2014 movie highlights include 'Lego Movie,' 'Spider-Man 2'

Legos, wormholes, new superheroes and old musicals are on the movie schedule for 2014, which so far looks like a fairly entertaining grabbag. Sequels run the gamut from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" to "Dumb and Dumber To," while a genre that seemed long dead -- think robes and sandals -- is suddenly very much alive. And speaking of throwbacks, 2014 may mark the first time in years that folks actually go to a theater to watch pornography. Here's a sample of what's ahead.

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Getting a little tired of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man? "Guardians of the Galaxy," due in theaters Aug. 1, will launch a new crop of Marvel heroes and villains. They're being played by an eclectic cast, which includes Zoe Saldana as the superhuman Gamora and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector (actually, we just saw him in "Thor: The Dark World"). The movie's most intriguing idea: Bradley Cooper as the genetically engineered Rocket Racoon.

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If two's a coincidence and three's a trend, then 2014 just might be The Year of the Musical, with at least four entries in the genre. We'll see "Muppets Most Wanted," with Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey joining Kermit and Piggy; "Jersey Boys," Clint Eastwood's adaptation of the hit play about singer Frankie Valli; "Annie," starring Quvenzhané Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") in the title role; and Stephen Sondheim's fairy-tale twist "Into the Woods," starring Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and Emily Blunt. We might even see one more, "The Last Five Years," which wrapped production with Anna Kendrick this past summer.

All are follow-ups to movies that were pleasant surprises. One is "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," with motion-capture performer Andy Serkis returning as the simian Caesar; another is "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," in which Robert Redford joins an already classy superhero franchise. Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Days of Future Past" promises more stylish action with Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and the mutant gang. And the award for best sequel title goes to the upcoming comedy with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum returning as undercover cops in "22 Jump Street."

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We're talking both Testaments, too. "Exodus," about the Jews' release from Egypt, stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton ("The Great Gatsby") as the pharaoh Rameses II; the supporting cast includes Sigourney Weaver and Aaron Paul of AMC's "Breaking Bad." "Noah," starring Russell Crowe as the wildlife-rescuing patriarch (whose ark, by the way, was built and filmed in Oyster Bay), has already drawn ire from the Christian blog Beginning and End for taking liberties with the source material. From 20th Century Fox comes "Son of God," an adaptation of the History channel's miniseries about the life of Jesus Christ.

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