Coming Soon To A Theater Near You: 'Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans'

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (R)

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos

In the shadow of the phenomenon known as Twilight, the vampire genre may seem to be a bit exhausted. But for the diehards of the vampire mythology, the release of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans may be just what you want. You won't find these vampires and werewolves roaming the halls of your local high school, though that would have made my high school experience a lot more exciting. Rather, in the Rise of the Lycans, you'll find the foundation of the centuries-old battle between the vampires and Lycans explained. If you are a fan of Underworld and Underworld: Evolution, then you pretty much know the story behind the feud. Still, the movie should be entertaining and full of action and gore. Familiar faces will include Bill Nighy as Viktor and Michael Sheen as Lucian to lead their respective sides of the battle. However, you won't see Kate Beckinsale in this one but you'll find actress Rhona Mitra filling the shoes that Kate left behind. Will Rhona do this successfully? We will have to see. The absence of Kate in the film is a bit disappointing but I am looking forward to the movie nonetheless. I will be shelling out the dough to see this film. Just call me a sucker for any vampire and werewolves story...no pun intended.

Outlander (R)

Director: Howard McCain

Speaking of vampires, one of my favorite actresses from the cancelled CBS show Moonlight, Sophia Myles, is starring as the love interest in the Sci-Fi film Outlander. The premise is that a man from space, James Caviezel as the character Kainan, crashes into earth during the reign of the Vikings bringing with him an alien predator. Now I know what you are thinking at this point because it is exactly what I thought... "Are you kidding me?! Aliens and Vikings?!" But from the reviews I have read, viewers seem to buy into the unlikely combination. Now with this alien predator loose, Kainan and the Vikings have to combine their warfare knowledge to defeat the creature. Here is an interesting piece of trivia; the movie introduces the almost lost language of the Norseman for the first time in film history. The director brought in an Icelandic professor to translate and teach the cast how to speak the language. It reminds me of Lord of the Rings and Tolkein's Elvish language. If you are a fan of the Sci-Fi or Action/Adventure genres, this one is probably for you.


Killshot (R)

Director: John Madden

To continue the action and suspense theme going for this weekend, the movie Killshot also has been released. Here we have Diane Lane and Thomas Jane (The Punisher) being thrown into the Witness Protection Program after learning of an extortion scheme. Mickey Rourke, who seems to be showing his face around a little more these days, which I may say is a little disturbing, is of course the assassin pursuing the couple. So not to insult your intelligence, I won't say much more. You can pretty much conclude what will happen during the 84 minutes of the movie. Snore. Is it me or has this been done over and over? Unless the writers can come up with some exciting new twist to this regurgitated plot, I wouldn't waste the time watching Killshot. Even if you are a fan of one of the actors in this movie, I would suggest waiting until it is out on DVD.


Inkheart (PG)

Director: Iain Softley

Now for a change of pace, if a family friendly movie is on your agenda, then Inkheart is what you are looking for. Lately there have been a lot of books being transitioned into films, this one is no different. Inkheart is a story written by author Cornelia Funke about Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) who has the ability to bring characters from books to life when he reads them aloud. Accidentally, Mo brings a villain to life that in turn kidnaps Mo's daughter and then forces Moto bring forth other evil characters. Mo then enlists a group of friends, both real and magical,to help rescue his daughter. The movie has a strong supporting cast of Helen Mirren and Paul Bettany to join Brendan Fraser, whose talent in my opinion is debatable. My guess is that Helen and Paul are the glue that holds this movie together. However, the reviews suggest that it is a strong story with vivid special effects that create an entertaining adventure for not only the children but for the adult audience as well. I am kind of neutral on this one. It may be something that I would go see if I had nothing else to do on the weekend; then again, I may not. I'll have to see what others think of it beforehand.

All right moviegoers get your money ready, here are your options for this weekend: a lesson in Vampire history, a Beowulf meets Alien battle, a predictable Witness Protection Program gone wrong, or fiction come to life. So what will it be? Pick a movie for whatever you're in the mood for just as long as you've got your popcorn and candy...even if you did sneak it in from home. - Amanda Jacob