As one of the last great film series yet to be released on Blu-ray, Paramount’s five-disc box set finally puts an end to the wait with an awesome collection that features digitally remastered versions of the first three movies, as well as a copy of the red-headed stepchild of the franchise, “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which will at least be welcomed by completionists and George Lucas apologists alike. Enough has been written about the Indiana Jones films over the years that it would be silly to gush about them all over again – and if you’ve seen them yourself, then you already know how great they are – but there is something that warrants mentioning, and that’s just how incredible these movies look in high definition. “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which received a frame-by-frame restoration in addition to the color-correcting process performed on “The Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade,” looks especially brilliant, with its 20-plus years miraculously erased to the point that it’s almost like a brand new film. Though it would have been nice if fans were given the option between the original trilogy and a set collecting all four movies (that’s how bad “Crystal Skull” is compared to the others), it’s hard to complain too much when the studio has done such an amazing job giving the series the tender loving care that it so richly deserves.

Blu-ray Highlight: A lot of good bonus material has been brought over from previous releases, but the all-new making-of featurette “On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark” is the undisputed gem of the set. Compiled from vintage footage of the production, the featurette offers an intimate look at filming certain scenes and the decision-making process behind those sequences. That footage is also supplemented by outtakes, deleted scenes and alternate takes, giving audiences a peek at what could have been.

Leave it to Joss Whedon to take the horror genre and turn it on its head. The guy has been defying convention for years – from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog” – and if there was any genre in need of a shake-up, it’s horror. Directed by Drew Goddard and co-written with Whedon, “The Cabin in the Woods” is an entertaining and remarkably original genre hybrid film that, although it may appear to be a typical slasher flick at first sight, has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. Fueled by a great script inspired by horror classics like “Evil Dead” and boasting a wicked sense of humor, the movie is a fun twist on a tired formula. The cast of victims is also much better than your average slasher film, although it’s Richard Jenkins and Bradley Cooper as the pair of mission control guys pulling the strings that really steals the show. It does go a bit off the rails in the final act (though anyone familiar with Whedon’s work won’t be too surprised), but for a movie this ambitious, sometimes it takes that kind of risk to yield such a refreshing reward.

Blu-ray Highlight: In addition to a really fun and informative audio commentary by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, there’s an excellent making-of featurette called “We Are Not Who We Are” that includes a look at shooting the climactic elevator sequence and a hilarious tour of the control room with actors Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.

I don’t think that anyone expected a small British drama like “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” to become one of the year’s biggest success stories, but people clearly undervalue the power of older moviegoers, because they helped turn the modest indie (which only cost $10 million) into a box office smash netting more than $130 million worldwide. And when you think about it, it’s not that surprising. There aren’t many films made for adults these days, let alone one that features some of the best British talent in the business, so when a good movie does come along, audiences are going to flock to theaters to see it. There’s also not a single weak link in the all-star cast (including youngster Dev Patel), and though the film could have easily come across as being too schmaltzy in the hands of another director, John Madden strikes the right balance between comedy and sentimentality. Of course, when you’re dealing with actors as great as this, it makes your job a whole lot easier.

Blu-ray Highlight: Though I’m not entirely surprised that the Blu-ray doesn’t contain a single decent special feature, it still feels like a missed opportunity on the part of Fox.

It may not be an official Broken Lizard movie in theory, but that won’t stop some people from comparing “The Babymakers” to the comedy troupe’s other films, mainly because it was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and features him and fellow member Kevin Heffernan in supporting roles. But while it definitely shares their brand of goofball humor, the movie feels like a cheap imitation without the other Lizards in tow. Fortunately, it still has its share of funny moments thanks to Paul Schneider, who delivers a wonderfully dry performance in the lead role. Much like fellow “Parks and Rec” alumnus Adam Scott, Schneider has been on the verge of a big breakout for years, and “The Babymakers” proves that he’s a more than capable comic lead. Olivia Munn is better than usual, but not as great as she is on HBO’s “The Newsroom,” while the rest of the cast fails to do much with a script that goes for the easy joke far too often. And that’s a shame, because with a sharper script and better execution, “The Babymakers” could have been the perfect Broken Lizard vehicle.

Blu-ray Highlight: Millennium Entertainment may have had good intentions when compiling the bonus material for the film’s Blu-ray release, but the included extras are so awful and amateurish that the studio would have been better off not bothering at all.

