Spring 2008 Movie Preview, Part 1

OK, so the writer’s strike is over and some new episodes of your favorite shows are soon going to be hitting the television airwaves in the coming weeks.
That doesn’t mean you have to forget about the movies that will be making their way into theaters as spring finally arrives. March and April usually have a mix of films that are veritable blockbusters, along with others that Hollywood studios just don’t quite feel are right for the summer.
Below is a glance at new releases for March, with April to follow soon.

MARCH
“College Road Trip”
Starring Martin Lawrence, Raven-Symoné, Donny Osmond
Directed by Roger Kumble
Comedian/actor Martin Lawrence has certainly never been one to favor subtlety in his movie selections, but it looks like he’s fully embracing toothless comedies nowadays. In this one, he’s an overprotective father escorting his daughter (Raven-Symoné) as she checks out prospective universities. Remember, Martin, this one’s rated G, so watch your mouth! (March 7)
Official Web site

“10,000 B.C.”
Starring Stephen Strait, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis
Directed by Roland Emmerich
A prehistoric action picture from the director of “Independence Day” faces the challenge of a huge budget with no stars and lots of special effects. But its obvious Warner Bros. has some hopes for the movie, as they are positioning the movie in much the same way they did “300” last year – and that turned out to be a smart move. (March 7)
Official Web site

“Doomsday”
Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester and Malcom McDowell
Directed by Neil Marshall
A country is placed under quarantine by authorities after a deadly virus spreads, forcing an elite group of specialists to be deployed to retrieve a cure. If “28 Days Later” and “Mad Max” were meshed together, it might look a little bit like this movie’s trailer. (March 14)
Official Web site

“Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears a Who!”
Starring the voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Josh Flitter, Will Arnett
Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino
Thankfully, we’re being spared a live-action version of the Dr. Suess classic here. Instead, a CG animated flick from the makers of the “Ice Age” series is being released, with some top notch comic vocal talent to boot. With sparse competition in the family-oriented field for March, Horton and the Whos should be sitting on a blockbuster. (March 14)
Official Web site

“Drillbit Taylor”
Starring Owen Wilson, Leslie Mann, Danny McBride, Josh Peck
Directed by Steven Brill
Threatened by a bully, a couple of teens hire a low-rent bodyguard (Wilson) for protection and to toughen them up. Wilson (in his first movie since his much publicized suicide attempt) looks to be playing his umpteenth variation on the lazy, easygoing beach bum character here. Still, Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up”) is producing, so it could be better than at first glance. (March 21)
Official Web site

“Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”
Starring Angela Bassett, Jenifer Lewis, David Mann, Tyler Perry, Rick Fox
Directed by Tyler Perry
A single mother (Bassett) heads to the funeral of their father, taking her family in tow to meet her extended family. This film doesn’t look to be messing with Perry’s formula of mixing comedy with some drama, with his fan favorite character of Madea appearing in a cameo role. (March 21)
Official Web site

“21”
Starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Spacey
Directed by Robert Luketic
This thriller is based on a best-selling book about a group of MIT students who become expert blackjack players by counting cards, and with the help of their math professor (Spacey), look to take on Las Vegas casinos. Sturgess and Bosworth play a couple of the brainy students who soon find themselves in over their head. (March 28)
Official Web site

“Stop-Loss”
Starring Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed by Kimberly Peirce
Taking a mere nine years since her last movie (“Boys Don’t Cry”) director Kimberly Peirce returns with yet another film focusing on the Iraq war. Phillippe stars as a soldier who returns to his small town after competing a tour of duty, only to be told by the Army they want him to go back to Iraq. He refuses to go, setting up a controversial situation that his friends and family are forced to deal with. Movies dealing with Iraq have struggled mightily at the box office and this one could be facing a similar fate. (March 28)
Official Web site