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Here are the movies I am most looking forward to in 2010. How about you?

March 5: Alice in Wonderland – Tim Burton’s sets are always amazing, so I am looking forward to experiencing his vision of Wonderland.

March 26: Clash of the Titans – I was a big fan of Ray Harryhausen’s special effects as a kid, but the new effects on this look pretty amazing.

May 7: Iron Man 2 – 2008 was a great year for movies, and Iron Man was probably the best of the bunch. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is back along with Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury. Gwyneth Paltrow is back as Pepper Potts, and look for Stan Lee doing a cameo as Larry King.

May 14: Robin Hood – Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have done some quality work in the past, so I look forward to seeing their adaptation of an old favorite. (Max von Sydow is aboard, too!)

June 18: Toy Story 3 – 1 and 2 were both great, and 3 is in 3-D. What more could you want? (How about Michael Keaton and Timothy Dalton joining the cast?)

November 19: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – This is the only book of the series I actually read, although I have seen all the movies so far. The book starts off with a bang and keeps moving right to the end. I wonder where they will leave the cliffhanger between parts 1 and 2 for the movie?

December 10: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – I love all things Narnia. These books have been a big part of my life since I was a kid, and it is so much fun seeing them come to life on the big screen. Plus, Dawn Treader is one of my favorites.

December 22: The Green Hornet – Aaah, Batman, Lost in Space and the Green Hornet. Those were the days of TV watching as a kid. Here’s hoping they do a good job with this. (I’m not thrilled to see Cameron Diaz on board.)

Also in 2010 (no release date yet): Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil: “Red Riding Hood is training in the group of Sister Hoods, when she and the Wolf are called to examine the sudden mysterious disappearance of Hansel and Gretel.” The first Hoodwinked! was a real hoot – fun characters, clever storyline, great music and great off-beat humor. Hoodwinked 2 looks like a worthy follow-up with a great cast including: Hayden Panettiere as Red, Bill Hader and Amy Poehler as Hansel and Gretel, Joan Cusack as the Witch, Bill Murray as Mr. Alligator, David Ogden Stiers as Nicky Flippers, Glenn Close as Granny, Martin Short as the Woodsman, Brad Garrett as the Giant, and Patrick Warburton reprising his role as The Wolf.

And coming in 2011:
    • May 20, 2011: Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides
    • June 24, 2011: Cars 2 (in 3D)
    • July 15, 2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
    • July 22, 2011: The First Avenger: Captain America
    • December, 2011: The Hobbit: Part 1

Also in 2011 (no release date yet):
    • Beauty and the Beast (re-release in 3D)
    • Mission Impossible: IV
    • Terminator 5
    • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
    • Untitled Bourne Sequel

Looking ahead to 2012:
    • June 29, 2012: Star Trek 2
    • September, 2012: Spider-man 4
    • The Hobbit Sequel

So what movies are you looking forward to?

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Most of us watch movies, but how do we evaluate what we see? John Frame shares the types of questions he asks when watching a film.

1. Who wrote the film? Who produced it? Who directed it? Do we know through the writings and previous work of these people anything about their philosophy of life? The previous works of actors are also important. Actors contribute much to the quality of a film, little to its fundamental conception. But actors do tend to sign on to projects with which they have some ideological affinity.
2. Is it well-made, aesthetically? Are the production and acting values of high quality? These factors may have little to do with the “message.” But they do tend to determine the extent of the film’s cultural impact, and that is important for our purposes. If a film is well-made, it can have a large impact upon the culture for good or ill.
3. Is it honest, true to its own position? This is another mark of “quality.” Generally speaking, an honest film, regardless of its point of view, will have a larger cultural impact than one which blunts its points.
4. What kind of film is it? Fantasy? Biography? Realistic drama? Comedy? Obviously each film must be judged according to its purpose and genre. We don’t demand of a fantasy the kind of historical accuracy we demand of a supposedly literal biography.
5. What is the world view of the film? Is it theistic or atheistic? Christian or non-Christian? If non-Christian, is its main thrust relativistic or dogmatic? How does it employ the theme of “equality?” Is there any role for providence, for God? Is the film pessimistic or optimistic? Does the action move in deterministic fashion, or is there a significant role for human choice?
6. What is the plot? What problems do the characters face? Can these problems be correlated in some way with the Fall of mankind in Adam? Does the film in effect deny the Fall, or does it affirm it in some way?
7. Are the problems soluble? If so, how? What methods are available to the characters so that they can find the answers they need?
8. What is the moral stance of the film? Is the film relativistic, dogmatic, or both in some combination? What are its attitudes toward sex, family, human life, property, truth, heart-attitudes? What is the source of moral norms, if any? Does justice prevail?
9. In comedy, what is it that is funny? What are the typical incongruities? Who is the butt of the jokes? (Christians? traditional values? the wicked? the righteous? God? Satan?) Is the humor anarchic? Is it rationality gone awry? Is it bitter or gentle? Does it rely on caricatures? If so, of whom?
10. Are there allusions to historical events, literary works, other films, famous people, Scripture, etc. that would give us some idea where the filmmakers are coming from? We should remember, of course, that allusions may be negative, positive, ironic, or merely decorative. A biblical allusion does not necessarily indicate acceptance of biblical values.
11. What are the chief images of the film? Is there anything interesting about the lighting, the camera angles, the sound, the timing which would reinforce a particular theme? Are there significant symbols?
12. Are there any explicit religious themes? Christ-figures? Does the film express significant attitudes toward Christ, the clergy, or the church? Does it distort Christianity or present it at its worst? Or does it present it with some insight and/or sympathy? Does it recognize the element of personal piety in people’s lives? There are exceptions. If so, does it approve or disapprove of it? What about Satan, the demons, the occult? Does the film recognize their activity in some way? Is the devil taken seriously? If so, how is he dealt with?

HT: Between Two Worlds

Note: These questions come from chapter three of John Frame’s book, Theology at the Movies. You can read the whole book online here — just scroll down to the bottom of the page for the Table of Contents.

Here’s a first look at the new Star Trek Enterprise.

[Director] Abrams wanted to take the original TV-series Enterprise and the movie-franchise Enterprise and fuse them together into a new yet familiar Enterprise. His ambition was a ship that felt very realistic, that could stand up to today’s F/X standards — and beyond.

Originally slated for a December 2008 release, the new Star Trek movie is now scheduled to release in the United States on May 8, 2009. The first trailer will arrive this Friday, attached to the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.

HT: FilmChat (which posts pictures of the Enterprise all the way from the TV’s pilot episode right up to the new movie)