This one stars Ethan Hawke as Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019 investigating an unknown plague that’s transformed the world’s population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. 

However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race.

“Daybreakers” hits theaters on Jan. 8, 2010 and also stars Willem Dafoe, Isabel Lucas, and Sam Neill. No rating yet, but I’m guessing R or possibly PG-13. Watch the trailer here, and check out the new TV spot.

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Movie: 2012 * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: Nov. 13, 2009
Runtime: 158 minutes	Directed by: Roland Emmerich
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language	Gecko Rating:

If you’re not familiar with the theories surrounding the year 2012, there are a lot of them, ranging from the Apocalypse, the return of the aliens, a comet colliding with the earth, sunspots, and other various cataclysmic events.

But some also say the year will signal a spiritual awakening, so maybe it’s not all bad. Check out Armageddon Online for more theories.

In the movie “2012,” the focus is on a series of catastrophic natural disasters that center on a shift and destabilization of the earth’s core. Thus we’ve got earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and just about every other sort of disaster you can think of.

More after the jump…

The central character is Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), an author who’s written a book about Atlantis but works as a driver for a Russian diplomat, Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). Now divorced, Jackson is disconnected from his two kids (Liam James and Morgan Lily), and decides to take them on a camping trip to Yellowstone. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and her new husband Gordon (Tom McCarthy) stay behind in their happy suburban home.

But, of course, things start coming apart. California starts experiencing little earthquakes, and Jackson and the kids see some odd happenings during their Yellowstone camping trip, too. They also meet a crazy mountain man, Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson, whose perfectly cast in that role), who broadcasts a radio show, warning everyone that the end is near. 

Meanwhile, the politicians are gearing up in Washington, D.C. and around the globe, including U.S. President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover), his daughter Laura (Thandie Newton), and a geologist, Adrian (Chiwetel Ejiofor). They’re aware of the earth shifts and have a plan of their own. When Jackson catches wind of the plan from Charlie, he does everything in his power to get his family — including Gordon — to safety.

A lot of the dialogue in this movie is downright corny, but the special effects make up for it. You have to just sit back and enjoy the disaster ride that includes giant cracks that open up in the earth and threaten to swallow whole stores, skyscrapers toppling into each other, massive pieces of land sliding into the earth (cities and all), and sweeping tsunamis taking out entire continents, including a monk’s retreat on a mountaintop. And it’s all done really well.

But you also have to snort in disbelief at some of the outrageous things that would never happen, should a real disaster of this type occur. Like planes taking off on rubbled runways, then landing in a remote mountain area near exactly where the travelers were headed.

Still, as far as disaster movies go, this is a fun one. If you like this sort of thing, you should definitely check it out. At 158 minutes, though, it’s long, so be prepared for lots of disaster.

NOTE TO PARENTS: While I wouldn’t call “2012” a family movie, it definitely has some family elements to it. Even though Jackson feel disconnected to his kids and ex-wife, they work together during the disaster and realize they need each other.

The PG-13 rating seems on target for this movie. There are plenty of disaster scenes and people in peril, but you don’t see too many close-up shots of dead people or anything, and the movie isn’t “real” enough to warrant any major emotional upheaval in kids 13 and older.

Images: Sony Pictures Releasing

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But I’m definitely going to catch “2012,” in theaters this Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the movie also stars Thandie Newton and Woody Harrelson. Check out a 5-minute clip of the film here. There’s some major computer generated effects in this one. 

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Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to star in the sci-fi thriller about a soldier who wakes up in the body of a commuter and must solve the mystery of a train explosion.

Philippe Rousselet and Mark Gordon are set to produce, but I’m most excited about the director – Duncan Jones who directed this year’s sleeper sci-fi hit, “Moon.”

If you haven’t seen that movie yet, check it out. It’s a real twisty-turny space odyssey, with similarities to “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Oh, by the way, Jones is David Bowie’s son.

And Jake Gyllenhaal … well, he can do no wrong as far as the film projects he’s choosing these days.

Source: Hollywood Reporter / Image: INF

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Roland Emmerich’s tragi-film centers on a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world as we know it — seriously, check out the trailer. I also have a great 5-minute clip with John Cusack front and center.

Until the Nov. 13 release date, here are a few premiere pictures of Cusack, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Gilmore Girls’ Lauren Graham, and Chin Han (read my “Dark Knight” interview with him).

Also present was Adam Lambert, who sang one of the movie’s tunes, “Time for Miracles.” Watch the video of that on Idol Stalker!

More after the jump…

Image: INF

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But what about the villains we already know and love? Like Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin? Ok, sure he “died” at the end of the first “Spider-Man” movie, but he managed to appear in the two sequels as an apparition in a mirror, seen by his son, Harry.

