Mark Wahlberg has an affinity for putting himself in nice action roles for January movies. In January 2012, he starred in Contraband as a family man who is pulled back into a life of crime. With this year's Broken City, he is a disgraced New York City cop who gets embroiled in the political drama and espionage centered on a New York City Mayor, played by Russell Crowe.

Teased in the Broken City trailer, Wahlberg plays Bill Taggart, an NYPD officer who became a firebrand of controversy when he shot a man whom he claimed had a weapon. Taggart was brought up on charges, cleared, but then fired by the Mayor (Crowe) and the Police Chief (Jeffrey Wright) due to the PR mess.

The story fast forwards seven years later and we learn that Taggart has fallen in love and is living with the sister of the little girl who was killed by the man that Wahlberg shot down. He is making a living as a private eye when the phone rings and it's the Mayor.

New York City's leader wants Taggart to follow his wife (Catherine Zeta Jones) because he believes she is cheating. The former cop is promised a big paycheck and given that he sees it as a chance to get back in good with the city, he takes the gig. What he finds only opens up a mystery that pulls the private dick deep into a conspiracy of corruption that threatens his entire world.

Crowe is a powerhouse as the Mayor and after his turn in Les Miserables as the villain, one wonders if he has chosen a new career path embodying evil. Let's just say he's pretty good at it. Crowe nails the slippery nature of a politician, especially one that rules over the nation's largest city.

Not for one minute do we doubt that this is a man who has lived and given his life to the city he adores. The Australian also brings out the best in Wahlberg with their electric scenes together.

Wahlberg continues to select action hero parts that work for his persona and fit into his wheelhouse. This is a character who he feels was wronged and has nothing but desire to make it right. When, while trying to make it right, his name is further sullied, you get a Wahlberg performance that shines with every turn. It's like he's seeking vindication... squared. By giving his character a girlfriend, something that was not always in the script, filmmakers have allowed the actor's natural warmth to shine through and give his Taggart true purpose.

Director Allen Hughes leaves his normal filmmaking partner behind -- his brother Albert -- and tackles his first film by himself after achieving solid films with Menace II Society and From Hell. He is quite at home in the crime and suspense genre and effortlessly moves to helming solo.

Our Broken City review can safely say that the film is a solid political thriller. There are a few missteps and holes that can easily be overlooked. The nitty-gritty details of why Crowe's Mayor is a political hot potato does not quite jive with what we as a society know about the city of New York.

I had to ask myself if this big secret at the heart of the film would not be uncovered by some enterprising New York City journalist in the eight years that the Mayor has been in office.

That fact aside, and as evidenced even in this Broken City clip, the film is a welcome addition to the normally slow movie month of January.

A whole batch of new stills have dropped for A Good Day to Die Hard. Click the thumbnails to enlarge:

Bruce Willis (Looper) returns as John McClane in the fifth installment of the Die Hard franchise. This time, McClane travels to Russia to bale his son Jack out of jail. Upon arrival, he realizes that he is actually entangled in a terrorist plot to steal a nuclear weapon.

Jai Courtney (Jack Reacher) plays Jack, with Cole Hauser, Sebastian Koch, Yuliya Snigir, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Amaury Nolasco also starring.

A Good Day to Die Hard will premiere February 14. Check out the A Good Day to Die Hard poster.

The cast of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For just keeps on growing. Earliest this month, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises) and Josh Brolin joined on as Dwight and Johnny, respectively.

Now, three more big names have been added to the cast: Ray Liotta, Juno Temple, and Jeremy Piven.

The new cast members join Micky Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jaimie King, Christopher Meloni (Man of Steel), Dennis Haysbert and Jamie Chung (The Man with the Iron Fists) in the Sin City sequel. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez will share the directing duty.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is set for an October 4 release.

What is Movie 43? The new TV spot for the comedy tries to explain. Take a look:

Movie 43 TV Spot

In reality, Movie 43 is an outrageous comedy split into fifteen different shorts, from different directors, with a giant, star-studded cast. Peter Farrelly produced the film and served as the main director.

The cast includes Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry (Cloud Atlas), Leslie Bibb, Kate Bosworth, Gerard Butler, Josh Duhamel, Anna Faris, Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Johnny Knoxville, Justin Long, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Liev Schreiber, Sean William Scott, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, Aasif Mandvi, John Hodgman, Kieren Clukin, Tony Shalhoub, and Kate Winslet.

