By Renee DeFloria,
Staff Writer

Spring is nearly around the corner, but is the box office about to sprout with flourishing new releases? Among the upcoming films released for the spring season appears to be a plethora of action and adventures movies for all moviegoers to feast their eyes on after a long, dreary winter.

In Theatres Now:

“Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” (Rogue Pictures): I’m almost certain I wasn’t the only one extremely disappointed to hear that Dave Chappelle cancelled filming for his third season with Comedy Central, or the up-in-the-air reasons why he did it. Nevertheless, the blunt, controversial man of comedy returns for something slightly different than anything seen in his skit driven television show. Taking a stand-up, documentary spin on his upcoming release, Chappelle takes to the heart of Ohio, inviting random people to his free block party to take place in the streets of Brooklyn. The block party includes stand up from Dave Chappelle himself as well as musical performances by Kayne West, Most Def, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, and a reunion performance by the Fugees.

“16 Blocks” (Warner Brothers): One of the first action installments of the season stars veteran Bruce Willis and rap artist Most Def. Troubled alcoholic police office Jack Mosley (Willis) is handed an assignment he does not want to complete: to transfer Eddie Bunker (Most Def) 16 blocks from the station to the courthouse so that he’s able to testify in front of a grand jury. What sounds simple is obviously not. The 15-minute task turns into a fiasco as Jack and Eddie learn that the criminals Eddie is to testify against are actually the officers on the same police force as Jack. The movie’s trailer seems to promise an edge-of-the-seat reaction as Willis makes another great movie and Most Def shines in yet another film role.

“Ultraviolet” (Sony Pictures): I’ve liked Milla Jovovich ever since I saw her back to back performances in both of the “Resident Evil”movies. Jovovich returns for another futuristic outlook of viral outbreak and transformed humans who wish to destroy the world, only this time she’s the wanted target. Jovovich seeks to take revenge on the government that created the viral weapon and vows to protect the race that was created by it. Once again the trailer takes a peak at another promising action flick for the season.

In Theatres March 10th:

“Failure to Launch” (Paramount Pictures): Ah yes, the romantic comedy release to celebrate to budding and blooming of springtime! This comes packed with an all-star cast including Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew McConaughey, and Kathy Bates. 30-year-old Tripp (McConaughey) just doesn’t seem to want to leave his parents house, and they sure do want to get rid of him, so they hire Paula, a professional motivator (Parker). But of course things go a little awry when Paula develops feelings for Tripp and gets a little side tracked from the objective at hand. Just in time for the change in weather, this film’s trailer offers a warm, welcoming approach to a seemingly good movie.

“The Hills Have Eyes” (Fox Searchlight Pictures): It seems like remakes of old horror movies are becoming quite the trend. This time it’s a new spin on Wes Craven’s 1977 film with the same name. A family road trip takes a terrible turn when The Carters find themselves lost among a government atomic zone that is inhabited by a mutant family. The “Hills Have Eyes” features such unknown celebrity names as Ted Levine, Aaron Stanford, Vinessa Shaw, and Emilie De Ravin from “Lost”. If you enjoy a good ‘ol cannibalistic horror movie, perhaps this one is for you!

In Theatres March 17th:

“V for Vendetta” (Warner Brothers Pictures): A futuristic action flick to ignite the big screen. “V for Vendetta” carries corrupt political undertones of a totalitarian society in Britain. Natalie Portman stars alongside Hugo Weaving (known for his roles in “The Matrix” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy) as two people intent on saving the people from oppression. Though the trailer seems boring and unentertaining, perhaps the movie is a keeper.

In Theatres April 7th:

“The Benchwarmers” (Sony Pictures): Another stellar cast comes together for another goofy humorous comedy. Always picked on and always downed, Gus, Richie, and Clark (Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Jon Heder) are going to take a stand for their lost childhood. How? With the help of Mel, (Jon Lovitz) a man who wants to make a baseball team to take on the meanest little league teams in the state. After learning that Mel was once a bully in school, he loses the trust of all his fans and has to go to extreme measures to win back their trust. The trailer looks good humored and likable by movie goers of all ages.

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