A comedy and a creeper, two movies at opposite ends of the spectrum both out this weekend. See the trailers and a “quick peek” review before you decide how to spend your cash.

 Cop Out

The more I hear about this movie, the more I actually want to see it… Amazing since at first, the billboards looked like a complete joke. Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan are the comedic team in this, playing cops that track down the thief of a rare baseball card that was supposed to be cashed in to pay for Willis’ daughter’s birthday party. I would have had no idea of the synopsis by just watching the trailer. Let’s hope they saved the best for the actual screen… otherwise this movie is in a lot of trouble. I LOVE Tracy Morgan on “30 Rock” so all of my hope lies in him.

Also starring is Sean William Scott, with  Jason Lee, Michelle Trachtenberg, Adam Brody, and Rashida Jones making appearances. Directed by Kevin Smith.

The Crazies

 A remake of the 1970’s original, you can expect a lot more blood and gore in this one. Which also means that I will not be seeing it. People start to go “crazy” in a small Iowa town when a toxin is released and the four unaffected townspeople get together to fight off the psychopaths. What more can I say? You pretty much know what you’re signing up for when you buy your ticket… A lot of screaming, disturbing images that will be emblazoned in your mind, and soiled pants… Wait, that doesn’t happen to you?

Dear John

 Ah, a tear-jerking heartfelt love story just in time for Valentine’s Day. Guys, just when your girlfriend FINALLY watched her DVD of “The Notebook” so many times that it won’t even play anymore, another Nicholas Sparks based movie is ready for release, so you better hit the ATM because you’ll need cash for both popcorn AND tissues.

Brace yourself for quite possibly the cheesiest romance of the year, and yes, I’m aware that it’s still February. Channing Tatum (named “John” in the movie, hence the title) and Amanda Seyfried are the star-crossed lovers in this story about a soldier who falls for a girl right before leaves for duty. They keep their romance alive by writing each other letters. Besides the obvious, this movie will hopefully be carried solely by the chemistry and the acting abilities of the two main characters, much similar to how amazing Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams were together.

From Paris With Love

Ok, there’s not really much else that I want to say about this movie than the following: bald-headed John Travolta with a goatee is FRIGHTENING. Not only is he frightening, but that in itself turns me off from the movie SO much that there is no chance of me seeing this, EVER. Not even having Jonathan Rhys Meyers co-starring can save this. Seriously, I don’t even feel like watching this trailer to review it. If you’re not scared off by the photo of Travolta, by all means please judge for yourself.

Frozen

So… let me get this straight. The entire movie takes place on a ski resort chair-lift? Ummm… ok. Aside from the potential budget (or lack thereof) that this movie had, the far-fetched story here is of 3 snowboarders stranded on a chair-lift after closing. The resort won’t open for another week (no one checked the chair-lifts??) so the trio must do whatever they can do survive the brutal weather and whatever else randomly comes their way. If you’re looking for a different type of corny than what “Dear John” has to offer, go for the corny horror/suspense that this should be chock full of. Shawn Ashmore stars.

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When In Rome

Ladies, you’ll get to enjoy eye-candy Josh Duhamel. Gentlemen, you’ll get to feast your eyes on Kristen Bell. It’s a win-win situation on this rom-com about Beth, a girl completely unlucky in love who grabs some coins from a superstitious fountain in Rome that suddenly cause aggressive suitors to vie for her attention. Lots of other well-known names in this: Will Arnett, Dax Shepard, Jon Heder, and Angelica Huston. I’m sort of tired of seeing this promoted everywhere I turn, and don’t necessarily have high hopes. Pretty much everything good in this, you’re going to see it in the trailer. Not a lot of options this weekend, though, so I would go with this if you’ve already planned a date night to the movies.

Edge of Darkness

Lots of talk about this and all eyes are going to be on how it does in box-office sales especially with Mel Gibson’s return after the drama in his personal life. Sounds like a horror film, but it’s not. Gibson plays a homicide detective that has to investigate the death of his daughter. He finds that it’s not a simple case after uncovering secrets to her life and a government conspiracy her death is tied with. Am I excited to see this? No. Will I see this anyway? No. Should you see this? In my opinion, you would probably be more entertained with the cute humor in When In Rome rather than put yourself through this movie. I was hoping Gibson’s return would be more exciting but it seems he’s still pretty caught up in personal matters to be focused on his movie career.

