The inspiring, true story of the Marshall University football team, We Are Marshall begins shortly before a 1970 plane crash that killed 75 members of the football team, coaching staff and booster club. That singular moment plummets the university and the city of Huntington, West Virginia into a deep despair that had the potential to continue to devastate the community forever. After considering discontinuing the football program, the university board votes to rebuild the program on the backs of the four remaining players lead by Nate Ruffin (portrayed by Anthony Mackie) and an assistant coach (Matthew Fox as Red Dawson) who happened to not be on that fateful flight. The university president (David Strathairn) thus begins the painful task of finding a new head coach. Unbelievably, Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey), a small time coach in Ohio, contacts the college and impresses the president. Eventually, they convince the NCAA to allow them to play freshmen and their journey toward healing the university and community at-large begins.

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is a man with plenty of great ideas, just poor execution.  He is on the verge of being evicted for the umpteenth time, once again uprooting his 10 year old son Nick (Jake Cherry.)  His ex-wife (Kim Raver) encourages him to take on honest work in order to allow him to keep custody of Nick so Larry takes a job as the night security guard at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.  He replaces long time night security guards Cecil (Dick Van Dyke), Gus (Mickey Rooney) and Reginald (Bill Cobbs.)  After approving Larry as their replacement, the three gentlemen turn over their keys, a flashlight and instructions.  Little does Larry know that his first night will be more than he expected as all of the displays come to life and take over the museum, including a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) and Sacagawea (Mizuo Peck.)  As he quickly learns, his job is less about keeping burglars out as it is to keep the displays in.

Night in the Museum is a light hearted comedy that is definitely designed to appeal to the pre-teen audience with cowboys, Roman gladiators, lions, dinosaurs, monkeys and Attila the Hun.  The subplot about Larry trying to gain the respect of his young son plays second fiddle to the action in the museum after dark.  Robin Williams is funny as usual but this time without resorting to his more slapstick routines.  Stiller once again proves that he is better as the comedic foil than the lead.  There are some laugh-out-loud moments but they really are few and far between for adults.  Which brings us back to our original comment about this film being designed to appeal to pre-teens.  For most adults, this will be a 2 Kernel film.  For the younger audience among us (and perhaps the adults viewing it with them), this is probably a 3 Kernel film.  Either way, it was a halfway decent distraction and did make us chuckle.

Eragon (Edward Speleers) is a farm boy living in the village Carvahall in the fictional and magical world of Alagaësia, ruled by the maniacal King Galbatorix (John Malkovich). When the 17-year-old boy discovers a polished blue stone, he thinks he’s merely stumbled upon a nice treasure for a farm boy. His delight turns to shock, however, when this stone turns out to be a dragon egg, when dragons had been thought to be extinct for ages. A dragon named Saphira emerges from the egg, and Eragon’s life is turned upside-down, as he has made the discovery of a lifetime, a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. When one day he finds his uncle dead, Eragon sets out to avenge him. Accompanied by a wise but enigmatic storyteller named Brom (Jeremy Irons), Eragon and Saphira take up the legacy of legendary dragon riders, learning the skills of magic, swordfighting and dragon-riding in preparation for his revenge against those responsible for the death of his family. He eventually joins the forces of the Varden, rebels determined to overthrow the king Galbatorix, and this journey will culminate in an epic battle that may determine the future of the land.

The success of the book series Eragon surprised many, as it came from the mind of a 15-year-old boy (the author began writing the book when he was 15; he was 19 when it was first published). It has captured an army of followers all awaiting the same experience from the new film. Enter the real 15-year-olds, the hollywood movie makers. This film deserved another hour of character development. It’s not by any means the same depth of tale as, for example, Lord of the Rings by any stretch, but the books’ success came from the believability and likeability of the characters: A group of vulnerable and, in the end because of their fears, courageous heroes. Not so in Eragon the movie. While the cast is strong, with talented actors, they all look vaguely embarrassed to be in a movie with such an insipid script. (Though Irons, with Dungeons & Dragons already under his belt and now this tripe, really needs to get new management.) With a group of 7 to 10-year-olds, the consensus in the theater lobby was, “Cool dragon, why didn’t they follow the book?” In the end Eragon, the movie, is a shame for its young fans. It’s another glitzy over-produced action affair devoid of the true story, with occasional nods to readers of the books, rather than a memorable entertainment experience. Nice acting and beautifully shot, but I only wish that next time they would have listened to the 15-year-old.

