I wasn’t holding out much hope for this one. Like anyone with a brain and a distinct fear of transforming from an adventurous roustabout into an office drone, I have a deep appreciation for the work of James Thurber (not to mention Danny Kaye, who starred in the original adaptation), and when the trailer hit, it looked like Ben Stiller’s take would be much more of a saga instead of a few simple flights from banality.

And while Stiller’s Walter Mitty departs halfway from flights of fancy, the first half is a delight. Mitty is a negative assets manager at Life Magazine – negative assets as in he’s the guy who handles photo negatives, and Life Magazine as in the periodical that Gestapo agents read when they’re tailing Indiana Jones and which, specifically in this flick, is in the process of becoming a purely online publication.

Mitty’s tasked with developing the final cover’s image, which has been misplaced, and which causes the sleazy consultant handling the transition (Adam Scott, in a wickedly dorky beard) to breathe stertorously down his neck.

In addition to that, Mitty’s currently engaged in setting up his eHarmony profile despite having gone nowhere and done nothing, diminishing his chances of attracting the pretty new hire (Kirsten Wiig). Helping him is Todd (a voice that may be recognizable, but whose identity is one of the best reveals, jokes, and sequences in the film), an overly dedicated eHarmony assistant.

The film has a fantastic start, as all the major performers – Stiller, Wiig, and Scott – come from the background of exploiting social awkwardness and revel in creating a facade of meekness in their characters, a meekness that barely veils the passions behind it. Scott in particular, is so good at each little passive-aggressive dig (I especially liked the progression of how he says “guy”: first cloying, then annoyed, then furious). And, thankfully, not all of Mitty’s daydreams are treated as immature revenge fantasies or love-struck dalliances. One sequence in particular gets very creative as Stiller and Scott battle over a Stretch Armstrong doll throughout the streets of New York, using the roads as skis and whatever else as improvised weapons.

I had a soft spot for 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and I have a soft spot for this, even with its flaws. If you remember the end of the last film (and never mind if you didn’t), Zartan is impersonating the President of the United States in one step of Cobra Commander’s grand plan for world domination.

I think this is supposed to take place right after the last film, but no matter. All you need to know is that the President is not the real President, and the Joes are not aware of it. They’re busy raiding a nuclear arms facility in Pakistan — a mission devised by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo/Jonathan Pryce) to wipe out the Joes when they call for transport after the mission.

All of them, save for Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Roadblock (The Rock), and Flint (D.J. Cotrona) are killed. Fortunately Snake Eyes (Ray Park) is away on another mission training with Jinx (Elodie Yung) and quite possibly the worst actor in the entire film, RZA as the aptly named Blind Master.

It’s been nearly ten years since Middle Earth unfurled across the screen, and in that time, the Lord of the Rings films have cemented their place in cinematic history. The actors have aged, technology has evolved, and the influence of Peter Jackson’s trilogy is evidenced in all the three-plus-hour epics we’ve seen over the past decade.

Jackson slips back into this world seamlessly, elevating the grandeur but also reigning it in; instead of army battles and global chaos pitting kings against wizards and demons, this is a merrier tale of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and a band of dwarves hunting a lost treasure guarded by the fierce dragon Smaug.

Smaug, we’re told (and cleverly not shown until the very end) attacked the thriving dwarf city of Erebor years ago, evicting dwarven kind from their homeland (writing that I’m starting to wonder if there’s a parable here, big noses and all…) and forcing them to have it out with every other race in Middle Earth, from the orcs at Moria (the chief of whom kills the leader dwarf, Thorin’s, grandfather and becomes the main antagonist) to the elves at, uh, Elvania (the elves chose not to help the dwarves in the battle against Smaug).

Seasons Greetings! This week’s Christmas pick is the 1990 action sci-fi classic I Come in Peace (a.k.a. Dark Angel). International action star and He-Man type (no pun intended) Dolph Lundgren stars as a Houston, Texas cop who tracks down an alien who is killing people in order to harvest the universe’s most powerful narcotic. You may be saying to yourself “That’s really the plot?” and yes, it is. The film also stars Brian Benben (from the HBO classic comedy series Dream On), Betsy Brantley, Matthias Hues, and Jay Bilas.

Jack Caine (Lundgren) is a cop who disregards proper procedure in order to get the job done. While on a routine drug bust to catch a syndicate of yuppie criminals known as the White Boys, Caine’s partner is killed when he is discovered as a cop while trying to entrap them.

After waiting for a bit of extra time for the next James Bond movie to arrive, it’s almost here. Skyfall is the name and from the looks of this latest trailer, it’s going to be pretty great.

But really, we’re big Bond fans around here so we would see it no matter what. The fact that it appears to be awesome is just a bonus.

Check out the new trailer below. Look for Skyfall to arrive on November 9.

Last week, to celebrate the actual 50th Birthday of the cinematic James Bond, Adele’s new theme song for Skyfall was officially released. The song was incredibly well received, mostly because the song is damn near perfect, but unless you watched some hastily edited fan edits you had to imagine what this theme would sound like over top of some real Bond action.

Thankfully there is someone really smart behind the marketing of Skyfall, as a new trailer just hit featuring the soon to be iconic new tune prominently. Somehow the already phenomenal song feels even better when you see Bond do his various Bond-y things, particularly that last beat of the trailer.

The anticipation for the third Daniel Craig Bond film is reaching it’s boiling point. At this point everyone seems to have let the bitter memory of Quantum of Solace wash away from their memories and are allowing all of the goodwill this movie is putting out drive their excitement.

