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.

For me, National Treasure was a pleasant surprise. Despite my reservations that it would be two hours of Nicolas Cage’s typical shlock, one night it was the best choice at our local cinema, so I saw it. National Treasure was total brain candy: action with a good dose of comedy. I loved every second of it.

Disney smells a franchise. Ed Harris and Helen Mirren join Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, and Harvey Keitel for the sequel. (This is Mirren’s first post-Oscar role, and why not? At this point in her career, she can do whatever she wants.) The stakes are greater this time around; Cage must clear allegations that his ancestor was involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. My only gripe about this trailer is that it doesn’t show enough of the hilarious one-liners that made the first movie so enjoyable. Still, I am going to SEE IT with a big bucket of popcorn.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is not yet rated and opens on December 21. (official site)

Up until last summer, I was the ultimate Pixar fangirl. Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles were all amazing films. Those movies had everything you could want from a family film: the animation was incredible, the voice actors were perfectly cast, the stories were clever and unique, they taught useful lessons without being heavy-handed and preachy, and there was something for both kids and adults in all of them. Then last summer came Cars, which I was pretty disappointed with. Owen Wilson as the lead voice? Has anyone at Pixar actually heard him talk for an extended amount of time? All the characters are vehicles? There’s only so many ways you can move a vehicle, even in the world of animation. After you’ve exhausted that limited inventory, they’re pretty boring to watch. And don’t even get me started on the trite story or the laughable love scenes between the two lead cars.

This summer, Pixar offers Ratatouille; the story of a rat who lives in France and dreams of being a famous French chef. Only problem is, well, that whole being a rat thing. So he befriends a talentless kitchen worker and they have a sort of Cyrano de Bergerac relationship; with the rat as the mastermind behind their creations and the worker acting as the front man. I guess the moral is supposed to be something along the lines of, “Do whatever you must to make your dreams come true,” but seriously? A rat? Cooking? In France? This seems far-fetched, even for a cartoon. And I don’t know anyone who wants to think about a rat being anywhere near their food. It seems even the studio is a little skeptical on how well this movie will do in theaters since they’re offering a nine-minute sneak peek on Disney’s website.

I’m going to RENT IT and pray that Pixar gets its mojo back soon. They have Toy Story 3 in the works now for a 2009 release, and if it’s anywhere near how good the first two were, there’s hope for them yet.

Ratatouille is rated G and opens June 29. (Official site)

There are few things in this world as magical as a Disney fairy tale. Everyone has their favorite; from the old-school classics like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to the newer gems like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. In recent years Disney has taken a detour from their traditional route in their partnership with Pixar, and while that pairing has created some great films (Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles), there’s still nothing quite like a Disney fairy tale. As far as I can tell, Mulan is the last fairy tale they created, and that was in 1998 (and Mulan is based on a Chinese folktale, so does it even count as a ‘fairy tale’?). And no, I’m not counting any of those half-assed straight to video sequels that have been created.

With Enchanted, it looks like Disney is trying to get back to its roots…but with a twist. We start out in a magical animated land with all the fairy tale basics: beautiful princess, handsome prince, cute woodland creatures, and an evil queen determined to wreak havoc on everyone’s happiness. And by “wreak havoc” I mean “toss the beautiful princess into the reality of modern-day Manhattan.” The lovely Princess Giselle suddenly finds herself a little less two-dimensional as she goes from a cartoon to a real person, played by Amy Adams, who must find her way back home and try to survive in a city that has no need for princesses.

Fortunately for her, her true love, Prince Edward, has followed her into reality and is determined to find and rescue her. Unfortunately for him, a city that has no need for princesses is even less accepting of a weird guy in tights who brandishes a sword and randomly bursts into song. It also looks like he may have some competition for Giselle’s affection, as she has befriended a “real” man, played by the McDreamy Patrick Dempsey (that’s right, I watch Grey’s Anatomy, don’t judge me). And of course the evil queen, played by Susan Sarandon, is going to see to it that their journey back to magical animated land isn’t an easy one.

At first I was tempted to give Enchanted a ‘rent it’ review (I’m over the age of 12 and have no children, so I’m not exactly their key audience), but who am I kidding? I know I’m going to go SEE IT. I love all the Disney classics and this looks like it could be a hilarious update of the traditional fairy tale. It certainly has piqued my interest more than Stardust has, and this New Yorker needs the occasional dose of magic to keep her from becoming too cynical and jaded.

