This week's new movie releases - July 31, 2009

This week, we're looking at three wide releases: Judd Apatow's comedy "Funny People" with Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Eric Bana; John Schultz's "Aliens in the Attic" with Ashley Boettcher and Austin Robert Butler; and Marcus Dunstan's horror pic "The Collector":

FUNNY PEOPLE

Synopsis: In the film by Judd Apatow, Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, a standup comedian whose life changes after he has a near-death experience.

First thoughts: So far, I've enjoyed most of Apatow's flicks, and judging by its trailers and TV spots, "Funny People" looks like a heartfelt comedy with tons of refreshing humor and solid performances. I'm glad to see Sandler back in a role that actually doesn't look retarded. This is definitely my first pick for the weekend.

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THE COLLECTOR

Synopsis: Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.

First thoughts: "The Collector" is a product by those who brought you the "Saw" films, so you can pretty much guess into what kind of direction the film will be heading. The trailer didn't really knock me off my seat, but based solely on the synopsis, this one doesn't sound that awful. Let's hope it will be entertaining enough.

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ALIENS IN THE ATTIC

Synopsis: Kids on a family vacation must fight off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-destroying ambitions -- while the youngsters' parents remain clueless about the battle.

First thoughts: Bad CG aliens battling a bunch of kids? I don't know... The trailer for this flick looks incredibly goofy, and to be honest, I really don't know what to think about this one. It's either completely ridiculous, or it will turn out to be amusing enough. I hope for the latter, but something just tells me this is a film I won't necessarily enjoy that much.