With a new year beginning, we can expect a few good movies to be out this spring. Some are great; some are not so great. You be the judge.

From Paramount Studios: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days stars Kate Hudson as Andie Anderson, a Composure Magazine’s “How-to” columnist. She has been given a tough and unusual assignment. She must write a first-hand account on all the things women do to drive a man away. So, she has to find a man and drive him away by her deadline… in 10 days. The man she finds is Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) who works for an ad agency and has just made a high-stakes bet with his boss: that he can find a woman and make her fall in love with him in 10 days. The movie will be out in theaters Feb. 7. Tips such as: Day #3, tell him that you love him; don’t worry that it’s only your second date, adds to the comedy of the film.

Also, from Paramount comes The Core. Every 700,000 years the world is devastated by an event of catastrophic proportions… oceans boil, continents freeze, poles shift and species are destroyed by a single mysterious force. As of today, we are 100,000 years overdue.

Scientists discover that the Earth’s core is about to stop spinning. This will cause tremendous natural disasters, wiping out life, as we know it. A team of scientists is recruited in a crash project to send a ship and bomb into the center of the Earth to prevent the catastrophe. The movie basically reminds me of the plot of Armageddon. We’ll see what the movie is like once it comes out March 28.

From Warner Brothers Studios: What a Girl Wants stars Amanda Bynes as Daphne, a 19-year old free-spirited girl, raised by her equally free-spirited mother, goes to England to meet her father, who turns out to be a wealthy aristocrat (Colin Firth).

Daphne then must struggle with a snobby half-sister and with following the social obligations expected of her while maintaining her own identity. As she stifles her life to please her father, she realizes that her dream life isn’t as picture perfect as she hoped. What a Girl Wants will be out March 28.

Also, from Warner Brothers Studios comes a long-awaited sequel most have been waiting for, The Matrix Reloaded. Neo (Keanu Reeves) and the rebel leaders estimate that they have 72 hours until 250,000 probes discover Zion and destroy it and its inhabitants. During this, Neo must decide how he can save Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) from a dark fate in his dreams. The movie comes out May 15.

Cradle 2 the Grave stars an interesting duo of Jet Li and DMX. When his daughter is kidnapped and held in exchange for priceless diamonds, the leader of a crew of highly skilled urban thieves (DMX) forges an unlikely alliance with a Taiwanese Intelligence officer (Jet Li) to rescue her.

Their race against the clock to find the precious stones ultimately unravels a plot to distribute a deadly new weapon of war. Cradle 2 the Grave is set to come to theaters Feb. 28.

From Dreamworks Studios: Old School stars Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn in a comedy that will recapture their days of college.

Mitch Martin’s (Wilson) life takes an unexpected turn when he finds his fiancée having a little fling with another couple. His friends (played by Ferrell and Vaughn), help him out by encouraging him to start a fraternity of their own trying to relive their college days… all the college fun, but none of the education. Old School is expected to come out on Feb. 21.

From Disney: Disney’s The Jungle Book 2 adds an all-new chapter to one of the best loved animated classics of all time. Mowgli (voice by Haley Joel Osment) now lives in the man-village, but he misses his pal Baloo (voice by John Goodman), who likewise pines for his man-cub. Baloo isn’t the only one hoping to see Mowgli again soon – Shere Khan (voice by Tony Jay) impatiently awaits his revenge. When Mowgli sneaks back to the jungle, the chase is on to see who will find him first – his new family, his old pals or Shere Khan. The Jungle Book 2 is set to come out Feb. 14.

From Fox: Still on the American Idols hype? From Justin to Kelly (a working title) is a movie about the fairytale rise to stardom of America’s favorite “idols” continues as Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini make the leap to the big screen in this spring’s biggest beach party.

The movie is set to come out sometime in Spring 2003. Sounds to me like a reality-type movie to me. We’ll see if the movie survives or gets voted off by moviegoers.

Another long-awaited sequel to hit screens this year is X-Men 2. Mutants continue their struggle against a society that fears and distrusts them. Their cause becomes even more desperate following an incredible attack by an as yet determined assailant possessing extraordinary abilities.

The shocking attack renews the politically and public outcry for a Mutant Registration Act and an anti-mutant movement now led by William Stryker (Brian Cox), a wealthy former Army commander who is rumored to have experimented on mutants. Stryker’s mutant “work” is somehow tied to Logan’s (Hugh Jackman) mysterious and forgotten past. As Wolverine searches for clues to his origin, Stryker puts into motion his anti-mutant program – launching an attack on Xavier’s mansion. Magneto (Ian McKellen), newly escaped from his plastic prison, proposes a partnership with the X-Men to combat their common and formidable enemy: Stryker.

With the fates of Xavier (Patrick Stewart), mankind and mutantkind in their hands, the X-Men face their most dangerous mission ever. X-Men 2 strikes theaters May 2.

Another Marvel Comic-based movie is Daredevil starring Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock (a.k.a. Daredevil). Attorney Murdock is blind, but his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden.

At night, he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice. Daredevil comes to theaters on Feb. 14.

Universal Studios: The Life of David Gale is a suspense thriller about a man on death row. In Charles Randolph’s original screenplay, David Gale (Kevin Spacey) is a man who has tried hard to live by his principles but in a bizarre twist of fate, this devoted father, popular professor and respected death penalty opponent finds himself on Death Row for the rape and murder of fellow activist Constance Harraway (Laura Linney).

