Top movies to see this Christmas

Must see Christmas movies

For most people, the holiday season is all about home comfort and entertainment. You might spend a great deal of time sitting in your living room socializing with close family and friends, and perhaps watching your favourite television programs and movies. You may also take the opportunity to decorate your home with everything from Christmas lights to holiday desserts from M&S. However, as you set about adapting your home to the holiday atmosphere, it can't hurt to get out of the house now and then - and this year you have the perfect excuse to do so!

December 2012 looks to be one of the most exciting months for film in recent memory, with a number of potential blockbusters set to meet the cinema. Here are three specific titles to consider for a few holiday outings with friends and family.

The Hobbit

Peter Jackson's follow-up to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy is undeniably the most highly anticipated film of the month, and promises to thrill fans the world over. The Hobbit has received its fair share of criticism in advance, simply because of the studio's decision to stretch the adaptation into its own trilogy (despite the fact that the book is significantly shorter than any of the Lord Of The Rings books). Nonetheless. after the visual beauty, adventurous quality and massive success of the original trilogy, it stands to reason that the prequel will offer its own delights. The story follows a young Bilbo Baggins on a journey to retrieve a treasure stolen by an evil dragon.

Les Miserables

If any film can challenge The Hobbit in pure anticipation, it is certainly Les Miserables. Many fans of the musical have waited quite some time for a serious film adaptation, and it seems that they've finally gotten their wish. Featuring a star-studded cast including Russell Crowe as Javert, Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Les Miserables was directed by Tom Hooper, who recently won an Oscar for The King's Speech. This coalition of talent seems very unlikely to fail, and if early reviews are any indication, Les Miserables may be the frontrunner for just about every major award of the year.

Django Unchained

While The Hobbit and Les Miserables represent timeless classics, Django Unchained appears to be an extremely original film that combines the unorthodox styles of writer/director Quentin Tarantino with traditional western elements. The film concerns the story of Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave who is given the opportunity to track down his wife's eccentric and cruel owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The material calls for exactly the sort of quirky and over-the-top filmmaking that makes Tarantino great, which indicates this should be an extremely entertaining film.