At the height of WW2, a group of high-ranking German officers hatched a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and seize power of the military command in order to end the war. The operation was codenamed “Valkyrie”, for the emergency plan that was meant to be used in case of a revolt against the Nazi government. This plan had been modified by the conspirators to ensure their success, but for various reasons the plot failed when finally carried out on 20 July 1944. The conspirators of the inner circle were shot after a kangaroo trial or sentenced to death soon after.

With each release-date change, our interest in Valkyrie only increases. Will it become known as the title that topples the reportedly dissolving United Artists partnership between Tom Cruise and longtime producing partner Paula Wagner, or will it mark the successful reunion of director Bryan Singer and Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, who haven’t worked together since they made one another famous? If the players involved here ratchet up the Valkyrie’s action/thriller angle, we expect they will successfully combat everything working against this film: myriad production woes (including a late-stage shooting delay that caused the release date to be pushed back from the July 4th holiday), the public’s disinterest in T.C., said public’s recent indifference to war movies, holiday competition, etc. Still, the look is right and if this creative team reaches its zenith, this is exactly the sort of fare that will get adults into the multiplex during this season.

Rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language.

Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, David Bamber, David Schofield
Studio: United Artists

A rookie cop (Macht) returns from the dead to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His main opposition is a former lab technician who has reinvented himself as The Octopus (Jackson), an elusive criminal mastermind who knows the secrets behind his nemesis.

While we still don’t know if those Sin City sequels will ever get made, how cool is it that Frank Miller has moved on to directing his own projects after learning the trade alongside Robert Rodriguez? Sin City’s enduring popularity and influence, combined with Iron Man’s success (which proved that a lesser-known comic-book character can resonate with general audiences) has helped position The Spirit as a potential holiday-season hit, not the frost-bitten confection it was threatening to become with that nasty original release date of January 2009. The question on our mind is: If we’re moved by The Spirit, could Samuel L. Jackson (a.k.a. The Octopus and, just maybe, Nick Fury) find himself immersed in two different comic franchises?

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of stylized violence and action, some sexual content and brief nudity.

Director: Frank Miller
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson
Studio: Lionsgate

Reporter Rachel Armstrong (Beckinsale) is handed a jail sentence for refusing to name her source, a covert CIA operative, for her article on a American missile attack against Venezuela.

Writer-director Rod Lurie (Resurrecting the Champ) apparently distorts the Judith Miller/Valerie Plame affair to a humorous extent, but at least one reviewer has wondered aloud if the filmmaker intended to create a comic melodrama, or a more hard-hitting awards contender. No real matter, since it’s being positioned for a Best Actress nomination for Beckinsale and can potentially serve as a bitter/sweet note in a season of perhaps-too-earnest dramas of the war variety, and otherwise. (And also a tearful, potential goodbye to distributor Yari Film Group, who has filed for bankruptcy.) Meanwhile, it’s not like Kate B. needed a career makeover or anything, but I’m glad to see she’s getting some grit under her fingernails, instead of more gore.

Rated R for language, some sexual material and a scene of violence.

When his prized 1972 Gran Torino nearly is stolen, disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) looks to clean up his neighborhood, which has been taken over by gangs. Reluctantly, Kowalski also forms a bond with one of his neighbors, a Hmong teenager, whose family is embroiled in a gang-related conflict.

Clint Eastwood’s under-wraps project is getting a reveal at year’s end, in hopes that his Detroit-set story of racism, revenge, and urban decline will result in an Eastwood-heavy Oscar field. Apple has the trailer online, and it’s confirmed that Christian Bale officially has some competition in the Best Grumble category. I like that Mr. Eastwood is updating his own Dirty Harry persona (make it more age-appropriate); he also seems to be providing a societal critique that is reminiscent of 70s-era urban-panic movies. Does the trailer, however, feel a bit rushed to you — an indication that yet another film from a notable director (think: Oliver Stone here) has been given the hurry-up treatment for potential Oscar glory? GT could be up for Best Director by default, but Best Picture?

Rated R for language throughout, and some violence.

In the original movie, a flying saucer orbits Earth, and lands in Washington, DC, on the Mall. Klaatu (Michael Rennie) steps out and is shot by a jumpy soldier. Gort (Lock Martin), an indestructible robot, steps out of the spacecraft and proceeds to melt all the weapons, including tanks. Later, the Earth comes to realize that Gort has used very little of his power to make this happen.

While lying on the ground, Klaatu orders Gort to stop and is then taken by the military to a hospital, from which he later escapes in order to learn more about this planet called Earth and its human inhabitants. He meets Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son Bobby (Billy Gray); takes Klaatu on a tour of Washington, DC; and finally stops in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Klaatu reads the words uttered by Lincoln many years ago and realizes that there might be hope for Earth.

When they begin to suspect the alien man, he reveals himself, along with the news that Gort is a member of a race of super-robot enforcers invented to keep the peace of the galaxy and will destroy the Earth if provoked. Klaatu is pursued and shot and killed by the military. Before Klaatu dies, he tells Helen to go to Gort, and say the words “Klaatu barada nikto.” If she does not, Klaatu tells her Gort will destroy the Earth. Helen makes her way to the ship and finds Gort. As the robot moves towards her, she repeats the phrase over and over. The robot picks her up and takes her into the ship. It then retrieves Klaatu’s body and, through their alien science, resurrects Klaatu.

The Day the Earth Stood Still … read more »