With a promising May, mediocre June, and a mostly solid July under its belt, summer 2011 now looks to an electric August roster to wrap things up before heading into fall. Obviously nothing will touch Transformers 3 or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two in terms of box office, but there is still plenty of potential for fantastic films and sleeper hits. Let’s take a closer look.

Comedy

August 5 – The Change-Up

Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds pretend to be each other. I might be looking a little too forward to this.

Likely Quality: I’m expecting this movie to be hilarious. Anything less will piss me off.

Likely Box Office: High. Maybe even the top spot.

August 12 – 30 Minutes or Less

The Comic-Con footage brought the house down, so I’m looking forward to the film, despite the fact that Danny McBride is in it (not a fan). Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari are an inspired pairing.

Likely Quality: The humor in this film strikes me as the kind that hits with some people and not with others. It seems unique and awkward and up my alley, but that’s not necessarily for everyone.

Likely Box Office: Top three, certainly, but I’d be incredibly surprised to see it open at number one.

August 26 – Our Idiot Brother

Paul Rudd plays idealistic organic farmer brother to Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, and Emily Mortimer.

Likely Quality: I’ve been hearing mixed things since it appeared at Sundance, but this still seems like the kind of movie that would appeal to me; I’m expecting to love it.

Likely Box Office: Small, but not a disappointment.

Action

August 19 – Conan the Barbarian 3-D

Everything I’ve seen on this movie looks stupid. But MAN, do I dig Jason Momoa.

Likely Quality: I’m calling it now. Awful.

Likely Box Office: Utterly mediocre. Unless all of us Game of Thrones fans decide we really need a Khal Drogo sooner rather than later.

August 26 – Columbiana

Zoe Saldana plays an assassin in this new revenge story.

Likely Quality: Based on the trailer, I have no interest in this movie at all whatsoever, but seems like it could get decent enough reviews.

Likely Box Office: OK. I haven’t seen any marketing for it at all, but it could just be I’m not the demographic being marketed to?

Sci-fi/Horror

August 5 – Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I’ve been looking forward to this movie since the first trailer was released. I loved the Comic-Con footage. I love Andy Serkis. I want to see this right now.

Likely Quality: Please be amazing please be amazing please be amazing. PLEASE. We know the special effects are. Trusting the rest will be as well. Love every piece of footage I’ve seen.

Likely Box Office: I’m terrified that it will open soft, but perhaps with good reviews, word of mouth can get enough people out to the theater.

August 12 – Final Destination 5

I have yet to see a single Final Destination movie and I can tell you right now, this will not be my first.

Likely Quality: Exactly the same as the first four.

Likely Box Office: Exactly the same as the first four.

August 19 – Fright Night

A remake of the beloved classic. I’m intrigued more by the cast and screenwriter than anything else. I’d like to see it, but can’t imagine going out to the theater to do so.

Likely Quality: Silly fun.

Likely Box Office: Decent.

August 26 – Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

I *still* don’t know anything about this Guillermo Del Toro horror flick and I’d like it to stay that way. Can’t wait to see it opening weekend.

Likely Quality: Great.

Likely Box Office: Is it too much to hope for an unexpected hit?

Kids

August 12 – Glee: The 3-D Concert Movie

No part of me cares about this.

Likely Quality: If you like Glee? Probably high. If you don’t like Glee? Step AWAY from the 3-D concert movie.

Likely Box Office: Huge.

August 19 – Spy Kids: All the Time in the World 4-D

I’m definitely intrigued by the “4-D” aspect of it, especially since that can truly only be experienced in the theater, so hey, if I had kids, I’d be looking forward to being forced to see this at least. But I don’t have kids. So it’s not happening.

Likely Quality: Good enough for its purposes.

Likely Box Office: Fairly high, I’d imagine. Does Aroma-Scope inch up the ticket price at all?

Drama

August 10 – The Help

Based on the book by the same name and dealing with racial issues in Mississippi during the 1960s, this stars Emma Stone, whom I unfortunately can’t take seriously in a period piece.

Likely Quality: Either completely overwrought or genuinely solid. Not gonna lie, the trailer did get my heartstrings going a bit.

Likely Box Office: Nothing spectacular.

(Note: One Day‘s release date moved from July 8 to August 19. For info on this one, see our July preview.)

Buzzworthy Indie

August 5 – Bellflower

All I needed to hear was “like a mix between John Hughes and Mad Max” to be sold on this Sundance hit.

Likely Quality: I’ve been hearing fantastic things for a while now. Dying to see it myself.

Likely Box Office: Small, but what else would we expect? Box office isn’t what matters for this movie — reviews, awards, and building a great rep for its creative team are.

Tags: 30 Minutes or Less, bellflower, Colombiana, Conan the Barbarian, danny mcbride, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, elizabeth banks, emily mortimer, emma stone, Final Destination 5, Fright Night, Glee The 3D Concert Movie, Jason Momoa, One Day, Our Idiot Brother, paul rudd, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, The Change-Up, The Help, zoe saldana, zooey deschanel