The Ever-Expanding Late Winter Slump

If you haven't noticed, the first part of the year is a bad time for movies. While November and December turn out some serious awards-show types, January & February are usually riddled with over-processed, seen-it-before slasher movies and crappy action movies staring ex-wrestlers. In the past couple of years, that late winter slump has turned into the late winter/early spring slump. Here we are, with March nearly over, and I haven't seen but one new movie that's really worth talking about. (That would be Watchmen, and I haven't even really talked about it since I'm still attempting to wrap my brain around it. Was it awesome? Yes. Is it rewatchable? I don't know. Do I love it more or less the more I think about it? I really don't know!)

Thankfully, I won't have to simmer in my own pile of questions about Watchmen since March is almost over, and some titillating fair will be coming to (or have already started at) a cineplex near you in the next few weeks.

Without further ado, here are a few a the movies I look forward to this spring:
*Click on the titles to see the trailers.

Duplicity (March 20)
This movie could easily be a miss. The trailer makes it look like the next Oceans installment, and the last time Julia and Clive were together, it was in Closer. I hated Closer. But! It still looks like fun, and I'll probably really enjoy it.

I Love You, Man (March 20)
I love a good raunchy, hilarious outing with Paul Rudd and Jason Segal. I really have nothing more to say about that.

The Great Buck Howard (March 20, limited)
John Malkovich? Hilarious. Colin Hanks? So much like his dad, it's a little scary. I think the two of them could have some beautiful chemistry. Plus, the tossed salad line in the trailer makes me laugh every time.

Monsters vs. Aliens (March 27)
Who wouldn't look forward to a Jell-O blue monster, a 50-foot woman, a bunch of aliens and some very wry family humor? It's like Dr. Strangelove if it were animated and targeted at kids.

The Soloist (April 24)
This film appeared on my Winter Preview because it was suppose to get a November release. This is what I wrote then: I don't know if I mentioned that I've jumped on the Robert Downey, Jr. bandwagon, but I have. Even if he wasn't in this movie, I'd probably see it. There's a chance of a forced emotional storyline and overdone performances, but I'm willing to take that risk because it very well may be as good as the trailer makes it out to be.

Hopefully the push to Spring is because the suits want some Oscar buzz for Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx. I really, really, really hope it isn't because it's sappy and over-dramatic.

Star Trek (May 8)
Um...it's Star Trek! I may have some qualms about the slighty whiney Anton Yelchin as Chekov, but I have absolutely no problems with Simon Pegg as Scotty and the perfect casting of Zachary Quinto as Spock.

Angels & Demons (May 15)
I don't know about anyone else, but I actually liked Dan Brown's prequel more than I liked The DaVinci Code. When it comes to the movie version, I'm kind of hoping the same thing happens. It's not that I didn't like The DaVinci Code, I just didn't love it like I hoped I would. Maybe I'll love Angels & Demons. If not, I at least hope I enjoy it.

The Brothers Bloom (May 15, limited)
Yet another movie about criminals who are doing that one last job. Seems run-of-the-mill, but I think it could definitely be more. Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo are both strong enough actors to keep the comedy witty, and Rachel Weisz just seems like the perfect ditzy, rich girl who's smarter than we think.

Terminator: Salvation (May 22)
I'm not 100% sold on Christian Bale as John Conner. He's proved to me that he can do gritty action movies, but I don't know if he can do a Terminator-type action movie. I'm willing to try it out because I'm excited to see post-apocalyptic Earth in the Terminator universe, but I'm keeping my hopes in check.

Up (May 29)
An old man and a young boy are stuck in a house together. The house happens to be flying because it's attached to a heap of helium balloons. Pixar, I do love you.