Movies Releasing Friday – August 15

It actually looks to be a pretty good movie week, all things considered. I was just reading a Slate article about how August shouldn’t even be a month anymore because it’s so awful and nothing happens in August. One of the arguments was the lack of good movie releases, but the movies releasing Friday put that argument to the test. We’ve got “Tropic Thunder” (finally!), “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, “Mirrors”, and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”.

“Tropic Thunder” Releases Friday

Tropic Thunder

People have been waiting for this movie for about a year, ever since news dropped that Owen Wilson would be replaced by Matthew McConaughey after being hospitalized. Ben Stiller recently opened up about Wilson’s struggles, saying, “It’s impossible to understand that kind of pain – depression or anything like that – until you’re in it.”

The movie is about a group of actors who think they’re filming a war flick, but who’ve been dropped off in the middle of an actual battlefield after their diva-like antics drive the director over the edge. And so far, the early reviews have been good, with one moviegoer saying,

Tropic Thunder makes you laugh. It’s just that simple. They aren’t the smartest laughs… they aren’t high brow laughs… but oh my goodness they are laughs nonetheless. This is a FUNNY flick.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Not much to say about this one – if you’re a Star Wars fan you’ll probably see it; if you’re not, you probably won’t. It’s an animated feature-length film building on the Star Wars franchise. It’s an involved plot with lots of characters all important in their own way: the Clone Wars are sweeping the galaxy, Anakin and Ahsoka end up in a battle against Jabba the Hutt, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda lead the clone army in battle, and the Separatists further their control of the Galactic Republic. Get ready for the fun.

Mirrors

Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton and Amy Smart, “Mirrors” is a horror film about a guy who takes over as watchman in a building that has all kinds of mirrors. The freaky part starts when he realizes that the reflections are taking on lives of their own, and even follow him home, so that his son’s and wife’s reflections also join in on the action. Viewers are calling it “scary but predictable”.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is the latest Woody Allen film to star his muse, Scarlett Johansson. The film also stars Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. In a fashion that only Woody Allen can do, this movie is a love triangle like no other. Two women on vacation in Spain fall for the same painter, but his ex-wife isn’t exactly out of the picture yet. If you like Woody Allen and you don’t mind Scarlett Johansson, I’m guessing you won’t be disappointed.

See the trailers for the movies below.