Alex Kurtzman Movies

Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) steals the magical arrows of Artemis' bow, then unwittingly sells them to Discord (Meighan Desmond), the handmaiden of war god Ares. One of these arrows is shot at our boy Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) -- who promptly transforms into a pig. As Autolycus and Iolaus (Michael Hurst) scramble around to set things right, "Porkules" is amorous pursued by female pig Katherine (voiced by Alexandra Tydings, taking a break from her usual role as love goddess Aphrodite). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hercules and Iolaus do not appear in this episode (though actor Michael Hurst does show up -- in drag!), which amiably spoofs the 1959 Billy Wilder comedy Some Like It Hot. Falsely accused of murdering King Pholus, itinerant peddler Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) and "King of Thieves" Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) elude the authorities by donning women's clothing. In this guise, "Salmonella" and "Autolyca" join the Widow Twanky's all-girl dance troupe. Hoping to score points with "hootchi-coochie-jiggle-wiggle" dancer Cupcake (Lacey Kohl), Autolycus takes on a second false identity of wealthy Farciferous Van Baklava. Alas, Cupcake prefers eating to lovemaking -- but, oh well, nobody's perfect. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While arranging a surprise birthday party for Hercules (Kevin Sorbo), our hero's mother and several of his friends are served poisoned punch by the scheming Callisto (Hudson Leick in her first series appearance), acting on orders from Hera. To save his loved ones, Hercules must join Callisto on a journey into the Labyrinth of the Gods to locate an antidote in the Tree of Love. The mission becomes near-impossible when Callisto suddenly achieves immortality and engages Hercules in a fierce and deadly battle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Circumstantial evidence indicates that a man named Cassus (Lindsey Ginter) has slain an entire family, but Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) wants the due process of law to determine the man's guilt or innocence. While fleeing a lynch mob, Hercules and Cassus are trapped in a mineshaft, where Cassus is pinned under a boulder. It is up to Iolaus (Michael Hurst) to locate the one person who can determine if the dying Cassus is really a murderer -- and that person is the condemned man's own son. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's Strictly Ballroom Olympian style when Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) enters the annual Panathea dance contest with the klutzy Althea (Willa O'Neill). In order to best her beautiful, snobbish lifelong rival Ocea (Jay Saussey), Althea takes dance lessons from flamboyant instructor Widow Twankey (played by "Edith Sidebottom" -- actually, series regular Kevin Hurst [Iolaus] in drag!) With Onea's evil town magistrate, uncle Asterius (Stuart Devenie), willing to kill any competitors of his darling niece, Hercules and Althea are obliged to literally dance for their lives. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Star Trek franchise continues with this follow-up to 2009's J.J. Abrams-directed reboot. Abrams returns to direct from a script by Damon Lindelof and the writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. The crew of the Enterprise engages in an epic battle of good versus evil after being summoned home, only to discover Starfleet in ruins, and they venture into a war zone to find the powerful villain (Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch) responsible for the devastation. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

A businessman (Chris Pine) discovers a ruinous family secret during a return trip home to attend the funeral of his estranged father. In the wake of this life-altering revelation, he embarks on a transformative journey that will forever alter the way he looks at life, love, and family. Star Trek screenwriter Alex Kurtzman makes his feature directorial debut with this heartfelt drama co-written by Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert, and featuring Elizabeth Banks. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Mission: Impossible III director and Alias creator J.J. Abrams resurrects the classic science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry with this feature film that embraces the rich history of the influential television and film series while also exploring some uncharted territory. Heroes star Zachary Quinto assumes the role of the Federation Starfleet lieutenant and Vulcan made famous in the original series by Leonard Nimoy (who also appears in an older incarnation of his original role), Spock, with Anton Yelchin stepping into the role of USS Enterprise navigator Pavel Chekov, Zoe Saldana assuming the role of communications officer Uhura, Simon Pegg keeping the ship in top shape as chief engineer Montgomery Scott (aka "Scotty"), and Eric Bana tormenting the benevolent space explorers as the villainous Nero. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle co-star John Cho also boards the Enterprise as Hikaru Sulu, with Chris Pine and Karl Urban assuming the legendary roles of Captain Kirk and Leonard "Bones" McCoy, respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two years after saving the world with the Autobots, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is away at college when an ancient Decepticon named "The Fallen" returns to Earth on a mission of vengeance. With the Allspark destroyed, the Autobots lose all hope of returning to their home planet of Cybertron, and begin working with an elite military known as NEST to hunt down any remaining Decepticons. But even as they fight for humanity alongside Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and USAF Master Sergeant Epps (Tyrese Gibson), the Autobots are acutely aware that not all humans are thrilled by their presence on planet Earth. When National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway (John Benjamin Hickey) wages a heated campaign aimed at exiling the giant robots back into space, head Autobot Optimus Prime agrees to comply with the voice of the people, while warning them of the potential consequences of leaving the planet unprotected. Meanwhile, Sam contends with an overly cocky college roommate, and attempts to remain faithful to Mikaela (Megan Fox) by fending off advances from pretty -- and persistent -- coed Alice (Isabel Lucas). Just as Sam begins adjusting to the quirks of campus life, a series of inexplicable visions leaves him convinced that the struggle between good and evil is far from over. And he's correct, too, because the Decepticons have just discovered that Sam is the one human who possesses the ability to tip the balance of power to the Autobots' advantage, and they're determined to gain the upper hand by dispensing with him once and for all. Now, as Sam and Mikaela unearth a secret about the Transformers that alters the entire course of human history, the Decepticon known as The Fallen prepares to return -- and reclaim the plant once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The interstellar battle between the Autobots and Decepticons rains destruction down on planet Earth as director Michael Bay adapts Hasbro and Takara's popular Transformers franchise into a big-budget, live-action summer tentpole extravaganza in this ambitious sci-fi action feature starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Bernie Mac, John Turturro, Jon Voight, and, of course, Optimus Prime and Megatron. Long ago, on the planet of Cybertron, a massive, powerful alien race divided into two factions, the noble Autobots, and the devious Decepticons. They fought for the sole access to a talisman known as the Allspark, a cube with the capacity to grant infinite power, and eventually the Autobots smuggled it off the planet's surface, hiding it in an unknown location on Earth. Now, hundreds of years later, the Deceptacons have come looking for it, and if the Autobots don't find it first, the Earth will be enslaved or destroyed by the evil aliens' use of its massive power. The Autobots don't know where the cube was hidden, but the information may be stored in the most unlikely of sources, as a gangly young Earthling named Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) who's just picked up his first car, has a strange connection to the Allspark's history, making him the unlikely ally of these enormous creatures, as they fight for humankind's survival and the chance to return home. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Blockbuster action director Michael Bay delivers a striking look at a strange world of the future in this sci-fi action drama. Midway through the 21st century, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) lives in a confined indoor community after ongoing abuse of the Earth has rendered most of the planet uninhabitable. One of the only places in the outside world still capable of sustaining life is an idyllic island where citizens are chosen to live through a lottery. Or at least that's what Lincoln and his fellow citizens are taught to believe; the truth is that Lincoln, like everyone he knows, is actually a clone who is kept under wraps to provide needed organs when the person who supplied his or her DNA falls ill. When he becomes aware that his existence is a fraud, Lincoln escapes to the outside world with a fellow clone, Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), though the powers that be are determined to see that no one gets away alive. The Island also stars Steve Buscemi, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sean Bean. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi