First Look at Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson in New Movie

These are a couple first look pics at Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, who will be portraying Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively, in a new Sherlock Holmes movie.

The characters, which were created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is about a brilliant private investigator and his trusty doctor companion, has been adapted numeous times, from radio to TV to movies. The most memorable of those performances was when Basil Rathbone played the character in 14 films, from 1939-1946.

This latest incarnation, which is being directed by Guy Ritchie, will also star Rachel McAdams as American love interest Irene Adler. The plot is still unclear, but it will have something to do with Det. Holmes and Dr. Watson engaging in a battle of wits over a man who will be a threat to London. The film is currently set for a 2009 release (October 2009 in the UK).

*Photos Courtesy of JustJared.com*

For Jean-Claude Van Damme Fans Only...."JCVD" Trailer

Jean-Claude Van Damme is finally back in a way we've never seen him before...as himself. This comedy-drama pits the former action star in a series of struggles, from losing his daughter in a custody battle to losing the main role in an action film to Steven Seagal. When he finds he needs money, he robs a small-time bank.

Not really sure what the whole point of it is, but judging by the trailer, it looks to be an entertaining time at the movies. The film is set to release November 7th.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810028921/video/10133660

Capt. America In "The Incredible Hulk"?

See the in-set pic? Notice the red, white, and blue? Well, probably not, but sources, including The Incredible Hulk director Louis Letterier admit that this is a glimpse at Capt. America, frozen in ice, in an alternate opening found on The Incredible Hulk DVD. The alternate scene has Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) trekking through the Arctic Circle, trying to find a way to kill himself. Ever since Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) surprise visit at the end of Iron Man and then Tony Stark's (Robert Downey, Jr.) surprise visit in The Incredible Hulk, fans have been searching for more possible clues and/or references to The Avengers (the movie is set for a 2011 release). Well, here's one for ya. It's unknown whether the scene will appear alongside other deleted/alternate scenes in the Special Features or whether it will be a special Easter Egg that you have to find. The Incredible Hulk releases onto DVD in both standard and a 3-Disc Special Edition on Tuesday, October 21st.

*Photo Courtesy of /Film*

Until next time, I'll be seeing you...at the movies.

Do you suppose there's a day where a group of people sit in a room, contemplating whether they should make a film live action or animated? I'm guessing it happens a lot over at Disney. For the most part, Disney can be right on their choices. For Beverly Hills Chihuahua, they should've gone in another direction.

The hapless story is about a pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua named Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore), complete with designer booties and a diamond collar, gets stuck in the care of carefree Rachel (Piper Perabo), the niece of Chloe's owner, Vivian (Jamie Lee Curtis). One night, Rachel and her friends go partying in Mexico, taking Chloe along for the ride. Chloe escapes the hotel room and finds herself in foreign territory. She's never been outside of Beverly Hills. Soon, Chloe gets snatched up by a group of dog-nappers, who use them for underground dog fights. Chloe narrowly escapes with the assistance of a german shepherd named Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia). Together they attempt to get back to California. Meanwhile, back in Beverly Hills, another chihuahua, Papi (voice of George Lopez), who's been pining over Chloe since day one, finds out that she's been dog-napped and sets out to rescue her, along with his owner, Sam (Manolo Cardona) and Rachel. While out in the wild, Chloe discovers her heritage, is confronted by the usual array of strange animals (including a thieving rat (voice of Cheech Marin) and iguana (voice of Paul Rodriguez), all the while being chased down by the head ring-leader, who discovers how valuable Chloe is and plans to hold her for ransom.

It's the same old story...one that we've heard and seen numerous times. While the voice cast does a great job (the largest collection of Latino actors and comedians to be in a movie, I'm sure) and the dogs are cute, they story is as stale as week-old popcorn. The adventure is unexciting and uninspiring. Why do they have to make the dog's mouths move when they talk? Why couldn't it be like how they did it in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. It still looks creepy to see an animals' mouth moving. If you want to see a better Disney flick about dogs, check out Oliver & Company. You can leave this one in the kennel.

1 1/2 stars

"The Rocker" Rocks Out a Good Time

In a season of big-budget blockbusters, overrated films, and highly anticipated movies, comes this low-key comedy that plays with a lot of heart...and a lot of laughs.

Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as paper-pushing suck-up Dwight Schrute on TV's The Office, tackles his first lead role, and does it with brio. He plays Robert "Fish" Fishman, the wild drummer for fictious '80s big-hair band Visuvious. The night after their big concert, the other three members (Bradley Cooper, SNL castmembers Will Arnett and Fred Armison) are given a decision to make: either drop Fish and rocket to stardom or keep him and stay playing local gigs. The bandmembers of course pick the former, which enrages Fish, and leads to a hilarious spoof of Halloween (well, actually Halloween 4, but who's keeping track). Now it's 20 years later and Fish is working as a telemarketer. His co-workers go nuts because Vesuvius has made a comeback and released a new album, in which Fish must swallow that large lump in his throat and try not to go ballistic. He does. Fish gets fired and then breaks up with his girlfriend (so she can't break up with him), then moves into his sister Lisa's (Jane Lynch) house. Her husband, Stan (Jeff Garlin), is a wannabe rocker and in a way looks up to Fish, although he's a little perturbed that his brother-in-law still isn't with Vesuvius so they can be living a sweeter life. They have two children, little, sarcastic Violet (Samantha Weinstein) and shy, teenage Matt (Josh Gad). Matt is keyboardist for a garage band called A.D.D., which also consists of bassist Amelia (Emma Stone) and lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Curtis (Teddy Geiger). They are playing at the the school prom, but their chances are nearly shot when their drummer gets grounded. Running out of options, with no credible replacement, they reluctantly hire Fish. At first Fish turns them down, but he too reluctantly accepts. Everything goes smooth, until towards the end, when Fish gets a little carried away. In order to stay in the band, Fish offers to get them gig. Pretty soon, they're on their way to the high life, when a jackass agent hires them and puts them on tour. Soon, they're getting wild, thanks to Fish's teachings of 80s touring. This leads the band to being supervised by Curtis' mom, Kim (Christina Applegate).

This is a typical small time-to-big time band movie. The movie is often funny and sometimes hilarious. The cast is great, especially Wilson, who's character you'd swear is related to Jack Black's Dewey from School of Rock. Fish is so likable, it makes the whole film work. The best thing about this film is that the high school characters actually act like high schoolers...something you don't see too often in the movies. It's a fun time, and fans of '80s big-hair bands will enjoy the subtle references. The Rocker will leave you rocking.

3 stars

"The Women" Offer Good Times In a Decent Remake

Some movies are classics or at least have a cult following. When remakes occur, it's very rare that they ever precede the original. Films such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Halloween (2007), or War of the Worlds (remade three times in 2005) offer nothing the originals carried. Remember the expression, "Let sleeping dogs lie"? Well, they mean leave it the fuck alone! Then there's movies that are okay remakes, such as The Time Machine (2002). This film, a remake of the 1939 George Cukor classic, which was also remade in 1956 as a musical titled The Opposite Sex, falls into that category.

The Women has a huge, A-list cast. The main plot focus is on Mary Haines (Meg Ryan), a successful wife and mother, whose husband works on Wall Street. She has three BFF's. They are single and very successful Sylvia Fowler (Annette Bening), married mom Edie Cohen (Debra Messing), and successful lesbian Alex Fisher (Jada Pinkett Smith). These four women come to each other for everything. One day, while Sylvia is getting her nails done at Sachs Fifth Avenue (seemingly the popular hang-out for these women), the new manicurist, Tanya (Debi Mazar) is delivering the latest gossip. She recollects on her best friend, who works at the perfume counter (Spritzer Girl as the women call her) has landed herself a nice, married, rich guy. This is the very guy that's wed to Mary. Shocked, Sylvia slowly leaks the news to Edie, and then eventually, Alex. It's only when Mary goes there that Tanya tells the same story. Mary gets a lot of support from her friends, as well as her housekeeper (Cloris Leachman) and her mom (Candice Bergen). They talk about moving on and about life, then they shop. Mary takes a small vacation with her mom and daughter, and there's more talking. They also discover that the Spritzer Girl is a hot, young woman named Crystal Allen (Eva Mendes), in which, of course, Mary feels threatened.

