First 'Smurfs' teaser trailer debuts

What do you expect from a mix of live-action and CGI? Well, anything better than "Garfield" is probably watchable in one way or another, but still, I just can't get overly excited about these movies.

Another CGI/live-action hybrid is "The Smurfs," which debuts in theaters Aug. 3, 2011. The first teaser trailer showed up at Yahoo!Movies, and you can check it out below. No big expectations though please...

So yeah, this is a quick preview, and we do get a good look at the Smurfs as well. They do look like CG of course, but that's something I may be able to somewhat accept as long as the story rocks.

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Shitty 'Marmaduke' trailer debuts online

Are you ready for the next crappy dog movie? Oh it's coming, folks! Tom Dey's "Marmaduke" hits theaters June 4, 2010, and a new trailer for the family flick has just debuted online. What can I say? Check out the stinking preview after the jump. Beware though: it may cause your eyes and ears to die a little. The film is based on the popular comic strip, and in case I haven't mentioned it already, it looks shitty.

Owen Wilson voices the lead character, a Great Dane who gets in trouble all the time. That's as far as I can get with story. Also on board is George Lopez, who gets to voice yet another stupid animal. The trailer below isn't funny, and I'm already dreading the movie's opening day. Voice cast also includes Emma Stone, Ron Perlman, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Fergie. Yawn... time to wrap this up.

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'Smurfs' casting update: George Lopez joins

Raja Gosnell is currently working on Sony's 3D "Smurfs" flick, which is on scheduled to hit theaters July 29, 2011. Variety now reports Jonathan Winters, George Lopez, Katy Perry and Alan Cumming have boarded the cast for the CG/live-action project.

They are all in talks to voice some characters, with Winters going for Papa Smurf, while Lopez may voice Grouchy Smurf. Cumming will be Gutsy Smurf, and Perry may voice Smurfette. Also starring is Neil Patrick Harris, who will be playing the main live-action character.

'Speedy Gonzales' feature racing to big screen

New Line Cinema is about to develop what I fear will be a massive failure: a Speedy Gonzales movie. Yes, that's right; the studio has indeed decided it would be an awesome idea to create a live-action/CGI film for the fast mouse nobody can stop.

I know this is bad news, but it gets worse: Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen, the folks behind the disastrous misery "Garfield," will write the script. Also, George Lopez will most likely end up voicing the character. He recently voiced a stupid Chihuahua.

Heat Vision, which reported the news, has this quote from producer Ann Lopez: "We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s -- the racist Speedy. Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting..."

Whatever Speedy will end up doing, I don't care. How about you? Anyone interested in seeing this thing?

Four more join Jackie Chan in 'Spy Next Door'

George Lopez, Billy Ray Cyrus, Amber Valletta and Katherine Boecher are the latest to join Jackie Chan in Brian Levant's new comedy "The Spy Next Door."

Chan plays a man who babysits his neighbor’s kids and ends up batting a bunch of secret agents after one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a secret code from the Web.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lopez and Cyrus star as two CIA agents, while Valletta plays the children's mother. Boecher is on board as a Russian operative.

Valletta's credits include "Hitch" and "Transporter 2." She will next star in Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine's "Game." As for Lopez, he most recently did some voice work in Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." Cyrus will next be seen in "Hannah Montana: The Movie."

Chan recently starred in “The Forbidden Kingdom.” He also recently completed filming “The Shinjuku Incident,” an action drama about a Chinese immigrant who travels to Japan to follow his ex-girlfriend.

Review: “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”

Seen on: October 3, 2008

The players: Director: Raja Gosnell, Writers: Analisa Labianco, Jeffrey Bushell, Cast: Drew Barrymore, George Lopez, Andy Garcia, Piper Perabo, Manolo Cardona

Facts of interest: Gosnell also directed the two disastrous "Scooby-Doo" flicks.

The plot: When a rich chihuahua ends up astray in Mexico, the courageous Papi heads out to rescue her from danger and bring her back home safe.

Our thoughts: Aren’t you tired of watching talking animals getting in trouble in every other animated or live-action family film? I would tolerate it if the story changed a little every once in a while, but here lately, I really feel like seeing the same old routine over and over again.

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Four new 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' clips hit

Woof, woof! Are you ready for some Chihuahua action? I certainly am not! Still, Raja Gosnell's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" opens Oct. 3, and Yahoo! has just posted four new clips from the doggy adventure, which stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Piper Perabo. George Lopez, Drew Barrymore, Selma Hayek and Andy Garcia will lend their voices to some of the annoying puppies.

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