The first trailer for Kick-Ass, based on the hit comic by Wanted writer Mark Millar, tweaks comic book movie conventions right out of the gate. A winged superhero perches atop a building as a narrator (who sounds suspiciously like Spider-Man's Peter Parker) earnestly wonders why no one before him ever put on a costume and fought crime. But then the twist: The costumed man, who is not our hero, lands face first into a parked car. Looks like we're in for a superhero satire along the lines of Mystery Men and Hancock. The trailer then shifts into "Superbad with superpowers," introducing us to the titular teen hero and his band of geeky buds. Splashy graphics reminiscent of Sin City introduce Hit-Girl and Big Daddy, a duo who are like Batman and Robin by way of Kill Bill. (And was that "McLovin" as the Red Mist? Suddenly the Superbad comparison is even more apt.) While light on plot details, this trailer showcases the source material's brutal action and immediately announces that this is definitely not your dad's comic book movie.

The new trailer for Pixar's Toy Story 3 goes right for the heatstrings with a montage of Andy growing older set to a melancholy Randy Newman tune. We know Andy's time with Buzz and Woody is limited by that foolproof movie marker of time -- his mom recording his height on the wall. Then comes the reveal: Andy's going away to college. What will happen to the toys? The trailer perfectly balances the previous movie's mixture of nostalgia and high comedy (one of the toys suggests checking how much they're going for on eBay) in a fast-paced clip that shows how far Pixar has come since 1995. The cartoony, yet still believable day-care kids that manhandle the toys are proof that an animated movie doesn't need photo-realism to wow the eye. Take note, Robert Zemeckis! It's good to see the old gang back together (even Jessie the Cowgirl from the second movie) in a sequel that actually makes sense -- for once. 

Perhaps the funniest part of the utterly insane trailer for Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is the on-screen text that reads, "From director Werner Herzog." And if the idea of the acclaimed director making a sequel to one of the darkest cop movies of all time isn't enough to get you on board, Nicolas Cage's crazy antics just might do the trick. We know Cage's rogue cop is trouble from the very first scene, when he mocks a drowning criminal with partner Val Kilmer (who goes neck-and-neck with Cage in the awkward hairpiece department). This extended trailer suggests the sequel follows a more straight-forward redemption arc than the original (Harvey Keitel never talked about having a life goal), but it doesn't cop-out on the dark stuff either: Cage has no qualms about teaming up with criminals and getting loaded on the job. Plus, you can't beat any movie that includes a conversation between Cage and Kilmer about iguanas, or the soon-to-be-classic line, "Shoot him again. His soul's still dancing."

It's been ages since we've had a good old-fashioned Mel Gibson revenge flick, something which Edge of Darkness thankfully looks to change. Based on a British TV series, the trailer for Edge kicks off in slow-burn, action-thriller fashion, with Mel as an honest Boston detective who loves his only daughter more than anything in the world (and also: Still uses an answering machine.) The flashback of Mel putting shaving cream on his young daughter's face is clearly setting him up for a fall, and we soon discover just that once she's murdered in the present day. What comes next is a series of car chases, window smashings, spy intrigue, and some soon-to-be-classic action movie lines. ("You had better decide whether you're hanging on the cross...or banging in the nails.") Is Mel's daughter a government traitor? Which side is Ray Winstone's tough guy on? And how many skulls will Mel have to crack to find the truth and ensure his big screen comeback?

That's right, those pesky Chipmunks -- Alvin, Simon, and Theodore -- are back for more mischief and ear-shattering renditions of contemporary pop. The Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel trailer kicks off with the Chipmunks, now attending the only high school in America that accepts sweatshirt-wearing rodents, flirting with human teenagers who for some reason cannot resist their charms. (They're so accepted, they've joined the school's basketball and football teams.) But then, as the trailer voice-over ominously announces, there's "one big surprise." Apparently the Chipmunks are entered into some kind of talent show. Who could beat singing chipmunks, Alvin asks? Why (spoiler alert!) three female chipmunks singing and dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies," that's who. An energetic twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan.

