Interpol agent Chun-Li (Kreuk) enters an underground fighting tournament, with her eyes set on M. Bison (McDonough), the contest’s founder and leader of a crime syndicate who may have been responsible for the death of Chun-Li’s father.

You have a few more months to tighten up your Lightning Kick and get your hair into two perfect buns before Fox either a) “ruins” another fanboy property or b) launches the first film in a potential franchise with X-Men potential. Or both? Please note: I make that comparison in terms of the number of characters with shadowy pasts the story can explore, but I don’t think this legend is going to break any box-office records (or put out two great movies, then a crappy third installment). So you’re going to have to hit the theaters and pick this up on Blu-ray if you want to see Ken or Ryu in the future, and, while Kristen Kreuk was strung up with wires in order to simulate the moves that made Chun-Li the first lady of fighting games, there seems to be plenty of gun-toting action present here that will certainly upset purists (this is, after all, brought to you by the director of Doom). Meanwhile, another member of Black Eyed Peas goes rogue in order to, like, expand the pop group’s “brand,” or something. I think this interview with screenwriter Justin Marks is revelatory.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and martial arts action, and some sensuality.

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Stars: Kristin Kreuk, Neal McDonough, Michael Clarke Duncan
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 27 February 2009 (USA)
Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Crossing Over is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism and the clash of cultures.

A Crash-like look at immigration is what you can expect from Wayne Kramer’s buzzing-since-2007 drama. Kramer himself is a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and he cribbed from his own experiences to create the character of a South African artist scheming to become naturalized; elsewhere, look for Kramer’s focus to hone in Ford as a Customs Enforcement agent in Los Angeles and for a particularly trying storyline concerning Penn as a Border Patrolman along the U.S./Mexico border.

Rated R for pervasive language, some strong violence and sexuality/nudity.

Director: Wayne Kramer
Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ashley Judd
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
Release Date: 13 March 2009 (Canada)

A 3-D concert film of the 2008 Jonas Brothers “Burning Up” concert tour, as well as documentary footage on the lives of the three brothers. In this concert film, from the same director as “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour,” you follow the Jonas Brothers as they cross the country on their “Burning Up Tour”. The film was filmed in Disney Digital 3-D and will only be shown in Digital 3D. Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift guest star and perform a song with the band. You will see backstage adventures with the Jonas Brothers, and you’ll follow them as they prepare for the tour. A new song by the Jonas Brothers will premiere in the film as well. This was filmed July 12 and 13 in Anaheim, California at the Honda Center, and August 10 and 11 in New York City, New York in Madison Square Garden.

Director Bruce Hendricks is like the Kenny Ortega of all things Jonas Bros. and Miley Cyrus, having turned the latter phenomenon’s movie debut into a quote-unquote surprise hit earlier this year. So why shouldn’t Nick, Joe, and Kevin enjoy copycat success this February? Meanwhile, you know the Miley Cyrus camp is gearing up to stick it to ex-b.f. Nick two months from now when Hannah Montana: The Movie lite-rocks into theaters.

Director: Bruce Hendricks
Stars: Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: 27 February 2009 (USA)

It’s been two long years since the sharp-witted Jay McCarroll was dubbed “the next great American designer” on season one of reality TV’s Project Runway, and he’s anxious to finally show his first line of clothing. The feature documentary, “Eleven Minutes,” chronicles his year-long journey preparing his first independent runway show for New York’s Fashion Week in Bryant Park and the subsequent selling of his line to stores. The result is an in-depth, painfully raw and humorous exploration of the creative process and the constant conflict of balancing commerce with art, fame with talent, and reality-TV with actual reality.

Michael Selditch and Robert Tate first sat down with Jay McCarroll for the pro-Bravo, faux-confessional Project Jay, but I hear this time around the co-directors caught every caustic and revealing comment McCarroll can offer about his life before, during, and especially after his time on “PR,” the formerly wonderful reality/competition show whose fifth season was a bore (I wake up sometimes, still irritated by Suede, Blayne, Kenley, and Joe) and upcoming season is buried in a pile of litigation. Take this one in to reminder yourself that McCarroll is actually a slightly better celebrity Christian Siriano — though Siriano is the superior designer — while both men pale in comparison to Evan Biddell, the season-one winner of “Project Runway Canada.” While this documentary is set to kill in cities across the country, I have my eye on The September Issue’s fall release, and take delight in knowing that more fashion docs are in the works.

Rated R for language.

Director: Michael Selditch Robert Tate
Stars: Jay McCarroll
Studio: Regent Releasing
Release Date: 20 February 2009 (USA)

Shawn Colfax (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Nick Brady (Eric Christian Olsen), the stars of the Gerald R. Ford High School football team, are dreading the prospect of another summer at football camp. After Nick hatches a scheme for the two to join their schools cheerleaders at cheer camp instead, they find themselves awash in a sea of gorgeous young women. The guys are having the time of their lives until Shawn falls for Carly (Sarah Roemer), the beautiful head cheerleader who is very suspicious of their motives. To win Carly over, the boys must come up with some surprising new moves to prove Shawns intentions before the all-important cheer competition finals.

FU mastermind Will Gluck is, in a way, a sort of charmed prince: Despite having a say in a trio of failed TV shows (most recent attempt: “The Loop”) he was able to parlay his small-screen efforts into a feature-film career — this boy-perspective Bring It On copycat is the first in a Screen Gems planned series of Gluck-y sex comedies, and my fingers are crossed that he takes on Easy A next. Meanwhile, let’s all hope that 31-year-old Eric Christian Olsen’s high-school years will officially be behind him after he gets the inevitable girl here.

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, partial nudity, language and some teen partying.

Director: Will Gluck
Stars: Eric Christian Olsen, Nicholas D’Agosto, Sarah Roemer
Studio: Screen Gems
Release Date: 20 February 2009 (USA)