I know what you're thinking. New York City. Four best friends. Sounds a bit like Sex and the City, right? Well, hold on there. This is a remake. Wouldn't that mean SATC is a rip-off of the Cukor classic? Actually, no. They are on two different planes here. Although there is an abundance of talking in this film, it's surprisingly rarely ever boring, although it does go on a bit too long. There are a few lulls where you just want to dunk your head in a bucket of ice water, but for the most part, you can actually sit through it all. There are also no guys whatsoever in this film. Seriously. Not one single man. Not even in the extras or NY citizens in the background have a single Y chromosome in them. They must've banished men from the set or something. I liked that. That's how the original was. There are even a couple of laugh-out-loud scenes, including when Mary finally confronts Crystal and when Edie (who becomes pregnant...again) gives birth (you'll see what I mean when you watch it). The cast holds the film together and while it's more than likely considered a loose remake, it's a faithful one...and that's ample.

2 1/2 stars

"Igor" Pays Nice Homage, and Keeps Us Laughing

Homage. The word gets used a lot in filmmaking these days. Homage to this movie. Homage to that movie. In Igor, the latest animated comedy, the filmmakers pay a direct homage to one of the greatest moments in cinema history, the b&w horror classics.

In the country of Malaria, it constantly rains and thunderstorms. We were told that the country was once peaceful and beautiful, but now it's mainly presided over by mad scientists who compete for the same thing every year. They work on their greatest work, present it at a contest, and the winner's diabolical weapon gets used to threaten mankind. Pay a hefty ransom or mankind gets it. Every mad scientist has an igor. That's their names...all of them. One Igor in particular (voice of John Cusack), doesn't want to be the scientist's hunch-backed lackey his whole life. He'd rather invent. In fact, he has had two near successes. He has a brain, named Brain (voice of Sean Hayes), in a jar that talks. This brain isn't smart nor is it abby-normal. In fact, it's quite dumb (it wrote "Brian" on its jar). The second is a squirrel named Scampers (voice of Steve Buscemi) that can't ever die. Everytime something bad happens to it (i.e. something heavy landing on it), he just poofs! back to life. When Igor's master (voice of John Cleese) dies in another failed experiment, Igor decides to keep it hush-hush and take over his master's duties, creating something everyone in Malaria thought was impossible...creating life. When the leader of Malaria (voice of Jay Leno) and another mad scientist (voice of Eddie Izzard), who is the continual winner of each contest catch wind of this possibility, they each decide to get a look at it their own way. What Igor creates, however, is life, but not evil. Evelyn (voice of Molly Shannon), as she calls herself, is a gentle giant. After they run Evelyn through a brain-washing (kind of like a car wash), a major glitch has occured. The channel in the brain-washing room had been changed to an episode of In the Actor's Studio with James Lipton, so now Evelyn thinks she's an actress rehearsing for the main role in a stage production of Annie. Igor and his friends decide to go along with this, presenting her at the contest as his own creation.

This is an often funny, sometimes hilarious, and awfully adorable animated comedy. Despite the somewhat dingy premise and the pretty good CG, it pulls off nicely. There are plenty of nice homages to Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and even Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The voice cast does an incredible job and their timing is great. This is a film for both young and old alike, especially if you were a fan of the old, black and white horror classics.

3 stars

Stallone Plans "Rambo V"

Can't get enough of the blood and machismo that is the Rambo series? Well, the machoness will have to be put on hold for at least another year. Sylvester Stallone announced that he will be writing, directing, and starring in a fifth Rambo feature.

There are no concrete details on the plot, but it has been rumored that the script will be an original one by Stallone, and will be about John Rambo discovering he has a daughter, and that she's been kidnapped by a hostile cult. So, of course, Rambo is going to wage a one-man war and kick some serious ass. It has also been rumored that a majority of the film will be shot in Africa. More info on this story as it develops. As of now, the release date will be sometime in 2009.

