As the summer movie season continues, August has the potential to produce a few hits. However, few are believed to be the kind of blockbusters that will be up to the box-office production of earlier movies in the season, such as “Eclipse,” “Toy Story 3” and “Iron Man 2.”
AUGUST
“The Other Guys”
Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan and Dwayne Johnson
Directed by Adam McKay
After last summer’s all-around disappointment of “Land of the Lost,” Ferrell looks to rebound with an all-star cast in tow for an action-comedy that pairs him with Wahlberg. They play detectives looking for a little respect, as they work in the shadows of a pair of well-known cops (Jackson and Johnson) in their own department. It seems hard to imagine the premise and cast won’t be able to at least make the proceedings mildly enjoyable. (Aug. 6)
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“Eat Pray Love”
Starring Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup and Javier Bardem
Directed by Ryan Murphy
The bestselling memoir of Elizabeth Gilbert gets the big-screen treatment with Roberts portraying the author, who seeks out a new life for herself by traveling on a quest for self-discovery. The book has a pretty big following, and while Roberts isn’t the box-office superstar that she once was, this late summer release has the potential to be a decent-sized hit. (Aug. 13)
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“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by Edgar Wright
A young man (Cera) performing in a rock band becomes enamored with a woman (Winstead), but finds a challenge standing before him in order to get involved with her. He must defeat her evil seven exes, one by one, to win her over. An interesting concept, to be sure, with talented director Wright (“Shaun of the Dead”) at the helm. (Aug. 13)
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“The Expendables”
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke
Directed by Sylvester Stallone
One look at the cast and it’s easy to see the appeal of this film. A seemingly endless number of action movies fill the resumes of the actors, who are all brought together by Stallone (who also co-wrote the screenplay) as a group of mercenaries on a mission to overthrow a dictator. With so many aging action stars in one place, will this film be a case of testosterone overload? This will likely be some brain dead fun or just brain dead. (Aug. 13)
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“Nanny McPhee Returns”
Starring Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans and Maggie Smith
Directed by Susanna White
A sequel to the surprise 2005 hit comedy, Thompson reprises her role as the titular nanny, who is put in charge of a new group of children, helping out a stressed out young mother (Gyllenhaal). Like the previous film, Thompson is also doubling as the screenwriter for the sequel, one of the few in the month aimed at families. (Aug. 20)
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“The Switch”
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Juliette Lewis
Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck
The likeable pairing of Aniston and Bateman heads up this romantic comedy built on a premise involving artificial insemination, of all things. Aniston is a single mother who reunites with her best friend (Bateman). He happens to be sitting on a secret that he replaced a sperm sample meant for her seven years back with his own. While the story sounds like something you’d see in a bad sitcom, hopefully the filmmakers (who were behind “Blades of Glory”) and cast can raise the quality of the material. (Aug. 20)
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“Going the Distance”
Starring Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate
Directed by Nanette Burstein
Real-life on-again, off-again couple Barrymore and Long play a pair of young professionals trying to keep their relationship alive while traveling between Chicago and Los Angeles. Barrymore has carved out a solid career on romantic comedies, and since Long is someone she’s been in a relationship with, you would think on-screen chemistry won’t be difficult to achieve. Of course, that doesn’t equate to an enjoyable movie. But it can’t hurt. (Aug. 27)
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