Movie 43 premieres January 25. Watch the Movie 43 trailer a closer look.

As we announced to the world in our The Last Stand review, Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in a big way on the silver screen. After taking seven years to run the state of California as governor, Schwarzenegger returned quietly with two cameos in The Expendables movies. Tackling The Last Stand should firmly re-establish the aging superstar as a still strong presence in the action genre.

Having helped mold the action format, not to mention his successful comedies, narrowing down his 10 absolute best was actually a challenging task. Movie Fanatic has widdled down the list as we present to you the Top 10 Arnold Schwarzenegger movies of all time.

10. Eraser
One of Schwarzenegger's most underrated films, Eraser is a hi-tech action flick that showed the actor being able to share the screen and the thrills with a co-star, the impeccably cast Vanessa Williams -- effectively teased in the Eraser poster. His U.S. Marshall character had all the classic elements that are right in the big guy's wheelhouse.

9. The Running Man
Based on a story by Stephen King, The Running Man put the superstar in the sci-fi genre that would see him continue to push the envelope. There are dozens of classic one-liners (would you expect anything less?) and a killer supporting turn by the late Richard Dawson. Is The Running Man one of your favorite films of Arnold's? Vote in our poll and tell us: Which Arnold Movie is Best!

8. Conan the Barbarian
John Milius' classic sword and sandals epic brought back the genre firmly, thanks largely to a star-making turn by the future Governor of California. The power of Conan the Barbarian still resonates so strongly that having the sixty-something star reprise the role is currently topic number one over at Universal Pictures. Juding by our take on the 2011 remake, reported in our Conan the Barbarian review, Movie Fanatic can't help but think that Schwarzenegger could bring back the franchise properly.

7. Twins
Arnold showed his funny side and it worked as he played the "twin" brother of Danny DeVito. Where usually Schwarzenegger is the tough guy to the other actor's straight man, here the Austrian played naive man who was capable of no wrong opposite DeVito's get in the sewer to make a buck character. Fans should be thrilled, the sequel -- Triplets starring Eddie Murphy -- has been given a green light.

6. Predator
Believe it or not, at the time when it was released in 1987 Predator was a genre-pushing film that combined traditional military-driven action with a supernatural/sci-fi element. Schwarzenegger teamed up with Apollo Creed, er... sorry, Carl Weathers and wrestler Jesse Ventura to captivate audiences and start a franchise that went on for years.

5. Kindergarten Cop
Not only did Schwarzenegger show his funny side in Kindergarten Cop, but also brought out his sensitive side. As a gruff policeman who goes undercover as the teacher of the titular grade, the actor struck all the right notes and just when audiences thought the film was getting too sweet, the action element returned and our man is ripe for the fight. Just look at the Kindergarten Cop poster and try not to chuckle.

4. The Terminator
To call The Terminator groundbreaking is too tame a description. The first of many times that director James Cameron and Arnold hooked up would be an earthquake of an announcement on many fronts. Cameron let the world know he was a film force to be reckoned with and Schwarzenegger proved he could do more than wield a sword as Conan and would be an action blockbuster star for decades to come. The flick also started the action hero's penchant for uttering great one liners, as seen in these The Terminator quotes.

3. Total Recall
When people wondered why the Colin Farrell-starring Total Recall failed to ignite fires at the box office, all you have to do is look back at the original. The sci-fi mind-bender may have taken dramatic license with the source material and the latter was more religiously devoted to it. But, Schwarzenegger delivered a legendary moment on screen that not only lands on moviegoers' radars, but permeates pop culture itself.

2. True Lies
Another Schwarzenegger-Cameron tandem and another blockbuster for the two. The superstar took his action hero persona and had a whole lot of fun with it in True Lies. Playing the super-spy whose wife doesn't know what he does for a living until his worlds collide is a fantastic way of turning up the power on a steady as she comes plot device. Yes, it's a little sexist, but the storyline involving the terrorists and Schwarzenegger's method of wiping them out is pure action movie bliss.

Is James Cameron planning a True Lies sequel? That could be interesting!

1. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
How do you top the original? That is the age old question in Hollywood when it comes to creating a sequel. In 1991 the blueprint arrived in the form of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Leagues better than an already outstanding first film, Cameron and Schwarzenegger expanded the Terminator world and with the new technology and higher budgets at Cameron's fingertips, the duo created an instant classic that still stands as one of Movie Fanatic's favorite popcorn movies... ever. For more, check out our Terminator 2: Judgement Day quotes.