The Xmas release Up in the Air finds George Clooney paired with Juno director Ivan Reitman for a dark satire of corporate America. The trailer is light on plot, heavy on atmosphere. Combine that approach with some earnest Clooney narration -- instructing viewers to fit the contents of their lives into a backpack -- and you've end up with the suburban ennui of a Magnolia or an American Beauty in miniature. A series of scenes reveal Clooney as corporate downsizer alone in hotel rooms and offices, before gradually expanding to include his coworkers and loved ones (played by Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, and Zach Galifianakis). Wordless moments (like Simmons showing Clooney a photo of some children or our hero arriving in the snow at the home of girlfriend Vera Farmiga) speak volumes. 

 

The latest trailer for Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox proves that the filmmaker can seamlessly transport his quirky style and humor to animation. In fact, the delightfully simple, yet expressive stop-motion animation looks much like the underwater sequences in Anderson's The Life Aquatic. With George Clooney providing the voice of Mr. Fox, the movie is based on a Roald Dahl story, and the trailer showcases Mr. Fox's plan to escape his mundane foxhole life and do battle with some nasty farmers. Everything from the vibrant colors to the deadpan dialogue to the Britpop soundtrack makes this trailer feel of a piece with the rest of Anderson's distinctive body of work. (The presence of Anderson regulars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman certainly helps.) If you close your eyes and just listen to the trailer, you might mistake it for one of the director's live-action outings.  

 

Did you hear about Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant's upcoming movie? The king and queen of rom-coms are teaming up for Did You Hear About the Morgans?, in which they play a bickering couple whose marriage is on the rocks. And, based on the trailer, their marital woes are just the tip of the iceberg. The trailer ambles along (Grant has a decent joke about naming a black hole after his wife)... until the Morgans stumble upon a murder and are forced to go into witness protection. The trailer then shifts tones, with Parker and Grant ditching their cellphones for the wilds of Wyoming. Pretty soon they're roping cattle with folksy farmhands Mary Steenburgen and Sam Elliott and much fish-out-water hijinks ensue (Hugh Grant meets a bear!) as the Morgans try to rekindle that ol' spark. The trailer works incredibly hard to sell its too-convoluted premise (It's a marital drama! It's a wacky comedy! It's a murder mystery!), squeezing as much Hugh Grant stammering and Sarah Jessica Parker eye-rolling as possible. Their star power will likely help at the box office, though we can't help but wish they had better chemistry in the trailer.

 

Perhaps you've heard that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the latest cinematic brainteaser from director Terry Gilliam, is the final work of the late actor Heath Ledger. Gilliam brought in heavies Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to replace Ledger, adding a meta layer to an already trippy filmgoing experience. So what is Parnassus about? Honestly, based on the trailer, we're not exactly sure. A thousand years ago, Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) made a deal with the devil (Tom Waits!) which leads to all kinds of heavy, overwrought makeup, crazy special effects and a Mini-Me cameo. Ledger (and Depp and Farrell) plays a mysterious stranger in a traveling theater company (we think) who must save a young girl from the clutches of Parnassus and the Devil. At the very least, the trailer lets Gilliam show off his visual prowess in a movie reminiscent of his underrated comedy, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. And, if nothing else, the Ledger factor should draw in the curious... even if they'll leave scratching their heads.

If a problem comes along, Ellen Page -- and the other roller derby gals in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut -- will Whip It! (It's not just a Devo song anymore.) Barrymore plays one of the hilariously-named babes (her moniker is "Smashley Simpson") who teach Page's budding rebel about the wild world of full-contact roller derby. The cast is a who's who of funny ladies, with everyone from Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat to Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig strapping on skates and shoulder pads. The trailer strikes the perfect balance between deadpan comedy (Daniel Stern is particularly amusing as Page's understanding pop) and rah-rah girl power (with a little elbow smashing thrown in for the male crowd). And it's nice to see Juliette Lewis in a watchable movie for a change. 

Also check out trailers for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Jennifer's Body and The Men Who Stare at Goats.