I’ve caught three decent movies over the holiday season. One of them, Charlie Wilson’s War, was an obvious favorite of mine since I placed it in the votes for the video presentation of the year. The other two, I Am Legend and National Treasure: Book of Secrets require some discussion.

Will Smith is in top form with his portrayal of Robert Neville, the last man left alive in New York City after a cancer remedy goes horribly amok. His former position as an epidemiologist in the army, coupled with his immunity to the retrovirus that was supposed to aid cancer victims, drives him to find a cure to the disease that has turned the remnants of humanity into vampire-like mutants. The movie is strongly centered on Smith’s performance, especially since his only interaction is with his dog Samantha, a intelligent, beautiful German Shepherd. This is not a feel-good movie; don’t expect quick miracle cures and heroes riding off into the sunset. Instead, expect a man doing what he has to in order to survive in a world gone mad in order to keep the last bit of hope alive for the recovery of humanity.

The second National Treasure movie is much like the first. There is zero profanity in it, a quick story involving barely sensible clues steeped in American history that lead to a famous treasure, and a great deal of action. This is Disney film making as it was in the early days. I would feel extremely comfortable taking all ages to the film. Bring your popcorn and your soda and prepare for a few hours of idle entertainment. As a bonus, the theater I was in showed a Disney short film starring Goofy. The animation was old-style (not CG) and recalled the hey-day of the other Disney shorts. Although not laugh-out-loud funny, it was an amusing extra that I wish would return to the cinema.