Okay, so technically speaking, this is TV news. But since Batman has been mostly a big-screen endeavor (no, I'm not forgetting the comics and cartoons) for the last few decades, we think we're allowed to cover it.

The original batmobile from the 1960s TV show starring Adam West is up for auction at the 42nd Annual Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ this weekend. CEO Craig Jackson said he expects the vehicle to sell for at least $4 million, and that it could easily top $5 million.

The batmobile has had many incarnations, between the TV show, Tim Burton's Batman series, Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, and Christopher Nolan's franchise that culminated last year in The Dark Knight Rises.

The car is expected to be sold to an institution such as a museum or movie studio, though personal buyers are more than welcome.

Have any of the future iterations of Batman's car been able to top the original? Would you be willing to spend $5 million on the iconic black, winged, orange-trimmed, masterpiece? If so, you should head to Scottsdale this weekend, because you may not get another chance.

Our newest Weekend Movie Preview finds a varied bunch of flicks landing in theaters, most notably the triumphant return of one of Hollywood's biggest action heroes.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in The Last Stand, Guillermo del Toro produces another horror thriller with Mama and Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg do battle in the political crime thriller Broken City.

The Last Stand: It's official, an action her has returned. Schwarzenegger is back to his cinematic glory with The Last Stand. The film knows what it is and never pretends to be anything else. It is simply the story of a small town Arizona sheriff (Schwarzenegger) and how he is the only thing between a notorious drug lord escaping America to Mexico. The action hero's fellow deputies also bring their A-game, including Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman and Johnny Knoxville. For more, check out our The Last Stand review.

The Last Stand Trailer

Broken City: Wahlberg and Crowe go head-to-head and only one will win as the two battle for the future of New York City. Crowe portrays a New York City Mayor who hires Wahlberg's former cop-turned private eye to spy on his wife (Catherine Zeta Jones). What happens next is a complicated and layered political corruption thriller. As we state in our Broken City review, the film is worth the price of admission to just watch the Crowe-Wahlberg fireworks.

Broken City Movie Trailer

Mama: Oh, Mama! Guillermo del Toro's next ghost story arrives starring Jessica Chastain as a punk rock bassist who finds herself taking care of two young girls. Thing is, these little ones are her boyfriend's nieces and they have been missing for five years. Turns out, they weren't alone and that titular ghost is going wherever those girls go... and that means some serious scares for Chastain! As we report in our Mama review, it's a solid ghost story, with a few shortcomings.

Mama Trailer

It's been less than 24 hours since cyclist Lance Armstrong's doping confession to Oprah Winfrey aired, and already a movie about it is in the works.

J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk have reportedly purchased the movie rights to the upcoming book Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong by Juliet Macur, for Abrams' production company Bad Robot.

A biopic about America's favorite cyclist has been thrown around for a while now, with both Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo) and Jake Gyllenhaal being considered for the role at different times. Now that Armstrong has confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during his career, the film will likely have a much different angle.

Armstrong himself has made cameos in a few films, including DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story. Abrams' newest film, Star Trek Into Darkness, will premiere May 17.

"Get big or get out." Sounds like it could have come from the Pain and Gain trailer for Michael Bay's latest. But it's not, it's from a new movie about farming called At Any Price. Check out the trailer:

At Any Price Trailer

Dennis Quaid stars as Henry Whipple, a farmer who wants his son Dean to expand the family farm and keep the business alive. Dean, played by Zac Efron (17 Again), meanwhile, is sold on his dream to become a professional race car driver.

Heather Graham (The Hangover), Clancy Brown, Kim Dickens, and Red West also star. Ramin Bahrani directs the film, which he also co-wrote with Hallie Elizabeth Newton.

At Any Price premiered at last year's Venice International Film Festival. It will hit theaters April 26.

If Seth MacFarlane and Joseph Gordon-Levitt ever touch their rings together, it will unleash a power far greater than Earth can handle. The stars are two of the most ubiquitous names in the movie world over the last several months, and  MacFarlane's resume is about to get bigger.

MacFarlane will host the Oscars next month, after his movie Ted earned over $500 million worldwide. Now, a sequel to Ted is on the way.

Ted star Mark Wahlberg, whose new movie Broken City came out today, revealed in an interview with Anderson Cooper that a deal has already been reached for Ted 2, and that MacFarlane is currently writing the script. He also said that he will make an appearance with his fluffy co-star at the Oscar ceremony, though he didn't specify in what capacity.

