The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

It's been three years since the lifelong quartet of best friends established the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Now they face the biggest change of all: college. Carmen is studying drama at Yale, Tibby is learning to direct at NYU, Bridget is getting to know her grandmother for the first time, and Lena is torn between two romances. Through it all, the girls maintain their bond despite the distance between them, and use their friendship (and pants) as a source of strength in the face of their obstacles.

Three Good Reasons

• 1 When the last movie came out, it was all about seing Rory (Gilmore) and Joan (of Arcadia). Now it's all about (Ugly) Betty and Serena (van der Woodsen). It's rare indeed that the stars of four different hit TV shows can share the big screen in such perfect harmony.
• 2 Unlike most movies involving teenage girls, the characters in this one come in varieties other than "friendless outcast" or "backstabbing harpy."
• 3 Returning to the story of these girls is like wearing your favorite pair of jeans straight out of the dryer: fresh and familiar at the same time.

Bet You Didn't Know

The film's director, Moroccan-American Sanaa Hamri, knows all about girl power -- she is one of the few women to have achieved success in the music video industry, directing such videos as Mariah Carey's "Crybaby" and Prince's "Musicology.

Swing Vote

Bud Johnson doesn't have much to show for his life. He's a good-hearted bum, a single dad whose only loves in life are beer and his twelve-year-old daughter, Molly. Molly is the woman of the house, more grown up than her dad will ever be, and hoping to make a difference in the world. Little does she know that she's about to make American history. Thanks to her Election Day mischief, her father ends up being the owner of the one single vote that will decide the next President of the United States.

Three Good Reasons

• 1 After being something of a slacker himself for a while, Kevin Costner recently earned some attention by playing a killer in the chilling Mr. Brooks. But now he's back where he always shined brightest: in a comedy.
• 2 Attention "Lost" junkies: remember Annie, Ben's cute little childhood sweetheart? If so, you'll recognize Madeline Carroll in he role as adorable overachiever Molly.
• 3 Frasier vs. Shooter? When your choices for President are Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper, America wins either way.

Bet You Didn't Know

Kevin Costner's own reputation for independence is well earned. In 1982, he was cast in a bit role opposite Jessica Lange in Frances, but he refused to say his single line of dialogue, feeling that it wasn't true to his character. By doing so, he kept himself from earning a highly sought-after Screen Actors Guild card.

Step Brothers

Brennan is a spoiled, immature, middle-aged loser who still sponges off his mom. Dale is a spoiled, immature, middle-aged loser who still sponges off his dad. When the parents of these two socially- challenged slackers fall in love and get married, the results are very anti-Brady. Brennan and Dale hate each other at first sight (and to be honest no one else likes them much either). But unless the two stepbrothers find a way to get along, get a job, and get out of the house, their parents' marriage may be doomed.

Three Good Reasons

• 1 Did Talladega Nights rock your world? If so, this is a no-brainer for you, as it reunites the two stars (Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly) with the director, Adam McKay.
• 2 After having massive successes with the R-rated Knocked Up and Superbad, producer Judd Apatow is out to prove that middle-aged guys can swear just as hilariously as the kids.
• 3 The movie will serve as a real ego boost for those 40-year-olds out there who live with just their moms.

Bet You Didn't Know

Director Adam McKay's daughter Pearl, the foul-mouthed toddler from the viral video "The Landlord," recently came out of retirement to wish her dad's website, FunnyOrDie.com, a happy birthday.

Mamma Mia!

Swedish songsters ABBA inspire a musical feast that's both sweet and surprisingly spicy. Sophie Sheridan is about to be married to her true love, Sky, but has no father to give her away. What's a bride to do but go poking through Mom's past for answers? In the pages of an old diary she finds a shocking secret: any of three men could be her father. She sends a letter to each one, hoping to discover who has the right to escort her down the aisle... and throwing a big fat Greek monkey wrench into Mom's life.

Three Good Reasons

* 1 The legendary, luminous Meryl Streep scores points for 50+ women everywhere by stealing the show from her equally gorgeous onscreen daughter (Amanda Seyfried of Mean Girls).
* 2 Fans of the stage show may have thought there was no way to improve on it, but the Greek scenery (including Pelion and Skopelos) provides a breathtaking backdrop for the tale.
* 3 This is the type of musical where you go into the theater humming the songs. So grab your friends and go prove to the world that disco never died.