Enchanted is not yet rated and opens November 21. (Official site)

The fact that there are people in Hollywood still green lighting projects like Underdog is what makes me fear for the future of movies. I wish I could have been an observer of the thought process that went into this film. I imagine it went something like this:

Big Hollywood Executive: “Let’s see…we need to come up with the next big family-friendly movie…but let’s ignore the example of successful family film franchises like Harry Potter, Shrek, and the Pixar films and do something totally asinine. Let’s make a movie based off a moderately popular 1960’s cartoon, about a superhero dog, that very few people remember anymore. But it won’t be a cartoon; it’ll be live action! And instead of using an animated dog, we’ll computer animate a real dog so it looks like it’s flying and talking! Never mind that this dog looks nothing like the dog from the cartoon, the American public is obviously too stupid to notice. And instead of finding a voice actor who can recreate the voice of the original Underdog (because his voice is really the most memorable part of the cartoon), let’s get Jason Lee to do the voice in his usual smarmy way. It worked so well for his characters in the Kevin Smith movies, why wouldn’t it work here? Yes, of course Kevin Smith’s films are only for adults, so kids probably have no idea who Jason Lee is, but who cares? It’s a movie about a dog. Who flies! And talks! Why should I put any more thought into a movie that’s for children? Kids will watch anything! This project is a go! Now I’m going to play a round of golf, call me when it’s time for the wrap party.”

SKIP IT. Burn it. Put it in a sack and toss it in the river. Because as long as people are willing to spend money to see movies like this, Hollywood will continue to make them. And the future of family films deserves better than that.

Underdog is rated PG and opens August 3. (Official site)

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me. For the last time.

This Memorial Day weekend brings the conclusion to the ‘Pirates’ trilogy with Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End. If you’ve seen (and enjoyed) the first two installments, it looks like you can expect some more of the same: campy good fun on the high seas with the usual suspects: Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and the delightfully boozy antics of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow.

At the end of the second Pirates movie, we saw Captain Jack sail off to, presumably, his doom. At World’s End picks up where we left off, with the salty crew on a mission to find and save Jack, lead by the (dead? not dead? undead?) Captain Barbossa, played by Geoffrey Rush. The crew apparently sails to, literally, the world’s end, judging by the huge wall of water they approach in the trailer. Jack is found, but is reluctant to rejoin the band of men (I use ‘men’ in the all-inclusive sense, Miss Knightley) who turned on him in the last film. But rejoin them he must in order to have one final battle with their foes: the squid-like Davy Jones, the pompous pirate-hater Lord Beckett, and Captain Sao Feng, leader of a troupe of pirates from Singapore (a new character for this final film played by the always impressive Chow Yun Fat).

I admit I was a little underwhelmed by the second Pirates movie after loving the first one. This third installment seems to be more of the same, but I’ll still SEE IT for two reasons:
1. The final battle scene will be epically awesome to see on the big screen.
2. I can use this film as an excuse for why I’ll be talking like a pirate for the rest of the summer. Yarr.

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End is not yet rated and opens May 25. (Official Site)

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Until I get the technical kinks ironed out and I can post the trailers on this site, here are New York Magazine’s trailer reviews from their June 12 issue. You can read the original article by Logan Hill at http://nymag.com/movies/features/17182/index.html

Superman Returns
Tagline: “You have great power.”
Translation: No more Mr. Nice Guy.
The Gist: The first teaser was too sweet. The newest are much darker and outline a new plot: Superman comes home after disappearing for years; Lois Lane has a kid and a fiancé; Lex Luthor harnesses the technology of the Fortress of Solitude and holds the world hostage. It all looks aggressively stylish—especially that bullet bouncing off Superman’s eye—and, more important, different from Smallville.

TrailerSpy verdict: See It. Epic action movies, if done well, are best seen on the big screen. (Official Site)

The Lake House
Tagline: “What if you found the one you were meant for, but you lived two years apart?”
Translation: Please bear with us while we explain.
The Gist: When Keanu Reeves repeats his famous Matrix line—“This is in-sane”—you know things are going to get trippy. And they do, but in a romantic way, as he and his Speed co-star Sandra Bullock become metaphysical pen pals living in the same home, separated by two years. The premise is spelled out neatly enough (and that’s impressive), but it’s still hard to swallow, even with Pulitzer winner David Auburn’s name (Proof) as the kicker.

