2008 was a great year for a movie buff like me, and 2009 looks promising too! Here are five movies that I plan to watch:

1. "Watchmen"
   Well, of course! This film adaptation of the seminal award-winning graphic novel promises to rock the socks off comic fans and average moviegoer everywhere! With Zack Snyder's stylised take on an alternate universe of superheroics, it promises to live up to its stratospheric expectations.
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
   Though I didn't quite like the last X-Men movie, I have high hopes for this one. Besides the title character, it features some other familiar characters from the comics too, so it'll be fun to see them display their powers in "real life".
3. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
   I didn't like what Michael Bay did with the last film and I don't like what I'm hearing about what he's doing with this one. But there's a small part of me -- the part from my childhood that enjoyed the classic cartoons -- that's hoping that it won't be as bad as I fear.
4. "Star Trek"
   Though I'm a bigger fan of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", I still enjoy anything that bears the legendary title. I think it'll also be a nostalgic kick to see the original crew (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc) and the good ol' starship, Enterprise.
5. "Up"
   I had no idea that this Pixar movie was coming out this year until I saw the trailer recently! I certainly didn't expect it to be out one year after "Wall-E". But a Pixar movie is a must-watch, if not for its advanced graphics, then for its approachable but enjoyable storylines.

And on the "maybe I'll watch it if I'm in the mood and have time, money and company" list are these two movies:

1. "Terminator Salvation"
   I've developed a meh attitude towards the franchise since "Terminator 3". To me, "Terminator 2" was exactly how the Terminator storylines came to a fitting close. But with Christian Bale fronting this sequel (in spite of his recent tirade), I may watch it if I'm in the mood and have the time, money and company.
2. "Sherlock Holmes"
   I don't know much about this movie, except that it's a modern take on the classic character, complete with him being muscle-bound and willing to throw a punch or ten. But Robert Downey Jr. was excellent in "Iron Man", so maybe his performance here will be worth the ticket price.