When the trailer for the upcoming sci-fi thriller Limitless starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro first hit, one of the first questions that came to mind when we learned of the plot was “sure, this pill allows him to get a haircut and learn Italian, but does it give him superpowers?” Sure enough, this clip has got the answer for us.

For those who haven’t read about the full synopsis for the film, here it is.

Eddie Morra (Cooper) is an unemployed writer whose girlfriend Lindy (Abbey Cornish) breaks up with him. Eddie believes he has no future, but when a friend introduces him to the experimental drug NZT, Eddie becomes highly focused and highly confident. He is able to recall everything he has read, heard, or seen, and he uses the knowledge to become successful in the financial world. Business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro) sees Eddie as a potential tool to make money, but Eddie’s success also attracts hitmen who pursue him for the NZT. Eddie’s stash dwindles, causing him side effects, as he tries to escape being assassinated.

So when an experimental drug gives you heightened intelligence, creativity, and learning powers, doesn’t it make sense that you’d be great in a fist fight? Check out a new clip from the film after the jump and learn for yourself.

Limitless hits theaters on March 18th.

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And we use “teaser” in a very literal sense. We know that The Wolfpack are making their way to Thailand this time around, and that Mel Gibson got bumped from his cameo, but we haven’t seen much in a way of actual footage from the film. At least now we’re getting a little tease.

This new one has just enough to whet our appetites, while still showing some interesting hints as to where the story could be going. Zach Galifiniakis has a shaved head? Ed Helms has a tribal tattoo on his face? Here’s the official synopsis (like it matters really):

In The Hangover Part II, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch.

However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

It’s not much, but it’s something so check out the teaser after the jump. Catch The Hangover: Part 2 in theaters on May 26th.

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Much like many fans, we were sorta disappointed when Bradley Cooper was passed over for the lead in Warner Bros’ Green Lantern flick. Sure, we may still get Cooper in a DC comics adaptation as he’s being courted to play the lead in David Goyer’s Flash. But in the meantime, we get a brand new film with Cooper showing off some more-than-normal abilities in Limitless.

Here’s the official breakdown:

Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro star in Limitless, a paranoia-fueled action thriller about an unpublished writer whose life is transformed by a top-secret smart drug that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life in this darkly comic and provocative film.

So not only does this have Bradley Cooper as the super genius protagonist, but De Niro, Pushing Daisies’ Anna Friel, and even A.J. from Empire Records! Be sure to check out the full trailer after the jump, and catch Limitless in theaters on March 18th.

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Todd Philips’ Hangover 2 had better be the funniest movie in decades. In the midst of all the drama on the set between Galifiniakis, Gibson, and now Liam Neeson, this film is coming across as more dramatic than comedic.

About a month ago, it was announced that after putting his foot down, the film’s star Zach Galifiniakis won the battle to have Mel Gibson written out of the film. He was initially supposed to have a cameo in the film, much like the controversial Mike Tyson did in the first film. Zach wanted none of that, so Gibson had to go.

Later, he was replaced by the ubiquitous Liam Neeson, who filled Gibson’s shoes with his particular set of skills. Things seemed to quiet down, but now it looks like Giamatti is joining in all the fun with a cameo, according to Deadline.

It’s very difficult for this film to remain a secret, given it’s public shooting locations in Thailand. Some very spoiler-happy images have already gone up online, which may just ruin the film for you, so don’t click if you can’t handle it.

Hangover 2 is set to hit theaters May 26th, 2011.

M. Night Shyamalan gets a bad rep sometimes. He’s an excellent storyteller who’s been known to go off of the deep end when it comes to getting his films made, most notably with Lady in the Water, which was basically just a love letter to his kids. We won’t address The Happening.

He seemed to go a bit more mainstream with the upcoming The Last Airbender, but now it seems the writer/director is getting back to his mysterious roots with his newest film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film’s premise, and even the title, is a mystery. Nothing has been revealed about the plot or the genre. What we do know is that Shyamalan has apparently already locked in three big actors for the film.