Cook Fails To Humor Once Again in Lame-Brained "My Best Friend's Girl"

There are some stand-up comics that can make the transition from stage to film. Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and even Tim Allen have done so, marking success in their own way. Then there are those who can't seem to make that transition, like Carrot Top, Andrew Dice Clay, and Dane Cook. Carrot Top and Clay made wise decisions and stepped back from movies, but Cook can't seem to get the picture. I've never really found him funny on stage (only laughed a handful of times), but he's never made me laugh once in a single movie he's starred in. He's got talent, there's no doubt about that. He was really good in a supporting role in Dan in Real Life, but he can't seem to hold a lead role. A big problem could be the material. He's always doing this lame-brained, uber-raunchy comedies that end up sucking beyond all reality. This is one of those films.

My Best Friend's Girl has a bold, but ultimately brainless plot. Cook stars as Sherman "Tank" Turner, a customer service rep for some company that also gets paid on the side to take women on dates and act like a complete and utter asshole. I mean, he takes it to the extreme, even going so far as to take a devout Catholic girl to a pizza place titled "Cheezus Crust" ("where pizza's a religion"). The men that pay him are that girl's exes. His goal is to make such a jerk of himself, that they'll realize what they're missing when they broke up with their ex, and ultimately get back together. This formula seems to work every time. So, when his cousin/roomate/best friend Dustin (Jason Biggs) tells his girlfriend, Alexis (Kate Hudson), whom he's been dating for three weeks, that he's in love her, she dumps him. This prompts Dustin to hire Tank, who reluctantly does. However, a glitch has befallen. Alexis at first hates the way Tank acts, but then begins to like it. Tank also begins to fall for Alexis. So, when Dustin is dismal to discover that Tank's job didn't work, he obsessively decides to try and win her back. Meanwhile, Tank, who is kinda seeing Alexis, must decide whether to tell Dustin, keep it a secret, or just dump Alexis. He even seeks advice from his professor father, played by Alec Baldwin, who, in shockingly raunch-mode, must only be here to fill time in between shooting 30 Rock.

I don't even know where to begin on this heaping load of pig feces. Well, might as well start with the cast. I already mentioned that Cook seems to only do a good job in a supporting role. Jason Biggs' career seemed to have ended after the American Pie series. His last film, Wedding Daze, was supposed to be released in theaters, but went straight to DVD instead. Then there's sweet Kate Hudson. The gorgeous, talented daughter of Goldie Hahn. Her last film, Fool's Gold, was a total bomb, and it seems that after this, she's heading her career into the same direction as Cook and Biggs. The jokes in this film are a complete misfire. Cook insults anything and everything and does a heavy amount of gay-bashing. The story, while I said is bold, is uninteresting and seems to only be a retread of other comedies. However, there is one tiny good thing to this film and thankfully, you don't have to watch it to hear it. As with quite a few of Cook's films, there's a good soundtrack. Once again, a Cars song headlines the movie (the title is derived from it), but there are other good songs involved too. Pick up a copy of the soundtrack instead. This is one raunchy comedy that will make its way to the discount bin quicker than you can say, "This film sucks!"

1 star

"Eagle Eye" a Unbelievable Thriller

In this day and age, it's considered somewhat common for people to be a little more paranoid. With technology being advanced every day, our society is becoming more and more like George Orwell's vision in 1984. Big Brother is watching. Even reading recent news stories about how scientists are working on ways to do so. This entire premise is put to effect in this film.

The story centers on two targests. The first is Jerry Shaw (Shia LeBeouf), a slacker that works at a Chicago-based Kinko's-type store. He has a twin brother in the Air Force. One day, Jerry heads to the ATM and discovers a massive amount of cash has been deposited into his accounty. Not saying anything, he withdraws some of it. When he gets back to his dingy apartment, he discovers that his place is now littered with boxes and boxes of advanced weaponry. Now, my first question is how did they get all these boxes in there without anybody (other than the landlord) without anybody saying anything? Then, Jerry gets a mysterious phone call from a stone-voiced woman who tells him that he's been "activated." She tells him to get out of there because the FBI will be in his place in 30 seconds. Of course, he doesn't comply and gets arrested...briefly. He's interrogated by Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton, slightly more believable in this role than as the director of NASA in Armageddon), who doesn't believe anything Jerry says. Then, the stone-voiced woman calls Jerry on the FBI line, tells him to duck, and wouldn't you know it? A crane slams into the side of the building, missing Jerry by inches, so now he can escape. Somehow, this person that keeps contacting Jerry knows where he is at all times and can display messages anywhere, from a message board to a TV screen, instructing him what to do.

