Bolt (voice of Travolta) is a celebrity dog and the star of a hit TV show where his amazing feats and powers draw big ratings. But when a mail-room mix-up finds him roaming free on the streets of New York City, the wonder dog will have to learn to rely on his actual strengths — as well as his new friends, an abandoned housecat and a starry-eyed hamster — in order to find his way back home to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of Cyrus).

Disney’s latest morality tale sort of sounds heaps better than, say, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but way less interesting as the Monsters Vs. Aliens teaser trailer that popped up online earlier this week. Hmm, what else to say? Well, Travolta is nowhere near as creepy to look at here than he was in Wild Hogs and Hairspray. Good luck to Ms. Miley Cyrus in her voice-role debut; she might be barely audible among the presence of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” standout Sussie Essman — listen for her to steal as many scenes as she’s in, though she’ll have to keep her language family-friendly here.

Rated PG for some mild action and peril.

The story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik became a contestant on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” — an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika, who is an ardent fan of the show.

Danny Boyle’s latest has had quite the ride on the way its awards-friendly berth; originally purchased by Warner Independent Pictures, the film’s future was in limbo when WIP closed its doors given the gloomy climate for indie/art-house films. For a minute there, Slumdog almost went direct to DVD (which may not come as a surprise to those who saw Sunshine). “Dickensian” and “Capraesque” are two descriptors being used by those who saw it at the Telluride Film Festival, though to me it sounds like Boyle is giving a nod to his contemporary, Michael Winterbottom, who often (successfully) mines for gold outside of his native UK.

Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language.

The Vuillard’s shared history of physical and mental illness, estrangement, self harm, and loss doesn’t lead itself to the idea of a cheerful holiday season. But can a Christmastime reunion, a scheme concocted by three of the youngest family members, finally bring peace their clan?

Arnaud Desplechin’s last film, Kings & Queen, was a smash in the director’s native France, and it eked out a decent tally at the American box office. That film’s Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon reunite as the respective matriarch and patriarch of the Vuillard clan, and I think their presence, combined with Gallic cinema’s string of 2008 successes on this side of the Atlantic, could add up to some sort of art-house sensation this holiday season. For sure: That audience swooned over Mathieu Amalric’s performance in Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and it should be compelling to watch him portray an alcoholic who has been banished by his sister. Why is that? Well, said sister is played by Anne Consigny, who handled with grace the role of blink-by-blink translator in the Diving Bell.

In the highly-anticipated sequel to ‘Madagascar,’ Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane–sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all–the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place…but is it better than their Central Park home?

Say what you will about the original’s primitive animation and whatnot, but it tallied up over $400 million in worldwide receipts, so this crack-a-lackin’ sequel comes as no surprise — but did it really require three years to come together? Maybe those psychotic penguins held out for more money. Maybe this time around the creative talent behind the camera will have more going on in the wild (something sorely missing from the first movie). And while we expect a big return here, honestly, we’re more primed for Dreamworks’ 2009 offering, Monster vs. Aliens.

Rated PG for some mild crude humor.

Two former backup soul singers, Louis (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd (Bernie Mac) who have not spoken to each other in 20 years reluctantly agree to travel across the country together to a reunion concert to honor their recently deceased lead singer (John Legend). Cleo (Sharon Leal), a beautiful young woman who is believed to be Floyd’s daughter, accompanies them as a new singer.

Oh, man, how to market a movie about a deceased singer right after the passings of co-star Bernie Mac and supporting player Isaac Hayes? The pressure here is on distributor Dimension Films, good-natured director Malcolm Lee (Roll Bounce, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins), and co-star Sharon Leal, the Dreamgirls scene stealer who here plays Samuel L. Jackson’s daughter and the new singer of the soul group.

Rated R for pervasive language, and sexual content including nudity.