No details are known about the project, but it comes with some major acting talent: We’ve learned that Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bruce Willis are loosely attached to star in the film.

Shyamalan is famously secretive, and this project is no exception: Only top studio execs have read the script, and they were required to allow a Shyamalan assistant to supervise the process. When the execs finished reading, the assistant took the script back and left.

This project could be just what Night needs to get back to where he was circa 1997 with the success of The Sixth Sense. He’s got a pretty good track record with Willis, as he was in both Sense and Unbreakable.

Not sure where he could possibly go with this film, as he’s already touched on fairy tales, aliens, ghosts, and evil trees. We’ll be sure to keep a close eye on news from this upcoming project.

In absentia of our diligent box office reporter Shannon Hood I’m stepping in to bring you up to speed this week. The top three spots were taken by two remakes and one sequel, the former making me feel like I’d gone through a time warp back to the ’80′s.  It was exciting and a little disconcerting all at the same time.

Taking the top spot was the remake of the 1984 classic The Karate Kid.  For the purists out there you can rest easy knowing the producers did not use the same characters from the original.  While the premise is basically the same Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) have been replaced by Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). Personally, I thought Jaden Smith was too young to portray the character properly but the audience seemed to disagree with me.

The Karate Kidwent onto make $56 million in its opening weekend.  Given that the budget was $40 million this is certainly decent returns and I have no doubt will lead to a sequel, if not a trilogy.  Way to go Jaden!  Your superstar dad, Will Smith, must be very proud.

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I’ve got three words for you. Big. Dumb. Fun. Isn’t that the way we like our summer fare here in the states? Apparently a cohesive plot was sacrificed  in The A-Team so that explosions, fist-fights and implausible technology could abound. Yet somehow, as mindless entertainment, it kind of works. I won’t lie. I had fun.

I never watched the 80′s television show that served as the source material for this movie, but being a child of the 80′s, I was aware of it. The theme song, Mr. T, and that infamous opening line (If you have a problem, and you can find them, maybe you can hire The A-Team!) were ubiquitous on the pop culture landscape back in the day.

The movie begins with an extended flashback showing how the four A-Team members (all former Army Rangers) became a team. Now, eight years later, the men are serving in Iraq and are recruited for a secret mission. They are to circumvent an armored convoy that will be transporting currency printing plates, and approximately one billion dollars in printed currency.

The Department of Defense gets wind of the operation and bristles, believing that the A-Team has overstepped their authority. Additionally, some mercenaries for hire unimaginatively named “Black Forest” want a piece of the action.

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If like me, you have survived the onslaught of witty repartee between Iron Man and War Machine, time standing still in Robin Hood, and the hot mess of CGI and Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia then you are ready for what awaits you in June. Make no mistake, you may not have the monster in Manolo’s, otherwise known as Carrie Bradshaw, to suffer through but you do have a mêlée of 80’s rehashes that studios happily throw money at.

So, suit up, grab your popcorn, and prepare yourself for the next adventure that await you.

JUNE

June 4th

Ondine

Were you expecting a description of The A Team perhaps? At this point, anyone who is seeing The A Team on Friday already has their tickets, and even my words of wisdom will be unable to stop them. Instead I’ll spotlight a film that deserves attention.

Ondine is an independent film starring Colin Farrell as a fisherman who pulls up a beautiful woman in his nets. His sick, precocious daughter believes she is a Selkie, a Scottish seal who becomes a human wife on land. Time will tell if she is really as she seems.

Geekiness Factor: As a fairytale set in the modern era, it combines Splash and Heroes with a dose of romanticism and second chances. This movie works because it doesn’t use CGI, in fact the only special effects it uses comes from your very own imagination in overdrive. Its sense of wonder on faith, entrances you back to a time when you still believed in Santa Claus.

