Transformers (2007)

The film begins in the Middle East, and we find out quickly that one of our boys has a baby back home. That's never a good sign. Soon the base is attacked by a phantom helicopter that has the markings of an Air Force MH-53 Pave Low that was believed to have been shot down, and in the ensuing firefight the giant robot tries to break into the government's computers. Clearly, the alien threat is looking for something.

Back in suburbia, a teenager named Sam Witwicky is buying his first car to impress a girl way out of his league, and after an amusing scene with Bernie Mac he has in his possession a beat-down yellow Camaro with a hanging bee air freshener that says "Bee-Otch." The car just happens to drive itself and provide background music to impress said girl. You see, this boy had a grandfather who made an amazing discovery years ago, and one of his artifacts has some very important information on it: information that could turn the tide of a very old war between two sets of very large transforming robots.

When Sam is attacked by a menacing cop car by the name of Barricade and is saved by Bumblebee in his true form, he finds out that he's firmly in the middle of a brutal conflict that could destroy the planet. Bumblebee calls in the reinforcements, and we're introduced to the rest of the Autobots, including a gorgeously animated Optimus Prime who is again played by the incomparable Peter Cullen. If you have fond memories of the character, they won't be ruined here.

Walter Becker (NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VAN WILDER) directs this tale of four friends who hit the open road. Woody (John Travolta), Doug (Tim Allen), Bobby (Martin Lawrence), and Dudley (William H. Macy) are middle-aged suburbanite buddies stuck in a rut. Doug, a dentist, yearns for respect from his pre-teen son and everyone else in his life. Bobby is a henpecked husband and unhappy plumber. Computer programmer Dudley is a flop with the ladies. And Woody, who seemed to have it all, has just lost everything. Each weekend the foursome takes to the streets of Cincinnati on their motorcycles as the "Wild Hogs." With his world secretly falling apart, Woody hits on an idea: a "Wild Hogs" road trip to the Pacific Coast. Soon, the four are embarking on the adventure of their lives. But when they stumble upon a roadside dive in New Mexico filled with "real" bikers and raise the ire of Jack (Ray Liotta), who is the leader of the Del Fuegos, the Wild Hogs discover that they are in for a greater adventure than they expected, including a showdown in the sleepy New Mexico town of Madrid. Travolta, Allen, Lawrence, and Macy have fun here, from the verbal barbs to the physical comedy, and Liotta works surprisingly well as a "real" biker who is disgusted and insulted by these weekenders. The perpetually effervescent Marisa Tomei appears as a Madrid local who catches Dudley’s eye, and John C. McGinley is an overly enthusiastic highway patrolman repeatedly encountered by the foursome. Watch for an all too brief appearance from EASY RIDER star Peter Fonda, and an amusing segment from Ty Pennington of EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER. Despite the star power in this film, which was shot on location in New Mexico, it’s the custom bikes and open road that really shine.

Eragon (2006)

When 15-year-old Eragon (Edward Speleers) stumbles upon a dragon's egg -- and then that egg hatches -- he sets in motion a series of events that leads him to assume the legacy of a legendary race of dragon riders. Jeremy Irons plays the wise storyteller Brom, and John Malkovich plays the evil king Galbatorix in this fantasy adventure based on the first book of Christopher Paolini's popular Inheritance trilogy.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Will Smith (in an Oscar-nominated role) and his real-life son Jaden star in this tearjerker about a struggling single parent determined to build a better life for himself and his child. Chris Gardner is smart and talented, but his dead-end salesman job barely pays the bills. When he and his 5-year-old son are evicted from their apartment, they face trying times as Chris takes on an unpaid internship at a stock brokerage firm with hopes of getting rich someday.