The Kingdom
Directed by Peter Berg
Starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Available Dec. 23, 2007

The Kingdom is this year’s Miami Vice. What does that mean, you ask? Well, one, only the smartest people and the ones who pay close attention will REALLY know what’s going on. Secondly, it’s really pretty. And third, Michael Mann is the producer. I’m not one to criticize Mann unless the movie is Ali and Manhunter. I don’t even like Heat as much as most. But I will admit that when Mann wants to have fun, he does have fun. Unlike that other Michael skid-mark that thinks that robots sticking their fists up each other’s corn-shooters would be “fun,” Michael Mann and director Peter Berg shoot a film that is divided into two-halves — the first being a crime scene and the second being a nonstop action-thriller.

I kinda figured out something while watching this for the second time since I first saw it in theaters. If the film looks good, sounds good, and tastes good, then it’s good. These guys in Hollywood blew their wad on this film, and it shows. Again, unlike that other Michael skid-mark, who would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars just to show cars transforming into robots, this duo uses money to develop a setting that works, an environment that doesn’t look safe, and a badass action sequence that would ooze the eyes out of any action fanboy junkie.

After a bombing in a little town in Saudi Arabia, FBI Secret Agent Fleury (Jamie Foxx), Agent Sykes (Chris Cooper), Agent Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Agent Leavitt (Jason Bateman) take a secret five-day trip to where the bombing took place so they can find the one who started it and get justice for the lives that were taken. Because America is so evil, Saudi officials don’t welcome these Americans and refuse to cooperate. They keep all of the secrets to themselves and don’t tell Fleury and his gang any information as to where they can find the men. The only one that has the cajones to help them is Colonel Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom).

An age-restricted trailer for New Line Cinema’s upcoming comedy Semi-Pro is now online at the movie’s official site.

To gain access to the R-rated trailer, you’ll have to enter your full name, date of birth, and zip code. If you can get in, I highly recommend you watch it, since it’s funny as hell. While the all-ages trailer allows you to get a feel for the movie (watch it here after the jump), it definitely suffers from flat-joke syndrome much like all those censored Superbad clips.

Semi-Pro, which stars Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson, hits theaters on February 29, 2007. Synopsis for the movie is here after the jump.

Get ready for all the Futurama you can handle!

Adult Swim will begin their Futurama marathon tonight, which lasts through December 31, 2007 (last episode airs at 11:30pm). This is the last airing of the series before it moves to its new network home at Comedy Central.

On January 2, 2008 at 8pm ET, Futurama will debut on Comedy Central, which will begin airing all 72 episodes of the animated series, including the world television premiere of the four DVD movies — Bender’s Big Score, Bender’s Game, The Beast with a Billion Backs, and Into the Wild Green Yonder.

During premiere week, Comedy Central will run two episodes back-to-back of Futurama Wednesday through Friday from 8pm to 9pm; after premiere week, episodes will air Monday through Thursday at 9pm and Fridays at 9pm and 9:30pm.

Underdog
Directed by Frederik Du Chau
Starring Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Amy Adams
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Available Dec. 18, 2007

Let’s take inventory:

Beloved TV show – check.
Hot breakout actor – check.
Memorable character actors – check.
A chance to show off cool CGI effects – check.
Disney – check.

It can’t miss, right?

Not so fast, my friends.

This summer, a live-action movie version of Underdog was released, and now it’s on DVD. For those of us who fondly remember the cartoon series, it’s best to stay away from it if you want to preserve your fond memories.

Jason Lee (from TV’s My Name Is Earl) stars as the voice of Underdog and Shoeshine Boy as he gains superpowers and fights the evil Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage) and Cad (Patrick Warbruton) to save Sweet Polly Purebread (the voice of Amy Adams).

A widget for J.J. Abrams upcoming flick Cloverfield is now online and includes a 5-minute clip from the film, which hits theaters January 18, 2008.

Check out the widget here below to watch the clip and grab the code to add it to your site.

Yahoo! Movies has also posted a clip called “On The Roof” (1:54) in which the partygoers try to get a view of whatever is attacking New York.

Cloverfield, directed by Matt Reeves, stars T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, and Odette Yustman.