Christmas Day Movies 2014: 6 Films To Watch In Theaters, From Family-Friendly To Action-Packed

Everyone has Christmas traditions, and for some, that tradition is going to the movie theater and seeing the latest hits. There are plenty of movies in theaters on Christmas Day, so what is worth watching? Check out our top picks for Dec. 25, 2014:

“Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb” – PG – In the third installment of the series, Larry (Ben Stiller) has to go to London to make sure all of the characters in the museum stay alive. The film has gotten mixed reviews, but it’s done well at the box office. It debuted in the No. 2 spot for the weekend with about $17 million. It’s also worth noting that this is one of Robin Williams’ last films. It's likely to be a good choice for families looking for a Christmas Day movie.

“Wild” – PG-13 – Reese Witherspoon has ditched her romantic comedies for something a little more Oscar-worthy. “Wild” is based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed. After a divorce and the death of her mother, Cheryl decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail by herself. The independent film has made about $7 million, but it’s only playing on about a thousand screens (roughly a quarter of the screens “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” has).

“The Gambler” – R – This Mark Wahlberg drama isn’t really a family-friendly movie. Jim (Wahlberg) is a professor who gets involved with a student (Brie Larson), but that isn’t even the beginning of Jim’s risky habits. He is a high-stakes gambler. He borrows money from a gangster and offers his own life as collateral. The movie opens Christmas Day.

“Into The Woods” – PG – This Disney fairytale isn’t so happy. The star-studded musical follows various fairytale characters as they explore wishes and consequences. Fans of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical know that plenty of changes to the original have been made – Rapunzel no longer dies and Prince Charming doesn’t sleep around – but they’ll have to see the film to see just how dark the film is or isn’t. The movie opens on Christmas Day.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” – PG-13 – The third installment of the prequel trilogy to “Lord of the Rings” is finally here. Director Peter Jackson’s film opened Dec. 17 and already earned over $98 million domestically. In the final film, Bilbo (Martin Freeman) must fight to save Middle Earth from Smaug, Orcs and other forces of evil. This movie is definitely for action fans seeking a fun Christmas Day movie.

“Unbreakable” – PG-13 – Angelina Jolie directed this World War II drama. Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) was an Olympic runner who enlisted when WWII began. His plane crashes and he has to survive 47 days on a raft. The Japanese find him and take him as a prisoner of war. The true story opens Christmas Day.

What will you be watching on Christmas Day? Sound off in the comments section below!