Five worst films of the summer of '08

The summer season at the movies has come to and end, and it's time to look back at what films really stank this year. Here are the five worst films of the summer of '08.

5. MIRRORS
While he kicks serious butt on television, Kiefer Sutherland is not exactly a hero on the big screen, and his stunt in "Mirrors" is pretty much disastrous. Besides a series of cheap shock effects and a couple of ridiculous twists, Alexandre Aja's disappointing horror remake barely has anything to offer for the return of the price of admission. Scares and an intriguing story are absent.

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Box Office: 'Tropic Thunder' beats 'Dark Knight'

By Franck Tabouring

Weekend of August 15 – 17, 2008

Ben Stiller’s action comedy “Tropic Thunder” kicked “The Dark Knight" off its throne at the North American box office this weekend with $26 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Since its release Wednesday, “Thunder” has lifted its domestic total to $37 million. Starring Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., the movie follows a group of actors who are pursued by ruthless criminals after their director drops them off in the middle of the jungle.

Slipping to No. 2, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” took home $16,7 million this weekend, bringing its total gross to $471.4 million after five impressive weeks in release.

Debuting in third place with $15.5 million was Warner’s computer-animated action adventure “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which serves as an introduction to the upcoming television series of the same title.

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'Mirrors' web reviews

Kiefer Sutherland returns to the big screen in Alexandre Aja's horror remake "Mirrors," which wasn't received all that well by the nation's top critics. But what about the people on the Web? What do they have to say about Jack Bauer's effort as a security guard becoming obsessed with evil mirrors? Let's find out below. The flick also stars Paula Patton and Amy Smart.

• William Goss at Cinematical: "I remain confident that Aja is a capable and competent horror filmmaker in an age when they seem so far and few between, but the man can only do so much with so little."

• CinemaBlend's Mack Rawden: "It’s just pointless, lacking in originality, and prone to shooting itself in the glass. There’s a plethora of good through-the-mirror camera shots, but they get overused and weak by the end."

• Brian Orndorf at Collider: "With Aja slathering on the cheap boo scares, overseeing rancid performances, barely investing in his screenplay, and showing questionable gorehound taste in violent imagery, 'Mirrors' eventually reflects absolute tedium, not appealing supernatural fury."

And that's about it already. Doesn't sound too convincing does it? Click right here to check out my review.

Review: "Mirrors"

Seen on: August 15, 2008

The players: Director: Alexandre Aja, Writers: Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levasseur, Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart, Ezra Buzzington, Erica Gluck, Cameron Boyce

Facts of interest: Based on the South Korean flick "Geoul sokeuro."

The plot: A security guard becomes obsessed with mirrors in an old building after they start playing scary tricks on him.

Our quick thoughts: In Alexandre Aja’s Hollywood horror remake “Mirrors,” Kiefer Sutherland stars as Ben Carson, a former NYPD detective who’s having a hard time battling his alcohol problem and communicating with his wife Amy (Paula Patton).

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Check out this bloody 'Mirrors' opening scene

Although I haven't seen the film yet, I'm still not sold on Kiefer Sutherland's latest big-screen venture "Mirrors," which opens in theaters this Friday. Maybe it's because most recent Hollywood horror remakes pretty much failed to captivate me. Or maybe it's because the film is directed by Alexandre Aja, who hasn't done anything worth mentioning since his great shocker "Haute Tension." Or maybe it's because of Kiefer Sutherland, who rocks on television but hasn't convinced me on the big screen quite yet.

Anyway, IGN today premiered the film's bloody opening scene, which you can check out just above. No, you won't see Kiefer Sutherland trying to protect his family from the evil hiding in the mirrors, but you will see some mirrors doing some nasty stuff. Next time, beware when you look at yourself in the mirror. You may be shocked by what you'll see. Enjoy.

New international ‘Mirrors’ poster online

Empire Online premiered a new U.K. poster for Alexandre Aja’s upcoming horror remake “Mirrors,” about an ex-cop who struggles with evil mirrors. Kiefer Sutherland and Paula Patton star. The film opens Aug. 15, 2008.

Although the domestic one-sheet is not impressive either, I really don’t like this international poster. In fact, I don’t like much about this horror pic at this stage. I mean, in the end it looks just like every other recent Hollywood horror remake: disappointing and hardly original.