The snow may be piled around your door, but in the world of movies, it's practically spring, the time when a young person's thoughts turn to Justin Bieber or - for fans of action films - the coming apocalypse. Old person's thoughts can't tell the difference.

Whatever. The thing is that, even as film awards are being given out for the best of 2010, a new crop of alien invaders, heartbroken lovers and the occasional homicidal slasher are lining up to entertain us until the ice melts and it's safe for the superheroes to come out. This year's spring movie season is a potpourri of sequels and remakes (plus the sequel-proof title I Am Number Four), a bunch of animals, and a few classic odds and ends.

In other words, there's something for everyone as we march from Valentine's Day to Easter. We'll be passing by some orangutans, a herd of elephants, one macaw and several species of African cats on our tour today, so we'll ask you to keep your hands inside the edges of your newspaper, and please remember not to feed the actors.

Here's what's coming up between now and May:

If we could talk to animals:

* Born to be Wild 3D: This documentary, shot in Borneo and Kenya, looks at the bond between orphaned orangutans and elephants and the people who raise them: too cute in 3-D. (April 8)

* African Cats: Kingdom of Courage: Baby lions and newborn cheetahs, just in time for Earth Day (April 22)

* Water for Elephants: Robert Pattinson stars in the film version of the bestseller about a veterinary student who joins a circus with a cruel elephant trainer (Christoph Waltz). (April 22)

They come in peace (or not):

* I Am Number Four: Alex Pettyfer (Stormbreaker) stars as an alien disguised as a high-school student - we thought so! - who is being hunted by malign invaders. (Feb. 18)

* Battle: Los Angeles: Aliens invade Los Angeles - we thought so! - and only a platoon of marines stands between us and weird things coming out of Hollywood. Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan star. (March 11)

* Mars Needs Moms: In this animated adventure, little green men come to Earth and steal a little boy's mother. Seth Green and Joan Cusack provide the voices. (March 11)

* Paul: Shaun of the Dead creators Nick Frost and Simon Pegg wrote (and co- star in) this comic adventure about two geeky guys who encounter an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) on the run from Area 51. (March 18)

And now . . . something for the youngsters:

* Gnomeo and Juliet: Two garden gnomes (voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt) are caught up in a neighbourly feud in this animated romance. (Feb. 11)

* Justin Bieber: Never Say Never: Omigod. It's, like, the concert tour you've totally been waiting for, with appearances by Miley Cyrus and Jaden Smith. (Feb. 11)

* Rango: Johnny Depp heads the voice cast in this animated adventure about a chameleon that has to protect a western town from bandits. (March 4)

* Beastly: Beauty and the Beast goes to high school, with Alex Pettyfer and Mary-Kate Olsen. (March 18)

* Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules: Further adventures of life in Grade 6, with Zachary Gordon returning as Greg. (March 25)

* Rio: Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg provide the voices in this animated adventure about a macaw from Minnesota that heads to Brazil. (April 15)

The thrill of it all:

* Unknown: Liam Neeson awakens after a car accident to discover his wife doesn't recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. And he's probably not insured for it. (Feb. 18)

* Drive Angry 3D: Nicolas Cage seeks the man who killed his daughter, forcing him to drive angry. In 3-D. (Feb. 25)

* The Adjustment Bureau: Matt Damon falls in love with Emily Blunt, but mysterious forces have decided they don't belong together. (March 4)

* Curling: The life of a father raising his 12-year-old daughter in a Quebec village is disrupted by the discovery of several corpses in the nearby woods. (March 4, limited release)

* Red Riding Hood: Amanda Seyfried plays a woman in love with a man who could be - yikes - a werewolf. (March 11)

* Limitless: Robert De Niro stars in this drama about a man who discovers a secret drug that bestows superheroic powers. (March 18)

* Source Code: A soldier wakes up in someone else's body - no, not like that - and finds himself involved in a bombing plot. Jake Gyllenhaal stars. (April 1)

* Scream 4: It's 10 years later, and Neve Campbell has finally put her life back together. Or has she? Mmmbwahahaha! (April 15)

* Fast Five: Vin Diesel is fast and furious once again, this time caught between a drug dealer and a drug cop. Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker co-star. (April 29)

Also opening: The Roommate (Feb. 4); Oliver Sherman (Feb. 4, limited); Sanctum (Feb. 4); I Saw the Devil (Feb. 25, limited); Sucker Punch (March 25); Insidious (April 1); Repeaters (April 22, limited).

