Did you not already get your fill of the Jack and the Beanstalk myth from this year’s Puss in Boots? Good, because Bryan Singer has his own (live-action) take on the tale, and the results look to be similarly cartoonish. Listen, you try to make magic beans look menacing while also crafting a giant goddamn beanstalk that pops up out of the ground without it looking totally bizarre and silly, okay? Oh, you did already? Oh. Oh, that looks nice! While there was a fair bit of buzz around Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer before the film blossomed into existence (see what I did there?) mainly regarding Singer talking about the project for over two years, casting rumors as to who would be starring as the titular Jack (Aaron Johnson and Andrew Garfield were both talked about before the role went to another superhero kiddo, X-Men: First Class‘s Nicholas Hoult), and a delay that pushed the film back almost a year, news on the project has been surprisingly scarce since it started filming earlier this year. So what’s the finished result of the classic tale reimagined going to look like? Well, if you believe this trailer, a bit like a cross between Puss and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Check out the first trailer for Jack the Giant Killer, complete with its own big-eyed orange kitty (seriously), after the break.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Source Code…and, for that matter, Avatar. Recently in Hollywood, the physiological capabilities of our heroic protagonists have owed a great deal to modern medicine and technology, specifically from the military. Whether it be the unique opportunity provided for the paraplegic Jake Sully in Avatar, the incredible and unwanted responsibility of the nearly-dead Colter Stevens in Source Code, or the intravenous hyper-bulking of Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, Hollywood has given us a spate of unlikely protagonists connected specifically by the fact that their initial disabilities provide for them a unique opportunity to become exceptionally enabled.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr goes retro this week and injects himself with strange chemicals in an attempt to become a World War II era super soldier. Hop over to the Fat Guys at the Movies page to see if his physique has reached the pinnacle of that of Chris Evans from Captain America. After recovering from the procedure, Kevin randomly wandering the streets, looking for hot ladies like Mila Kunis who just want to have sex but with no emotional baggage of a relationship. Sadly, this will probably end up as empty and worthless as his similar attempt last January when No Strings Attached came out.

The films of Marvel Studios have come full circle, and not a moment too soon. What began with a flurry of excitement over Iron Man, their opening salvo into the world of being an independent studio, has lately been listless in its Avenger-assembling agenda. In their last two outings — Iron Man 2 and Thor — they’ve spent more time focused on the future of the heroes than the heroes themselves. With Captain America: The First Avenger, they take full advantage of the ability to leave all the distractions out of it, allowing them to deliver their most confidently crafted, complete film yet. Sure, the story of Captain America feels bookended by his role in Marvel’s forthcoming team-up movie, and from what we’ve been told, The Avengers is your reason for sticking around after the credits. But in between all that, director Joe Johnston has set out to tell the simple story of a hero named Steve Rogers. The year is 1942, and after five unsuccessful attempts to join the fight against Adolf Hitler, a scrawny Rogers isn’t ready to give up. Luckily his heart and determination catches the eye of a government scientist whose work includes making a Super Soldier serum that will turn an ordinary man into a super-human fighting machine. Desperate to get in on the action, the young patriot from Brooklyn signs on the dotted line. A few doses of steroids later and this scrawny little dude, created with brilliant CG-enhanced, Benjamin Button style effect that [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Please don’t actually hold your lighter up to the screen to try this at home. Seriously. Put it down. This new motion poster for The Hunger Games features the main icon of the series – the Mockinjay Pin – which explodes in flames, but there’s no need to describe it here since it’s probably roasting below right now. Plus, if a picture is worth 1,000 words, this is technically worth 34,000,000. And, honestly, would you put that lighter away?

Director Joe Johnston loves good old fashioned fun. The Rocketeer, Hidalgo, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Captain America: The First Avenger don’t contain a dark or cynical bone in their bodies. While some superhero films try to go to darker places nowadays — usually by just having their hero mope around — Johnston has no interest in a sulky hero. Captain America is all about adventure, charms, and simply being a kid from Brooklyn. While many people question if Cap can reach an audience outside of the States, Johnston thinks differently. The Boba Fett and Iron Giant creator didn’t want to make a commercial about America’s awesomeness; he wanted to explore themes that nearly everyone can relate to. Like his previous films, the idea of finding one’s identity and coming of age is present in Captain America: The First Avenger. Despite being a super solider who looks the way that he does, Captain America is like any other kid trying to become the man he’s meant to be. Here’s what Joe Johnston had to say about Raiders of the Lost Ark, fully embracing the color palette of comics, the ego of Red Skull, staying sincere without being cheesy, and why he’s a true film school reject:

According to the 114th press release about Hunger Games casting we’ve received, Stanley Tucci will be suiting up to play. He joins the other well-known cast members in what will surely be a battle to the death of not-yet-known up-and-comers by playing Caesar Flickerman. Does anyone else think the names of the novels were created by a random name generating website? According to the release, Flickerman is the host of the Hunger Games and has the uncanny ability to find the humor even in the darkest of scenarios. Plus, he wears a signature suit covered in light bulbs to accent his blue hair and generally weird appearance. This is awesome. Stanley Tucci is going to dress up like Matthew Lesko and interview children who are about to die. Sold.

