13 Reasons to Be Excited for the Upcoming Movie Season

In no particular order...

13. Romance & Cigarettes - A musical staring James Gandolfini, Kate Winslet (perhaps the greatest combination of talent and beauty in Hollywood today), and the still-so-lovely Susan Sarandon just beams with potential. Winslet picks roles and movies almost as well as any actress today, so this will hopefully be the musical for the year and help Gandolfini rebound from Surviving Christmas. Word to the wise: unless you are the man in Hollywood (e.g. Will Smith), do not do a film with Ben Affleck. It will tank.

12. Mad Hot Ballroom - This movie is not going to be a summer blockbuster, though it may surprise many in how successful it might ultimately be, but it's gonna have heart. We won't be able to help but think how cute these little ladies and gentlemen are as the practice and practice hard to make their ballroom dance moves worthy of being deemed mad hot.

11. Lords of Dogtown - Catherine Hardwicke's second film as a director looks to be strong like her debut, the deeply unsettling Thirteen. She seems to capture the mood of native southern Californians very well on screen and this movie will be tons of fun. In a word, it will be awesome.

10. Crash - This movie features a dynamic cast that could explode with on-screen chemistry. Some of the actors such as Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Esposito, and Ludacris have chosen a film that will challenge their ability and hopefully provide some street cred alongside the likes of Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, and Ryan Phillippe to name a few.

9. The Wedding Crashers - I mean c'mon, really, who hasn't always wondered what it would be like if Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson were serial wedding crashers? After the scene in Old School where Vaughn tells Will Ferrell to head for the hills, we've all been craving more of Vaughn and wedding scenarios. Ferrell also makes a cameo. Just sit back, wait, and then enjoy.

8. War of the Worlds - This movie is aiming to be an Independence Day level action blockbuster and I don't think it will disappoint. Worlds is going to be a fun blow-em-up action/melodrama remake with Spielberg, the ever competent director (especially in sci-fi), in the director's chair. Cruise and Fanning - a pairing that should be as successful as Washington and Fanning were in Man on Fire.

7. Hustle and Flow - The movie that garnered the highest price-tag at Sundance will hopefully have something to show for such cost. Having won an Audience Award there, it seems to have the street cred to back it up. Terrence Dashon Howard, an extremely capable actor who has never quite gotten his dues (who also stars in Crash, number 10 on the list) will show if he can carry a lead role. Ludacris (also in Crash), in yet another film this summer with Howard, seems to be looking to establish himself as a thoroughly credible rap/actor much like Heavy-D, Tupac, and Mos Def before him. Audiences will see if they have been hustled or if the movie flows like a smooth break beat.

6. Madagascar - This will be the animated film of the summer. Like all animated films (despite what popular opinion might have you believe) it is not so much the quality of the animation so much as the quality of the writing that will make or break it, and by every measure from previews, Madagascar looks to be in great shape. Dreamworks has pulled together a great cast that includes Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith for what will be a delightful family film for all ages. A word of note: the second major animated film to be set in Africa (the Lion King being the first) again features a cast of animals...

5. Bad News Bears - Richard Linklater proved with School of Rock that he is a director that can successfully navigate a comedic pairing of an adult and children. The formula was successful in that movie with him at the helm and it should be successful again in Bears. Billy Bob Thorton is the perfect coach to play Walter Matthaw's role in this remake. He has the perfect disposition, which the film Bad Santa capitalized on, to bring the hard-hitting punchiness that this comedy will need to be comedically successful. After Santa, we can have nothing but high expectations and hopes for Bears.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - I don't know anyone who saw the original as a kid that starred Gene Wilder who hasn't been hoping for one of those remakes that are all-so in vogue right now. Tim Burton has the imagination of a child not scared of the dark, and so (though hopefully toned-down from movies like Batman and The Nightmare Before Christmas) he was made to direct this film. Johnny Depp is just weird enough to play Willie Wonka, and after Pirates, who can doubt that he has the gusto? Freddie Highmore (who got snubbed in the Oscar season - he deserved a nomination for his portrayal of Peter in Finding Neverland) will have another grand platform (with Mr. Depp again) to display his tremendous skill as an actor at such a young age.

Ok, so I lied, well sorta. 13-4 were in no particular order, but 1-3 are the top three in the following order:

3. Kicking and Screaming - The previews speak for themselves, but Mr. Ferrell has become a master at film comedy and is getting terrific scripts to fully display his talent. This movie will not only be a great family film filled with laughs for the kids and the parents, but will also have something for teens and the 20 somethings who will flock because we can't get enough of Farrell.

2. Batman Begins - This movie is really an apology for Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. Bale, the new Batman (or should I say Bruce Wayne as he is just becoming the bat in this film) looks like he will be what the series had in Keaton and what it potentially could have had in Kilmer, that is an actor who has the right talent to capture dark softness and enigmatic disconnect of Bruce Wayne. To back him up in this film is a terrifically talented cast that includes: Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Ken Watanabe. This movie will certainly revive the Batman franchise.

1. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - Was there really any other movie I could have place in the top spot? Like Batman Begins, Episode III will be George Lucas' apology for Episode I and especially Episode II. Billed as the the darkest of the double trilogy, this movie will feature some of the most epic of the fight scenes, ones on par with Luke Skywalker's and Vader's fight in Empire. Anyone who has seen the extended trailer knows that this movie is what all fans had been expecting from the first two episodes but did not get. The one thing, though, that has consistently been good in the last two has been the fight scenes and this last installment of the saga will have lots of them. Episode II saw Yoda's first-ever on-screen battle and Episode III will feature more fighting from him plus the Emperor fight with a light saber for the first time. This movie will be spectacular or else George Lucas has failed the human race. I myself will probably see it in the theaters at least twice and perhaps more times if it is that good. It might just have the largest four day opening in history. It might just go on to gross more than the original film domestically. It might just do Titanic numbers. We'll just have to wait and see...