The drama of life:

* Frankie and Alice: Halle Berry got a Golden Globe nomination for her role in this drama about a woman with multiple personality disorder. (Feb. 4, limited)

* Biutiful: Javier Bardem was named best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of an ailing fixer in Barcelona who faces death, even as he tries to keep his family together. (Feb. 11, limited)

* The Eagle: Channing Tatum stars as a Roman centurion searching for a lost legion. (Feb. 11)

* Certified Copy: Abbas Kiarostami's film stars Juliette Binoche in the story of an English writer who meets a French woman in Tuscany. (March 11, limited)

* Jane Eyre: Lonely governess serves wealthy but distant master. Romance ensues. Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender star. (March 11, limited)

* The Lincoln Lawyer: A Beverly Hills lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) works out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car. Does this mean he has to take off his shirt at some point? (March 18)

* Miral: Julian Schnabel's film stars Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) as a young girl growing up in East Jerusalem. (March, limited)

* Hanna: Saoirse Ronan stars as a girl who's been raised by an ex-CIA man (Eric Bana) to be an assassin, and is being pursued by agent Cate Blanchett. (April 8)

* The Bang Bang Club: Ryan Phillippe and Taylor Kitsch headline the cast in this story of the real-life news photographers who captured the last days of apartheid in South Africa. (April)

Also opening: Birdwatchers (Feb. 4, limited); White Irish Drinkers (Feb. 4, limited); Modra (Feb. 11, limited); Alamar (Feb. 25, limited); Of Gods and Men (Feb. 25, limited); When We Leave (March 18, limited); West Is West (March 25, limited); La nostra vita (April 1, limited); Winter in Wartime (April 1, limited); Soul Surfer (April 15); Lullaby for Pi (April 29, limited); Lost Journey (April, limited); The Tree (April, limited).

Funny you should mention it:

(Caution: may include romance)

* Just Go With It: Adam Sandler stars in this romantic comedy about a guy who pretends to be unhappily married to get women, which could be the worst idea yet. Co-stars include Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. (Feb. 11)

* A Wake: A troupe of actors comes together for the wake of their difficult director in this largely improvised dark comedy. (Feb. 18, limited)

* Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son: Martin Lawrence returns as an FBI agent whose specialty is disguising himself as a woman, this time at an all-girls' school. (Feb. 18)

* Hop: The Easter Bunny is hit by a car and the driver has to take over his route. (April 1)

* Arthur: Russell Brand steps into the Dudley Moore role in this film about a wealthy alcoholic who is kept in line by his assistant, Helen Mirren. (April 8)

* Born to Be a Star: Stephen Dorff and Christina Ricci star in this story about a young man who moves to Hollywood to become a porn star. (April 22)

* Hall Pass: The Farrelly Brothers directed this comedy about two married men whose wives gives them seven days to do whatever they want. Mmmbwahahaha! Owen Wilson, Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer star. (Feb. 25)

* Win Win: Paul Giamatti stars in Tom McCarthy's (The Visitor) film about a wrestling coach who discovers a star athlete (March 25, limited)

* Your Highness: A prince (James Franco) pursues his kidnapped bride-to-be (Zooey Deschanel), accompanied by his boozing, womanizing brother. (April 8)

Also opening: Cedar Rapids (Feb. 11), From Prada to Nada (Feb. 11, limited); The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (March 25, limited); Prom (April 29); Tyler Perry's Big Happy Family (April).

Stranger than fiction:

* Forks Over Knives: Two doctors say a good diet can prevent heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. (March 11, limited)

* Le quattro volte: A ``docu-essay'' about the cycles of life, as observed in the Italian district of Calabria. (April 1, limited)

* Good Food, Bad Food: Organic food good, industrial food production evil. (April 15)

* First Grader: The true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan who fights to go to school for the first time. (April, limited)

* L'amour fou: The affair between fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his lover Pierre Berge. (April, limited)

Looking ahead to May:

* Jumping the Broom: Two families converge on Martha's Vineyard for a wedding.

* Something Borrowed: Kate Hudson plays a single woman who falls for her best friend's fiance.

* Thor: Kenneth Branagh directs Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins in this comic-book adventure about a legendary warrior.

(Please note: All dates subject to change by studios; Movies marked limited are limited releases only and will open on varied dates depending on local market).