Big Action Movies: 2008

Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan reinvigorated the Batman film franchise with the 2005 blockbuster, Batman Begins. That film laid out the story of how millionaire Bruce Wayne became the unstoppable crimefighter known as Batman. Bale and Nolan's second excursion into the world of costumed superheroes finds Batman facing off against one of his most vicious enemies - The Joker (played by Heath Ledger). Easily one of the best movies of 2008 - never mind the action genre, I'm talking overall best - The Dark Knight may earn a few Oscar nominations.

This one's interesting... Rachel Weisz played Evelyn in the first and second Mummy movies but the third Mummy film has a new mommy. Maria Bello takes over as Brendan Fraser's wife and Luke Ford's mom in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Although it's been seven years between the release of The Mummy Returns and Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, fans of the franchise noticed the change. At least Fraser's back as the adventurer with a taste for all things mummy.

Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) returns as Bond for the second time, without Martin Campbell as director and with Marc Forster (The Kite Runner) at the helm. This 22nd Bond movie is the first one to be a direct sequel. Quantum of Solace takes place an hour after the end of Casino Royale and finds Bond hunting down the men who killed his honey. This is an angrier Bond than we're used to seeing - and one that doesn't sleep with the Bond Girl.