Have turkey, then watch apocalypse

Nothing quite says "Thanksgiving" like watching a father and son roam through a world devastated by a catastrophic event that has wiped out every living thing except for a few remaining humans desperately fighting one another to survive.

Mmm-hmm! Pass the cranberry sauce, Grandma!

Well, that's Hollywood for you. Thanksgiving has long been a big box office weekend ("Toy Story" for example, or - going way back - "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"). Now, the movies actually open the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Having anything to do with the holidays - or even holiday spirit - is less important than getting backsides in the seats.

In the Tampa Bay area, you have the choice of three new titles and another one that is getting wide release after opening earlier this month is just a few cities.

The post-apocalyptic film mentioned above is "The Road," which stars Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn from the "Lord of the Rings" movies) as a father who is traveling across an America that is a smoking ruin and in the grips of a nuclear winter. He is determined to lead his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to the coast, but faces the challenge of not getting caught by roving gangs who are searching for food (yes, we're talking cannibalism here).

The novel, by Cormac McCarthy ("No Country For Old Men") is grim but powerful in its portrayal of the bond between the man and his son, as well as ode to simple endurance against all odds. That said, it's hard to imagine a movie that is less holiday-like.

More in the holiday wheelhouse is "Old Dogs," which stars Robin Williams, John Travolta and Seth Green. Williams is a successful, single businessman who has his life upended when a former girlfriend shows up and leaves 7-year-old twins in his care. Before you can say "Three Men and A Baby" (also a Thanksgiving movie, by the way), he enlists the help of his two friends to take care of the children. This leads to all manner of slapstick disasters. The film is from Disney, so this might be the preferred destination for those with a crowd that contains children.

Also aimed at children - and fans of Wes Anderson - is "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," an adaptation of the Roald Dahl story. (Dahl also wrote "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.") Critics are saying that the stop-motion animation in the film is perfectly suited to Anderson's quirky style, which, when translated, means you will probably like this if you liked, say, "Rushmore" or "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." George Clooney and Meryl Streep are among the stars providing voices for the film.

Also new is "Ninja Assassin" from director John McTeigue, who directed "V For Vendetta." This one involves a rogue ninja, played by South Korean actor Rain, who comes to the aid of a secret agent who has stumbled across a murder plot involving a shadow organization of ninjas. That organization just happens to be led by the very guy who once was the rogue ninja's teacher. Guess who will have an epic battle in the end?

So, there you have it. Ninjas, new fathers, fake foxes and nuclear annihilation. Happy holidays, everyone!