Yet another remake has been announced.

I knew that when The Orphanage, the Guillermo del Toro – produced and Juan Antonio Bayona directed horror film was released and gained great reviews from critics worldwide that Hollywood won’t be able to keep its talons off this beautiful film.

New Line / Warner Bros. has announced that it will embark on a remake of The Orphanage. Instead of hiring original director Bayona, the studio has announced that it has signed Mark Pellington to direct the English language remake.

Even though Bayona will not be sitting on the director’s chair for this remake, Guillermo del Toro will still be involved as one of the producers (along with Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson). Del Toro will also co-write (along with Larry Fessenden) the script for the remake. With Del Toro’s close involvement in the remake there is hope that this is not going to suck as much as the other Hollywood remakes that essentially just butcher the source material for the sole purpose of Americanizing it.

Director Pellington’s previous credits include Arlington Road, The Mothman Prophecies and Henry Poole is Here. He also directed the concert movie U23D. So in the directorial front, it looks like there is a bit of promise too. Let’s hope that the Hollywood version of the The Orphanage is a refreshing interpretation of a wonderful Spanish horror movie.

If there’s one thing Hollywood movie junkies love as much as big-budget blockbusters it’s the numbers porn associated with these multi-million dollar earners.

And the numbers are finally out for the highly successful Avatar.

Avatar has continued its phenomenal performance and it’s now being proclaimed as the box-office superstar of the decade, much like how Titanic was in the previous decade. Avatar raked in $350 million in just 17 days and over one billion dollars worldwide. The James Cameron flick also set a New Year’s Day weekend box office records with $68.3 million, a drop of just 10 percent from the figures it posted during Christmas weekend. This makes Avatar the highest third weekend grossing movie ever, surpassing Spider-Man.

Expect next weekend to become another round of record setting as the movie hits the $400 million mark, which will push it past Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen as the highest grossing movie of 2009 and also making it part of the top ten highest grossing movies of all time.

What’s quite impressive about these figures is that Avatar is not even a sequel so there’s no prepackaged audience here. Secondly, most of the money is being made on 3D and IMAX screens, which could herald the start of a shift towards more “high tech” presentations for future Hollywood movies. Third, this is a movie that has been released in the holiday season, not in the summer where movies enjoy more audiences because people are on vacation. Avatar now has to contend with students returning to school and people going back to work after the holidays.

Whatever happens though, Avatar has made a mark financially. Artistically, the verdict’s still up.

He was cute the first time.

Hugh Grant’s stammer had a clumsy kind of charm that worked in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and, to some degree, “Notting Hill.” (We also concede that “About a Boy” was surprisingly entertaining, but it just fell flat at “Music and Lyrics” and “Two Weeks Notice”).

But the lameness factor just hit rock bottom with his latest movie, “Did you Hear about the Morgans?” He teams up with Sarah Jessica Parker, to deliver a totally forgettable romantic comedy that makes you want to say, “No I haven’t heard about the Morgans– and they’re not worth hearing about.”

Hugh once again dons that pained expression, as he plays Paul Morgan, whose marriage to Meryl (Parker) is on the rocks after his recent infidelity. He tries to win her back. She isn’t interested. And actually the whole audience why they’re together at all, because the two have no chemistry on-screen.

Their marriage is saved by, of all things, a murder. They both witness it, and they are sent by the FBI to a rural town that’s worlds away from their Manhattan lifestyle.

Hugh’s saving grace is his ability to give great one-liners, which periodically break the monotony of the movie. Unfortunately the good ones are too few and far between… just like Hugh’s movie career.

No, no, no, no, no.

That’s all we can say about “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.” The first movie was cute, given that it was for kids. And in a way, as annoying as that already was, it had kind of train-wreck charm about it. You had to watch it, and the hollywood numbers did show that it was successful at the box office.

But they should have quit while they were ahead.

The sequel starts after the chipmunks’ manager/guardian, Dave Seville (Jason Lee), gets into some weird accident and ends up in the hospital — where he stays for the whole movie. His assistant Toby (Zachary Levi) takes over. Or tries to. He’s just not ready to handle the rigors of raising Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they go through high school. (Most parents aren’t.)