With only three days before his scheduled execution, Gale agrees to give reporter Elizabeth Bloom (Kate Winslet) the exclusive interview she’s been chasing. But Bloom soon realizes that this assignment is more than she bargained for, and that a man’s life is in her hands.

Putting her own safety in jeopardy, she frantically races to piece together the shocking events surrounding Constance’s death, before it’s too late. The suspense thriller is set to come out Feb. 21.

Bruce Almighty is a comedy starring Jim Carrey. Bruce Nolan (Carrey), a human-interest television reporter is discontented with almost everything in life, despite his popularity and the love of his girlfriend (Jennifer Anniston).

At the end of the worst day in his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God – and God responds. He appears in human form (Morgan Freeman) and, endowing Bruce with all of His divine powers, challenges Bruce to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better. Bruce Almighty comes to theaters on Memorial Day 2003.

New Line Cinemas: The sequel to Final Destination comes to the big screen. Final Destination 2: Driving with a group of friends to Daytona Beach, Kimberly (A.J. Cook) has a sudden premonition that saves them all from a catastrophic freeway pileup … or so it seems.

Ali Larter returns from the first film as Clear Rivers, the lone survivor of the Flight 180 airplane crash, whom Kimberly goes to see once death starts coming after her friends.

It’s a rollercoaster ride of fear and fate as Kimberly races to save her friends and herself from the implacable jaws of death. Death strikes theaters on Jan. 31.

Spyglass Entertainment: The Recruit: James (Colin Farrell) is graduating at the top of his class and is on track for a cushy, by-the-numbers corporate life.

Enter Burke (Al Pacino), a flashy CIA recruiter who offers James the opportunity to write his own future. Burke prides himself on being a scary judge of talent and he thinks James has what it takes to go far in The Company.

After passing a battery of preliminary tests, James is accepted into The Farm, the secret training facility where young CIA recruits learn that nothing is what it seems. James and the rest of his constantly dwindling class including the manipulative and beautiful Layla (Bridget Moynahan) endures an exhausting barrage of mental and physical tests.

After James washes out on the final op, Burke secretly taps him to go on a high-stakes undercover mission to flush out a mole inside the CIA’s very own headquarters. With time running out and the nation’s security at risk, James must decide whom to trust and if he chooses wrongly, every American’s way of life is in jeopardy. The Recruit is set to premier on Jan. 31.

Shanghai Knights: After taming the Wild West in the hit comedy Shanghai Noon, Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) and Roy O’Bannon (Owen Wilson) team up for another wild ride. Wang’s father is killed and the Chinese Imperial Seal that he was guarding is stolen.

Wang tracks Roy down in New York and the duo immediately stow away on a steamship to turn of the century London, where they happen upon Wang’s sister. Though she and Roy share some sparks much to the chagrin of Wang, they must first take care of the diabolical Lord Rathbone, who is conspiring to take control of the British throne.

With the help of the kindly but bumbling Inspector Artie Doyle and the precocious young chap Charlie, Wang and Roy fight their way past Chinese Boxer rebels, Royal Guards and even Jack the Ripper as they attempt to recapture the Imperial Seal and save Queen Victoria from an underhanded assassination attempt on the River Thames. Shanghai Knights comes out Feb. 7.

Sony Pictures: Eddie Murphy enters the world of day care in, Daddy Day Care.

In this hilarious comedy, two fathers (Murphy and Jeff Gartin) lose their jobs in product development at a large food company and are forced to take their sons out of the exclusive Chapman Academy and become stay-at-home fathers.

The two dads open their own day care facility, “Daddy Day Care,” and employ some unconventional and sidesplitting methods of caring for children.

As “Daddy Day Care” starts to catch on, it launches them into a highly comedic rivalry with Chapman Academy’s tough-as-nails director (Angelica Houston), who has driven all previous competitors out of business. D-Day is coming May 9.

In the thriller Darkness Falls, a young boy, Kyle (Chaney Kley) claimed that while he was sleeping, he accidentally woke up and saw the Tooth Fairy, who tried to kill him.

Since then, everyone in town considered him crazy, except for his childhood girlfriend, Caitlin (Emma Caulfield), and her younger brother. But now, Hell is coming back as that black haired, winged creature of doom that Kyle described is coming back to town. The evil rises on Jan. 24.

Another thriller released by Sony Pictures is Identity. Caught in a savage rainstorm, 10 travelers are forced to seek refuge at a strange desert motel. They soon realize they’ve found anything but shelter.

There is a killer among them and, one by one, they are murdered. As the storm rages on and the dead begin to outnumber the living, one thing becomes clear: each of them was drawn to the motel, not by accident or circumstance, but by forces beyond imagination, forces that promise anyone who survives a mind-bending and terrifying destiny. Identity is a secret… identity is a mystery… identity is a killer. Reveal the identity on March 14.

Tears of the Sun: A team of Navy SEALS (led by Bruce Willis) is sent into the jungle in the heart of Nigeria on a search-and-rescue mission for a doctor.

When they get to the village, the doctor says that she’ll only leave if 70 refugees can leave too, which changes the mission’s scope; can a handful of U.S. soldiers get to their rendezvous point before the several hundred African soldiers on their tail get to them first? The movie is set to come out March 7.