We have a ton of new movies hitting Victoria this week, some of them legitimate Oscar contenders, so let’s get right to it.

In “Michael Clayton,” George Clooney plays a guy who’s part lawyer, part detective and part janitor because he’s always being called in to clean up legal messes—like when a lawyer has a nervous breakdown and threatens to scuttle a 3 billion dollar class action lawsuit. With that much money on the line, the lawyers turn out to be both ruthless and deadly.

“Michael Clayton” is a crackerjack legal thriller with a first-rate cast. The story is a bit confusing at first, but everything snaps into place for a very satisfying conclusion. 

“Elizabeth: the Golden Years” is a sequel of sorts to the art house hit that made Cate Blanchet a star. Here, she plays the Virgin Queen, trying to stop the Spanish armada and deal with her feelings for Sir Walter Raleigh.

“Elizabeth II” is part period drama, part soap opera with a little action adventure at the end. It’s okay, but sadly, no where near as good as the original film.

“We Own the Night” finds Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix squaring off as two brothers caught on opposite sides of the law. One’s a police officer, the other has ties to the Russian mob.

Finally, Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I get Married” finds four couples getting away to a snowy cabin in the mountains where they discuss all the pros and cons of married life. It wasn’t screened for critics, but Perry has such a devoted following that he doesn’t need our approval anyway.

A lot of interesting stuff on home DVD. Kids will love “Surf’s Up,” and horror fans have “28 Weeks Later” plus the delightfully campy, “Black Sheep.”

And that’s what’s new at the movies, I’m Sean McBride the Movie Guy for Newscenter 25 Sunrise.