To complicate things are the all-female singing chipmunk trio, the Chipettes. So it’s the battle of the rock rats — oh, excuse us, rock bands.

So what don’t we like about this movie? Bad acting, lame plot, no lovable character to root for (the Chipmunks have lost their novelty by now). Plus, considering the possibilities of having two chipmunk groups who can dance and sing, the movie fails at delivering catchy songs or interesting choreography. We’ve seen better sequences on Barney videos.

Of course, the kids will want to see this, and parents will dutifully take them. The movie producers are lucky that their prime audience (namely five-year-olds) are ridiculously easy to please. But to the adults who are condemned to take them, we send our condolences. Well, at least it’s fun to Munk Yourself.

Sherlock Holmes and Watson — one of literature’s most well beloved “couples” — are about to break up. Or so the movie begins, with Watson just about to move out of Baker Street and leave the life of crime investigation to settle down with a proper English lady.

Then a case opens, and Holmes tries to woo back his partner. So starts this comedy adventure. It’s your usual winning formula of villain on the quest for world domination + lovable hero + loyal sidekick + romantic sideplots. The movie also tops into the latest trend of witch craft and magic. Hmm. Sherlock meets Lord Voldemort.

The fight scenes are decent, with moments of genius. Watch for the scene at the shipyard. Unfortunately, Director Guy Ritchie tends to overedit some of the best sequences. Even the musical score has some great moments. Nothing to win an Oscar, but quite good for an action movie.

You get the feeling, after watching the movie, that the producers are gearing you up for a sequel. It may actually be a good idea. Robert Downey Jr. does a pretty good job of giving the Sherlock Holmes of classic lit a modern, sorta-sexy/sorta-funny vibe (the way Johnny Depp made being a pirate cool). And considering the Holmes-Watson tradition, there’s a deep well of possible story lines and a deep fan base who’ll follow the pair in whatever crazy adventure they get themselves into. (It may also turn the new generation towards the classics, and help them rediscover Sherlock Holmes and actually read the book!)

Nobody should go into the movie “It’s Complicated” (starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin) with high expectations. It’s a love story, really – the kind you watch when you want something light and easily digested and a little entertaining. It’s the film equivalent of a hotdog on a bun: a nice snack, but can get sloppy in parts.

The movie tackles the love story of a divorced couple who are friendly but get, uhm, a little too close during their child’s college graduation party. After way too many drinks they end up sleeping together (talk about a different kind of family reunion!).

It throws Jane (Meryl Streep) off balance. She’s finally over her ex, who cheated on her and impregnated his mistress (and later married her). Finally, her life’s going great — new business, more confidence, and a “kinda-sorta” dating thing going with her architect, played by Steve Martin.So, now… “it’s complicated.”

Common sense is to stay away from her ex, but no — they keep having sex (and a little marijuana). And so follows a comedy of errors, which will entertain you. What do you expect from a movie with Steve Martin and The Office’s John Krasinski? Just don’t over analyze it, which sadly, Meryl Streep sometimes does. Laugh, and pass the popcorn.

It’s a holiday tradition. Come Christmas time, Hollywood rolls out the feel-good family movie to take advantage of the “mommy crowd” eager to spend big money on a movie date and the corresponding merchandising. This year, it’s Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.

But this is no dainty princess: Tiana has dreams of her own — she’s not waiting for anyone to sweep her off her feet. Girls will like the spunky heroine, and possibly the songs. Because, oh, there are many songs. Disney went overboard with the soundtrack, which kind of slows down the story, though the variety is applaudable. Influences run from gospel to Broadway, though it’s not of the same caliber (in terms of catchiness) as Little Mermaid or Aladdin. The plot pacing is also a bit off: too much happens, too soon. Pity, because the characters are interesting. It’s cool how Disney has modernized the traditional princess, in response to a new generation of young girls who need more than a handsome prince to find a “happily ever after.”

Dr. Facilier is a cool villain and the voodoo world taps from the rich New Orleans culture. We only wish there were more of the Evil Doc. Unlike other Disney bad guys like Jafar or Mufasa, who hold their own against the hero, he doesn’t quite get the adequate air time.

