Senior Writer Heather

The popular “Mummy” franchise is back in theaters. This time Boris Karloff’s famed character terrorizes… wait a minute. What do you mean Karloff died in 1969? Oh, this is another from the Brendan Fraser “Mummy” franchise? OK—this time Fraser takes on Jet Li in “The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor.” It’s full of action, adventure, and CGI effects. These movies usually make a ton of money, so this one probably should too, regardless of the terrible reviews. We are told, however, that the movie is in focus.

You’ve heard of swing states? In "Swing Vote," Kevin Costner plays a man whose vote will decide the presidential election. I know, pure fantasy. Still, kind of a fun, get-out-the-vote concept less than 100 days from the real deal. Costner’s character is courted by the candidates, their strong-armed political machines, the media and his neighbors. Kelsey Grammer plays the president and Dennis Hopper is his rival. Great roles for both of them. Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane are their respective advisers. Dear Nathan Lane, Keep your funny on Broadway. It needs you. Kthx.

Senior Writer Heather
Writer Keith

Looking for a laugh this weekend? You may wanna check out Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in “Step Brothers.” They star as middle-aged men, still living at home. They’re forced to share a room when a wedding makes them step brothers. Director Adam McKay also directed the two stars in “Talladega Nights.”

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star in “Step Brothers.”

Remember Mulder and Scully, from the “X-Files” TV show? Now they’re back in their second feature film, “The X-Files: I Want to Believe.” It’s creepy and a little kooky, just like the original television series. But reviewers don’t love it. They say…it kinda misses the mark and that chemistry between Scully and Mulder has mysteriously disappeared. Hmmmm....maybe that’s the case they should be working on!

Also, there’s an independent movie out today. “American Teen” is a documentary that follows five teenagers through their senior year of high school in Warsaw, Indiana. There have been a lot of comparisons to the John Hughes movies like “Breakfast Club.” Reviewers complain that some of the scenes appear to be staged… a no-no for a documentary. But the movie was a big hit at the Sundance Film Festival and audiences who have become so comfortable with the reality TV genre might really enjoy this one.

Remember to tune into our show every Friday for the latest movies to hit theaters.

What movie are you looking forward to seeing?

Writer Keith

The long-awaited “The Dark Knight” comes out this weekend and I am pumped. I actually bought tickets for my wife and I last week (which probably means I’ll have a full review of “Mamma Mia” in the near future). I love everything Batman. When the original “Batman” movie came out back in 1989, my buddies and I waited around in a line around the building at the old 3-Plex in our town. We got there at 11 a.m. for the 12:15 show!

The late Heath Ledger plays the Joker in "The Dark Knight," a performance already garnering raves.

I also love the old campy TV show from the 60’s, especially the movie based on the show. You remember when Adam West and Burt Ward had to take on four super-villains after they kidnapped the U.N.? This one is an all-time guilty pleasure for me… one of those flicks that’s so cheesy, it’s hilarious. But looking back, the Batman TV show had some serious villain talent on it. Vincent Price, Art Carney, Roddy McDowell, Joan Collins, Shelly Winters, Tallulah Bankhead. Heck, even Liberace played himself and his evil twin! So with the rave reviews that the late Heath Ledger is getting for his version of the Joker, I thought it’d be fun to compare some of Batman’s arch rivals from the movies and how they stack up against the goons from the TV Show.

The Joker: Cesar Romero vs. Jack Nicholson vs. Heath Ledger
When I first saw it, I though Nicholson was awesome. Now? After seeing several more Nicholson movies, I realized he was playing a typical Nicholson role except he was wearing face paint. Cesar Romero, like Nicholson, played the role comically. He does get points for turning the Gotham water supply into strawberry jam , causing a nasty surprise in the shower for Chief O’Hara. With the Oscar-buzz that Heath Ledger is getting, he may become the definitive Joker. But for now, I’ll give the win (barely) to Nicholson… just because Jack is still the coolest guy alive and he made a reported $60 million dollars for the role by signing a deal that gave him a portion of the film’s gross.

The Penguin: Burgess Meredith vs. Danny DeVito
Both actors played this role differently. Meredith had the cool guy aristocrat persona –monocle, cigarette in the plastic holster, top-hat. It was as if the Monopoly guy turned evil and started making bird noises. DeVito played a much darker, evil version of the Penguin. It comes down to evil back-up crews. Devito was flanked by some flunkies and 1,000 animatronic penguins. One of Meredith’s main goons went on to play Peach Pit owner Nat on “Beverly Hills, 90210.” I ‘ll take the combination of Mega-Burgers and Mickey Goldmill.

The Catwoman: The Julie Newmar/Eartha Kitt/Lee Meriwether Extra Value Meal vs. Michelle Pfeiffer
There are a lot of things to consider with this one. Newmar was the first Catwoman, and even had a movie from the 90's named after her (“To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar”). Meriwether (from the TV movie)... well, she was Miss America. Enough said. Without a doubt, Kitt had the "purrrrrrr-fect" voice for the role. However, for giving the character depth, the sex appeal of the suit, and for frying Chris Walken by licking a stun gun, in my opinion, Michelle Pfeiffer was the ultimate Catwoman. She was easily the highlight of "Batman Returns." For the record, if I made a list of top 10 Catwomen of all time, Halle Berry would definitely rank 203rd.