• Avatar:

This one is going to be MAJOR. Already being hyped since the beginning of this year, Avatar is directed by James Cameron and just looks amazing with all of the visual effects and 3D effects they used when creating the “other world” where most of the movie seems to take place. The story is a bit complicated, so try and wrap your brain around this: a paraplegic war veteran is placed in this program where he learns to walk again and is given an alien “avatar” (hence the title). He then becomes more and more involved in the other world and the problems the alien race faces… Wow, did that even make sense? Just watch the trailer. If the hype says anything, then this one should be a hit. Voices/actors include Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, and Michelle Rodriguez. In theaters Dec. 18th.

• Nine:

The trailer was on TV recently and it immediately caught my eye. Pretty much going on the complete other end of the spectrum from a sci-fi movie like Avatar, this is a musical about film director Guido Contini and his struggles with maintaining both his personal and professional lives. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the lead with Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman AND Fergie supporting. Could they fit in any more famous females? If the holidays put you in a sing-song mood, this would be your choice movie for the season. In theaters everywhere Christmas Day.

• Sherlock Holmes:

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are lookin’ mighty fine on all those billboards around the city. Oh, and Rachel McAdams is a good actress. I probably don’t need to go into explaining this movie because I’m going to assume you’ve at least heard of Sherlock Holmes. It’s directed by Madonna’s Ex Guy Ritchie and my guess is that this one’s gonna do just fine in raking in the millions. My type of movie: hot guys with accents, action, comedy thrown in for good measure, and hopefully a decent storyline. In theaters Christmas Day.

• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus:

You might have heard of this one way before now since it was Heath Ledger’s last (and unfinished) role before his untimely death. Also starring Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and “Mini Me” Verne Troyer. Directed by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame… Which I hope you’re familiar with. The story goes that a doctor makes a deal with the devil, which of course is never a good idea, and when that turns for the worse it leads him on a quest to save his daughter. I’m really excited to see this, not just because of the curiosity to see how they wrapped things up with Ledger’s role, but also because it’s one of those mystical, magical stories that will take you on a journey. Maybe that sounds fruity, but it’s a nice change of pace from most of the action, horror, and crude comedies that I feel theaters were full of this year. Catch this Christmas Day.

• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

I’m going to do my best not to bash this one. Because there must be a LOT of you out there that adored the first one for the studio to want to create a sequel, right? What else can you expect, other than more of the signature chipmunk high-pitched song and dance, which this time around will include the introduction of the Chipettes… female chipmunks, for those not familiar. Jason Lee returns as Dave and TV show “Chuck” actor Zachary Levi playing another human and not just lending his voice. Don’t be fooled; the voices behind the animated characters include a lot of big names: Justin Long, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, singer Jesse McCartney, and Amy Poehler. Rated-PG so you know what that means… Bring the little ones. In theaters Dec. 23rd.

Yes, we get it. John Travolta and Robin Williams are old. How many of these movies can studios possibly make? Well in this one, Williams and Travolta play bachelor businessmen that suddenly have to play role models to a couple kids that drop into their lives. Needless to say, it’s going to be kid safe. Maybe see it this weekend with the whole family after a nice Thanksgiving? Lots of random faces too, like Matt Dillon, Dax Shepard, the late Bernie Mac, and couple other Travoltas. Oh, and how could I forget to mention Seth Green. Not really the typical type of movie he’s in, but I’m sure he’ll bring much needed laughs and it doesn’t hurt that I have a major crush on the guy.

• Ninja Assassin

When did ninjas start using explosives and guns? Maybe I’m just old-fashioned… Anyway, Ninja Assassin follows a man that was raised to be a killer that must now use his skills to protect himself from the people that trained him. Lots of action and probably not that awesome of a plot, but it is what it is. I’m actually interested in seeing the fight sequences since they look pretty decent in the trailer.

