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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Director: Gavin Hood

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Ryan Reynolds

Official Site

It’s the most talked about movie of Summer 2009 so far—and the season hasn’t even started. Fox has been doing damage control ever since a supposedly “incomplete” version of this fourth film in the franchise became available online, arguing that the less than stellar results reported were “not the final cut”. While some might argue that this prequel which tells the story of how Hugh Jackman’s comic book character came into being needs all the publicity help it can get, this is not the kind the studio was hoping for. Gavin Hood, who made the highly regarded Tsotsi in 2005 may seem like an odd choice to manage this material, but the images leaked on the web seem to confirm his confidence behind the lens. With an interesting cast and a fanbase still hungry for more mutant goodness, this could be an early hit—that is, if the leak didn’t diminish already overripe expectations.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Director: Mark Waters

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Emma Stone, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster

It’s an interesting concept - take the classic situational set up from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, transfer it over to the post-modern RomCom, and use the premise to show a womanizing cad (Matthew McConaughey) the error of his lothario ways. Sadly, early reports have this Mark Waters effort (he made Freaky Friday and Mean Girls) failing to fulfill the promise in the approach, with a complete lack of chemistry between McConoughey and co-star Jennifer Garner.

Battle for Terra

Director: Aristomenis Tsirbas

Cast: Brian Cox, James Garner, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Dennis Quaid, Amanda Peet

This 3D CG epic first premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and the reviews have been mixed at best. Some have enjoyed its combination of visuals and strong anti-war messaging. Others have found it lame in comparison to the exemplary efforts of Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks. This critic would gladly give you his opinion except for one thing—Roadhouse Attractions is only screening the title in major markets. Apparently, where he lives, there’s no need for a preview.

The Limits of Control

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Tilda Swinton, Gael García Bernal, Hiam Abbass, Paz De La Huerta, Bill Murray

Jim Jarmusch is back, and like the recent work of a certain Manhattan mensch, his latest effort takes place in Spain. The artist behind such amazing films as Stranger than Paradise, Night on Earth, and Broken Flowers offers what some have described as a crime film married to an existential slice of magic realism. With an incredible cast that includes Isaach De Bankole, John Hurt, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton, this should at least be interesting, if not an antidote of the mostly popcorn product to come.