If Lionsgate’s new horror film “The Cabin in the Woods” had been released back in 2010 like originally planned, there’s a good chance that audiences wouldn’t have recognized any of the young faces in the cast. Chris Hemsworth’s biggest claim to fame up to that point was a cameo role as James T. Kirk’s dad in “Star Trek”; Jesse Williams had just started his recurring stint on the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy”; Fran Kranz was working on the short-lived Joss Whedon series “Dollhouse”; and Kristen Connolly and Anna Hutchison didn’t even have a noteworthy acting credit to their names.

Though most of the actors have still yet to truly break out (save for Hemsworth, of course), “The Cabin in the Woods” is definitely the kind of movie that could put them on the map, especially with so much positive buzz leading up to its release. I was fortunate enough to see the film at South by Southwest last month and joined a group of journalists in speaking with several cast members – including Connolly, Williams, Hutchison and veteran scene stealers Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins – about their experiences making the movie. Below are some highlights from the roundtable discussions, although because of the secretive nature of the film’s story, consider this your official warning that the following may contain potential spoilers.

And when you’re done, be sure to check out my interview with co-writer Joss Whedon and writer/director Drew Goddard for more on “The Cabin in the Woods.”

Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison and Jesse Williams on their initial reactions to the script.

JW: Our audition sides were totally fake. I think Joss just wrote them to fuck with us. And because they’re such good writers, they could just make stuff up in two seconds and have us jump around like animals to get the part. I didn’t read the script until after I agreed to do the movie, I don’t think.

KC: I had an inkling of what they were up to because I read one of the later scenes in the movie with Fran [Kranz]… to see if we were compatible. So then I finally got to read the script and I knew it was really special right away. It’s just mind-blowing, and it’s amazing, and it’s awesome and rare to read something that makes you want to keep reading, and that you really don’t know where it’s going to go.

AH: You kind of have a bit of blind faith if it’s a project with Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, because their previous things have been so rad, you’re kind of like, “I think this might be awesome.” And you guys didn’t have much of an idea going into the film, right? But you kind of knew that it might be good, and it is. I think that’s why I was just like, “Heck yeah, get me on this bad boy,” without even reading it.

Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins on the film’s script.

BW: I’ve said this a bunch, but what’s miraculous about this is you have two guys who obviously are great imaginative storytellers, and they look at each other and they go, “What would we write if we could write anything?” And the fact that that actually got done and that that movie got made is just a fucking miracle. (Laughs)

RJ: I almost think it was a bet that they made. They wrote this unbelievably complicated story and then [Joss] turned to Drew and they flipped a coin and said, “Okay, you direct it. See if you can possibly direct something.” And you know, as good as the script is, the movie’s better, which was amazing to see.

BW: It is amazing that he’s a first-time director, because when you’re reading the script, when the elevator doors open and there’s a lot of stuff that comes out of there… How do you make that work? Modulating that kind of ridiculous horror and remaining human is really difficult. Most directors will fuck that up for you. It was a shock seeing it. Realizing that the original impulse was achieved with that kind of clarity was amazing to me.

Jesse Williams on avoiding the usual trappings of a horror spoof.

It didn’t really cross my mind, to be honest, about the performances coming off spoofy, and I didn’t really see any similarities. In the process of rehearsing and developing it, and spending time with each other, it was able to really feel organic. I think it was important that we didn’t spend time with Richard or Bradley, or we didn’t go to the control room… We’re responding to the moment when the air gets blown out of the vent; we’re not responding to knowing that there’s some all-seeing eye, so we really tried to play it as organically as possible. So therefore there was nothing to spoof. What was interesting was watching each other change. I’m changing (not by my own devices), but I’m watching these guys change, so do I know to what degree they’re changing? Because I’m also being changed.

Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins on creating back stories for their characters.

RJ: No, we don’t do that. That’s not the way we work really. All the clues for these guys were in the script.

BW: If you’re pretending to work in the White House, your job is not to know how to work in the White House. Your job is to make scenes work. It’s always an acting issue more than a research issue.

RJ: And I do think that the first three or four pages of this script with us tells you all you need to know about these two guys. They’re relationship, that they’ve been doing this a long time, that they’re friends… All that stuff in those scenes is information that the audience needs to know about these guys, and the way [Joss and Drew] did it is brilliant. I mean, that’s great screenwriting.

Bradley Whitford on his great chemistry with Richard Jenkins.

Again, I feel like chemistry is a scene that works. That’s what chemistry is. We had a lot of fun. And that’s another indication of… when you see what I think is really good, truthful acting across the board, it’s because the director created a really good creative atmosphere, and that does not always happen.