The Riddler: Frank Gorshin vs. Jim Carrey
Let's face it folks... all you need to know about this one is in the absolute stinkfest that was "Batman Forever." Jim Carrey was doing a poor imitation of Frank Gorshin. On the subject of "Batman Forever," what was the deal with casting Tommy Lee Jones as "Two-Face?" The character of Harvey Dent was played by Billy Dee Williams in the first Batman, then morphed into Jones! Even the two Darrens from "Bewitched" didn’t require that big of a leap. The only thing Jones and Williams have in common is that they go by three names.

Well, there it is. Since there really is no way to compare the roles of Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and the Scarecrow (which absolutely freaked me out with that sack on his head in "Batman Begins"), those are my thoughts on the series. So, now it’s your turn! Let me know about my comparisons, and about “The Dark Knight.”

Writer Keith

One of the new movies hitting theaters this weekend is the Eddie Murphy comedy "Meet Dave." So far, we haven't seen many reviews because the film was not screened for critics which, as Mr. Moviefone Russ Leatherman always tells us, is not a good sign. I have not seen "Meet Dave" yet but, given Murphy's recent non-Shrek track record, I am probably save my $10 and see "The Dark Knight" next weekend.

Eddie Murphy then and now: From "Raw" to overcooked.

Which begs the question: What ever happened to hysterical Eddie Murphy movies? This is a guy who went from "Coming To America" to "Norbit" in the span of 20 years! I know.., I know.he's a bit older and he's been focusing on family movies. But come on, this is Eddie Murphy. People are still quoting him from his Saturday Night Live days and he hasn't been on the show since 1984!

His comedy concert films "Delirious" and "Raw" were standard rentals for me when my parents left me home alone in the 80's. "48 HRS," "Trading Places," "Beverly Hills Cop," & "The Nutty Professor" are still great for a laugh. I can't believe the star from those films is the guy who's made "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," "The Haunted Mansion," "Bowfinger," "Holy Man," and the sequel that contained no jokes "Beverly Hills Cop 3." It's like watching your favorite athlete sticking around to play too long (think Willie Mays on the Mets or any Evander Holyfield fight from the past 5 years). I admit the "Shrek" series has been great, but it is just Murphy providing his voice.

As someone who grew up on the great Murphy comedies of the '80's I have one simple request. Please, for the love of God, make one more risqué, cutting edge movie that brings me back to the days when you were making jokes about Bill Cosby complaining about your "filth, flarn, flan, filth" type of comedy. I want more Billy Ray Valentine and less Pluto Nash. Now if you'll excuse me, there is a car outside watching me and I have to go buy a banana.

With "Wall-E" out today, I decided to offer my personal rankings of the Pixar films:

1. "Ratatouille" – It was brilliant. A great character for kids to latch onto. And a great message for dreamers of all ages.

2. "Toy Story" – Come on! Gives props to the progenitor of the genre.

3. "Finding Nemo" – Once you get past the disturbing, Bambi-like opening where the mother dies, it’s a great adventure story with great characters

4. "Toy Story 2" – Might be better than the first, but sequels have to significantly raise the bar

5. "Incredibles" – A bit derivative of the Fantastic Four, but so what?! A great sci-fi story.

6. "Monsters, Inc." – OK, here’s where we start getting to the films that are a bit forgettable. Love the premise, and then the heartwarming way they turn those screams into laughter.

7. "A Bug’s Life" – I like the idea of ant trying to break free from the norm. Kevin Spacey makes for a good bad guy, even when it’s just his voice.

8. "Cars" – I liked it, but I just felt like they were trying to sell me toy cars the entire movie.

New Movie Friday! Yay! My favorite day of the week. I love movies and animation makes my heart go pitter-pat. That’s why today is so good: one of the new movies out is “Wall-E” - the latest animated feature from Pixar.

James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie are shown in a scene from the Universal Pictures film "Wanted."

Wall-E is a trash-collecting robot working to clean up a long-abandoned planet Earth. He’s an old-fashioned guy who’s sorting trash from treasure and looking for little robot love (bow-chicka-beep-beep!). Rated G. Good for the kiddos and lots of Sci-Fi references and eye-popping animation to keep the big kids happy, too.
- Senior Writer Heather Murphy

Also out today is “Wanted.” Lots of violence. Lots of special effects. Lots of Angelina Jolie. That’s like Hollywood’s holy trinity for getting millions of boys and men around the country to line up and fork over $10!

You’ll probably hear a lot of critics compare it to "The Matrix." (Some are even suggesting it’s just a rip-off.) It’s rated R because of all of the killing and language.
- Senior Writer Jeff Fischel

Remember, check back every Tuesday and Friday, and watch the show. We’ve got the scoop on the new movie and music releases you’ll wanna check out.