10. Tropic Thunder

Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte
Director: Ben Stiller
Release Date: August 15
Links: Trailer, Official Site

There have been great comedic casts in the past. "Ghostbusters," "Stripes" and "Caddy Shack" immediately come to mind. "Tropic Thunder," starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr., could soon be among them.

"Tropic Thunder" is a comedy about a group of actors filming a war movie who are unknowingly dropped into a real war zone by the filmmakers (including a grizzled Nick Nolte) to enhance the movie's "realism." The teaser trailer promises, "Sh*t Blows Up," and the primary buzz on this comedy so far is Robert Downey Jr. playing an Australian method actor so dedicated, he dyes his skin to play an African American. Once you see Downey in full make-up and realize it's him, it's a hilarious sight. But will it be offensive to some? That's a key question.

The buzz has also centered on a Tom Cruise cameo where he plays a chrome-domed movie executive in a fat suit; some speculated it could be the star taking a jab at Sumner Redstone, the mogul who ended Cruise's deal at Paramount. "Thunder" is directed by Stiller, who can be hit and miss but is generally very funny and likeable. And he's got a good team onboard with Black and Downey, who I'll see in just about anything. And the Tom Cruise cameo could be an attempt to show he does have a sense of humor and can gain back the fans he lost when he embarrassed himself on "Oprah" and "The Today Show."

Black, Downey and Stiller are capable of bringing a lot of laughs to this one, but every comedian has at least one flop movie where try as they may, the laughs just don't materialize. A movie like this could go either way, but just the idea of Downey as an actor so self-serious he's willing to do a Michael Jackson in reverse had me laughing already. Be sure to check out the trailers; it will give you a good idea if his performance will upset you or leave you in stitches - or perhaps both.
- David Konow

9. The Happening

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Release Date: June 13
Links: Trailer, Official Site

The trailer is all over the Web and in theaters, but otherwise the buzz has been eerily quiet for "The Happening." Which makes you wonder if anything is really...happening. Does M. Night Shyamalan still have it? "The Happening" should prove whether or not writer/director M. Night Shyamalan can come back after the disaster of "Lady in the Water." Of course, Shyamalan didn't listen and became petulant when Disney wouldn't coddle him. He eventually got Warner Bros. to make "Lady," which was universally panned by critics and flopped at the box office. Considering that "The Village," Shyamalan's film prior to "Lady," didn't fare too well either, the young filmmaker could use another hit. Shyamalan earned quite a bit of clout with his earlier films including the phenomenally successful "The Sixth Sense," but his ego apparently went completely out of control (he did, after all, kill off an obnoxious movie critic character in "Lady in the Water"). This descent was chronicled in the book The Man Who Heard Voices, where he tried to prove that Disney executives didn't know genius when they saw it.

After the release of "Lady in the Water," Shyamalan took his script for "The Happening," then called "The Green Effect," around to the major studios, and everyone passed on it. It wasn't until he re-wrote the script at the insistence of 20th Century Fox that they were willing to bankroll the movie. The story deals with a mysterious global environmental disaster and stars Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo and Zooey Deschanel ("Elf"). The trailer is intriguing in that "Shyamalan" sort of way, and it should be noted that "The Happening" will be the director's first R-rated film. It still remains to be seen whether Shyamalan can deliver another good, clever film with supernatural overtones or just continue to tread water.
- David Konow

8. Speed Racer

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox
Directors: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski
Release Date: May 9
Links: Trailer, Official Site

Adapting the hallowed anime series "Speed Racer" as a live-action feature film may seem like an odd choice for the Wachowski Brothers as their first project following "The Matrix" trilogy. Then again, when you consider that the Wachowskis' first movie was a lesbian romance-noir thriller (the incredibly underrated "Bound"), is it really that surprising? And who's better than the Wachowski Brothers at creating visually arresting, stylish action pictures?

For those who have never seen the anime series, which was created by the legendary Tatsuo Yoshida, "Speed Racer" follows the exploits of a young automobile racing enthusiast named...Speed Racer. No joke. His name is Speed Racer. Anyway, the movie is apparently a mostly faithful adaptation of the series and focuses on Speed's desire to win The Cruciable, an epic cross-country race that also happens to be where Speed's older brother Rex was killed. To win The Cruciable with his trademark Mach 5 car, Speed must take on the unscrupulous Royalton Industries, which has been fixing races. Emile Hirsch ("Into the Wild") stars as Speed; Christina Ricci plays his girlfriend Trixie; and Matthew Fox plays Speed's mysterious rival Racer X. In fact, all of the classic series' characters are here: Pops Racer (John Goodman), Mom Racer (Susan Sarandon), Speed's best friend Sparky and Speed's little brother and his pet chimpanzee, Spritle and Chim Chim.

It's hard to take any of this seriously, and hopefully the Wachowski Brothers won't ask us to do that. Part of what makes "Speed Racer" a classic is the anime series' loveably campy nature. If anything, the new movie should have some exhilarating action and entrancing visuals. "Speed Racer" was shot with high-definition digital video on green screens, much like "300." Whether or not "Speed Racer" has a decent story, it's hard to argue that the retro-futuristic designs and colorful, cartoonish effects seen in the trailers don't making a lasting impression. Will Speed Racer be more than just eye candy? Considering the Wachowski Brothers' previous works, it's a good bet that it will.
- Rob Wright

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