20. The Hangover (June 12)
Plot: Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can't find is Doug. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.
Personal opinion: This is being directed by Todd Phillips, who did Old School. After a disappointing effort with School for Scoundrels, I'm hoping this one is a return to form. With the combination of Ed Helms and Zach Galifinakis, I have a hard time believing this one won't be funny. But without seeing a trailer yet, I can't know for sure, which is why it isn't higher on the list.
19. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (May 22)
Plot: It's a new "Night" and "Museum" for Ben Stiller, who is joined by several other stars from the original film, as well as new characters from history -- including Amy Adams as famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart, Hank Azaria as villainous Egyptian pharaoh Ka Mun Rah, Christopher Guest as Russian tyrant Ivan the Terrible and Alain Chabat as Napoleon. Owen Wilson is back as cowboy Jedediah, and Robin Williams again rides into history as Teddy Roosevelt.
Personal opinion: The first one was fine, albeit somewhat tame I thought. Based on the teaser trailer, this one seems like your typical sequel, that is, more of the same. I do like the additions of Bill Hader and Hank Azaria, as they should up the humor in this one. I won't rush out to see it, but I'm sure there will be a lot of families that will. Let's just hope for their sake, that this film doesn't suffer the same fate as Narnia by having a successful first film open in the winter followed by a sequel that opens in the summer and flops.
18. Duplicity (March 20)
Plot: Oscar winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for "Duplicity," from writer/director Tony Gilroy (seven-time Oscar-nominated "Michael Clayton"). In the film, they star as spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes espionage game, they discover the toughest part of the job is deciding how much to trust the one you love.
Personal opinion: Not only is this Clive Owen's second appearance on the list, but it's also the second film to appear on the list that will open on March 20. This one seems like it has the makings for a really cool film. Aside from the two leads, you have Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giammati here lending their support. Given how great Tony Gilroy's first directorial effort was, I'm really interested to see what he does for a follow-up here. The spy comedy can be a tricky genre to do right, but all signs thus far point to this one being a winner.
17. Terminator Salvation (May 22)
Post: In the highly anticipated new installment of "The Terminator" film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
Personal opinion: I'll state up front that I've never been a big fan of the Terminator franchise. In fact, I've never seen either the third film or the current TV series. So why is this even on the list, let alone at #17? Simple, Christian Bale. Hiring him to play an adult John Connor immediately raised the franchise's quality. We've seen what he's done for Batman, now I'm curious to see what he'll do for this film. It still may not be my cup of tea, but they've at least now got my attention. Here's hoping I won't be disappointed.
16. Adventureland (March 27)
Plot: "Adventureland" is a comedy set in the summer of 1987 and centered around a recent college grad (Eisenberg) who takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.
Personal opinion: This one sort of snuck up on me. I actually didn't have it on my original list, but the trailer was just released and I discovered that this one has real possibility. It certainly has the comedic pedigree with Greg Mottola (Superbad) directing, and people like Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig, and Ryan Reynolds all in it. I'm not crazy about the March release date, but let's hope it has the quality of a summer release.
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