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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Who: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood
What: Set some decades before The Lord of the Rings, Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins is drawn into an adventure to help the Dwarves reclaim their mountain of gold from the dragon Smaug. But they'll have to get through some trolls, orcs, goblins, and other nasties before they get there. Again directed by Peter Jackson, with two sequels on the way.
When: April 16th (on Netflix. Previously available on DVD and Ultraviolet)
Why: Obviously if you're a big fan of the Tolkein, or Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, or comicons you *have* to see this. Certainly the cinematography is lush and it's fun to see Ian McKellan act. But I've seen it and felt it starts off as a Broadway musical and then just turns into a rehash of the previous movies.

Save the Date
Who: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Mark Webber, Timothy Busfield, Martin Starr
What: Caplan plays an independent opposite of her sister, played by Brie, who is headed to the altar in this comedy drama.
When: April 16th
Why: I'm a big fan of Lizzy Caplan (and enjoyed her performance in the other recent wedding-related comedy, Bachelorette) and of course Brie, from both Community and Mad Men.

Les Miserables
Who: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, director Tom Hooper.
What: Based on Victor Hugo's tale of triumph over poverty in early 1800s Paris, this is an all-musical version (almost no spoken dialogue). Jackman plays Jean Valjean, the prisoner who is on the run from Javert the policeman (played by Crowe). Hathaway plays the laborer Fantine.
When: April 19th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: Almost every reason to see this movie comes down to Anne Hathaway. She handily won an Oscar and other awards for her performance, and her anguished take on "I Dreamed a Dream" must be one of the highlight moments of the year. Hooper won an Oscar for directing The King's Speech. On the other hand, his choice to make the actors sing every bit of communication, with almost no unsung dialogue, might put off some audiences.

This Is 40
Who: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Megan Fox, Michael Ian Black, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Tatum O'Neal, Melissa McCarthy, director Judd Apatow
What: A sort of sequel to Knocked Up, about a couple struggling to find happiness as busy parents.
When: April 19th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: I thought Knocked Up was good, and I've always liked Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. But now that I just turned 40 myself, do I want to look in the mirror?

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