Dec 22, 2006 By Lou Gaul Calkins Media Film Critic 4 min read

A rousing musical (“Dreamgirls”), a dark romance (“The Good German”), a political thriller (“The Good Shepherd”), a family fantasy (“Night at the Museum”), a boxing picture (“Rocky Balboa”), an acclaimed import (“Volver”) and a sports drama (“We Are Marshall”) are the major titles landing in theaters for this Christmas period. The new films (with all dates subject to change) opening at a theater near you include:

Now playing

– “Blindsight,” with Lucy Walker (“Devil’s Playground”) directing an unrated documentary on six blind Tibetan teens who embark on an inspirational quest to climb a 23,000-foot mountain.

– “Curse of the Golden Flower,” with Chow Yun-fat (“The Killer”) and Li Gong (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) in an R-rated Hong Kong import about a forbidden relationship between an imperial bodyguard and a member of the royal family. Yimou Zhang (“House of Flying Daggers”) directed.

– “The Good German,” with George Clooney (“Syriana”) and Cate Blanchett (the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy) in a black-and-white suspense tale about a man who returns to postwar Berlin to find his former lover. He then becomes involved in a murder mystery during this downbeat R-rated picture that boasts elements from “Casablanca” and film noir.

– “The Good Shepherd,” with Matt Damon (“Syriana”), Angelina Jolie (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull”) in an R-rated drama about the first 40 years of the CIA as seen through the eyes of one of the agency’s founders. De Niro also directed.

– “Night at the Museum,” with Ben Stiller (“Meet the Fockers”), Robin Williams (“Good Will Hunting”) and screen veterans Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney in a PG-rated family comedy set in New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, a place where all of the displays – including one of a T-rex’s skeleton – come to life each night.

– “Rocky Balboa,” with Sylvester Stallone returning for the sixth time as Philadelphia’s Italian Stallion. In this PG-rated installment, the aging boxer agrees to an exhibition bout that turns into a bloody and brutal fight with the title character. Guess who wants to go the distance once again?

– “Sweet Land,” with Elizabeth Reaser (“The Family Stone”) in a 1920-set drama about a woman who travels from Norway to Minnesota as a postal bride to be married to an American (Tim Guinee of “Ladder 49”) and the hardships they encounter while building a life together. Ali Selim (“Emperor of the Air”) directed and Alan Cumming (“X2”) co-stars in the visually striking PG-rated picture.

– “Volver,” with Penelope Cruz (“Vanilla Sky”) in a striking R-rated comedy-drama import about two sisters who discover the mother they believed died years ago in a fire may be alive. Talented Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar (“Bad Education”) directed.

– “We Are Marshall,” with Matthew McConaughey (“Sahara”), David Strathairn (“Good Night, And Good Luck”) and Matthew Fox (TV’s “Lost”) in a PG-rated true story about the coaches at Marshall College who formed a new team after their players and most of the other coaches died in a 1970 plane crash.

Dec. 25

– “Black Christmas,” with Michelle Trachtenberg (“Eurotrip”) in an R-rated remake of the 1975 chiller about members of a sorority house terrorized by a killer during the December holiday break. James Wong (“Final Destination”) directed. The distributor declined to screen it in advance for reviewers.

– “Dreamgirls,” with Beyonce Knowles (“The Pink Panther”), Jamie Foxx (“Ray”), Eddie Murphy (“Shrek”) and Jennifer Hudson of “American Idol” in the awaited PG-13 screen adaptation of the late Michael Bennett’s stage musical about a singing trio inspired by the Supremes.

At the buck$ office

Will Smith spread plenty of “Happyness” at the box office last weekend.

The actor’s fact-based picture, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” easily took the No. 1 spot, grossing an impressive $27 million.

Following behind it was “Eragon,” a sword-and-sorcery tale for teens that debuted with more than $23 million.

Family audiences were happy to see “Charlotte’s Web.” The G-rated picture with Dakota Fanning opened with a solid $12 million.

Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto” took a nosedive in theaters. The R-rated adventure grossed just $7.7 million last weekend, bringing its 10-day total to only $27.9 million, the Associated Press reported.

According to AP, the top-10 movies last weekend were:

1. “The Pursuit of Happyness” ($27 million)

2. “Eragon” ($23.45 million)

3. “Charlotte’s Web” ($12 million)

4. “Happy Feet” ($8.5 million)

5. “The Holiday” ($8.2 million)

6. “Apocalypto” ($7.7 million)

7. “Blood Diamond” ($6.3 million)

8. “Casino Royale” ($5.7 million)

9. “The Nativity Story” ($4.7 million)

10. “Unaccompanied Minors” ($3.7 million)

Gaul on the radio

My “At the Movies” radio segment will air live at 11:30 p.m. on Friday as part of “The Dom Giordano Show” (WPHT-AM/1210 and www.thebigtalker1210.com).

The broadcast, which can be heard every Friday night, will include discussions of newly released movies and DVDs, as well as motion picture news and trends.