Screen Steamer: Colin Farrell has served me a heap of B movie bad boy charm in past films like The Recruit, S.W.A.T., not to mention a harmonious turn in Crazy Heart. Here he takes off his shirt only once, but seems well cast as a fisherman down on his luck and striving to be sober. Alicja Bachleda keeps you guessing as Ondine, which means “from the water.” She is alluring with a subtle sensuality in ocean soaked dresses, only coming up for air to coyly flirt with a scruffy Colin.

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I liked this movie quite a bit  when I first saw it in 2003, and it was called Love, Actually.  This is nothing but a watered down and americanized version of the British movie, and it is mired in mediocrity.  Just think of this as the ugly stepsister of Love, Actually.

Despite a massive ensemble cast (Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacClaine, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Emma Roberts, and George Lopez) the film lacks any real zip, and for a film about Valentine’s Day, it lacks heart. Don’t let all that star power fool you.

There are a myriad of storylines woven throughout the movie, which takes place on Valentine’s Day, in Los Angeles.  Most of the principals are connected to one another in one way or another, and their connections are slowly revealed throughout the movie.  Some of the stories work quite well, and others just don’t work at all.

Ashton Kutcher plays Reed, a florist who proposes to his less than thrilled girlfriend Morley (Jessica Alba.)  His best friend Julia (Jennifer Garner) is giddy over her new boyfriend (Patrick Dempsey), who is actually a two timing married man. Her best friend Kara (Jessica Biel) is the desperate and lonely career girl with no one to spend Valentine’s Day with.

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The buzz has only been getting louder since the first trailer for Joe Carnahan’s The A-Team hit a few weeks ago. The first glimpses of the TV-to-film remake split fans, as some were excited, and some annoyed. Thankfully, most of us around The Flickcast offices are excited, and even more so when six new stills from the film got released.

The film looks to have all the excitement we remember from the original series, and then some. Carnahan is known for his explosive and “in your face” directing style, which is exactly what this property would need in order to do it justice.

Check out these all new images from the film after the jump, starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, “Rampage” Jackson, and Jessica Biel. The A-Team is set for a June 11th release date.

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As they say out in the world, get it while its hot. This brand new trailer for Joe Carahan’s upcoming reboot of The A-Team can’t last long so be sure to check it out after the jump. In case you’re not familiar, the film features Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley and “Rampage” Jackson as a team of mercenaries convicted of a crime they didn’t commit who now fight for the little guy (or girl) while hiding out in the Los Angeles underground.

We really love this cast, although Rampage Jackson seems to not have much of a sense of humor — much like his character should probably be. The trailer also features a voiceover narration nearly identical to the TV show’s (which is pretty cool), and the action is what you’d expect until the end when it kinda goes too far when a parachuting tank shoots down an airplane. Hey, that could happen, right? But all is pretty much saved, at least for me, with the tag line “There is no plan B.” Nice.

Anyway, check it out and judge for yourself. But hurry.

Update: As we said, the video went fast and is now gone. Look for the “official” one to be released shortly.

Update 2: And now the trailer is “officially” out and if you click through you can see it.

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New to DVD and Blu-Ray this week is possibly one of the best comedies of the year, and definitely one of the highest grossing one’s of all time. Of course I mean the Todd Phillips’ film The Hangover, starring Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers), Ed Helms (The Office), Zach Galifianakis (Out Cold), and Justin Bartha (National Treasure).

Three groomsmen (Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis) try to retrace their steps after a drunken and drug-hazed night of debauchery in Las Vegas in order to find best friend Doug (Bartha) so he can walk down the aisle at his wedding in less than 24 hours. The film is a madcap ride full of great cameos with the likes of Matt Walsh (Upright Citizens Brigade) as an ER doctor, Heather Graham (Boogie Nights) as a recently married stripper, and Ken Jeong (Community) as a Chinese mobster out to recover a bag of stolen poker chips from Doug’s pals.

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