2008 was a great year for movies.

From the non-stop parade of popcorn flicks this summer that were as innovative as they were entertaining to the steady stream of award contenders that have been released in recent months, the previous year consistently gave audiences something good to watch in the theaters. It's impossible to say how the next year's crop of films will play out, but here are eight that should be worth watching.

Watchmen

Due in theaters: March 6

Many said that a film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's seminal comic book series, Watchmen, was an impossible task. Early trailers for the film, though, gives one hope that director Zack Snyder has done justice to the comic book, which takes a look at the dark side of a group of superheroes. Unfortunately, the film is currently entangled in a legal battle between Warner Brothers, the studio who produced the film, and Fox, the studio who claims to have had the rights to make the film. With a trial set to begin soon, it's unclear what will happen to the film and if the release will see any delays.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Due in theaters: May 1

Hugh Jackman, People magazine's sexiest man alive, returns to the role that made him famous in this X-Men spin-off. Telling the story behind the world's most famous mutant, Wolverine allegedly had a rough production with rumors of fights between the director, Gavin Hood, and the studio. Whether or not this conflict marks the sign of a bad film, the lone superhero movie of the summer should be one to watch.

Star Trek

Due in theatres: May 8

Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams shepherds this new installment of science fiction's most durable franchise. Part sequel, part reboot, the film utilizes time travel to tell the adventures of the original ship crew with a younger set of actors, including Heroes' Zachary Quinto as Spock.

Bruno

Due in theaters: May 15

The latest movie from Borat mastermind Sacha Baron Cohen, Bruno features the last remaining character from Da Ali G Show to not have had a movie made about him. As his character Bruno, a flamboyant homosexual, Cohen's antics have included crashing a Proposition 8 rally, disrupting the filming of an episode of Medium and causing a riot in an Arkansas town by hosting a gay wrestling match.

Terminator Salvation

Due in theaters: May 22

A sequel to James Cameron's science fiction classic, Terminator: Salvation takes the action into the future. The film will star Christian Bale as John Conner, the series' long-suffering protagonist, as he finally takes leadership in the robot-versus-human war he had long struggled to prevent. Early previews have made it clear that the film is an entirely different animal then previous Terminator films -- which should be a sure-fire way to shake up what was becoming a stale franchise.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Due in theaters: June 26

Michael Bay returns to direct the sequel to 2007's summer blockbuster. Ratcheting up the number of robots, exotic locations and action scenes seems to be Bay's recipe for a successful sequel. The sequel had to incorporate injuries star Shia LaBeouf suffered in a real life car accident last year.

Inglorious Basterds

Due in theaters: August 21

Quentin Tarantino's tribute to World War II films, Basterds follows two different storylines as they intersect in war-torn Europe. In one of the storylines, Brad Pitt stars as a Tennessee hillbilly who leads a group of Jewish solders on a mission to kill as many Nazis as possible. Look for blood-soaked pop-culture references as only Tarantino can deliver.

Avatar

Due in theaters: December 18

James Cameron returns to the director's chair in this 3D science fiction film about a paralyzed solder given the chance to walk again as part of an experiment involving the transference of consciousness into a genetically-engineered alien body on another planet. Actor Sam Worthington plays the soldier, who finds himself caught up in an interplanetary civil war. Cameron has promised that the film will mark the next step forward in 3D movies.

* Robert Saucedo can't wait to watch these movies. Tell him what movies you're looking forward to at robsaucedo2500@yahoo.com.