Bet You Didn't Know

The region of Mt. Pelion, where parts of this movie were filmed, has also been graced by another legendary wedding. Tradition names it as the site of the marriage of Thetis and Peleus, parents of the mythical hero Achilles.

X-Files

We're afraid that's classified information. But we can tell you what it's not about. It's not about bees. It's not about oil. It's not about brain implants or stolen ova. It's not about a virus. It's not about shapechanging alien bounty hunters. We're also pretty sure it's not about chimps in space. But that's really all we know. Rumors say it's a nice, tidy, one-shot storyline in the suspense-thriller genre, and that Mulder and Scully's son will be involved in some way. But don't trust us on that. Trust no one.

Three Good Reasons

• 1 Newcomers to the X-Files universe won't be lost, as the story was written to be accessible and enjoyable to those who have never watched the show.
• 2 Mulder and Scully, together! It's refreshing to see a romance in the movies that is a true affair of the intellect and a meeting of minds. (Plus, there's been talk that they make out!)
• 3 Some intriguing new cast members -- including Billy Connellly, Xzibit, and Amanda Peet -- will be mingling with some old friends from the show, including fan favorite Mitch Pileggi.

Bet You Didn't Know

The title of course comes from the poster of a flying saucer that Mulder had on the wall of his basement office. While they were shooting the series, the set decorators had to replace the poster constantly because it kept getting stolen right off the wall. Props from Mulder's office were displayed at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum until it closed in July 2006. Could the Cigarette Smoking Man have had something to do with shutting it down?

This month release: Space Chimps

f Ham III weren't the grandson of the first hominid ever to travel in space, there is no way he would have been chosen to go on this prestigious NASA mission along with the heroic Titan and the courageous Lt. Luna. These three hapless chimps are sent to retrieve an errant space probe, but instead find themselves caught up in the plight of a peaceful planet that has been taken over by the evil overlord Zartog. Will Ham III discover his hidden hero genes and help save the day?

Three Good Reasons

• 1 Oh come on, people! It's chimps... in space. Do you really need two other reasons?
• 2 If you're sad that you didn't catch SNL's Andy Samberg kickin' it with part two of The Chronic(WHAT?)cles of Narnia, you'll hear his famous slacker wit in the voice of space ape, Ham III.
• 3 The film is produced by John H. Williams (Shrek) and Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black), so they've got the whole "funny animated aliens" thing pretty well covered.

Bet You Didn't Know

The fictional Ham III's real-live grandpa was in space for less than 17 minutes, and even in that short span of time he was nearly burned to death, depressurized, and/or drowned. The chimp was saved only by his space suit (seemingly just about the only thing on the mission that actually worked).

Charlie Barlette-A Review

"Don't Leave the Kids Alone!" Here comes a film that was actually released last year in Hollywood. It's called Charlie Bartlett, directed by Jon Poll.

You may even find it on DVD now. But whether you catch it at home, or at the cinemas, I think you could consider watching it for sure.

Charlie Bartlett is a delinquent teenager and a rich brat. He is the only son, whose father is serving time in the prison. He's been kicked out of every school for some nefarious activity or the other.

It's a story like this that reminds you how important it was to be popular while growing up. Peer pressure is truly the doom of childhood.

Robert Downey Jr plays an alcoholic principal of the school that Charlie studies in. He becomes a self-appointed psychiatrist for the entire campus. Charlie begins to peddle anti-depressants and other drug addicts. He is also dating the principal's little daughter.

The principal of course will tolerate none of that. Eventually, there is an anti-establishment outcry in the school.

The film, set in the early '80s, carefully examines the lives of the wayward young. It tells you that they're also quite often, misunderstood.

The boy Anton Yelchin, to be honest, didn't impress me so much. But then with Robert Downey Jr around, it's difficult not to be convinced.

Another aspect of this film is that it gives you a peek into the culture of parenting in America, or the West, as it were. It's disturbing as a subject.

I don't know about you, but I felt the same watching the Oscar favourite Juno a few months back. Now that was about a teenaged girl who wants to bear a child.

You can't be taken so seriously when you're so young. And don't get me wrong. There is no question of being conservative here. Children no matter how old, must be treated as equals. But that doesn't mean treating them as adults. They may not know better.