Analyses of trailers for upcoming films

It's been a really long time since we had a decent vampire movie. So I'd be as thrilled as the next person if the film version of LDS author Stephenie Meyers' best-selling novel "Twilight" turns out well.

The movie opens nationwide Nov. 21, and there's been a recent flood of television ads and trailers for it. Most of these make it look like a cheap horror/fantasy feature for teens that was produced for television's the CW.

Look, I could be wrong — and there are certainly legions of Meyer fans who will be more than happy to correct me if I am. But still ... I'm less than impressed so far.

"Twilight" is not the only holiday movie that's being promoted heavily, though. Here are my evaluations of trailers and spots for a few more upcoming film releases:

• THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Dec. 25).

The ads are touting this fantasy about a man who ages backward as a showcase for the always watchable Brad Pitt. Good idea. ***

• FROST/NIXON (Dec. 25).

It sounds like Frank Langella may be trying a little too hard to ape Richard M. Nixon's voice, but this looks intriguing. ***

• THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX (Dec. 19).

If nothing else, this animated feature appears to have some of the more handsome-looking, digitally created characters and settings in recent memory. ***

• VALKYRIE (Dec. 25).

More smart spots — the ones for this World War II thriller show that the cast features other actors besides Tom Cruise. ***

• BOLT (Nov. 21).

There are some big names in its voice cast (John Travolta and Miley Cyrus), this appears to be a fairly generic and formulaic, animated animal comedy. ** 1/2

• THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (Dec. 12).

As outrageous as the idea of this remake (of the 1951 science-fiction classic) is, the effects do look pretty spectacular. ** 1/2

• TRANSPORTER 3 (Nov. 26).

The other "Transporter" films aren't art. All we really need to know is that Jason Statham is back. ** 1/2

• YES MAN (Dec. 19).

There are a couple of laughs in these ads. But the film looks very similar to Jim Carrey's 1997 hit "Liar Liar." ** 1/2

• BEDTIME STORIES (Dec. 25).

Adam Sandler doing his version of "The Princess Bride" — and with his usual "funny" voices? Say it ain't so! **

• PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (Dec. 5).

At least Ray Stevenson looks better as the title character, a vigilante, than Thomas Jane did in the first movie. **

• THE SPIRIT (Dec. 25).

Comic book writer/artist Frank Miller appears to have turned the beloved comics series into "Sin City." * 1/2

• FOUR CHRISTMASES (Nov. 26).

Let's hope the painfully unfunny jokes shown in the ads for this Yule comedy (starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon) aren't the best ones in it. *

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com