Kristen Connolly and Jesse Williams on getting scared while shooting the film.

KC: When they blew that cellar door, they blew it early. When we rehearsed it, there was sort of a pause between when I finished speaking and when the door went, and they blew it early when we actually did it, because they were like, “We just wanted to see your reaction.”

JW: The cellar was always dark and creepy, and there’s so many options, and your mind also races with how many movies we could make. That is just a real testament to [Joss and Drew’s] creativity and they could write all those movies in a day. I think they wrote this movie in three days; it’s offensively talented.

Anna Hutchison and Jesse Williams on which scenario they would be most afraid of.

AH: I think the ghost could be freaky, because it can move… you don’t know where it’s coming from and what it’s going to do. But with that little ballerina girl, I would just smash her. (Laughs) She’s little and I would take her. There’s just so much freaky stuff happening. What is going on in Joss and Drew’s mind?

JW: I don’t know if we ever saw it come to fruition, but in the cellar, in the back corner – this cellar was really populated with great stuff, and I don’t think in the final cut you saw half the stuff – but one of them was this whole medical office, with all these old wheelchairs, and rusty medical equipment, and hooks, and spreaders, and stirrups and craziness, and I was just like, “Holy shit, I don’t want to be in that film.” (Laughs)

Bradley Whitford on the amount of gore in the film.

I struggle with it. I have kids. My son, who’s 12, really wants to see this. Probably not a great idea. I have a 14-year-old daughter, and there’s creepy teenage sexualization going on in the movie. You worry that it’s just gonna be exploited. I remember when I saw a great movie, “Pulp Fiction”… I came out and there were reporters out there – and I grew up Quaker – and they said, “What’d you think of the movie?” And I said, “I thought it was great, but I wanna take Quentin Tarantino and slam his pinky in a car door just so he knows it’s not funny.” I have really mixed feelings… but I don’t think it’s exploited in this. And I’m totally fine with violence with consequences, and I’m totally fine with what I think is a very interesting look at why people… we’re posing a question of, “Why do we have to watch this?,” which I think the movie achieves.

Jesse Williams on whether “The Cabin in the Woods” is the kind of movie that he would want to see.

Absolutely. It’s kind of the reason I go to the movies. We all know we don’t go to the theater for everything, right? Some things, you’re like, “Oh, I’ll see it on DVD. I’ll wait ‘til it comes out on cable. I’ll watch it on a plane, if at all.” A lot of my great memories are going to the theater for horror. The funnest part of showbiz for me as a consumer growing up was the thrill ride: screaming, being frightened, experiencing it with an audience, other people get frightened, they get the joke… It’s really a collaborative community experience.

Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison and Jesse Williams on the chance of becoming a member of Joss Whedon’s stable of go-to actors.

AH: I just feel lucky enough to be part of one. And I know there’s so many actors out there who would give all of themselves just to feature in an ad that he directed or something.

JW: Yeah, it would be great. We’re in one, so if he wants us, he knows how to find us. And on top of that, his loyalty to his cast, but also the fans’ loyalty to the cast of the Whedonesque shows in the past is really something cool. I think we’re in for a ride that we kind of can’t predict.

KC: And it speaks to how much Joss’ work has touched people and how much it means to his fans that they are so loyal, and they are so supportive of him and all of the people that he works with, so it’s pretty awesome.

Joss Whedon is a bit of a geek god in some circles, having created cult shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Firefly” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long-Blog,” but that’s all about to change with the upcoming release of “The Avengers.” Before Whedon assembles the Marvel superhero group on the big screen, however, the writer/director is reteaming with longtime friend Drew Goddard (a writer on some of Whedon’s TV series, as well as others like “Alias” and “Lost”) on the genre-bending horror movie “The Cabin in the Woods.”

Co-written by the duo, the film also marks the directorial debut of Goddard, who’s had to sit idly by and watch the movie endure a number of setbacks on its way to theaters. Originally completed back in 2009 before being indefinitely shelved due to MGM’s ongoing financial problems, the film eventually found a home at genre-friendly studio Lionsgate and will be released April 13th. “The Cabin in the Woods” had its world premiere last month at the South by Southwest Film Festival, and to say that it was well-received would be a serious understatement. I had the chance to speak with Joss and Drew (as well as some of the cast) with a roomful of other journalists two days after the premiere. Here are some highlights from the roundtable chat, although because of the secretive nature of the film’s story, beware that spoilers may follow.

Joss Whedon on whether making a horror movie was the next natural step for a filmmaker with a habit of killing off his characters.