The second target is Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), a single mother to a little boy. She receives a phone call from the same woman, threatening to kill her son if she doesn't do as she complies. Coincidentally, Rachel's and Jerry's lives intersect when Jerry jumps in her car. They discover that the same person is pulling their strings, so they stick together. They end up on a cross-country trip to Washington, D.C., being closely pursued by Agents Morgan and Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson), where they discover a vast program called "Eagle Eye" is being used to eavesdrop on people's cell phone calls and what not (a news story even discusses it briefly in the beginning). The program is headed by Defense Secretary Callister (Michael Chiklis) and unknowingly involves a huge political assassination (where all the major heads of state will be gathered for one night).

Eagle Eye is produced by Steven Spielberg, and they certainly let us know it. There are quite a few angles that are reminiscent of a Spielberg-directed thriller, Minority Report. D.J. Caruso is at the helm. He directed last year's Disturbia, which also starred LeBeouf. In my mind, Disturbia, albeit a direct rip-off of Rear Window, is a far more effective thriller than this one. The cast is good, although Chiklis must think he's still playing The Thing from The Fantastic Four because he shows absolutely no emotion at all throughout the movie. The story starts out fine, then becomes more and more unbelievable. There's a scene where Jerry and Rachel are at a Circuit City and old family videos of Jerry's and pics of Rachel's kid are flashing across a giant screen, while the woman talks to them. There are about a dozen other people in the store! How do they not see it? How do the FBI agents keep missing all that? We just reach a point where we shake our heads in disbelief, wondering, "What will they come up with next?" The big climax actually seems to be a rip-off of the climax in Get Smart, right down to a musical instrument being the trigger for a bomb. The movie makes nice use of Chicago's locales. For weeks, that's all I heard, was filming for this movie (well, that and The Dark Knight later on). A friend of mine even got hired as a stand-in for Monaghan, which I consider really cool. I was really psyched to see this film, but became more and more disappointed as it dragged on. The director, the producer, and especially the cast are fine. It's a different story they're in need of.

2 stars

Samuel L. Jackson Steals Show in Otherwise Mild Thriller

Lakeview Terrace, which is directed by Neil LaBute is simply a tale of racism. It's a different kind of racism that we've seen or read about in the past and in the movies, but undoubtedly one that people struggle with in this modern day. LaBute has a distinct style of keeping people in suspense. His last work, the disastrous 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, kinda showed that, but to very little effect. It's put it to slightly more effect here, but we end up with nearly the same results.

The story centers around Samuel L. Jackson's character, Abel Turner. He's a devoted father, very protective of his two children. He shows this by treating his house like a military base. Abel is also a Los Angeles police officer. He's one of those cops that doesn't mind putting the law into his own hands. A nerve of Abel's is struck when an inter-racial couple move in next door. They are Chris (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa (Kerry Washington), newlyweds. From the moment they arrive, Abel keeps a close eye on them. He plays off as being the nice neighbor, but at the same time, shines his brightly lit backyard lights right into their window. Chris has a couple of secrets from his wife, one of them being that he sucks down a cigarette before he goes in the house. Abel makes it his duty to inform her of this. He does everything possible to make their lives miserable, which includes having a fellow officer's bachelor party moved to his place. He gives them hell, right to the boiling point.

Samuel L. Jackson takes the cake here. He's the whole show. He may do a bit of overacting, but his steel-eyed glare is enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine. The film starts out building a nice suspenseful plane, but never quite reaches the point where we eagerly grasp our arm rests, slide to the edge of the seat, and ask, "What's gonna happen next?" Instead, we're left with a glassy stare. Wilson and Washington don't bring much to the screen. In fact, their characters are rather dull. Now, it should be noted that Lake View Terrace was also the area where Rodney King was attacked by police officers in 1991, and yes, his name and famous quote are mentioned in this film. There is also a subplot involving a forest fire that's steadily heading towards the area. Now, I imagine that this is to set it in a current real life situation, but it comes off rather pointless and a bit unnecessary. Still, there is an entertainment value to behold, mainly thanks to the works of Jackson. You can enjoy watching him any day.

3 stars