This has been a banner anniversary year for Bond, and after some shaky years with a writer’s strike hindered Quantum and the bankruptcy scare of MGM, it is a welcome revival of the spy who loves us all. Except probably cold war era Russians, but everyone else for sure.

Check out the new trailer after the jump and stay tuned to The Flickcast for any last-minute news as Skyfall approaches.

Perhaps more than the Aston Martin, the Walther PPK or the martini’s, the signature Bond title tune is among the most important aspects of any 007 film. There have been some classic songs, some alright diddys and some downright duds over the years, so does Adele have what it take to deliver on Skyfall‘s titular ballad?

Well thankfully that is a question we do not have to wait for the release of Skyfall next month to answer. The song has been officially unleashed to the internet and it is with great relief we can report that it is actually pretty damn good. The last film, Quantum of Solace, had a title song that most people were not a big fan of, so the bounce back in quality for Skyfall is especially noticeable.

Unlike previous major pop star attempts at Bond themes, Adele manages to find the classic groove of the series roots without making the song all about her. As opposed to Madonna’s Die Another Day or the aforementioned Another Way To Die, which just seemed like advertisements for the artists and not a viable addition to the tapestry that was those particular films.

You can checkout Adele’s Skyfall after the jump.

This week’s Monday Pick is the 1984 multi genre classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Director/screenwriter W.D. Richter (Dracula (1979), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Big Trouble in Little China) created one of the weirdest and most beloved cult classics of the 1980s.

Peter Weller (Robocop) stars as the multi talented neurosurgeon, physicist, rock musician and comic book hero Buckaroo Banzai who battles aliens know as Red Lectroids from the Planet 10 who plot to take over the Earth. Buckaroo Banzai’s character was influenced by the 1930s pulp novels of Doc Savage, much like Lucas and Spielberg’s Indiana Jones that was influenced after the literary adventure character of Allan Quatermain.

Buckaroo Banzai has always been a favorite of mine since I first saw it in theaters in the summer of 1984. It’s a very interesting/hard film to describe to anyone who has never scene it. The premise is beyond absurd but that’s what makes the film so lovable. Banzai and his team of do-gooders known as The Hong Kong Cavaliers (a version of Doc Savage’s Fabulous Five) battle the evil Red Lectroids under the command of Lord John Whorfin (yes an alien leader named John) played to psychotic perfection by John Lithgow, who is actually an Italian physicist known as Dr. Emilio Lizardo. Yeah, it’s a little confusing but when you watch the film it all comes together.

Even though some people found the last James Bond movie, Quantum of Solice, less than spectacular, we’re still glad Bond is back and coming to a theater near us in the new film Skyfall. We’ve already brought you info about the new movie and now there’s a new trailer.

For those of you unfamiliar with Skyfall, here the synopsis:

Daniel Craig is back as James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Not only does the film look stunning and full of exciting action and drama, but Skyfall also boasts one of the best casts ever for a Bond film. Aside from series regulars Craig and Dame Judi Dench as M, the film also features Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finny and Javier Bardem.

Check out the new trailer after the break. Look for Skyfall to arrive on November 9.

Wow, leading up to comic-con this concept was inconceivable. Take the already stretched tale of The Hobbit and transform it into a trilogy, to paraphrase Bilbo, it seemed like an idea that make the story feel like butter spread over too much bread.

Then the avalanche started to roll when Jackson himself alluded to the potential of a third film. We talked about the potential expanding of the story in the wake of the first rumors. Now, thanks to a posting on Jackson’s Facebook fan page, we have confirmation:

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.  It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, “a tale that grew in the telling.”

Go visit Jackson’s page for the whole note to the fans, it goes a little deeper into the why of this decision.

So there you have it, The Hobbit is officially a trilogy. This is an interesting turn of events for one of the most anticipated films of this and next year.

We need some processing time to decide of this is wonderful or treacherous news. Stay glued to The Flickcast for a more in-depth reaction and any new news regarding the new, third, Hobbit film.

One of the cornerstone elements of James Bond that has been absent in the Daniel Craig films has been the master of the gadgets, Q. Holding him back was likely to help make the films a little more serious, and in honesty it worked.

For the third new era Bond fans are expecting the franchise to start taking steps into the larger and more iconic sandbox that is James Bond. Especially considering that the film is being released in the 50th anniversary year.

The studio seems keen to deliver what the fans want as they have indeed put Q in the new film, and EW.com has just snagged the first official image of Ben Whishaw in character.

A younger, ‘nerd-chic’ version of Q might not sound like the right direction on paper, but looking at Whishaw in this image evokes all the right feelings in this Bond fan. Even if his wardrobe looks a tad like it was put together as a hipsters greatest hits outfit.

You can expect more tidbits and news on Skyfall in the coming days, as it is ‘geeks inherit the earth’ week down in San Diego. Stay tuned to The Flickcast for news from the show.

You can see the full-sized image after the jump.

Being a Prime member at Amazon just got a bit sweeter with the announcement late yesterday that the online giant has signed a licensing agreement with MGM to offer hundreds of classic movies and TV programs to members. The service, which is available for $79 a year and offers customers free two-day shipping, already offers over 18,000 movies and TV episodes for instant streaming.

“Our customers tell us they love having tons of movies and TV shows to choose from, which is why we are focused on adding even more titles to our already extensive Prime Instant Video library,” said Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon. “MGM offers one of the most distinguished catalogs in all of Hollywood, and this deal will bring Prime Instant Video customers hundreds of new titles to enjoy on their Kindle Fire or any device compatible with Amazon Instant Video.

Customers can enjoy favorites like The Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man and The Terminator, as well as fan-favorite TV series like Stargate.”

For more, click through for the full press release from Amazon.