March Movies

After a number of interesting and high-profile movies opening in February, including Jumper and Spiderwick Chronicles, March is a bit slower.

In the sci-fi / fantasy arena the schedule is dominated by Roland Emmerich's latest spectacle, 10,000 BC. Emmerich's record is uneven in quality – his movies have ranged from formulaic but fun (Independence Day) to pointlessly banal (The Day After Tomorrow) to colossally awful (Godzilla) – but he one thing he's consistent about is trying to get his budget up there on the screen in the biggest effects possible. And say this for Emmerich: unlike other effects addicts, like Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor), at his best he knows how to make those pixels work. 10,000 BC looks like a diverting spectacle, but whether it will have an actual story is anyone's guess.

Other entries this month include two unpromising comedies – Horton Hears a Who and Superhero Movie – and a British entry, the gritty postapocalyptic thriller Doomsday. For my overview and links to more info click here.