We like killing characters, but I think we’re ready to step it up and kill actual people. (Laughs) I do not look forward to killing people. I love the people. The point of this movie, I think to a large extent… was definitely about the idea that people are not expendable, and that as a culture and for our own entertainment we assume that they are. Although I absolutely love horror movies and always have, I love the most when I really, really care about the people in dire trouble.

With the exception of “Alien,” I think… It’s not that I don’t care about them; it’s that I was very frightened by that movie because they didn’t care about each other. I didn’t think they were going to band together and fight back. I thought, “These guys would sell each other down the river in a heartbeat.”

Joss Whedon on the inspiration for the story.

The story itself really just sort of popped out. And then because it’s so clearly the kind of thing that we love – which is true horror with a cold eye toward “What is that about?” at the same time as we’re in the thick of it – and then once the idea just sort of came, it was years before we actually sat down and did it. But that was what made it so easy to do when we finally did, because we bandied back and forth… This is an entire movie of “I wish we could.” It’s too raging ids just enjoying themselves for 90 minutes.

Drew Goddard on introducing the Hadley and Sitterson characters (played by Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins, respectively) so early in the film.

This was Joss’ original idea, and it was in that first conversation [that he] said, “This is how we’re going to start the movie, and we’re going to start the movie in the exact opposite way that all other horror movies start.” And as soon as he said that I just got it. Okay, I get the tone, I get what this movie is. We sort of say what this movie is in the first five minutes so people can get a sense that this isn’t going to be your average movie.

Joss Whedon on the importance of giving the female characters a sense of empowerment.

That’s really [Drew’s] thing. (Laughs) You know, it was important for the characters to have integrity and to pretty much leave it at that. This isn’t a movie about gender. It is not a text about that. It is just making sure that everybody is a human being with integrity across the board.

Drew Goddard on the attention of detail paid to the movement of the film’s monsters.

The amount of time I spent working on the head cock… you just totally made my day that you noticed that. We actually had meetings, where the meeting is “zombie movement meeting,” and when that’s your job and you see that on the schedule, you really have a pretty good life.

Joss Whedon on applying the sensibilities of his distinct dialogue to different genres.

I talk, other people like to talk as I talk… talking is normal. (Laughs) It’s a blessing and a curse to have your style recognized. Part of the great thing about running a TV show is that you get a bunch of people together who both influence and can echo it. Drew and I, when we write, we speak each other’s language… there’s no, “Oh, that’s clearly Drew.” There are a couple things that I recognize is clearly coming from one or the other, but it’s the same voice. Ultimately, I don’t want people to hear my voice. I don’t like people to think about what we wrote. You don’t want the distance that that brings.

Drew Goddard on the film finally being released after the long delay.

Whenever there’s a shift in management, especially on a film like this, you worry that they may not see what you’re trying to do, and they may make us change something. And to Lionsgate’s credit, they saw it and they said, “No, don’t change a thing.”

It felt like everything happens for a reason, and everything has worked out for the best here. We have a studio that loves this movie and is behind us 100 percent. Our actors are turning out to be huge superstars, which they were not when we cast them. (Laughs) We keep saying, “Be careful what you worry about.” This is actually the best possible thing that could have happened to us, so we’re just happy to be here.

Joss Whedon on whether the movie will challenge other horror filmmakers to think outside the box in the future.

We just wanted to make a horror movie that people would really enjoy. I don’t see this like a watershed movie. I just see it as if people have a good time, it’s not going to make them go, “Well, now I think differently about loving horror, but I still love it.” Other filmmakers are going to do something that we could never have thought of and didn’t expect, and that’s what I’m waiting for. It’s not an answer to this; it’s a new question.

With the summer movie season just around the corner, Hollywood is gearing up for what promises to be its most exciting slate of films in a long time by heading into the blockbuster-filled madness of May on a high note. This month has something for just about everyone, including several promising comedies, an innovative horror film with “Scream”-sized potential, and a new movie from action guru Luc Besson. It may not compare to what this summer has to offer, but it’s better than the doldrums of winter.

Who: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy
What: The gang is reunited in East Great Falls, Michigan for their high school reunion.
When: April 6th
Why: I’ve been a fan of the “American Pie” series (not including those terrible direct-to-DVD spinoffs, of course) since the original film was released back in 1999. It’s a purely generational thing; when the characters are having the same major life experiences as most people your age, it makes them easy to relate to. The movies also happen to be pretty entertaining in a guilty pleasure kind of way, and it’ll be great to see the whole cast reunited for the first time since they all went their separate ways to become big movie stars. Though that didn’t exactly work out for any of them (Alyson Hannigan and Seann William Scott are arguably the most successful of the bunch), as long as their chemistry is still intact, “American Reunion” should be a fun trip down memory lane.

