THIS YEAR'S MOVIES, PART TWO

The sixth Batman film, or the second in the new Batman series, or the seventh if you count Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. This time the superb actor playing Batman is again supported by the superb actors playing Alfred, Gordon, and Lucius, and he goes up against the Joker. As everyone knows, the Joker is played by the late Heath Ledger, whose recent passing casts a tragic pall over the film, and is probably causing sleepless nights at the studio. On a more positive note, maybe the director will let his two A-list composers write a melody this time.

Keanu borada niktu! I suspect that Keanu will be convincing as someone not of this earth, but I'm skeptical about the director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose remaking one of the all-time classic sci-fi films.

Remake of the '70s cult classic Death Race 2000. What is Joan Allen doing in this? Seriously.

The three leads play brothers, Polish Jews who join the anti-Nazi resistance. Having made films about the Civil War (Glory), World War I (Legends of the Fall) the first Iraq War (Courage Under Fire) and the War on Terror (The Siege), Edward Zwick takes on the big one.

Divorcing dad Reynolds tells daughter Breslin stories about the women in his life. Filmmaker Brooks has many screenwriting credits but his directorial past is more erratic (The Invisible Circus, and Almost You, which starred his virtual namesake Brooke Adams). It should be nice to see Reynolds in a less vulgar comedy for a change (not that there's anything wrong with vulgar comedy).

Romero continues his Living Dead series with an eye to the Cloverfield generation, as a group of film students document the latest zombie invasion with their camcorders.

Futuristic British thriller about a deadly virus, from the director of the deservedly acclaimed The Descent.

Shanley directs the film version of his terrific, award-winning play, with Streep as the nun who suspects priest Hoffman may be a child molester. It's certain to be a lot different from the last Shanley-directed feature, Joe vs. the Volcano; if only he could have found some good actors for this one.

The director of two Final Destination films takes on a live action version of the popular Japanese fantasy, with War of the Worlds' Justin Chatwin and the incredibly overqualified James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Nerdy kids hire beach bum Wilson to be their bodyguard. This is the year when every comedy (including this one) is produced by Judd Apatow. Intriguingly, screenwriter "Edmond Dantes" is the pseudonym John Hughes uses when a project of his is made without him (such as Beethoven or Maid in Manhattan).

Knightley as an 18th Century aristocrat. Maybe it can compete with Brideshead Revisited for the Costumes Oscar.

Shia is forced to help terrorists in this thriller reteaming him with the director of Disturbia. Spielberg exec produced and reportedly came up with the idea.

Forensic psychiatrist Pacino has 88 minutes to keep from getting killed. This is the kind of minimalist thriller that can be great but is hard to pull off; it's Avnet's first feature since Red Corner, and his first  without Thomas Newman.

'60s sports biopic with Brown as Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, from the director of Runaway Jury and Don't Say a Word.

The latest Asian-horror remake is at least an improvement on One Missed Call -- well made, with a coherent ending and a more credible than usual performance from Jessica Alba -- but it's never actually scary. Beltrami's score has some pretty moments but has too many noisy stings in the typical modern horror scoring style.

Family drama with an intriguing cast.

The directorial debut of Children of Men producer Marc Abraham, with Kinnear as an inventor who sues the car companies for stealing his idea for the intermittent windshield wiper

This period caper film from the director of Il Postino and Nineteen Eighty Four got pretty good reviews in the trades a few months ago.

More adorable CGI animals, as three houseflies stowaway on Apollo 11; because nothing's funnier or more charming than houseflies.

Estranged couple Hudson and McConaughey end up hunting for treasure together. You may not recognize the name of director Andy Tennant, but with hits like Sweet Home Alabama and Hitch under his belt, he's a go-to guy for romantic comedy and Hudson at least seems pretty amusing in the trailer (however, the trade reviews have been pretty harsh).

Top Asian action stars team up with young-actor-du-jour Angarano (Seabiscuit, Sky High) in an adventure from the director of The Lion King and the Stuart Littles.

Another from the Judd Apatow Comedy Factory, as Knocked Up co-star Segel writes and stars as a man who ends up at the same Hawaiian resort with the girlfriend who dumped him and her new beau.

Couple Witherspoon and Vaughn try to visit each of their divorced parents on Christmas. The stars seem like an intriguing match, and the director made the awesome documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.

The Queen writer Morgan adapts his acclaimed play set behind-the-scenes at the Richard Nixon/David Frost interviews, with Langella and Sheen recreating their stage roles.

Austrian director Haneke makes a beat-by-beat English language remake of his 1997 thriller, with Pitt and Corbet as the young psychopaths who terrorize a family.

The popular '60s sitcom spy spoof reaches the screen with an absurdly overqualified cast (Alan Arkin as the Chief! Terence Stamp as Siegfried!).

Gervais is pestered by ghosts after near-death experience in this comedy from David Koepp, the writer of some of Hollywood's highest grossing films (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, War of the Worlds), and director of some films that didn't make quite as much money (The Trigger Effect, Stir of Echoes, Secret Window).

Drama written and directed by Proof author Auburn, with Weaver as a woman who believes Bosworth may be her long lost daughter. If nothing else, it's nice that Shapiro gets a rare chance to score a serious film.

The second of Soderbergh's back-to-back Che Guevera biopics.

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