The Obvious:
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor The third installment in the Mummy franchise takes archaeologist Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) all the way to China, pitting him against an emperor (Jet Li) from the 2,000-year-old Han dynasty, who’s returned from the dead to pursue an evil quest for world domination. This time, O’Connell enlists the help of his family — including his wife, son and brother-in-law — to quash the so-called Dragon Emperor and his abuse of supernatural power.
Mamma Mia! Based on the international hit musical featuring the songs of pop superstars ABBA, this charming tale centers on a bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) and her plan to uncover her father’s identity by inviting three of her mother’s (Meryl Streep) former lovers to her wedding. Produced by Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, this big-screen adaptation also stars Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård and Christine Baranski.
Poorly Reviewed But Maybe:
The Women Shocked by the discovery that their pal Mary’s (Meg Ryan) husband is having an affair with a beautiful young shop girl (Eva Mendes), a tight-knit circle of New York socialites comes up with a devious plan to help Mary win back her man. This remake of George Cukor’s classic 1939 film boasts an all-star ensemble cast, including Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Bette Midler and Candice Bergen.
Possibilities:
Generation Kill A platoon of young but highly trained Marines leads the charge of American forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion. This HBO miniseries highlights the many challenges faced by the soldiers on the front lines, such as distinguishing civilian from enemy. Starring Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, Stark Sands and Jon Huertas, this realistic portrayal of the Iraq War is based on a nonfiction book by Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright.
Will Shakespeare The tragedies, histories and comedies of playwright William Shakespeare are some of the finest in the English language. But in this made-for-television miniseries from the 1970s, the Bard of Avon’s own life offers a plot that’s just as riveting. Emmy Award winner Tim Curry stars as Shakespeare, with Golden Globe winner Ian McShane co-starring as Shakespeare’s fellow playwright and rival, Christopher Marlowe.
Sangre de Mi Sangre Writer-director Christopher Zalla earned a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2007 for this mistaken identity nail-biter about Pedro (Jorge Adrián Espíndola), a Mexican boy who sneaks into the U.S. to meet his real father, armed with important documents proving his pedigree. Unfortunately, it seems Juan (Armando Hernández), a criminal he befriended, stole them. Now, Pedro will have to stop him from stealing his identity, too.
Traitor Tenacious FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) is assigned to pursue Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), an ex-Special Ops soldier who joined the Al Nathir terrorist organization. But as he closes in, Clayton begins to second-guess Horn’s true intentions. An intelligent and exciting spy thriller that also examines the beliefs and motivations behind terrorism, the film co-stars Jeff Daniels and Neal McDonough.
Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul While trekking across the desert with his granddaughter Ishtar (Maryam Hamid), Bab’Aziz (Parviz Shahinkhou), a blind dervish, entertains her with nightly tales of a prince who gave up his kingdom to gaze into a mystical pool and meditate upon his own soul. Along the way, the pair meets similar dreamers who discover that the journey may be more important than the goal. Nacer Khemir directs this visually stunning tale.
Documentaries and Music:
Becoming Family Filmed in Sri Lanka six months after a massive tsunami hit Southeast Asia on Dec. 26, 2004, director Carl Strecker’s documentary follows Dr. M. Rahmi Mowjood and his team of doctors and med students on a relief mission to help villagers. The team arrives in July 2005, embarking on a mission that will change lives and lead the Sri Lankan-born Dr. Mowjood to someone who may wind up becoming part of his family circle.
Operation Filmmaker After hearing about the struggles of Iraqi film student Muthana Mohmed, American actor Liev Schreiber invites him to come to the Czech Republic and work on Schreiber’s directorial debut, Everything Is Illuminated. But things don’t go as smoothly as planned when cultural clashes and unrealistic expectations arise. Filmmaker Nina Davenport follows Mohmed and records his experiences in this fascinating documentary.
The Weird:
The Christmas Season Massacre / Satan Claus / Psycho Santa Deck the halls with this seasonal trio of gleefully gory Christmas-themed horror flicks. In The Christmas Season Massacre, a bloodthirsty maniac hunts down the high school classmates who antagonized him. In Satan Claus, a couple teams up with a voodoo priestess to try to stop a murderous Santa impersonator who’s terrorizing New York City. And in Psycho Santa, a man tells his wife a series of terrifying tales about a not-so-jolly St. Nick.
The Day the Earth Stopped C. Thomas Howell directs and stars in this sci-fi feature about giant robots from space descending on Earth’s largest cities. If humans can’t prove to their visitors that they’re worth saving, the powerful machines will annihilate everyone. Chock-full of screaming car chases and plenty of gunplay, the action-packed spoof of The Day the Earth Stood Still co-stars Judd Nelson, Sinead McCafferty, Darren Dalton and Reiko Kaneshiro.
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