The date: June 4, 1968. The location: Los Angeles, more specifically the landmark Ambassador Hotel. The occasion: the California primary in the 1968 presidential election. BOBBY is the story of that fateful day in 1968 when Robert F. Kennedy won the California primary, seemingly clinching the Democratic nomination for president, only to be cut down in his prime by Sirhan, Sirhan in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel right after his victory speech for the primary. The story follows 22 individuals who, at the beginning of that day, had no idea that their lives would be so radically affected by the events of that night.

In Happy Feet, Mumble (Elijah Wood) is a young Emperor Penguin who doesn't quite fit in. Instead of having his song, Mumble has happy feet. He tap dances his way around his fellow penguins and scares them off when he tries to carry a tune. His parents, Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) and Memphis (Hugh Jackman) can't decide if it is an embarrassment or cute. His best friend, Gloria (Brittany Murphy) is the best singer in the group and Mumble is sweet on her, much like all of the other male penguins. When the leader of the Emperor Penguins (Hugo Weaving) casts him out of the community, Mumble befriends a trio of height challenged penguins known as the Adelie Amigos. Ramon (Robin Williams) is their wise-cracking leader and they quickly warm to Mumble's unorthodox dance moves. With their help and that of Lovelace (also Robin Williams), Mumble sets out to gain the respect of the Emperor Penguins by discovering why their supply of fish is dwindling.

When Midwesterner JB (Jack Black) meets Kyle Gass (Kyle Gass), the greatest rock band of all time is formed: Tenacious D. Unfortunately, a lack of financial backing (and a lack of legitimate gigs) leaves our two heroes seeking an avenue to raise money for the rent. That leads them to a local bar which hosts an open mic night with a cash prize. Their initial performance meets with mixed reviews and they decide they need a special something to win the money. Intense research reveals that the greatest rock bands of all time (The Who, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC) all had great guitarists who all used the same pick: A green pick with devil horns that becomes known as the Pick of Destiny. Their search for said pick, their theft of it and their confrontation with Satan are the driving plot points that lead to Tenacious D creating the greatest rock song of all time. Along the way, Jack and Kyle run into Ben Stiller, Dio, Meatloaf and Tim Robbins, among others.

Bond is back ... and in many ways, he’s better than ever.
Casino Royale reboots the James Bond franchise, seemingly throwing away the first 20 films and starting fresh with the early days of James Bond’s (Daniel Craig) career as an MI6 agent. After receiving his license to kill, Bond is assigned to shadow Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), an international financier of terrorists. Le Chiffre has found himself in a deep predicament after losing over $100 million of clients’ money, and he stages a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro. Bond, the best poker player in the service, is bankrolled by the government to play in the game, with the hopes that he can win the tournament, ensure that Le Chiffre doesn’t get his money and then force him to take refuge in the British government for protection. Assigned to Bond is the stunning Treasury officer Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), who is responsible for looking after Bond’s $10 million. When everyone is all in, what will be in the cards?

Harold Crick (Wil Ferrell) is your average IRS agent. He gets up every morning to the alarm of his wristwatch, brushes his teeth, showers, gets dressed and goes to work. His life is ordinary and routine. That is until he begins hearing a voice in his head. But this is not like any other voice, this is the voice of a woman who is narrating his life. This of course happens on the same day as he meets local baker and activist, Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), whom he is auditing. He is attracted to her and frustrated by her hatred for him and the fact that his job prevents him from being able to approach her. As he wrestles to determine what is happening, the voice inexplicably predicts his imminent and untimely death. This sends Harold into a frantic search for what is happening to him. He seeks council from the company shrink (Tom Hulce), a professional psycho-therapist (Linda Hunt) and eventually literary Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman.) As it appears Harold's life is part of a story, Professor Hilbert becomes an invaluable confidant, helping him figure out what is going on. At the same time, author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) is struggling with a 10-year bout of writer's block. She has just been given a new assistant in the person of Penny (Queen Latifah.) Eiffel's new book, Death and Taxes, centers on an IRS agent named Harold Crick. That is where the story begins.