Who: Chuck Rozanski, Holly Conrad, Eric Henson, Anthony Calderon and Skip Harvey
What: A behind-the-scenes look at the fans who gather by the thousands each year in San Diego, California to attend Comic-Con.
When: April 6th
Why: It’s actually quite surprising that no one has thought to make a documentary about Comic-Con until now, because although it’s not really a hard-hitting subject matter, it already has a built-in audience that continues to grow every year. Morgan Spurlock isn’t the first person you’d think of to direct a documentary about the popular geek Mecca, but he’s wisely chosen to stay out of the spotlight this time around, instead opting to focus on the lives of five attendees (including a toy collector, an aspiring artist and a costume designer) who have traveled to the annual convention for various reasons. And with guys like Stan Lee, Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith all involved in some form, Spurlock’s latest doc has the makings to be the perfect love letter to comic book geeks everywhere.

Who: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford
What: Five friends head to a remote cabin in the woods for the weekend where they get more than they bargained for.
When: April 13th
Why: I’ve had the good fortune to see Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” twice now, and it’s every bit as original and entertaining as you’d expect for a movie co-written by Joss Whedon. This is one of those films that you need to go into knowing as little as possible, so while the trailer has been provided below, I’d recommend that you don’t watch it in order to avoid spoiling anything. It may look like just your average slasher flick on paper, but the movie has a few tricks up its sleeves. Fueled by a great script that not only defies most horror conventions, but does so with tongue firmly planted in cheek, “The Cabin in the Woods” is either going to be the movie that everyone can’t stop talking about, or that no one goes to see. Do your part and make sure it’s the former.

Who: Chris Diamantopoulos, Will Sasso, Sean Hayes and Jane Lynch
What: While trying to save their childhood orphanage, Moe, Larry and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality TV show.
When: April 13th
Why: I’ve never really understood the appeal of “The Three Stooges,” so I’m not too surprised that the Farrelly brothers’ big screen adaptation looks as terrible as it does. Despite my personal feelings on the Stooges, however, it’s strange to see their fans showing so much animosity towards the film, because it looks like the Farrellys have absolutely nailed the slapstick brand of comedy that the bumbling trio is known for. Though the movie has been in development for years (with Sean Penn, Jim Carrey and Benicio del Toro all involved in the project at some point), it no longer has the star-studded cast it once did, although that may be for the best. Then again, the Farrellys haven’t made a good movie in almost 15 years, so there’s definitely cause for concern.

Who: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Joseph Gilgun, Peter Stormare and Lennie James
What: A wrongly convicted man is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president’s daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates.
When: April 13th
Why: When the first trailer for “Lockout” was released, there were some people who jokingly referred to it as “‘Taken’ in space,” and to be honest, they weren’t too far off. Writer/producer Luc Besson (who also co-wrote the Liam Neeson action thriller) has essentially been making the same movie for the last 20 years, and although most of his Euro-trash action films haven’t been as successful as “Taken,” they’re always a lot of fun to watch. Plus, this marks the first time that Besson has dabbled in sci-fi since “The Fifth Element,” and we all know how that turned out. Maggie Grace must be thrilled that she has more to do this time around, but it’s the pitch-perfect casting of Guy Pearce that could prove to be the real coup behind turning “Lockout” into this month’s breakout hit.

Who: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie and Rhys Ifans
What: A comedy that charts the ups and downs of an engaged couple’s relationship.
When: April 27th
Why: There are a number of great comedy writing teams in Hollywood, but perhaps one of the most underrated is Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, who already have a pair of terrific films to their names in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “The Muppets.” Those are both difficult movies to outshine, but Stoller’s third trip behind the camera (having previously directed “Sarah Marshall” and its quasi-sequel “Get Him to the Greek”) promises to be his funniest yet. Not only is it an interesting twist on the rom-com genre, but it’s loaded with tons of comedic talent, including Segel and fellow TV stars Chris Pratt and Alison Brie. Nevertheless, it’s the involvement of Emily Blunt that has me most excited, because the actress doesn’t get nearly enough opportunities to show off her comedic chops. And believe it or not, she might just be the funniest one of the bunch.

