It's Oscar season and the holiday season, which means Hollywood is pumping out films like crazy right now. Here are the best of the best coming to theaters in the next month.

DEC. 4

"Brothers" (R) - In this film, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a young man who comforts his older brother's wife (played by Natalie Portman) and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan. That doesn't seem like such a stretch for Gyllenhaal.

Tobey Maguire plays the brother who comes back from war to find everyone has moved on as if he were dead - and he loses it.

After playing Peter Parker in the "Spider-Man" series for most of the decade, Maguire may be stepping in to his darkest role yet.

For this reason and the cast of great young actors involved, KQ2 movie critic Bob Shultz can't wait to see "Brothers."

"These three actors are never attached to projects that are bad," Shultz says.

"Armored" (PG-13) - A new guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers into stealing a truck containing $42 million, but a wrinkle in their plan leads to dangerous conflict. Stars Laurence Fishburne and Matt Dillon.

"Everybody's Fine" (PG-13) - When a widower realizes his only connection to his family was through his wife, he sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children. Stars Robert DeNiro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell.

DEC. 11

"Invictus" (PG-13) - Last year, "Frost/Nixon" was the historical biopic that gobbled up Oscar nominations. "Invictus" could potentially fill that role this year.

Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela during his first term as president of South Africa. After the fall of apartheid, Mandela campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup event as an opportunity to unite his countrymen.

"(Morgan Freeman) looks like a natural in the previews," says Butch Rigby, owner of Screenland Theatres in Kansas City. "The buzz is that he's going to be really good in this role."

Matt Damon stars as rugby icon Francois Pienaar in this film based on the John Carlin book "The Human Factor: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed the World."

"The Princess and the Frog" (G) - From the creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin" comes a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again and a fateful kiss that leads them both on an adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. Voices are provided by Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Oprah Winfrey, Terence Howard and John Goodman.

DEC. 18

"Avatar" (Not yet rated) - Director James Cameron's $200 million 3-D sci-fi epic is by far the most anticipated movie of the winter. The last time Cameron immersed himself in a project like this, he gave the world "Titanic."

The trailers are already out there. The film is being plugged ad nauseam on the FOX network. So what's all the buzz about?

Cameron shot "Avatar" in stereoscopic 3-D, which gives the film a new sense of depth. Some believe "Avatar" will completely change the way movies are filmed and viewed.

"There are a lot of camera-heads around here that think it's the second coming," Shultz laughs.

Whether the story and acting live up to the film's vibrant images remains to be seen. "Avatar" stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi.

"Did You Hear About the Morgans?" (PG-13) - In New York City, an estranged couple who witness a murder are relocated to small-town Wyoming as part of a witness-protection program. Stars Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker.

DEC. 23

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" (PG) - The world-famous singing pre-teen chipmunk trio returns to contend with the pressures of school, celebrity and a rival female music group known as The Chipettes. Stars Jason Lee with the voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate and Amy Poehler.

DEC. 25

"Sherlock Holmes" (Not yet rated) - Detective Sherlock Holmes and his loyal sidekick Dr. John Watson always used brains before brawn. Well, until this film was made.

In the newest revival of the series, Holmes (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (played by Jude Law) are still solving mysteries, but they're also getting into bar-room brawls and leaping from giant explosions.

"The previews make it seem like it has more action than mystery," Shultz says. "But when you look at the quality of the actors, you hope there's a consistency of mystery, drama and action and not just one."

"It's Complicated" (Not yet rated) - Writer/director Nancy Meyers directs Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in this romantic comedy about love, divorce and everything in between.

"Nine" (PG-13) - From the director of "Chicago," this film follows a famous film director who struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent and his mother. Stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Stacy Ferguson (Fergie of Black Eyed Peas fame), Judi Dench, Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren.

"The Lovely Bones" (PG-13) - "The Lovely Bones" centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. This Peter Jackson film is based on the 2002 novel by Alice Sebold.

"I'm reading the book right now and from what I've read and everything that I imagined in the book, he thought of it in the trailer. I can't wait to see it," says Plaza 8 Theater manager David Allison.

"The Lovely Bones" stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci.

"Up in the Air" (R) - This one has Oscar written all over it. With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: grounds him. Also stars Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman and Danny McBride.

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (PG-13) - In this Terry Gilliam-directed film, Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) has the gift of guiding the imaginations of others. With his traveling theater troupe, Parnassus offers audience members the chance to transcend reality by passing through a magical mirror.

Nearly two years after his death, Heath Ledger gives his final performance as Tony in this film. However, Ledger did not finish production, so Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell filled the role of Tony as he goes through several transformations throughout the remainder of the film.

Needless to say, the movie will be like nothing anyone has ever seen.

JAN. 8

"Youth in Revolt" (R) - While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, 14-year-old Nick (Michael Cera) sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday). After several failed efforts to gain Sheeni's affection, Nick creates a daring alter ego named Francois Dillinger to help him with his confidence issues.

JAN. 15

"The Book of Eli" (R) - In this post-apocalyptic tale, a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. Stars Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman and Michael Gambon.

FEB. 12

"The Wolfman" (Not yet rated) - Inspired by the classic film that launched a legacy of horror, "The Wolfman" brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.

"Valentine's Day" (Not yet rated) - Much like "He's Just Not That Into You," this romantic comedy stars just about every actor and actress in Hollywood. Here are the headliners: Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher and Julia Roberts.