In this film offshoot of Da Ali G Show, Kazakh television journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) is dispatched by his government to the United States of America (“US and A,” in his accent) to produce a documentary about “the greatest country in the world.” Upon arriving in New York, Borat stumbles upon a late-night showing of Baywatch in his hotel room ... and he discovers the existence of the delectable Pamela Anderson. Borat quickly abandons the documentary project and instead begins a cross-country trek, with his producer Azamat (Ken Davitian) in tow, to find Pamela in California and to marry her. Along the way, he encounters a wide variety of assorted strangers, all of whom react in different ways to his Kazakhstani mannerisms. Three frat boys in a Winnebago, a humor coach, a driving instructor, bull riders, etiquette instructors, feminists, a prostitute ... Borat encounters people from all walks of life, and by the time he reaches California, he’s left a trail of destruction from coast to coast.

From the production team that brought "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" comes Flushed Away, a computer-animated tale set in the sewers of London. The film centers on Roddy (Hugh Jackman), an upper class rat living in a cage in the Kensington section of the city. When his family goes on vacation, Roddy is left alone to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, having complete reign over the house. His simple life is shattered when, up from the drain in the kitchen sink, comes Sid (Shane Richie), a vulgar, sewer rat who finds Roddy's life to be quite desirable. Roddy tries to trick Sid into going back into the sewer by flushing him down the toilet but is himself flushed instead. Once beneath the city, Roddy runs into Rita (Kate Winslet), a wise-cracking, "sewer" savvy female rat and captain of the Jammy Rodger. She is in possession of a rare ruby that she stole from The Toad (Ian McKellen.) The Toad desperately wants the ruby back and will stop at nothing to get it back. The Toad enlists his French cousin Le Frog (Jean Reno) to retrieve the ruby and something else of great value for him. With that, the race is on through the sewers of London.

A tale of rivalry, revenge and illusion, The Prestige is the story of two successful illusionists in London around the turn of the last century.  From the earliest meeting as young, up-and-coming magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) were fierce competitors even as they shared the stage.  When Angier's wife, an on-stage assistant in the performance, is killed as part of a trick gone horribly wrong, the two part ways and open separate acts.  Angier blames Borden for the death of his wife and is jealous of the seemingly impossible feats that Borden is able to produce on stage.  Borden, on the other hand, begins a family and relishes the fact that his illusions have Angier baffled.  As time passes, Angier goes on a search for the answers to Borden's greatest illusion that takes him to the doorstep of Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) in Colorado Springs.  Has he found his answer or been tricked by the master magician once again?  As the story unfolds, it is a constant competition to see who can outperform the other, who can win the girl (Scarlett Johansson as Olivia) and who will ultimately be determined to be the best.  In the end, lives will be destroyed and egos will be shattered.  Are you watching closely?

When his fellow crewmates and friends perish while on duty, rescue swimmer Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) must take some time off from active duty.  He is assigned to serve as teacher to the next class of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers.  His unorthodox methods of teaching are often met with resistance but he perceivers, hoping to train a generation of swimmers who put the lives of others ahead of their own.  His class is a mix of two-time losers, optimistic kids and a few recruits looking to find a purpose.  Cocky high school swimming champion Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher, Cedar Rapids native and husband to Demi Moore) is among his class and is carrying around a rather large chip on is shoulder.  His antics, including missing curfew to spend time with a local woman (Emily Thomas as Melissa), exacerbate Randall but he sees something in this young man, something special that could make him the best rescue swimmer.  Along the journey to making Jake an elite officer, Randall may find the answers he seeks as well and perhaps lead to a reunion with his estranged wife (Sela Ward.)

If the thought of watching a couple of guys get totally, ridiculously owned by a bull doesn't amuse you in the slightest, feel free to stop reading this review right now, for you already know what the movie's about.