TrailerSpy verdict: Rent It. I am a chick and a sucker for a good chick flick. The premise of The Lake House is original, a rariety in romances. (Official Site)

My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Tagline: “It’s the age-old story . . . Boy Meets Girl . . . ”
Translation: Um, we had the whole marketing department working on this—and, well, they gave up.
The Gist: From the corny eighties Fine Young Cannibals song “She Drives Me Crazy” to the low-budget FX, this is a poor sell, in which the young co-stars Anna Faris and Rainn Wilson eclipse stars Luke Wilson (no relation) and Uma Thurman, his superheroine lover. Thurman’s costumes are the biggest disappointment: After the yellow jumpsuit of Kill Bill, these getups look store-bought.

TrailerSpy verdict: Rent It. My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a chick flick in disguise and a movie that guys will enjoy without feeling completely emasculated. (Official Site)

You, Me and Dupree
Tagline: “It was the perfect wedding . . . Until . . . ”
Translation: Wedding Crashers: The Sorta-Sequel.
The Gist: Shamelessly riding on the coattails of Crashers, this positions Owen Wilson as a loser who moves in with his best friend (Matt Dillon) and his buddy’s new bride (Kate Hudson). The gags rest on Wilson’s slouchy shoulders—and he carries them well. Universal is using the slogan “Wear Out Your Welcome” with confidence that Wilson won’t.

TrailerSpy verdict: Skip It. I’ll probably be in the minority in passing on You, Me, and Dupree, but I’m not sold from the trailer. I loved Wedding Crashers, but this looks like one of those painful movies with awkward incident after awkward incident.

Nacho Libre
Tagline: “When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants.”
Translation: If you don’t think Jack Black looks funny in a tight wrestling outfit, we’ve lost you.
The Gist: The first trailer sold itself on the sight of Black alone—but a series of seventeen (and counting) slapdash iTunes “Confessional” podcasts will deflate expectations. Black seems exhausted, letting dead air stand for punch lines. Sometimes, more access can be a bad thing—especially if the star appears to have been forced to participate.

TrailerSpy verdict: See It, or at this point, Rent It. I literally laughed out loud every time I saw the trailer for Nacho Libre, and most of the audience was laughing with me. (Official Site)
Have you seen Nacho Libre, The Lake House, or Superman Returns? Did they live up to their trailers? Comment on whether you feel we should See It, Skip It, or Rent It.

I’ll admit it, I’m happy Lindsay Lohan’s new flick, Just My Luck, bombed. You probably weren’t aware, but the movie opened this past weekend and took in a whopping $5.4 million, not even enough to pay Lohan’s salary. Let’s examine why this one did so badly:

• Lohan, who’s already an extremely lucky actress, plays Ashley Albright, the luckiest girl on earth. Even though she appears to be only 19 years old, Ashley has a fabulous job as a publicist, a fabulous designer handbag, and all the fabulous trappings of a fabulous lifestyle in Manhattan. Blech, my stomach is turning with jealousy. The story sounds cute enough: the luckiest girl and the unluckiest guy kiss and swap luck. But when executed with someone as young as Lohan, the story is even more wholly unbelievable than it needs to be.
• Lohan is completely overexposed. This just goes to show that being on the cover of Us Weekly every other week does not mean you are movie star, it means that you are tabloid fodder, and there is a big difference. The five people I talked to couldn’t name one movie she had been in.
• The movie however, wasn’t exposed nearly enough. I told my friend Nicole that my next post would be about Just My Luck, and she said, “What’s that?” Maybe the marketers weren’t targeting my demographic, but I think I only saw the trailer once and read only one puff piece about the movie. (That article also made me sick.)
• The producers reportedly spent $7.5 million on Lohan, and then could only afford an unknown actor to play her love interest. Surely she could have gotten one of her boy toys to play the role at a reduced rate. Her inflated salary explains where the marketing budget went.
• The poster is obnoxious, and unoriginal.
• It’s a case schadenfraude, which is the joy we get in seeing other people’s misfortunes. (Everybody is guilty of this from time to time.) I am getting way too much joy out of seeing Lindsay Lohan (and her mom-ager) fail spectacularly, and I am sure I’m not alone.

I am not ready for a world in which Lohan can open a movie on her own. Hallelujah, all is right in the universe.