WWII. Joe Enders, a decorated Marine who is by-the-book to a fault, is just coming back on duty (by cheating on his medical tests). “Ox” Anderson, much greener, is also getting the same new task: Protect the Navajo codetalkers (Ben Yahzee and Charles Whitehorse, respectively). While Enders is initially frustrated with his assignment, his respect grows as the codetalkers prove their worth in the brutal battle to take Saipan. Written by Jon Reeves {jreeves@imdb.com}

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With this sequel to his prize-winning independent previous film, “El Mariachi,” director Robert Rodriquez joins the ranks of Sam Peckinpah and John Woo as a master of slick, glamorized ultra-violence. We pick up the story as a continuation of “El Mariachi,” where an itinerant musician, looking for work, gets mistaken for a hitman and thereby entangled in a web of love, corruption, and death. This time, he is out to avenge the murder of his lover and the maiming of his fretting hand, which occurred at the end of the earlier movie. However, the plot is recapitulated, and again, a case of mistaken identity leads to a very high body count, involvement with a beautiful woman who works for the local drug lord, and finally, the inevitable face-to-face confrontation and bloody showdown. Written by Tad Dibbern {DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu}

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Sean Archer, a very tough, rugged FBI Agent. Who is still grieving for the dead son Michael. Archer believes that his son’s killer is his sworn enemy, a very powerful criminal, Castor Troy. One day, Archer has finally cornered Castor, however, their fight has knocked out Troy cold. As Archer finally breathes easy over the capture of his enemy, he finds out that Troy has planted a bomb that will destroy the entire city of Los Angeles and all of its inhabitants. Unfortunately the only other person who knows its location is Castor’s brother Pollux, and he refuses to talk. The solution, a special operation doctor that can cut off people’s faces, and can place a person’s face onto another person. Archer undergoes one of those surgeries to talk to Pollux. However, Castor Troy somehow regains consciousness and now wants revenge on Archer for taking his face. Not only is Troy ruining Archer’s mission, but his personal life as well. Archer must stop Troy again. This time, it’s personal. Written by John Wiggins

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I find it really strange anyone would watch “The Punisher” and come out upset about the film’s violence. Come on. Did anyone seriously believe a movie called “The Punisher” would be about kitty cats and dandelions? Watch the trailer or pick up the comic book the movie’s based on and it’s readily apparent this isn’t your average ‘fun’ comic book subject. Speaking of comic books, it’s time to issue my disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada, I don’t know anything about comic books, yada, yada, yada, don’t expect this review to compare and contrast the source material to the movie, and so on. From what I gather from my limited research into the realm of comics, “The Punisher” in comic book form is a dark tale, as is the movie.

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I’ve issued this disclaimer many times before (“Spider-Man,” “The Hulk,” and “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) but reiterating it one more time can’t hurt: I don’t know anything about comic books. Therefore, as with my other reviews of movies based on that source, I’m reviewing “Hellboy” without any background knowledge of the story or the characters. I’m reviewing the film as a “Hellboy” virgin.

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This movie is talking about Tom Cruise, the most exciting and successful star in the world, returns to one of his signature roles, Secret Agent Ethan Hunt, in “Mission: Impossible III.” In this pulse-racing, mind-bending action thriller, Hunt confronts the toughest villain he’s ever faced - Owen Davian (Academy Award® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience. The film is co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who brings his unique blend of action, character, comedy, and drama to the franchise. The millions of loyal viewers of Abrams’s landmark creations, the television series “Lost” and “Alias,” know what to expect: an enthralling, intricate story with an unexpected and arresting payoff that satisfies on every level. With “M:i:III,” Abrams and Cruise turn the spy thriller on its ear as they hark back to the best aspects of the original TV series that inspired the films - a well-connected team of agents centered around a bold and heroic leader, the most exciting action stunts imaginable, and elaborate twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Written by Bill

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When the bad boy John inherits an isolated house in an island, he invites his brother and student of veterinary Matt and his girlfriend Nikki together with their common friends Sara and Noah to fly with him in his hydroplane and spend a couple of days having good time in the place. Later Sara is attacked by a dog and they recall that in the other side of the island there was a facility for training dogs that had been shutdown to avoid a rabies outbreak. While walking through the woods, they find a man called Luke, who sailed with his girlfriend Jenny to the island, covered of blood and Luke is killed by a pack of hounds. The group runs to the house and the animals put the place under siege, and they try to find a means of escape. When the survivors reach the compound, they disclose that the dogs have been genetically redesigned to become a breed of killers. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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A group of young offenders, sent to an island for some character building exercises, suddenly looses one of their fellow inmates and being hunted by some merciless slayer armed with the crossbow, who keeps a pack of blood-thirsty dogs. Guys should be united in order to survive.

Bruce Willis plays a broken down cop who’s ready for either rehab or retirement – or both – in “16 Blocks,” the latest police drama from Richard Donner, the director of the “Lethal Weapon” film series. Although the movie practically screams ‘been there done that,’ there are enough little twists to keep you amused and mostly entertained.

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“Serenity” is a wild, white-knuckle roller coaster ride set in the future where the heroes are deeply conflicted, people do whatever they have to – even if it’s illegal - just to survive, and if you want to cuss at someone, you do it in a foreign language so there’s no need to cover the ears of small children.

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