• Me and Orson Welles

I didn’t even know about this movie until I looked up what was coming out this weekend. Haven’t seen any billboards, which is surprising since it stars Zac Efron (who looks better than ever, just see the trailer). He plays an aspiring actor who finds himself falling for an actress (Claire Danes) during rehearsals for a play directed by the famed Orson Welles (newcomer Christian McKay). The acting in the trailer seems really stale, so I am a bit skeptical on this being good. There’s potential so if you’re not into the other two movies I mentioned, here’s an option for Thanksgiving weekend.

Is there a point in other movies coming out this week? Or me writing other reviews? Because they’re all going to be overshadowed by this one. Yes, I saw the first movie in the series and was able to catch this one at the AMP screening last night. I fear bad-mouthing the movie because of all of you Team Edward and Team Jacob crazed Twihards! I suppose if you’re a huge fan, you’re going to be happy regardless. If you’re not, well, this one is definitely cheesier than the first one… by leaps and bounds. Be patient, it gets better as it goes. Either way, there are a lot of hot shirtless men… well, boys, (A LOT) so if you like those, then it might be worth sitting through. Oh, and the ending? It’ll TOTALLY leave you wanting more. Stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and small role by Dakota Fanning.

• The Blind Side

I’ll be surprised if you’re reading this since it’s following my Twilight review… but for those of you still with me, this movie features Sandra Bullock and country singer Tim McGraw. Based on a true story about a disadvantaged teen that gets taken in by a family and pursues a career in the NFL. Well, I don’t really know what to say. It’s sort of corny for my taste, but there are those of you that love these “based on a true story” movies. Get those tissues ready… this one’s gonna be a tearjerker. If the cheese in “New Moon” isn’t enough, make it a double feature night and see this while you’re at it.

• Planet 51

I think “cheese” is the theme for this week’s reviews. What better way to top it off than with an animated film? Written by the same people who did “Shrek”, the story follows an astronaut from Earth (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and his adventures on Planet 51 and the alien invasion. Other familiar voices include Jessica Beil and Sean William Scott. But… wait… what’s the point of having Sean William Scott in a movie where you can’t see his hotness? Well, I guess this is geared more towards the younger crowd, anyway. What a shame…

The world is ending! No, seriously. You’ve probably heard the story of how the Mayans predicted the world to end during the year 2012, and in this movie John Cusack and Amanda Peet are in charge of leading a group to fight the apocalypse. Additional big names in this include Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, and Danny Glover who plays the President. Even though this movie has been hyped insanely (and I HATE overly hyped movies), I would still see it. And for the record, if the world was ending, I would totally follow John Cusack to wherever he was going. Has a good head on his shoulders, that kid.

• Pirate Radio

So… this is a radio station movie review… on a movie about a radio station. Weird. Based on a true story from the 1960’s, a group of DJ’s run an illegal radio station on a ship in the middle of Britain’s waters. Maybe it’s because I work in the industry, but this movie is intriguing. It has some awesome names attached to it: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, plus Bill Nighy and Nick Frost of Shaun of the Dead. If you’re looking for a movie with more substance than the norm, definitely see this.

• Dare

I could have done my third review on the eerie Fantastic Mr. Fox that comes out the same week, but after seeing this trailer I had to choose Dare. It’s about three friends that are basically going through the obstacles we all face of growing up. Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, and Ashley Springer play the three friends but the actors that caught my attention are Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, and SNL alum Ana Gasteyer. Going on limited release, this might be worth catching if you’re into the whole teen angst thing… or if you’re a teen with, you know, angst. (But what teen doesn’t?)

Cameron Diaz and James Marsden play a couple that are given a tough decision: what to do with a box that could fulfill their dreams while having drastic consequences on others. The trailer for this is intriguing, and the major thing that would deter me from watching this is Diaz’s annoyingly fake accent. I just ask… Why? Anyway, I love movies that put you through mind games. I hope that whatever the twist ends up being, it doesn’t disappoint.