While Dafoe says that “no one’s called” to ask if he’d be in the upcoming “Spider-Man 4,” he’s not ruling out the idea.

“I think it’s possible,” he said in a recent MTV interview. “But I haven’t heard anything.”

There’s also the fact that Harry — played by James Franco — is probably out of the picture after his death in “Spider-Man 3.” But like Dafoe says, anything is possible.

Check out all the “Spider-Man” coverage on Superhero Profiles!

Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment; All rights reserved.

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The movie tells the story of an elite military unit of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, who take on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.

Directed by Stephen Sommers, it stars Sienna Miller, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayons, Dennis Quaid, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Check out the trailer and the G.I. Joe Faceoff Game on Facebook.

THE GIVEAWAY: I have one prize pack ($80+ value) that includes the following:

• Two-disc Special Edition DVD
• Night Raven Jet with Air Viper (Toy)
• M.A.R.S. Troopers (Action Figures)
• Poster

HOW TO ENTER: U.S. residents only, please. To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. A winner will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winner for their mailing address after the contest ends. Good luck!

Images: Paramount Home Entertainment

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According to the official “Avatar” site, the story begins on the distant moon Pandora, where “a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.” The cast includes Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana and CCH Pounder to name a few. It opens in theaters Dec. 18, 2009.

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Movie: Astro Boy * Official Site * Film Gecko links * Trailer	In Theaters: Oct. 23, 2009
Runtime: 94 minutes	Directed by: David Bowers
MPAA Rating: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language	Gecko Rating:

“Astro Boy” is one of those movies that’s cute, but that you’ll probably forget about a day or two after you see it. It’s also a little violent and sad for a kids’ movie. Not as sad as “Up” or “Marley and Me,” but still sad in its own way.

The concept began as a Japanese manga series and TV show first broadcast in Japan from 1963 to 1966, and follows the adventures of the title character, Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore). He starts out as a real boy named Toby who lives in the thriving metropolis of the floating Metro City with his scientist dad, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage).

But when Toby tags along during a presentation to the war-mongering President Stone (Donald Sutherland), he ends up getting killed in a freak lab accident involving a giant robot (kind of intense for little kids right off the bat).

More after the jump…

So Toby’s genius scientist-dad decides to re-create his son in the form of a robot who looks and sounds just like his son, and even has his son’s memories. Except when all is said and done, Tenma decides that he doesn’t want a robot for a son.

So he rejects Toby, who then runs away and falls in with a group of misfit orphans on the over-polluted Earth, including black-and-purple-haired Cora (Kristen Bell) and Zane (Moises Arias), who live with Ham Egg (Nathan Lane), their seemingly kind adoptive father who runs a Coliseum-like show where robots battle to the death.

But in order to make the war robot he wants, the President needs the blue energy inside Astro Boy, so the military goes on the hunt for him. Meanwhile, Toby is hiding his true identity from the orphans, because he knows they’ll reject him if they knew the truth. 

I get what they’re trying to do here. The original “Astro Boy” tackled some heavy issues like war, pollution, death, and parental rejection. But it doesn’t really work as a cute kids’ movie, which based on the trailers, is what this movie purported to be. 

It’s CG-animated, which you’d think would be targeted towards kids ages six to nine, but it’s too dark, violent and sad for those ages. And yet my older kids weren’t the least bit interested in seeing it because it’s “a kids’ movie.”

The storyline and characters are also fairly predictable – outcast kid who realizes his true powers and becomes a hero, geeky but kind-hearted orphans, power-hungry President, cute robot sidekick (Astro Boy adopts a little trashcan-dog), giant but helpful robot … I’m not really sure what ages this movie is appropriate for. Maybe older kids familiar with the original Manga series. But then, they’ll probably just go back to the original manga series, rather than see this movie.

As for the violence, the story includes plenty of weapons-based explosions and disasters, the killing of Toby, and several robots destroyed throughout the movie, including those in the battle-to-the-death scenes in the Coliseum.

For all of these reasons, I can’t really recommend “Astro Boy” for kids. I will say this, though: I really liked the CG animation, which does a good job of picking up all the little emotions and details of the characters. And things end well, so at least it’s not like the horrible “Marley and Me” ending, with everyone in the theater sobbing their hearts out. 

Image: TM and © 2009 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it’s called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it’s known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it’s the third kind. And the next level, abduction, is the fourth kind.

The movie is set in modern-day Nome, Alaska, where since the 1960s, a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year. Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients, and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented. It’s all very creepy and really believable, too.

The movie is directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and also stars Elias Koteas, Will Patton, and Corey Johnson. It’s rated PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality, and hits theaters Nov. 6, 2009. Check out the trailer…

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