Who: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve and Brendan Gleeson
What: When a madman begins committing murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s stories, a young detective joins forces with Poe to stop any more from coming true.
When: April 27th
Why: In what can only be described as a half-hearted attempt at cashing in on the success of the “Sherlock Holmes” films, James McTeigue’s “The Raven” re-imagines American poet Edgar Allen Poe as a sort of makeshift action hero who solves crimes. It’s the latest in a line of projects driven by Hollywood’s new fascination with revisionist history, but is Poe really that popular of a literary figure that people will care? Don’t get me wrong: the idea of someone performing copycat murders based on an author’s work of fiction has potential (even if it’s been done before, most recently in the pilot for the TV drama “Castle”), but there’s nothing in the trailer that suggests the film will be anything other than a generic whodunit. John Cusack deserves much better than this.

Who: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Brendan Gleeson and Imelda Staunton
What: Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the Year award.
When: April 27th
Why: Considering how long it takes to make a stop-motion animated film, “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” likely went into production way back when pirate movies were still in the midst of a mini-renaissance. Of course, now that the subgenre has been exhausted by the very same franchise that brought it back to life (please stand up, “Pirates of the Caribbean”), it’s hard to tell whether moviegoers will be in the mood for another pirate adventure so soon. But if there’s anyone that can make it worthwhile, it’s the guys at Aardman Animation, best known for their witty and charming “Wallace & Gromit” shorts. And between its excellent voice cast (led by an unrecognizable Hugh Grant) and the involvement of Aardman co-founder Peter Lord, the movie couldn’t be in better hands.

Who: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Chris Sarandon, Anson Mount and James Hong
What: A former cop must protect a Chinese girl who’s been entrusted with the combination to a safe that every criminal organization in town is after.
When: April 27th
Why: The fact that Lionsgate has already pushed back the movie’s release date several times doesn’t exactly exude confidence on the part of the studio, but I’m still cautiously optimistic about director Boaz Yakin’s first foray into the action genre. Although “Safe” looks eerily similar to just about every film to come out of the Jason Statham Factory of Ass-Kicking since the original “Transporter,” at least his movies are rarely dull, and that has a lot to do with Statham’s seemingly endless supply of charisma. He’s probably the most entertaining action star working today, even though he’s a good enough actor that he doesn’t need to rely on his fists so much. But regardless of how bad the movie may actually be, I’d gladly watch Statham kick ass and take names any day of the week.

“The Cabin in the Woods”

Leave it to Joss Whedon to take the horror genre and turn it on its head. Though it appears to be nothing more than a typical slasher flick at first sight, “The Cabin in the Woods” (which was directed by Drew Goddard and co-written with Whedon) is an entertaining and completely original genre hybrid film that has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. The setup is simple: five friends head to a cabin located in the middle of nowhere for a weekend of fun, only to find themselves fighting for their lives when they accidentally resurrect a family of killer rednecks from the dead. Of course, there’s much more to the story than that, as the audience learns very early on that there’s a third party behind all the death and destruction. It’s an excellent twist on a tired genre, with Whedon and Goddard’s script not only defying convention on several occasions, but also lightening the mood with deft strokes of humor. Though the film features Chris Hemsworth in a role that precedes his “Thor” days, the real stars are Fran Kranz (from Whedon’s short-lived “Dollhouse”) as the pot-smoking comic relief, and Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as the men orchestrating all the mayhem. It goes a bit off the rails in the final act, but for a movie this ambitious, sometimes it takes that kind of risk to yield such a refreshing reward.

“The Babymakers”

It may not be an official Broken Lizard movie in theory, but that’s not going to stop some people from comparing “The Babymakers” to the group’s other films, mainly because it was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and features him and fellow member Kevin Heffernan in supporting roles. But while it definitely shares the group’s brand of goofball humor, “The Babymakers” feels like a cheap imitation without the other Lizards. Fortunately, it still has its share of funny moments thanks to Paul Schneider, who delivers a wonderfully dry performance as a man so desperate to impregnate his wife (Olivia Munn) that he plots to steal the last vial of sperm he donated years before after learning that his current count is too low for conception. Much like fellow “Parks and Rec” alumnus Adam Scott, Schneider has been on the verge of a big breakout for years, and “The Babymakers” proves that he’s a more than capable comedic lead. Munn is better than usual, but she’s definitely not leading lady material, while the rest of the cast fails to do much with a script that goes for the easy joke far too often. And that’s a shame, because with a sharper script and better execution, “The Babymakers” could have been the perfect Broken Lizard vehicle.