March at the movies

This month several of Hollywood's Christmas box office hits finally reach Hiroshima, comic book and video game adaptations abound, Oscar contenders start to find their way into the indie theaters as well as a slew of movies for the kids before the spring holidays and a few classics too. Linked movie titles take you to the official web sites and clicking on movie theater links will take you to the individual theater listings pages. For more details and access to the theaters, go here.

It was not nominated for any of the major categories, but Buz Luhrmann's epic Australia may get an Oscar bump when it opens in Japan February 28 after leading man Hugh Jackman's performance as host of the Academy Awards ceremony. Reviews. Showing at Wald 11, Warner MyCalWarner MyCal, TOHO Midorii and Cine Twin Hondori

The Street Fighter franchise returns on the same weekend with the action moving to the streets of Bangkok in The Legend of Chun Li. Showing at Toei Louvre (reviews).

A bundle of kids movies open ahead of the school holidays. The annual Keroro and Doraemon flicks start March 3 and Puricure on March 20. Madagascar 2 (Wald 11, Warner MyCal, and TOHO Midorii) opens March 7, but please check if there are any subtitled versions if you want to avoid 90 minutes of dubbed animation. The same goes for the 3D Fly Me To The Moon playing at Wald 11 from March 28. Other Japanese animated features coming out this month include the Miike Takashi directed Yatterman , an adaptation of a popular 1970s TV anime, on March 7.

It will be interesting see how the Hollywood live action adaptation of the Dragonball with Justin Chapman playing the role of Goku goes down in the land of its creation when Dragonball Evolution gets it's worldwide release on March 13. The TV anime series is hugely popular both here in Japan and in the US and it remains to be seen whether fans will be convinced of the various changes wrought by Hollywood on its much loved characters. (Wald 11, Warner MyCal, TOHO Midorii, Alpark and Takarazuka).

One kids film that parents might be more willing to go along to is Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler which shows at Warner MyCal from March 20.

There is comedy of the romantic, and canine, kind the following week at TOHO Midorii and Cine Twin Shintenchi in the weepy Marley and Me in which Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston share top billing with a labrador (reviews).

On a more serious note, Tom Cruise portrays a Nazi officer trying to kill Hitler in Valkyrie from March 20 at Wald 11, Warner MyCal, and TOHO Midorii (reviews).

At the end of the month, opening on March 28 is the much anticipated movie adaptation of the classic book series Watchmen (Wald 11, TOHO Midorii and Toei Louvre. Superhero fans also have another chance to see The Dark Night at Salon Cinema March 21-27 at 15:25 and 20:15.

As is often the case, the most interesting films this month are being screened at Salon Cinema and the Cine Twins. French speakers may enjoy the slightly surreal-looking JCVD starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (trailer below) Feb 28-Mar 6 at 21:20.

Continuing in a more traditional documentary vein is Martin's Scorcese's Shine A Light featuring the Rolling Stones 21:45 March 14-19 and 21:10 March 21-26 at Cine Twin Hondori and 16:45 March 21-26 at Cine Twin Shintenchi.

Salon Cinema is where the drama is this month. In Elegy Ben Kingsley and Penélope Cruz get involved in the movie adaptation of a Philip Roth novella March 7-13 at 10:25, 15:00 and 19:25 and March 8-20 at 10:25, 15:00 and 19:25. Pick of the month may be the much nominated Doubt starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman at March 7-20 at 10:00, 12:20, 14:30 and 19:30, March 21-27 at 12:20 and 14:30 and March 28-April 3 at 12:50 and 17:00 (reviews).

From 2007 there is Naomi Watts and Tim Roth in the thriller Funny Games (reviews, trailer below) .