Burlesque tells the unique, riveting tale of a small-town girl with big dreams, who hops off a bus in Hollywood and ascends to stardom. Centered on a burlesque themed nightclub, in which our protagonist finds a mentor and faces off with a rival as she claws her way to the top, the movie breaks bold new cinematic ground and will surely live on in the hearts and minds of all those who see it.

As the only literate Reject, it’s my duty to find the latest, the greatest and the untouched classics that would make great source material for film adaptations. I read so you don’t have to. This week, Print to Projector presents the story of a young man joining an ad agency in the early 1960s, but instead of drinking scotch, chain smoking, and wearing nice suits all day, he stumbles upon the Milgram Experiment, a mysterious suicide of a close friend and is haunted by his true murderous nature.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr is stuck in an elevator reviewing movies, but he realizes that being in there with the Devil isn’t nearly as bad when you’re also stuck in there with faux-slut Emma Stone. To pass the time, he robs a few banks in The Town of Boston with Ben Affleck and embroiders a scarlet Easy A on his chest. Sigh… if only he had worn a shirt when he did that…

Emma Stone is up to her elbows in boys that want to pretend to sleep with her. In the movie Easy A she plays Olive, the smart girl that’s generally ignored by her class who gets a taste of popularity by way of infamy and continues to trash her own reputation in order to have one. She pretends to have sex with a gay classmate in order to boost his social status, and what results is a trip into a world of perception, heartache, trying to get with the school mascot, and a big red A on her chest.

Some are already looking at the new trailer for the Christina Aguilera, Cher team-up Burlesque and reacting to the tune of “it’s Showgirls meets Chicago.” Cinematical’s Alison Nastasi may have hit the nail on the head with this comment: “more like Showgirls lite — Oprah approved,” pointing out the film’s need to dance through PG-13 territory. The film is a stock tale of a small-town girl (Aguilera) heading for the big city trying to make it big. She authoritatively buys herself a one-way ticket to the big city (in this case, Los Angeles) and starts working on her dream of becoming a burlesque dancer, with Cher as her reluctant guide. As a fan of burlesque shows, I was intrigued. As a fan of watchable movies, I was left with a feeling of wanting — wanting for Cinemax late night programming, or something of the like. More after the jump.

The Streep/Tucci love affair rolls on… Per THR, Meryl Streep will be starring in the new film, Mommy & Me, for director Stanley Tucci. Streep will play the mommy, and Tina Fey will obviously play me. The story specifics haven’t been revealed yet aside from a general and generic description that it explores “the thorny and funny sides of mother-daughter relationships.” Hard to get excited based off that alone, but the pairing of Streep and Fey is actually pretty exciting. Streep has recently found a career resurgence (of sorts) in more comedic roles like Mamma Mia!, It’s Complicated, and Julie & Julia, and Fey is simply one of the funniest people working in TV and film right now. This is Tucci’s fifth feature behind the camera, but odds are it will be seen by more people than his other four combined. It’ll also be his third film with Streep. He played one of her underlings in The Devil Wears Prada and was most recently seen as her husband (and one of the film’s highlights) in Julie & Julia. There’s no word yet if Tucci with actually appear in Mommy & Me or just direct, but I can easily envision him in a small role as a perverted neighbor who kidnaps and kills Streep’s daughter. Or not.

The first images of both Christina Aguilera and Cher in Steven Antin’s musical drama Burlesque are online today, and they certainly capture the spirit of a burlesque show (read: serious lack of clothing). For Aguilera, this will be a coming out party in the world of film — her first feature film role. But she’s not alone. She will star alongside Cher, Stanley Tucci, Eric Dane and Cam Gigandet. For the pop princess, things certainly could be worse. They couldn’t, however, be much sexier.

Marvel Studios announced today that Stanley Tucci, the Oscar-nominated actor most recently seen in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, has been cast in the Joe Johnston directed Captain America: The First Avenger. He will play Dr. Abraham Erskine, a German scientist who in many of the early comics was behind Project Rebirth, the secret experiment that created the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Explore the mind of a man who would defraud the Native Americans, help keep sweatshops open and cuddle up nice and close to politicians while showing how his actions played a role in the collapse of the housing market.

This category is stacked with talented gentleman representing films of varying quality. I can honestly say that I think all five are very talented actors, but not since the category was introduced in 1936 has an actor had this award so in the bag. So ladies and gentlemen I give you the nominees for best actor in a supporting role.

Kevin Carr sits his chubbiness down and sees if The Book of Eli, The Spy Next Door and The Lovely Bones can make the grade.

Kevin Carr sits his chubbiness down and sees if The Princess and the Frog, Invictus and The Lovely Bones can make the grade.

Kevin Carr breaks down the week’s releases, looking at G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Julie & Julia, and A Perfect Getaway.