Journey 2 – The Mysterious Island is not a new album by a tribute band for a legendary 70’s era rock group,  nor is it one of those movies about a group of pets trying to find their way home after being inexplicably dumped in the middle of nowhere. No, it’s the sequel to that Brendan Fraser classic from 2008, Journey to the Center of the Earth. (Because that one was just crying out for a sequel.)

I must admit, there was a teaser trailer out for this film about a week ago, but it was so ridiculous I couldn’t bring myself to post it. This one is much less cheesy and seems to have taken the comedy, whether intended or otherwise, out of it. I still predict the whole thing will be more cheese-tastic than Philly’s official sandwich, but I could be wrong. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can do comedy. He’s always so unexpectedly hilarious on SNL and even managed to make The Game Plan watchable, but he can’t be expected to work miracles. And do not be fooled by Michael Caine’s presence. After Jaws 4: The Revenge, all bets are off. (Probably should have been with The Swarm, but what can I say, I was young.)

The synopsis: Young adventurer Sean receives a distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist — a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret, so he partners with his mom's boyfriend on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on the mythical island.

Journey 2 – The Mysterious Island stars, along with Johnson and Caine, Josh Hutcherson (soon to be seen in The Hunger Games) reprising his role as Sean, Vanessa Hudgens, Luis Guzman and Kristen Davis. It opens February 10 (officially making February the new January.)

I've been hearing really good things about Amit Gupta's anti-war drama, Resistance, for quite a while. The Guardian gave us a trailer two months ago that seemed to confirm everything I'dheard: well written, well acted, grim and thought-provoking. It's a drama set in an alternate Britain in which D-Day has failed and the country is under Nazi occupation. In 1944 a group of women in an isolated Welsh village (the setting of the novel and the film is The Olchon, a real valley in the Welsh borders) wake up to discover all of the their husbands have mysteriously vanished. 

In the clip, Albrecht (Tom Wlaschiha), the commanding officer of the German mission in the valley, tries to convince scared, yet defiant, Sarah (Andrea Riseborough), for whom he has grown to care, to let him help her to leave the village, even as he tells her the there is no hope for the other women.

Resistance, adapted by Owen Sheers from his own novel, stars Riseborough (rapidly becoming one of my new favorite British actresses. Brighton Rock, W.E.), Wlaschiha, Michael Sheen (whom I adore), Kimberly Nixon (Black Death with Sean Bean), Iwan Rheon, Stanislav Ianevski and Anatole Taubman.

Resistance was just released in the UK, but for some unfathomable reason, still has not been picked up for a US release. (paging Sony Classics…The Weinstein Company? GK Films? IFC?…anyone…Bueller?)

With its all star cast including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Toby Jones, not to mention the well respected source material, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been one of the most hotly anticipated films of the year, everywhere. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and there is Oscar talk for Oldman and even rumblings about the film.  The UK has been enjoying it for months and it’s finally set to open here in less than two weeks. To that end, we have three new clips to share.

Remember the clip we showed you the other day with Gary Oldman as George Smiley coming in to his house to find Colin Firth’s Bill Hayden? Well apparently there was more to it and this part is really creepy!

We have no real idea why Benedict Cumberbatch’s Peter Guillam hauls off and punches Tom Hardy’s Ricki Tarr in the face, but we can definitely see that he’s pissed. Apparently Guillam doesn’t believe whatever Hardy’s been telling the others about his recent activities.

The last one is called “Break In” and it’s the most confusing of the three. Taken out of context it’s hard to tell what Guillam is up to or exactly who’s in on it. Even without that knowledge though, it’s another example of Alfredson’s ability to set the mood and ratchet up the suspense.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy opens in the US and Canada on December 9. I expect that means we have more little tidbits to look forward to in the next week or so.

We have some new posters and new images from We Bought a Zoo. The film is currently a hot topic, at least among people who care about such things, since 20^th Century Fox held advance screenings in select cities all over the country last night.

The Twitterverse blew up after people saw Cameron Crowe’s latest in which Matt Damon stars as Benjamin Mee, a widower who…you guessed it, buys a zoo. The consensus seems to be that it’s a pretty good family film. Audiences laughed and cried in all of the right places. It’s not an awards contender, but it’s enjoyable and will probably make the producers some dough. There’s nothing wrong with merely being entertaining, it’s what every movie should strive for on some level and people do need something to take the kids to see during the holidays besides The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The synopsis is simple: Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. It’s also based on a true story.

We Bought a Zoo stars Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, John Michael Higgins, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, Angus Macfadyen and Colin Ford. It opens December 23 in the US and Canada but not until 16^th March in the UK.

Gerard Butler was spotted having lunch at a patio table outside Fred Segal's Mauro Cafe in West Hollywood yesterday. This should not be news (and really isn’t), but it’s his own fault. It’s been a month since the LA Confidential mag soiree. He had lunch a few days after that, which sent the web into a tizzy, but since then? Nada, bupkus, nothing. Nary a peep nor pic. What gives, Butler?

We know he’s filming a movie, (Of Men and Mavericks based on the life of legendary surfer Jay Moriarty. Butler plays Moriarty’s mentor “Frosty” Hesson), but doesn’t he realize the interwebz get grumpy (not to mention boring) when he’s not out and about? Where are the pics coming out of a different hot spot every night? What happened to random necking on the street?

Actually I’m really not complaining that there’s been less of those things lately. Hopefully, this is all part of G’s masterplan to be taken seriously as an ACT-TOR. I think my thoughts on this are well documented. That doesn’t mean I don’t neeeeeeed it. *taps vein-see name of site*

C’mon G, isn’t it about time for a Starbucks run? Or even better, maybe some press for Coriolanus??

We have a bunch of new on-set pics (and a few stills and a couple of International posters) from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, a lot of them featuring director Guy Ritchie in action.

I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know at this point, but I am eagerly looking forward to this film, the follow-up to the 2009's, Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr, of course, reprises his role as the 'world's greatest detective'. In this one, Holmes and his sidekick, Dr. Watson have to rejoin forces (much to Watson’s apparent dismay) to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty, played by Jared Harris. 

Also back for more are Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade, Geraldine James as Mrs. Hudson, Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. Adding to the fun are Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes and Noomi Rapace as a gypsy called Sim. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows opens everywhere on December 16. (And don’t forget about that The Dark Knight Rises trailer that will be ahead of it. Get your popcorn early and settle in!)