Every once in a while, a trailer comes along that makes me giddy with delight. A huge grin spreads across my face as I clap like a four-year-old on Christmas morning. The trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is one of these trailers, a trailer that reminds me why I love going to the movies.

Prince Caspian, like its predecessor The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is a faithful adaptation of the saga written by C.S. Lewis. I read The Chronicles of Narnia annually during my dorky childhood, and so far the movies are even better than I had ever imagined in the books. In this installment, the Pevensie kids return to Narnia one year later to find that an eon has passed and their kingdom is in turmoil. The battle scenes alone will be worth my $11.

Prince Caspian is unmissable. For everyone who loves an epic adventure on the big screen, SEE IT. For everyone who wishes there could be another installment of Lord of the Rings, SEE IT. For all you Harry Potter fans in withdrawal, SEE IT. For all the fellow dweebs who still hope to find Narnia waiting behind the next door, SEE IT.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is not yet rated and opens May 16. (official site)

P.S. This installment comes to you from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. Check Globestompers.com for the latest on my trip around the world.

Feel free to comment on Julie’s post here.

This trailer hit the internet a few days ago, and I have to say, it’s one of the best trailers I’ve seen in a while.

I’m always curious about how much input a filmmaker gets into designing the trailer for their movie. I know that most trailers are made by big marketing firms like Trailer Park, but when I see a gutsy trailer like this one for Slipstream, I just can’t imagine that the director (in this case Anthony Hopkins) had no creative input into how it got made.

Judging from the plot description (and from the trailer!), Slipstream seems like it’ll be an interesting movie. It’s about a screenwriter whose mind goes haywire, causing him to slip into his movie and his characters to slip into his real life.

That plot reminds me a bit of Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, where Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time. I loved that book, and it seems like that sort of a trippy, disjointed story could play really well on film. Unfortunately, such a story would have to be directed exceptionally well to pull it off, and as much as I like Anthony Hopkins, he’s just too inexperienced of a director to make me believe that he’ll succeed.

If this thing was directed by David Fincher, I’d be all over it, but seeing how Hopkins has only directed two previous movies, I’m going to have to wait and RENT IT. But if it’s any consolation to Sir Anthony, I’m going to watch the trailer a few more times, perhaps with some popcorn and a large soda.

Slipstream is rated R and opens in limited release on October 26. (Official Site)

I attended an advance screening of Stardust last night, and I still stand by my RENT IT review. It was better than I was anticipating, and actually quite funny at times, but I really can’t think of any reason to encourage you to shell out $11 to see it.

I’ll keep this brief since the movie actually opens today, and honestly, I can’t think of anything too remarkable (either good or bad) to comment on. But the one item I have to draw attention to is Robert De Niro. His role is relatively small and he doesn’t even appear until midway through the movie, but his performance as Captain Shakespeare, the airborne pirate, makes the entire movie. I don’t want to give anything away, but even if you’re not a fan of fantasy movies, or even of De Niro (do such people exist?), Stardust is worth a viewing for his part alone. Just wait for the DVD.

Ya know, I suppose I might have been interested in this movie, but the trailer totally turned me off. Mostly, it was the blatent, pathetic attempt to leech off the success of Lord of the Rings. That kind of ploy only makes me think that this movie isn’t strong enough to hold up on its own. I’m personally going to SKIP IT.

The Golden Compass is not yet rated and doesn’t open until December 7. (Official Site)

Everybody has one summer blockbuster they can not wait to see. For some, it is The Simpsons. For others, it is Pirates of the Caribbean. For me, there is only one must-SEE IT movie this summer: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I just finished re-reading all the books in time for the July 21 release of the final book, and in the meantime I can’t wait to see the next movie. I am a total dweeb, and that’s ok.

This is the second trailer released by Warner Brothers. (For the first trailer, click here.) I continue to be amazed at how this franchise just continues to get better and better. The story is becoming more layered and the younger actors have become so skilled that they can go toe to toe against their Oscar-winning co-stars. Judging by both trailers, Order of the Phoenix looks like a suspense-filled movie that can stand on its own and entertain even non-Potter fans (such people exist?) who find themselves in the cinema. (How scary is that shot of Voldemort in a three-piece suit?)

And now, a casting question. The sixth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is in pre-production and there is one small but juicy role to be cast. Narcissa Malfoy, mother of Draco and wife of evil Lucius, makes her first appearance in a pivotal scene at the start of the story. Narcissa is described as having blonde hair, blue eyes, and “a look on her face as if there were something smelly under her nose.” She has a sixteen-year-old son, so she would be at least 36 years old. Like the rest of the cast, the actress that plays her must be British. Naomi Watts’ name has been bandied about (she grew up in the UK), but she looks a little young and is identified as Australian. So who should play icy Narcissa Malfoy?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is rated PG-13 and opens on July 13. I can’t wait! (Official site)

I’m no filmmaker, but I would imagine one of the hardest films to make (and make well) are fantasy fairy tales. How can you tell when you’re crossing the line from “fantastical” to “utterly ridiculous”? How do you make the film relatable, yet keep the fairy tale element going strong? It seems that fantasy fairy tales can only fall into one of two categories: truly magical (The Princess Bride and The Adventure of Baron Munchausen) or completely dismal (every unnecessary sequel to The Neverending Story).

Stardust is certainly aiming to land in the former category, but the core fairy tale sounds a little far-fetched (yes, even for a fairy tale). Love struck and poshly British, Tristan vows to fetch a fallen star for his true love. But in order to do so, he must cross “the wall” (it’s more dramatic if you say it with a British accent), which is apparently also a vortex leading into a magical land. Once there, Tristan finds that the fallen star isn’t a star at all, it’s Claire Danes in a flowy dress. He decides to bring her back with him anyway (why his lady love would want him to return with another woman is beyond me), but the journey isn’t an easy one. Apparently a fallen star/woman is highly coveted in this crazy world. There is a wicked witch trying to steal the star so she can restore herself and her fellow hags to their former beauty. There is a band of pirates on an airborne ship who want the star (for reasons not explained in the trailer). And there’s a prince who appears to be more evil than charming who is also set upon stopping their trip home.

As bizarre as the story is, Stardust does boast an impressive cast. There’s the afore mentioned Claire Danes as the fallen star. Michelle Pfeiffer looks to be wonderfully evil as the wicked witch and Robert De Niro is the airborne pirate captain. Ricky Gervais (of British The Office fame) has a supporting role and Sienna Miller is the girl Tristan is bringing Claire Danes home to.

I’m going to wait and RENT IT. I do believe that it is time for another well-done fantasy fairy tale film, but I’m not quite convinced that Stardust is it.

Stardust is rated PG-13 and opens August 10. (Official site)