First impressions of upcoming movies, based on trailer (Click on the title to watch the trailer: You may need QuickTime for most). Release dates are subject to change.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (dir. Zach Helm) Just in time for the holidays: A fantasy about the world's coolest toy store (everything's alive!) , the wacky old man (Dustin Hoffman) and pixie-cut waif (Natalie Portman) who run it, and the stern accountant (Jason Bateman) who doesn't believe enough to see the store come to life (He thinks it's just another FAO Schwarz). (Nov. 16)






I'm Not There (dir. Todd Haynes) Also known as That Movie Where Cate Blanchett Plays Bob Dylan, but let's back up a minute. From the director of Velvet Goldmine and Far From Heaven comes a portrait of the rock icon, played by six different actors (young, old, white, black, male, female) portraying different stages in his life. Best is the title marquee: "Richard Gere... is Bob Dylan... Heath Ledger... is Bob Dylan... Christian Bale... is Bob Dylan..." (Nov. 21)

August Rush (dir. Kristen Sheridan) Jim Sheridan's daughter Kristen (a co-writer on In America) makes her major feature directing debut with this sentimental drama about an orphan (Finding Neverland's Freddie Highmore) who hopes his gift of music will help him find his parents, a guitarist and cellist who had a brief romance (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Keri Russell, respectively). Along the way, he meets a sideburned, pierced Robin Williams in a cowboy hat. Not sure what that has to do with anything, but the ethereal Russell (Felicity) makes a compelling leading lady (Nov. 21)





Juno (dir. Jason Reitman) And this year's Samuel L. Jackson Award for Most Movies in the Can goes to Jason Bateman, here playing an affluent husband (Jennifer Garner, his co-star from The Kingdom, is the wife) hoping to adopt a baby from teenager Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy, X-Men: The Last Stand). Juno's relationship with her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) and the father of her fetus (Superbad's Michael Cera) are the heart of the story, which looks like a rather kooky coming-of-age comedy. (Dec. 14)






Charlie Wilson's War (dir. Mike Nichols) Moviegoer logic would tell you anything starring Tom Hanks is a must-see, and anything starring Julia Roberts is a pot o' gold. But is this story, based on Congressman Charlie Wilson's private battle to train Afghan resistance fighters against the Soviet Union in the '80s, too heavy for people to digest? Will we care about the umpeenth war movie to come out this year? Since Hanks made us weep over a little government policy that led him to save Private Ryan, we're thinking anything's possible. (Dec. 25)
--Ellen

Browse these movies and more at Movies Online. >>>

First impressions of upcoming movies, based on trailer (Click on the title to watch the trailer: You may need QuickTime for most). Release dates are subject to change.

The Dark Knight (dir. Christopher Nolan) Heath Ledger, retaining his wavy blond rock-star hair, cackles, sneers, and does his best Jack Nicholson voice as the Joker in this sequel to Batman Begins. Will he be able to put his own spin on the pancake-makeup-smeared villain? Not sure, but I've not seen Ledger relax this much since singing to Julia Stiles from the bleachers in 10 Things I Hate About You. Oh, and Christian Bale's back as the titular hero, with Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. (Jul. 18)






Sex & The City (dir. Michael Patrick King) Yes, someone thought it would be a good idea to reunite Carrie & Co. for the big screen. And it's all here: the dresses, the Manolos, the oft-grating voice-overs. But this 47-second teaser doesn't tell you anything about plot, just a lot of shots of our favorite fabulously dressed (and tressed) 40-somethings. And yes, Mr. Big (Chris Noth) is there too. (May 30)






Leatherheads (dir. George Clooney) Since he's already BMOC in Hollywood, it makes sense that George Clooney would make his next film about America's most popular sport (other than NASCAR). But it's about football in the 1920s. Plus, he plays a guy named Dodge who recruits a college sensation (The Office's John Krasinski). Plus, he incorporates romance with a journalist (Renee Zellweger). If that sounds at all offbeat to you, let us remind you that this is George Clooney we're talking about, he whose last directorial effort, Good Night and Good Luck, was a historical drama in black and white and got nominated for seven Oscars. No matter how this turns out, Hollywood will still revere him as their captain of the football team. (Apr. 4)



Speed Racer (dir. Andy & Larry Wachowski) The Matrix's directing team of Andy & Larry Wachowski are behind this big-screen adaptation of the '60s anime cartoon (also once the subject of a Geico commercial). The plot involves a young, talented racer (Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild) who must drive against the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox, seen very little in this trailer). Christina Ricci, with her perky girl-voice, is perfectly cast as Speed Racer's girlfriend Trixie. (May 9)

Mamma Mia! (dir. Phyllida Lloyd) Meryl Streep sure has good taste. She stars as a single mom whose bride-to-be daughter (Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls) invites the three men who could be her father to her wedding. Those three men? Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, and Colin Firth (Way to go, Meryl). Set to ABBA tunes and taking place in Greece, this feel-good musical might just be the Hairspray of 2008. (Jul. 18) -- Ellen

Browse these movies and more at Movies Online. >>>

The Host (Gwoemul) Review

Man has made his newest predator

I saw this movie last night after hearing it described as Little Miss Sunshine meets Jaws. After seeing it, though, I would have to disagree. It's entertaining, but doesn't meet the standards set by either of those movies. This is the story of a dysfunctional Korean family (grandfather; champion archer daughter who moves at a snails pace; educated but unemployed son that tends to drink; and borderline narcoleptic underachiever son and single dad, whose daughter is the one taken) whose youngest was taken by a monster. They know she is alive, but the authorities won't listen and chalk their protest up to grieving and delirium.

As a side note: In the opening scene you may notice the US military doctor is played by Scott Wilson who also plays Sam Braun on CSI.

Without wanting to give anything away, I feel obligated to offer this warning: This is an asian movie, and as such the ending is bitter-sweet, victory comes at a price. As an example: In the animated epic Akira, the hero wins, but in so doing has to kill his best friend who has become a menace.