New Movies December 25: Jennifer Lawrence and Will Smith Go Head-to-Head

No new movie this week has any chance of challenging the ongoing dominance of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens at the box office, but that's not going to deter several new releases from battling for the leftover ticket dollars. When it comes to Christmastime movie-going, there's much more to choose from than just The Force.

The widest new release is the Will Ferrell comedy Daddy's Home, a wacky story about a meek stepfather in competition with his wife's manly ex-husband, played by Mark Wahlberg. This one has the broadest potential appeal of the week's new movies, but it's getting unethusiastic reviews. It will probably come in second for the week, but it's unlikely to be a big hit.

The week's second big new film, a remake of 1991's surfer-action flick Point Break, could turn out to be something of a surprise. It's got a big budget and will be showing in a lot of theaters, so it may be able to lure young audiences who've already seen Star Wars.

The third wide release this week is Jennifer Lawrence's Joy, a comedy-drama that teams the popular actress once again with her Silver Linings Playbook/American Hustle co-star Bradley Cooper and American Hustle director David O. Russell. It also is a solid contender for number two.

Finally, there's Will Smith's sports drama, Concussion, about a doctor who uncovers the problem of head injuries in professional football. Smith's popularity at the box office has become somewhat undependable of late, and this one may be too serious for holiday audiences.