Ted 2 is expected to begin shooting at the end of this year, though no official schedule has been made. Check out some Ted quotes to see why the first movie was such a box-office smash.

A new clip from Warm Bodies has dropped, featuring Teresa Palmer and John Malkovich (Red 2). Take a look:

Warm Bodies Coming Back to Life Clip

Nicholas Hoult stars as R, a zombie with almost no memory of his past life. When he falls in love with a human girl, he begins to transform back into a human.

Dave Franco, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, and Justin Bradley also star. Jonathan Levine wrote and directed the movie, which is based on the novel by Isaac Marion.

Warm Bodies premieres February 1.

End of Watch has come home on DVD and Blu-Ray and it's a fantastic opportunity for millions to see this fantastic film that should have been a blockbuster. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena star as two Los Angeles police officers working some of the most dangerous streets in the city.

They have a priceless bond and the two actors bring these characters to life so brilliantly it is the heart and soul of the film. But, there is so much more to this movie -- hinted at in our exclusive End of Watch trailer -- not the least of which is it being one of the most suspenseful, raw and purely astounding movies of 2012. 

Writer-director David Ayer (who wrote the screenplay for Training Day) has a passion for showing the true sacrifice made by our men and women in blue and that adoration is evident on every frame of his latest. That's why of all the bonus features on the DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack Movie Fanatic received, the one that stands high above all others is the feature commentary track with Ayer.

The filmmaker commentary is a given on all home video releases these days, but on End of Watch it is a priceless enhancement to an already riveting film to hear the inside scoop from the man who seeks to shine a spotlight on those who walk the streets to protect our society.

Ayer shot the film traditionally, but also as a kind of found footage film in the way that Gyllenhaal's character is taking film classes and walks around his beat wielding a video camera. That point-of-view aspect to this film gives us a hardcore realism that has been absent from many police dramas of late.

Want further proof of the filmmaker's passion for policemen and women? Check out my David Ayer exclusive interview as he explores has fascination with the nation's law enforcement agents.

The supporting cast of End of Watch is nothing short of a miracle. Anna Kendrick continues her hot streak as Gyllenhaal's love interest who is no pushover by any means. Meanwhile, America Ferrera and Cody Horn portray two female cop partners who stand as tall as their male counterparts. The latter's two stories are enhanced by the brilliant bonus feature Women on Watch. 

Also not-to-be-missed features include Fate with a Badge and Honors, a must-see in its ability to have the viewer see those that protect their safety on a daily basis in a whole new light.

End of Watch, standing on its own, deserved serious Academy Awards consideration. Given it was such a crowded year, Movie Fanatic is not surprised it got ignored. But, with the arrival of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, it is a chance for audiences to catch a film that is remarkable in every possible way.

Leonardo DiCaprio has been one of the biggest actors over the last ten years, buddying up with some of the best directors of our time, including Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan, Sam Mendes, and Quentin Tarantino.

But all those amazing movies can really begin to wear on a guy, apparently. DiCaprio announced to German newspaper Bild, "I'm now going to take a long, long break. I've done three films in two years and I'm just worn out."

DiCaprio, who gave an absolutely chilling Golden Globe-nominated performance in Django Unchained, will star later this year in Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, and as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.

But after shooting three films in the last two years, DiCaprio just needs a break. What does he plan to do with his time off? "I will fly around the world doing good for the environment," he said. Hopefully he doesn't fly too much, as jet fuel isn't particularly green.

No word on just how long a "long, long break" really is. Sometimes when actors make these announcements they really mean them, and sometimes they start filming a new Michael Bay movie 10 days later. Do you think this will stick, and if so, will you be sad to see Leo go?

Two movies about the White House under attack are due for the first half of 2013, and Olympus Has Fallen has beaten White House Down for the first trailer. Check it out, along with the poster:

Olympus Has Fallen Trailer

Aaron Eckhart stars as the President of the United States, when the White House comes under attack by North Korean terrorists (why is Hollywood so scared of North Korea lately?). Gerard Butler plays a Secret Service Agent, with Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight Rises) as the Speaker of the House, who serves as Acting President during the ordeal.

Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Melissa Leo, Rick Yune, and Ashley Judd also star.

Olympus Has Fallen is directed by Antoine Fuqua. It will hit theaters March 22 and stay with Movie Fanatic as we take you inside the making of the trailer and the film.

