the holidays without a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie. The final installment in the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved trilogy, ‘Return of the King,’ finds heroes like Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) preparing for a final showdown with the evil Sauron while Frodo (Elijah Wood) nears the end of his quest to destroy the one ring. ‘Return of the King’ has everything audiences have come to expect from the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films: stunning special effects, moving performances from the ensemble cast and a three-hour-plus running time. In fact, the third time might be the charm for the elusive Best Picture Award.

HIT: Mona Lisa Smile (Dec. 19)

This one has ‘chick flick’ written all over it, though guys might be drawn in by the stunningly beautiful cast, which includes Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles. Roberts, in her first starring role since ‘Erin Brockovich,’ stars as Katherine Watson, a free-spirited woman of the early 1950s who wants to be a teacher. She gets her chance when she lands a job at the prestigious Wellesley College. At first rejected by her marriage-minded students (including Dunst and Stiles), she soon wins them over and has an unexpected influence on their lives. It may sound like a simple, estrogen-infused remake of ‘Dead Poets Society,’ but if anyone can make this film into a dramatic masterpiece, it’s Julia Roberts.

Christopher Reilly is a senior magazine major. His reviews appear Fridays in The Daily Orange. E-mail him at cgreilly@syr.edu.

Published on December 4, 2003 at 12:00 pm