John Davis Movies

The Motown-meets-kung-fu cult hybrid The Last Dragon gets a retread with this Columbia Pictures production starring Samuel L. Jackson as the over-the-top villain, Sho' Nuff, who squares off against a young martial arts student infatuated with Bruce Lee. Timed to coincide with Motown's 50th anniversary, the remake is headed up by Kerry Gordy, son of the label's founder. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Marley Corbett (Kate Hudson) is devastated by a terminal cancer diagnosis, though she accepts the news with as much grace and dignity as she can. Her doctor (Gael García Bernal), despite his tough exterior, is deeply moved by her plight, and soon finds himself falling in love with Marley despite the limited amount of time they have to explore their relationship. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Adventure-loving house painter Mr. Popper (Jim Carrey) contends with the problem of having too many penguins in director Mark S. Waters' adaptation of author Richard Atwater's beloved children's book. Shortly after penning a letter to a team of Arctic explorers, Mr. Popper is surprised to receive a penguin in the mail. Later, after making his mischievous new pal a cozy new home in the freezer, the hapless Mr. Popper comes into possession of a playful female penguin as well. Before long Mr. Popper finds himself surrounded by a growing family of the flightless birds, and begins training them to perform in a traveling show dubbed Popper's Performing Penguins. With each new town the show travels to, pandemonium is quick to follow. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

When advertising exec Phil Winslow (Lee Pace) gets an offer to head the account for a California-based dog-food company, he uproots his wife (($Judy Greer), three kids, and their beloved Great Dane, Marmaduke (voiced by Owen Wilson), from Kansas to the Sunshine State. Once there, the big canine befriends a group of mutts at the local dog park, but after a surfing competition brings Marmaduke celebrity, he turns his back on his new pals. Eventually, a disaster helps the oversized hound and Phil learn about the importance of family and friendship. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

In a parallel universe the heroic exploits of Garfield, Odie, Nermal, and Arlene are the stuff of legend, but even they may be no match for the diabolical comic book demoness named Vetrix. Vetrix has hatched a plan to make everyone in cartoon world her slaves, and with an army of zombies to do her bidding, she just might succeed. One minute, Garfield and friends are enjoying a sun soaked cookout, and the next they're doing battle with a malevolent alien and her mindless zombie minions. In order to defeat Vetrix, all the comic strip characters will have to become superheroes. Sure Garfield would rather be cooking out, but when he finally realizes just what's at stake, odds are good he'll rise to the challenge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Aspiring veterinarian Maya Dolittle (Kyla Pratt) gets caught up in the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood scene after using her special skills as a "dog whisperer" to help a celebrity starlet's depressed Chihuahua. All Maya ever wanted to do was help animals. Mata's veterinarian ambitions get unexpectedly sidelined, however, when she's summoned to Hollywood by heiress Tiffany Monaco (Tegan Moss) and offered her own reality television series. But just as Maya prepares to put her higher education on hold, her loyal four-legged friend Lucky helps her to realize that Tiffany's idea of "helping" animals isn't doing the critters on her show any good. Before long, Maya realizes that fame is fleeting, and the only thing that will make her truly happy is to leave Hollywood behind, and dedicate her life to helping all of her furry little friends. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Everyone's favorite lasagna-loving layabout finds his winning streak at the annual talent competition for the funniest comic strip in the world suddenly challenged by a dark horse contender in this animated comedy for the entire family. The Cartoon World competition is fast approaching, and Garfield is sure he's a shoe-in for the top prize. But this year the tubby tabby will see his winning streak challenged for the first time in years, because a tall and handsome comic artist named Ramone has decided to enter the competition as well. As both artists strive to wow the judges by delivering their funniest work to date, the laughs just keep on coming. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 

When 40-year-old San Francisco bachelor Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) attends the wedding of his ex-fiancée -- and is seated at a "singles table" full of children -- he realizes maybe he's been too picky in his love life, and it's time to settle down. Fortunately, he doesn't have to compromise his standards when he meets Lila (Malin Akerman), a funny, attractive blond who does environmental research for a living. Lila's company wants to relocate her to Europe, but only because she's single -- they don't force married couples to uproot themselves. So Eddie hastily proposes to her, even though they've only been dating for six weeks. But the moment they exchange vows, Eddie starts to notice Lila's rough edges and annoying habits, which had remained hidden underneath her perfect exterior. Their Cabo San Lucas honeymoon gets off to a rough start full of tuneless pop singalongs and surprising revelations about Lila's job and her past. Things only get worse for a confused Eddie when he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a Midwesterner in Cabo for a family reunion -- and starts to wish he'd held out just a little bit longer. The Heartbreak Kid is Peter and Bobby Farrelly's remake of the 1972 Elaine May comedy of the same name, starring Charles Grodin. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

A meek and lovable milquetoast married to an overbearing, overweight tyrant finds his life turned upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams in this romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Eddie Griffin. His entire life, Norbit (Murphy) has been picked on and put down, and after being bullied into marrying the most obnoxious woman in town (also Murphy) it appears as if that's the way things will remain until the day he dies. Upon meeting the one woman who seems to accept him for who he is, Norbit is instilled with a newfound sense of hope for the future. In order to find true happiness, however, Norbit will first have to gather the courage to stand up to his monstrous spouse once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Industrial Light and Magic special-effects wizard Stefen Fangmeier makes the leap into the director's chair with this coming-of-age fantasy concerning a young boy whose discovery of a mysterious dragon egg leads him on a predestined journey to become a Dragon Rider and defend his peaceful world against an evil king. Based on the best-selling novel by Christopher Paolini, Eragon tells the tale of the titular character (Ed Speleers), a humble farm boy living in the land of Alagaësia, whose life is forever changed when he discovers that he has been chosen to fight the most powerful enemy his world has ever known. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Djimon Hounsou co-star in a film produced by Davis Entertainment and adapted from the novel by screenwriters Peter Buchman, Larry Konner, and Mark Rosenthal. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The laziest cat in America swaps places with the richest feline in England in director Tim Hill's lasagna-laden sequel to the 2004 theatrical hit Garfield. Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) is on his way to London to propose to his veterinarian girlfriend, Liz Wilson (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and his unflappable cat, Garfield, is determined to be there when Jon pops the big question. Of course, Garfield wouldn't go anywhere without his old pal Odie, and soon after arriving in the land of Big Ben, the clueless tomcat inadvertently changes places with royal look-a-like Prince. It seems that Prince's owner, Lady Eleanor, has recently passed away, leaving the care of her sprawling estate Castle Carlyle in the capable paws of her devoted kitty companion. The trouble is, Prince has decided it's due time for a vacation, and with Garfield in charge there's no telling what kind of trouble will befall Castle Carlyle. Despite having a devoted butler named Smithee (Ian Abercrombie) to cater to his every whim and a whole host of fun-loving critters with whom to pass the lazy days spent lounging in the sun, this crowned head begins to feel the sting of deceit as the envious Lord Dargis (Billy Connolly) hatches a dastardly plan to do away with the whiskered heir and claim Castle Carlyle all to himself. Meanwhile, as Garfield attempts to hold his ground against his greedy would-be nemesis, the fun-loving Prince is living it up with Jon and Odie by taking a trip to some of London's most popular pubs. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi