"Justice League: War" (2014)

Starring Jason O'Mara, Alan Tudyk and Michelle Monaghan
Written by Heath Corson
Directed by Jay Oliva
Rated PG-13 — Animated violence, language
Running Time: 79 Minutes
Trailer

Green Lantern (Justin Kirk) heads to Gotham City to investigate a series of kidnappings being blamed in the media on the Batman (Jason O'Mara). Instead, he discovers the culprit is an alien creature from the dark world of Apokolips attempting to plant some kind of device — a Mother Box — in the city's sewers. After totally flubbing his encounter with the parademons, Batman saves him and the two head for Metropolis, hoping to question Superman (Alan Tudyk) about the device's alien origins.

Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, Wonder Woman (Michelle Monaghan) is frustrated at having to wait for a meeting with the President when she encounters parademons attempting to breach the White House. In Central City, scientist Silas Stone (Rocky Carroll) and his son Victor (Shemar Moore) are having an argument while Silas investigates a dead parademon captured by the Flash (Christopher Gorham). An ensuing explosion from the creature's Mother Box infects Victor with an alien energy, forcing Silas to transform him into Cyborg to save his life.

Soon enough, the Mother Boxes open more boom tube portals between Earth and Apokolips, allowing Darkseid's (Steven Blum) army of parademons to assault various cities. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Cyborg and Captain Marvel (Sean Astin) realize they must join forces to protect the entire planet from a full-on alien invasion.

They just don't like each other all that much.

'Star Wars Rebels' - Season One (2014)

Starring Taylor Gray, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Vanessa Marshall
Created by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg and Carrie Beck
Based on "Star Wars" created by George Lucas
Trailer

Fifteen years after the fall of the Republic, teenage orphan Ezra Bridger ekes out a living on the planet Lothal, stealing and scamming for food and collecting different stormtrooper helmets whenever possible. One day he attempts a bigger score, stealing a crate of unknown loot from some imperial couriers but runs afoul of another group trying to steal the same crate: point man Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.), pilot Hera (Vanessa Marshall), muscle Zeb (Steven Blum) and explosives expert Sabine (Tiya Sircar).

Ezra soon falls in with this gang of thieves aboard their ship, the Ghost, and discovers that there's more to them: they're actually rebels. More than that, Ezra discovers that Kanan is a former Jedi, and that he wants to train Ezra in the ways of the Force. But Ezra is used to being on his own, only having to think of himself. He doesn't understand what it means to be a part of a family, or to work toward a larger cause.

And he doesn't know that the crew of the Ghost is wanted by more than just the local Imperial authorities: The Inquisitor (Jason Isaacs) has been dispatched by Darth Vader (James Earl Jones, reprising his world-famous role from the films) to hunt down any remaining Jedi... and Kanan and Ezra have made it onto his radar.

"Big Hero 6" (2014)

Starring Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit and TJ Miller
Written by Jordan Roberts, Dan Gerson and Robert L. Baird
Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams
Rated PG - Animated superhero violence, peril
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Trailer

In the city of San Fransokyo, young Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) uses his robotics genius to win money hustling underground bot fights. His older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) worries that Hiro is going to get hurt or waste his life not tapping into his potential, and encourages him to join the robotics program at his college. There, Hiro meets Tadashi's friends: GoGo (Jamie Chung), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) and Fred (TJ Miller). Hiro also discovers that one of his idols, Professor Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell) is one of Tadashi's teachers, and Hiro immediately decides he needs to become the school's next student.

To do so, he'll have to come up with a project that impresses the great Professor Callaghan. And so Hiro invents a revolutionary new form of robot: microbots, controlled by his own thoughts, which can form any shape or do any action he can think of. But on the big night, a fire breaks out at the robotics expo, claiming the lives of his brother Tadashi and Professor Callaghan, and destroying the microbots... or so Hiro thinks.

Hiro soon discovers that someone is mass-producing his microbots, and using them to commit crimes across the city. To find out who this mysterious villain is and stop him, Hiro activates Tadashi's last project: Baymax (Scott Adsit) a puffy inflatable robot designed to administer gentle medical care. He also recruits Tadashi's friends, and together, they'll solve the mystery, save the city, and heal Hiro's grieving heart.

"Transformers: Prime: Beast Hunters - Predacons Rising" (2013)

Starring Peter Cullen, Frank Welker and John Noble
Written by Duane Capizzi, Marsha Griffin and Steven Melching
Directed by Vinton Hueck, Scooter Tidwell and Steven Melching
Unrated - Cartoon sci-fi violence
Running Time: 65 Minutes
Trailer

After the battle to retake Cybertron, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) realizes that to repopulate his planet, he must seek out an ancient relic known as the Allspark. He heads off to its last known location with Wheeljack (James Horan), leaving his small crew of Autobots to begin reconstruction of their homeworld.

While scouting the ruins in search of Megatron's minions, Ultra Magnus (Michael Ironside) and Smokescreen (Nolan North) are attacked by predacons - vicious, dragon-like Transformers created in a cloning lab by Shockwave (David Sobolov) and Starscream (Steven Blum). With Ultra Magnus severely injured, Bumblebee (Will Friedle) takes command and decides to track down the Predaking (Peter Mensah). Predaking is uninterested in allying himself with the Autobots, content only to watch over his ruined kingdom.

But things are about to get a lot worse: On Earth, Unicron (John Noble) resurrects Megatron (Frank Welker) and inhabits and upgrades his body. Now, using Megatron as his ultimate weapon, Unicron sets out to complete his life's mission: the complete and utter destruction of Cybertron.

"Young Justice" - Season One (2010)

Starring Nolan North, Jesse McCartney and Khary Payton
Created by Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman
Based on the DC Comics characters
Trailer

Teenage sidekicks Dick 'Robin' Grayson (Jesse McCartney), Wally 'Kid Flash' West (Jason Spisak), Kaldur-ahm 'Aqualad' (Khary Payton), and Roy 'Speedy' Harper (Crispin Freeman) think they're the next generation of the Justice League. But on the big day when they're supposed to be inducted, the adult heroes of the League tell them to wait in the lobby. Furious, Speedy strikes out on his own, determined to become a hero in his own right, out from under the shadow of Green Arrow/Ollie Queen (Alan Tudyk).

When they hear of a fire at a scientific facility called Cadmus, Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad decide to investigate, against the orders of Batman (Bruce Greenwood). Discovering a massive underground facility full of strange creatures, they dig deeper and discover something called "Project Kr" - a clone of Superman (Nolan North). After liberating 'Superboy' from Cadmus and freeing the other genetic slaves there, the young heroes are rewarded by the Justice League as Batman orders the formation of a new team to be sent on clandestine recon missions for the older heroes.

They're joined at Mount Justice by M'gann M'orzz 'Miss Martian' (Danica McKellar), supposedly the niece of Martian Manhunter (Kevin Michael Richardson), and Artemis Crock (Stephanie Lemelin), supposedly the niece of Green Arrow. Supervised by the android hero Red Tornado (Jeff Bennett), sent on missions by Batman, the team must first overcome their own inability to work together before they can mature into the heroes their mentors hope they'll one day become.

To do that, they have to trust each other. But how can they trust each other when there might be a mole on the team?

"The Lego Movie" (2014)

Starring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Ferrell
Written and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Rated PG - Mild violence, peril, very mild suggestive themes
Running Time: 100 Minutes
Trailer

Emmett (Chris Pratt) is your typical everyman construction worker. There's nothing special about him, though he often wishes there was. One day after work, he notices something odd at the construction site and discovers a woman named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) rooting around in the rubble, searching for a relic known as the Piece of Resistance.

Unfortunately for Wyldstyle, Emmett is the one who finds the piece and it melds itself permanently to his back. Wyldstyle is distressed to learn that Emmett is not a Master Builder, as the prophecy laid out by the leader of the resistance, Vetruvius (Morgan Freeman), stated that the man who finds the Piece of Resistance would be the greatest builder of all time, who could save the Lego world from Lord Business (Will Ferrell).

Business, it seems, has discovered some kind of ultimate weapon which will lock all the Legos into their current forms, destroying all creativity and imagination forever. Only Emmett, with the Piece of Resistance, can stop him. But how? Not only is Emmett not special, but he can't even bring himself to believe that he could be.

With the help of Wyldstyle, Batman (Will Arnett), Metal Beard (Nick Offerman) a robotic pirate, Uni-Kitty (Alison Brie) an ever-positive unicorn-cat hybrid, and Benny the 1980s astronaut (Charlie Day), Emmett must find the specialness inside him to stop Business and his henchmen Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) before all the Legos are frozen forever.

'Transformers: Prime' Season 3 (2013)

Starring Peter Cullen, Frank Welker and Steven Blum
Developed by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Jeff Kline and Duane Capizzi
Trailer

Following the destruction of their secret base by the Decepticons, the Autobots find themselves scattered and in hiding across the United States. Rookie teammember Smokescreen (Nolan North) has hauled a mortally-wounded Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) to safety beneath the mountain's wreckage. Arcee (Sumalee Montano) and her human ward Jack (Josh Keaton), Bumblebee and his friend Rafael (Andy Pessoa), and Bulkhead (Kevin Michael Richardson) and the energetic Miko (Tania Gunadi) are spread out elsewhere and unable or unwilling to contact each other as the Decepticons are monitoring all Earth communications.

From his new palace built over the ruins of the Autobots' base, now dubbed "Darkmount," Megatron (Frank Welker), Starscream (Steven Blum) and Shockwave (David Sobolov) use their advanced weaponry to ward off human military forces. Megatron attempts to convince the humans, through federal agent Fowler (Ernie Hudson) that he means to leave humanity in peace, but Fowler and the others know that's a lie and that Megatron will stop at nothing to conquer the Earth.

Soon, the Autobots are joined by allies Wheeljack (James Horan) and Ultra Magnus (Michael Ironside) to launch a new offensive against Megatron. But even with the return of Optimus Prime, Megatron unveils his next deadly plan to destroy the Autobots and enslave the Earth: the Predacons, an ancient race of Cybertronian dragons resurrected in the modern age... and nearly indestructible.

"Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox" (2013)

Starring Justin Chambers, Kevin McKidd and Michael B. Jordan
Written by James Krieg
Directed by Jay Oliva
Rated PG-13 - Intense animated violence, language
Running Time: 81 Minutes
Trailer

Barry Allen (Justin Chambers), also known as the Flash, has lived his life with only one regret: not having been able to save his mother when she was murdered while he was just a child. One night, after a confrontation with some of his greatest enemies, including Captain Cold, Heatwave and Mirror Master, Flash is taunted by a dark version of himself from the future, Professor Zoom (C. Thomas Howell). Batman (Kevin Conroy) tries to console him, but upset, Flash takes off running.

The next morning when he awakens, he finds the world has changed around him. He no longer has his speed powers, his wife is married to another man, and his mother is alive. But the world is in danger: A war has broken out between Aquaman's (Cary Elwes) Atlantis and Wonder Woman's (Vanessa Marshall) Themyscira, a war that has decimated Europe, killing billions and pitting the rest of the world on a collision course with armageddon.

Barry, desperate to figure out what has happened to the timeline, tracks down this world's version of Batman - Thomas Wayne (Kevin McKidd), Bruce's father. In this timeline, Bruce was the one shot by a mugger in an alley, leaving his grief-stricken parents to suffer. This version of Batman is a brutal killer, but still a genius and one of the world's greatest strategic minds. As such, he is courted to aid the United States government in the coming war with the Amazons and Atlanteans by Cyborg (Michael B. Jordan), who is attempting to gather a team of superhumans to avert catastrophe.

Flash realizes that he has only a little time to regain his powers, convince Batman to help him and change time back before war consumes the entire world to its bitter end.

"Superman: Unbound" (2013)

Starring Matt Bomer, John Noble and Stana Katic
Written by Bob Goodman
Directed by James Tucker
Rated PG-13 - Animated violence, peril, language, offensive gestures
Running Time: 75 Minutes
Trailer

Things are in flux for the Man of Steel. Superman (Matt Bomer) is struggling to teach his young cousin Supergirl (Molly Quinn) how to temper herself on Earth, not to go too far hurting the bad guys. At the same time, his girlfriend Lois Lane (Stana Katic) is frustrated that Clark refuses to allow knowledge of their relationship to go public. He worries that if anyone ever discovered that Clark Kent is Superman, Lois would be in trouble. She counters that she's already in trouble all the time, anyway.

But things are about to change, and Superman's world will be rocked the core by the arrival of an alien scout belonging to Brainiac (John Noble) a vast intelligence whose sole mission is to ingest the knowledge of entire worlds. But Brainiac's flaw is that he destroys every world he encounters after absorbing its knowledge. Supergirl tells Superman that Brainiac visited Krypton shortly before its destruction, and somehow stole its capital city, Kandor.

Superman tracks down Brainiac, who is in the process of consuming an alien world. He attempts to stop Brainiac, but is captured. Brainiac is intrigued by Superman's existence, and through him, learns of the planet Earth. Now, thanks to Superman, Brainiac is on his way, and not even the two powerful Kryptonian heroes may be able to stop him.

"Superman vs The Elite" (2012)

Starring George Newbern, Pauley Perette and Robin Atkin Downes
Written by Joe Kelly
Directed by Michael Chang
Rated PG-13 - Violence, language
Running Time: 76 Minutes
Trailer

What's so funny about truth, justice and the American Way? That's the question asked by "Superman vs The Elite," the 2012 animated feature based on an issue of the Superman comics from 2001.

A new group of superheroes, the Elite, have appeared. Led by Manchester Black (Robin Atkin Downes), they are a motley crew of super-powered freaks. At first, Superman (George Newbern) is happy to have their help and tries to befriend them. But he quickly discovers the problem: the Elite have no problem slaughtering their enemies in cold blood.

Superman soon finds himself alienated from a world that used to celebrate him. The populace quickly labels the Elite superheroes for the 21st century, not bound by Superman's antiquated moral code. Not willing to simply give in to demands for blood from the people he's vowed to protect, Superman digs deeper into the past of Manchester Black and discovers a man seething with anger and a thirst for power.

As the world forsakes him in favor of these bloodthirsty new heroes, and as two countries spiral towards open, vicious warfare, Superman must make hard choices to expose the truth about the Elite and figure out what he really stands for.

"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part I" (2012)

Starring Peter Weller, David Selby, and Ariel Winter
Written by Bob Goodman
Directed by Jay Oliva
Rated PG-13 - Violence, language
Running Time: 77 Minutes
Trailer

It has been ten years since the Batman was last seen in Gotham City.  Bruce Wayne (Peter Weller) is a tired old shell of a man, a drinker, and might even be suicidal.  He hangs out with his old friend, Police Commissioner James Gordon (David Selby), and laments his retirement.

A new gang has arisen in Gotham, the Mutants.  They are vicious, inhuman thugs who commit crimes merely for the enjoyment of violence, rather than for any kind of goal such as money.  The Mutants have threatened Gordon's life, repeatedly, as he nears his retirement.

At the same time, Harvey Dent (Wade Williams) is deemed reformed, and plastic surgery erases all traces of the scars that turned him into the villainous Two-Face.  But as soon as he's released, Two-Face disappears and goes back to his life of crime.  Feeling guilty and responsible for leaving his city to rot, Bruce once again dons the cowl of the Batman.

But the world has changed.  And so has Batman.  The populace is divided.  Batman's brutal methods scare some, enrage others.  He seems to be getting the job done, but at what price?  What about the rights of the crooks he's brutalizing?  And what personal cost will Batman pay himself, pushing his aged body to its limits?

"Justice League: Doom" (2012)

Starring Kevin Conroy, Tim Daily and Nathan Fillion
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Directed by Lauren Montgomery
Rated PG-13 - Language, violence
Running Time: 77 Minutes
Trailer

Batman (Kevin Conroy) and the rest of the Justice League, including Superman (Tim Daly), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), Flash (Michael Rosenbaum), Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly), and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) break up a robbery by the Royal Flush Gang.  With help from Cyborg (Bumper Robinson), Batman determines that the gang is using phase-shifting technology to walk through walls and steal diamonds.  But interrogating the gang on how and where they got such information is fruitless.

Soon after, the villains Bane (Carlos Alazraqui), Cheetah (Claudia Black), Metallo (Paul Blackthorne), Star Sapphire (Olivia d'Abo), Mirror Master (Alexis Denisof), and Ma'alefa'ak (Carl Lumbly) are brought together by the immortal Vandal Savage (Phil Morris).  He gives them each an assignment to take out a member of the Justice League, and informs them exactly how to do it.  In return, they each receive $100 million, and a promise of greater wealth and power in the future.

And so the Legion of Doom systematically and simultaneously takes out each member of the Justice League.  Bane buries Batman alive in his own father's grave.  Metallo shoots Superman in the chest with a kryptonite bullet.  Green Lantern is forced to face his own failure, and his will is broken.  Flash is fitted with a bomb that will explode if he stops running.  Wonder Woman is drugged and believes she is fighting multiple versions of Cheetah - but is actually beating up every person she sees.  Martian Manhunter is poisoned so that he sweats magnesium, and is then lit on fire.

But the most devastating revelation of all may be the source of Savage's information: Batman's own files on the League, and the contingency plans he created to take the heroes down should the occasion arise.

Now the Justice League must pull together and defeat the villains before Vandal Savage can unleash his true plan to take over the entire world.

"Transformers: Prime" Season One (2010)

Starring Peter Cullen, Frank Welker and Kevin Michael Richardson
Developed by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Duane Capizzi and Jeff Kline
Trailer

I previously reviewed "Transformers: Prime - Darkness Rising," which was the first five episodes of the series edited together into a movie.  Those first five episodes present the opening arc of the season.

After the defeat of Megatron's (Frank Welker) undead army and the destruction of the Decepticon space bridge, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and his small squad of Autobots turn their sights toward cleaning up the rest of Megatron's disciples on Earth.  Joining Optimus are Ratchet (Jeffrey Combs), Bumblebee, Bulkhead (Kevin Michael Richardson) and Arcee (Sumalee Montano), and their human allies young Rafael (Andy Pessoa), Miko (Tania Gunadi), Jack (Josh Keaton) and Agent Fowler (Ernie Hudson).

The Decepticons, under the leadership of Starscream (Steven Blum), continue to mine all possible sources of Energon from the planet Earth.  When Starscream and Soundwave manage to locate the body of Megatron drifting in space, they are shocked to discover he is still alive.  The Dark Energon he used to create his army of the undead now fused with his body, Megatron will rise again to be more powerful than ever.  And when his ultimate plan is revealed, to awaken the slumbering titan Unicron, Optimus realizes that an ancient Cybertronian prophecy is coming to bear... and that he may have to give his life to stop his arch enemy once and for all.

"Hulk Vs" (2009)

Starring Fred Tatasciore, Steven Blum and Matthew Wolf
Written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost
Directed by Frank Paur and Sam Liu
PG-13 - Violence
Running Time: 82 Minutes
Trailer

"Hulk Vs" is actually two short features back-to-back: "Hulk vs Thor" and "Hulk vs Wolverine."

In "Hulk vs Thor," the evil demigod Loki (Graham McTavish) convinces the sorceress Amora (Kari Wahlgren) to help him unleash the Hulk (Frank Tatasciore) upon Asgard.  Loki knows that while the allfather, Odin (Dwight Schulz) is in his regenerative sleep, the kingdom is vulnerable and he sees a chance to usurp control.  Amora, angry at having been spurned by Thor (Matthew Wolf), is just angry enough to go along with it.  She helps Loki remove Bruce Banner (Bryce Johnson) from the Hulk, leaving the creature entirely without a conscience.

As the Hulk lays waste to Asgard, only Thor stands in his way.  But the creature proves too powerful even for the god of thunder, and the Hulk beats Thor to within an inch of his life.  Amora, regretful for her actions, rescues him and tells Thor that Loki is controlling the beast, and he seeks out his half-brother, leaving only Sif (Grey DeLisle) and the legion of Valkyries to defend Odin.

In "Hulk vs Wolverine," the Hulk has been cutting a swath of destruction across Canada.  The government sends its best and most lethal agent, Logan (Steven Blum) to track the creature and stop it after it levels an entire village in the countryside.  Logan tracks the Hulk, but is surprised to find only the weak Banner instead.  When his interrogation of Banner unleashes the Hulk once more, the two are set upon by a team of superpowered mercs including Deadpool (Nolan North), Omega Red (Colin Murdock), Lady Deathstrike (Janyse Jaud) and Sabertooth (Mark Acheson).  They are captured and taken to a secret location where Logan learns that the scientist who turned him into Weapon X years earlier, Dr. Thornton (Tom Kane) plans to experiment on the Hulk to turn him into a weapon.

When Thornton tells Logan he also plans to erase Logan's memory and experiment on him once again, as well, Logan breaks free and fights his way through the Weapon X team, unleashing the Hulk in the process.

"Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme" (2007)

Starring Bryce Johnson, Paul Nakauchi and Michael Yama
Written by Greg Johnson
Directed by Frank D. Paur
Rated PG-13 - Violence, language
Running Time: 76 Minutes
Trailer

Doctor Stephen Strange (Bryce Johnson) is one of the world's best neurosurgeons.  He only takes the most high-profile cases that will bring him prestige and money to the hospital that employs him. One night, while driving to work, he witnesses a group of mystics battling a strange monster, despite a spell that was supposed to hide the fight from the eyes of mere mortals.  Later, he does a consult in the coma ward to help treat a young girl who has fallen into a coma.  When he touches her, he sees a vision of a massive, burning demonic face.  He learns that the ward is full of other children all having the same nightmares.  When driving home afterward, he sees the spirits of the children in the street, and swerves to avoid them, wrecking his car... and ruining his hands.

Strange spends the next few months seeking out every possible treatment for his hands, spending his entire fortune and eventually losing his job.  Down to his last time, he decides to commit suicide but is saved by a man named Wong (Paul Nakauchi), who tells him to travel to Tibet to find the cure he seeks.  Strange scrounges one last favor from Dr. Gina Atwater (Susan Spano) for airfare to Tibet, and treks through the mountains to a hidden monastery.  There, the Ancient One (Michael Yama), Mordo (Kevin Michael Richardson) and Wong help train Strange in the ways of sorcery.

At first, Strange doesn't understand.  But he eventually comes to know the power that lies within him, that  the regrets of his past and his unwillingness to perceive things in more than one way are what kept him from fixing his hands.

But while Strange's power grows, Mordo and the others at the monastery fight a dangerous and secret war against the forces of Dormammu (Jonathan Adams), a powerful and immortal creature imprisoned eons ago by the Ancient One.  Dormammu has found a way to influence the Earth realm, and will soon have enough power to break free of his prison.  As the protectors' numbers dwindle against Dormammu's evil minions, Wong and the Ancient One realize that the unique, but untested, power within Strange may be the world's only hope against true evil.

"Ultimate Avengers: The Movie" (2006)

Starring Justin Gross, Andre Ware, and Michael Massee
Written by Greg Johnson
Directed by Curt Geda, Steven E. Gordon and Bob Richardson
Not Rated - Violence
Running Time: 72 Minutes
Trailer

In the final days of World War II, supersoldier Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Justin Gross) leads an assault on a Nazi stronghold said to contain some kind of doomsday weapon.  He discovers the Germans are working with alien creatures called the Chitauri, but sacrifices himself to stop their weapon from destroying America.

Decades later, Nick Fury (Andre Ware), leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., searches the ocean floor for the remains of Captain America.  Dr. Bruce Banner (Michael Massee) and Dr. Betty Ross (Nan McNamara) believe the captain's DNA is the secret to restarting the supersoldier program in order to combat the Chitauri, which have remained in hiding on Earth since the end of the war.  They are shocked to discover, however, that Rogers is not dead - merely preserved.  Captain America awakens in the present, a man outside of time, who has lost everything he held dear... except his country.

When the Chitauri attack a S.H.I.E.L.D. satellite and kill three astronauts, Fury is forced to gather superpowered civilians in order to protect the Earth until Banner can create new supersoldiers.  Fury contacts Hank Pym (Nolan North), Janet Pym (Grey DeLisle), Tony Stark (Marc Worden), Black Widow (Olivia d'Abo) and Thor (David Boat) to form the Avengers.  Led by Captain America, this team will serve as the planet's front line of defense against the alien invaders... if they can just learn to work together.

But all the while, Banner holds a deadly secret.  Within him lies a creature more powerful than anything anyone has ever seen.  The Avengers may find that the Chitauri are not the greatest threat to planet Earth.

"Planet Hulk" (2010)

Starring Rick D. Wasserman, Lisa Ann Beley and Mark Hildreth
Written by Greg Johnson
Directed by Sam Liu
Not Rated - Violence
Running Time: 81 Minutes
Trailer

When Earth's heroes decide that the Hulk (Rick D. Wasserman) is simply too dangerous to keep around, they lock him into a spaceship and fire him off toward an uninhabited world where he can live out the rest of his time in peace.  Unfortunately, when he awakens and discovers what's happened to him, his violent outburst sends the ship off-course and he crash-lands on a dangerous world ruled by the ruthless Red King (Mark Hildreth).

Captured and sold into slavery, the Hulk is forced to do battle in the gladiatorial arena for the entertainment of the king.  He bonds with his fellow slaves, Hiroim (Liam O'Brien), Korg (Kevin Michael Richardson), Miek (Samuel Vincent), Elloe (Advah Soudack) and Android (Lee Tockar).  To everyone's surprise, the group is able to best their opponents in the arena, and people begin to believe that the vicious Hulk may be the Sakaarson - a prophesied warrior who would bring an end to tyranny on their world.

But the Red King has no intention of allowing the Hulk or his friends to survive, no matter the rules or laws of the land.  His faithful servant and assassin Caiera (Lisa Ann Beley) will do whatever it takes to make sure the Hulk can't threaten her king, but as the Red King grows more desperate, she soon begins to realize that perhaps she's on the wrong side of this conflict.

'Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising' (2011)

Starring Peter Cullen, Frank Welker and Jeffrey Combs
Developed by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

There are many different versions of the 'Transformers' mythology, but interestingly, much of it shares many common themes and ideas.  At the heart of all these various storylines is often the simple rivalry between good and evil and the characters that embody those concepts.

Three years after the last recorded contact with the Decepticons, the Autobots patrol the planet Earth looking for Energon.  In the lonely town of Jasper, Nevada, teenage Jack Darby (Josh Keaton), 12-year-old computer wiz Rafael Esquivel (Andy Pessoa) and international transfer student Miko Nakadai (Tania Gunadi) witness a battle between Autobots Arcee (Sumalee Montano), Bulkhead (Kevin Michael Richardson) and Bumblebee.  Now a target of the Decepticons, the three kids are brought back to the Autobots' secret lair where they meet medic Ratchet (Jeffrey Combs) and the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen).

The Autobots are attempting to locate their lost friend Cliffjumper (Dwayne Johnson), who had discovered a vast deposit of Energon and was set upon by Decepticons.  What they will discover is that Megatron (Frank Welker) has returned from deep space, with an artifact known as the Blood of Unicron - a 'dark Energon' crystal that has the power to reanimate the dead.  With this dark Energon, Megatron plans to raise an army of fallen Transformers from the planet Cybertron, and overrun the societies of Earth.

Only five Autobots and three human kids stand in his way.

Happy Trails: Super Bowl Edition (2012)

Another year, another football championship.  And another batch of promos for this year's upcoming blockbuster tent-pole films.

First up, Paramount's "The Dictator" -

Sacha Baron Cohen of "Borat" fame stars in this comedy about a silly Middle Eastern dictator.  I don't know too much about this one, but parts of this spot look reasonably funny.  I did enjoy "Borat," and Cohen was pretty funny in "Talledega Nights" with Will Ferrell.  Here's hoping.

Next, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" -

The Rock quotes Jay-Z in this one.  Not too much in the way of new footage, and I still don't know much about this film in general.  But it looks like it has some impressive action sequences, and the potential of the Rock teaming up with Bruce Willis is exciting to say the least.

Here's Disney's "John Carter" -

Based on the pulp novels, "John Carter" adapts "A Princess of Mars" and gives it a way lamer name.  I really dig the epic rearrangement of Zeppelin's "Kashmir," and it does look like a cool movie... I'm just not sure how much in common it really has with the book.

"Mars Needs Moms" (2011)

Starring Seth Green/Seth Dusky, Dan Fogler and Elisabeth Harnois
Written by Simon and Wendy Wells
Directed by Simon Wells
Rated PG - Peril, violence, scary images
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Trailer

"Mars Needs Moms" is a motion-captured CG affair that was released to little critical acclaim and even less box office success in 2011.  It's not hard to see why, since it's not a particularly good film, but it does have some merits worth discussing.

Milo (motion capture by Seth Green, voice by Seth Dusky) is a young human boy who feels unfairly punished by his mother (Joan Cusack) and ignored by his father (Tom Everett Scott), who is often away on business.  One night, Martians arrive and kidnap Milo's mom.  Milo follows them to their space ship and stows away on board. 

When they reach Mars, he discovers that the Martian female live in a monochromatic and highly ordered society where the young females are raised by "nanny-bots," machines which can only be used once and are then discarded.  Programming the nanny-bots requires removing the parenting knowledge from a human and implanting it into the bots, which destroys the human.  The male martians are dumped unceremoniously into an underworld filled with garbage. 

Milo meets Gribble (Dan Fogler) another human who attempted to rescue his own mother years previously and failed.  Now grown, Gribble lives alone in the underworld with his robot pet, Two-Cat (Dee Bradley Baker) and has gone just a little bit insane.  Milo also meets a Martian woman named Ki (Elisabeth Harnois) who has been fascinated with Earth's hippie culture, and joins Milo's quest to free his mother.

Milo, Gribble and Ki must infiltrate the Martian citadel, ruled with an iron hand by the Supervisor (Mindy Sterling) and her security forces, and rescue Milo's mom before sunrise activates the machine that will drain her of her memories and kill her.