The animation won’t win any awards for special effects: it’s classic 90’s Disney, and marks the studio’s nostalgic return to 2D animation — and the foolproof formula of a lovable heroine + a catchy song.

Tom Ford shifts his focus from creating expensive designer suits to directing films with Single Man.

The story draws inspiration from a short story written by Christopher Isherwood. Set in the 1960s, it centers around George (played by Colin Firth), an English professor still grieving the death of his partner. Though several years have passed, he’s still trapped in the past — or miserably trying to escape it. In his depression, he, uhm, “seeks comfort” from his best friend (played by Julianne Moore). We all know how that goes.

So George decides to kill himself. And that would be a pretty horrible way for a Christmas movie to end (although, interestingly, suicides tend to rise during the winter season — must be the combination of the dreary weather and dysfunctional family reunions). But in the spirit of another holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George has a “moment” that convinces him that yes, life is meaningful.
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Colin Firth was pretty darned good in this movie, and all things considered, Tom Ford did a fantastic job, too. It is his first film, and he took creative risks, including the subtle use of color to express mood or even shift time frames (must be the designer in him). Even the placement of objects is symbolic.

It won’t win any Cannes awards but “Single Man” is a brave directorial debut that tackles a powerful topic of enduring love, triumph over tragedy, and hope. All in all, it’s a thought provoking film, and one that will have you in a suitably reflective mood when you think about the holidays “and what really matters.”

Ryan Reynolds’ star looks like it’s continuing its trajectory towards stardom. The guy has proven to be a great comic actor with the slew of well-received roles that he’s gotten of late. The writers of Wolverine may have ruined the character of Deadpool but Reynolds made the character a near-perfect interpretation of Deadpool’s deadpan, snarky character (until, of course, that atrocious reveal at the end). He has also proved that he can hold his own with superstars as evidenced by his well-loved performance opposite Sandra Bullock in The Proposal. The guy’s already beginning to reap the benefits of his Next Big Thing status by snagging another comic book based movie. He’ll officially be donning the ring of The Green Lantern for the new movie on the popular DC Comics character.

What he haven’t seen from Reynolds much though is a serious role. He’s apparently got that thing covered too with his new movie Buried. The thriller, helmed by Rodrigo Cortes, tells the story of Paul, an American contractor who’s working in Iraq. Paul gets in the middle of an attack by a group of Iraqis and finds himself buried inside a coffin. With just a lighter and a cellphone, he must find a way to escape before his time runs out.

It’s a great premise for a movie although it’s a tired concept. It’s been done in the Quentin Tarantino-directed episode of CSI. And the concept also reminds me of the movie Spoorloos. Will Reynold’s prove to be a versatile actor to tackle such a serious role? We’ll soon find out when the movie is released.

The Bourne series of action movies is noteworthy for being one of the few intelligent products that have come out of Hollywood. It’s a cerebral series of action movies that pay close attention to plot and acting as much as to action setpieces. After a contentious production for Bourne Identity because star Matt Damon and director Doug Liman couldn’t see eye-to-eye, which still resulted in a quality movie, the series really began to hit its stride when Paul Greengrass assumed the director’s chair for Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum.

With plans for a fourth Bourne movie underway, everything was running smoothly, until news came out that Greengrass has reportedly “walked away” from the sequel. This will put the production of the fourth movie in jeopardy because Matt Damon is extremely close to Greengrass and this could make Damon decide to leave the production as well as a show of solidarity with his friend.

The problem seems to have originated from the producers’ decision to hire another writer to work on another script when the first script by George Nolfi (who wrote Bourne Ultimatum) was not universally liked. Greengrass seems to have taken exception for not being consulted in hiring the new new writer.

With the new Bourne movie looking like it’s in limbo, it will be a few more years before we see another intelligent action movie coming out of Hollywood. Believe me, Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables, one of the hotly anticipated action movies in production, won’t win any awards for cinematic intelligence.

The Playlist does add that walking away might be a “typical Paul move” and that he possibly could be back on the project in a few months.