The first clip from Beautiful Creatures has hit the web, featuring a bit of seduction from Emmy Rossum. Take a look:

Beautiful Creatures Clip

Alice Englert stars as Lena Duchannes, a young witch facing the day where she will be claimed for good or evil. Her budding relationship with local boy Ethan, played by Alden Ehrenreich, will be tested as the day looms nearer.

Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, and Thomas Mann (check out some Project X quotes from his break-out role) also star.

Beautiful Creatures is based on the young-adult novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. It will premiere February 14.

John Dies at the End was such a unique story with the potential to be a mind-blowing movie, that star Paul Giamatti (who had all those awesome Sideways quotes) could not say no. Movie Fanatic caught up with the Oscar-nominated actor and the film's director, Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-Tep), to talk about his latest film that follows John, who may or may not actually die at the end!

The wildly original film is a wild ride that is nothing like audiences have seen before. Upon reading the script, Giamatti had to be a part of it. "What made me want to do it was the monologue the Rastafarian guy has about dreams," he admitted. "I remember thinking, if this could end up on film somehow, someway, I've got to be a part of that. It's so weird and disturbing."

Paul Giamatti Exclusive Interview

The spot he speaks of is so inventive as the character speaks to hearing thunder in a dream, and then awaking to discover it's thundering outside. We've all had these dreams and in John Dies at the End, that is just the tip of the psychological iceberg that filmmaker Coscarelli brings to the screen.

John Dies at the End is based on the graphic novel by Paul Pargin and follows a group of people who inadvertently, or on purpose, take a new drug called Soy Sauce. It allows the user to read people's minds, see into the future and overall... have a trip that stays with you "for the rest of your life," as said in the John Dies at the End trailer.

It's been almost 9 months since the last Marvel movie, The Avengers, hit theaters. That means a few things: 1) A lot of babies named Loki are about to be born. 2) Fans of Marvel's comic book movies are going through some serious withdrawals. 3) Iron Man 3 is coming really soon!

Take a look at four new stills from the newest installment from the Marvel universe (click thumbnails to enlarge):

Robert Downey, Jr. returns in the third Iron Man film. This time, when is private world comes under attack, Iron Man begins a hunt for those responsible.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley also star. Shane Black directs.

Iron Man 3 opens May 3. Check out the first look at the Iron Man 3 suit in these earlier stills from the film.

Luke Goss is just a little bit of a fan of his Death Race 3: Inferno co-star Ving Rhames. "Ving and I have done three movies together," Goss proudly stated in our exclusive video interview. "I think of him as a personal friend. I call Ving Rhames on my phone. I mean, how cool is that? It's Ving Rhames!"

Goss promises that fans of the Death Race series will cherish the latest installment as it "ties up the three movies." Now, don't worry, the series is not coming to a close by any means, but the U.K. actor believes that Death Race, Death Race 2 and now Death Race 3 can function as a classic Hollywood trilogy. "Now, if there's a fourth, it would be a true sequel to all those movies."

Luke Goss Exclusive Interview

As the film now lands on DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand, Goss stated that he also treasured the opportunity to shoot the third film on location, beautifully shown in the Death Race 3: Inferno trailer. "I loved the idea of being on location in Africa, with all the gorgeous vistas," Goss said. And when it comes to the stunts, which he insists on doing himself... the actor could not contain his enthusiasm. "I'm strangely addicted to it!"

Two new stills from the upcoming fantasy adventure The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones have dropped! Take a look:

The movie is based on the first book in the young adult novel series by Cassandra Clare. It stars Lily Collins as Fray, a girl who solicits the help of a group of half-human/half-angels called Shadowhunters to find her kidnapped mother.

Lena Headey, Aidan Turner, Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga), Jonathan Rhy Meyers, Jemima West, and Kevin Durand (Resident Evil: Retribution) also star.

Harald Zwart directs the film, which premieres August 23. Watch the first The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones trailer for a preview.

Principal photography on the upcoming WikiLeaks/Julian Assange story began today. The film is now officially titled The Fifth Estate.

Take a look at this first photo of Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Julian Assange, with Daniel Bruhl (Inglorious Basterds) as Daniel Domscheit-Berg:

For those who don't remember, Assange was involved in an international scandal after releasing numerous confidential government documents on the website WikiLeaks. The film tells the story of the early days of the site.

Bill Condon (Breaking Dawn Part 2) directs the The Fifth Estate, which will hit theaters November 15.