• The Fourth Kind

Just seeing the preview on TV last night made me nervous… This one’s gonna be creepy. There’s a 40-year-long Alaskan mystery of random disappearances that an investigator, played by action hottie Milla Jovovich, must solve. Obviously from the title and the trailer, the disappearances are due to alien abductions. Has a bit of an “X-Files” feel to it. I expect this one to do well just because some of the camera work is really similar to the hit Paranormal Activity and audiences might crave more of the same thing. If you like aliens, go for it.

• Precious

Based on the novel Push by Sapphire The first time I saw the trailer for this, it got me immediately interested. There’s a lot of buzz (even the Oscar kind) about this movie, and definitely has some interesting names attached to it including comedian Mo’Nique and Mariah Carey. The plot is as far as you can get from Glitter; Precious (played by newcomer Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe) is an overweight, pregnant, illiterate teenager struggling to educate herself to get out of the slums of Harlem. Though only on limited release, I won’t mind going out of my way to catch this and you’ll be hearing about this one until awards season.

Halloween MUST be close when there’s a new “Saw” movie in theaters. Jigsaw is dead, but the game still continues (seriously?). Another round of the “lessons” that are taught to unsuspecting victims in disturbing, sometimes fatal ways. Now, let me ask… Are you sick of the franchise yet? I don’t really do scary movies but I’m definitely tired of hearing about these movies. My friend that loves horror movies even admitted to the ridiculousness of there being a number 6 in the series, but also said that he would watch this anyway. I guess if it ain’t broke…

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

What the hell is this movie even about? I am so confused. Even the trailer doesn’t do anything for me. I guess a kid decides his life is too boring so he takes up an offer from a vampire (John C. Reilly) to join the undead and become part of a traveling freak show. The cast is insane: Salma Hayek, Ken Watanabe, Jane Krakowski, and even Willem Dafoe. They all wanted to be part of this movie? Is it because the whole vampire thing is in right now and they want to be trendy actors? I don’t know. I really wish that this actually looked good, but just seeing J.C. Reilly as a vampire immediately turns me off from it. Something is just not right about it. Great actor, but all I can think is…. “SHAKE AND BAKE!”

Amelia

I’m quite surprised that I haven’t seen this movie promoted at all, or seen any trailers on TV. The dramatic story of famed pilot Amelia Eirhart’s disappearance, and who better to play her than Hilary Swank. Watching her scenes in the trailer already convinces me that she was perfect for the role. I wasn’t sure of where they were going to go with the story, but it looks pretty good. I would definitely watch it, though the audience for this is probably going to be a bit on the older end. Throw in Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor and you have an all-star cast.

• Where the Wild Things Are

This was one that I was anxious to see, and I got my chance at a screening last night. I’m left with really mixed feelings. Based on the popular kid’s book, this film follows Max as he runs away from home, only to find himself in an imaginary world of monsters that designate him as King. It’s a tough job to take such a simple story and create an entire movie out of it, and that’s probably the major weak point. It’s not fair to expect an intricate plot or want too much more out of the story, so take it for what it’s worth. Look at it as art. Not amazing, but not exactly disappointing.

• The Stepfather

When I first saw a poster for this, I couldn’t even believe the title. Really? How was I ever supposed to try and take this seriously. “Nip/Tuck” star Dylan Walsh plays a man, hiding a dark past from his new family, which includes his stepson played by Penn Badgley of “Gossip Girl.” My only excitement comes from seeing Walsh in something other than his show, which I’m a fan of. Other than that, I’d only suggest you to see this to get you in the spirit for Halloween.

• Law Abiding Citizen

YUM. Give me a movie with a naked Gerard Butler and you’ll have one happy Seena! I don’t even feel like you need to know the plot because, I mean, come on… Gerard Butler… Naked… Ok, moving on. In case you actually care what this is about, Clyde Shelton (Butler) feels the need to take the law into his own hands when the justice system fails him. The prosecutor (Jamie Foxx) that was responsible must stop Clyde from his vengeful killings that are mysteriously happening as he’s locked up. Interesting story, hot men, possibly some good acting. See you there!