I think (once again), that I have to agree with Wil. Despite the financial straights the movie industry seems to be in (or at least that theaters seem to be in), we're really living in a bit of a golden age. A great deal of that has to do with special effect -- right now, if it can be imagined, it can be put on a screen, and put on a screen cheaply enough to make it practical. That not only helps the big special effects movies (Sith, say -- surprisingly, the previous two Star Wars films weren't very impressive in the special effects department, Lucas actually fell behind the curve for a while before catching up again), and movies made into spectacles with special effects (namely, Lord of the Rings), it also helps the more "mainstream" movies in little ways -- namely, "traditional" movies like Master and Commander, or Pirates of the Caribbean.
Mind you, most films are still crap. But the good ones (Serenity) are very good.
Speaking of Pirates, we saw a trailer for the sequel today (really, the only trailer worth mentioning). I'm looking forward to that, because unlike some filmmakers whose names I won't mention (*cough*, *cough*, Wachowski brothers, *cough*, *cough*) the trailer leads me to believe that they actually realized what made the first movie cool, and are giving it to us.
And you know what? I, for one, still like going to the theater, even if it might be a bit overpriced.