Summer Movie Review
Well, it's September now, and while there are still 21 days left in the season of summer, the official summer movie season is over. Now is when the studios tend to release either horror movies, award-hopefuls, or in a few more months, the big Christmas blockbusters.
So, in review, as this is traditionally my favourite movie season, let's review what I have seen - and I'm only counting movies released between May 1 and August 31, 2008.
"HONOURABLE" MENTION"
12. WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
May 9, 2008
Rating: C
This movie barely made my list, because it's the only summer release that I've yet to see on DVD. It's nothing, really, and my least favourite of the summer fare I have seen. And is it just me, or did Cameron Diaz suddenly get a lot uglier? I don't think it's just due to her aging!
NOW, ONTO THE REAL LIST
11. GET SMART
June 20, 2008
Rating: B-
I never watched the show as a child, but I was fully aware it inspired a childhood favourite of mine, Inspector Gadget, so I had to check it out. That, and I generally like Steve Carrell in anything I've seen him in since he made it "big" a few years back in The 40 Year Old Virgin. This was a solid fun action movie, but nothing really that special, honestly. Hence why I put it at the bottom of my list. It looks like they want to make a sequel though - and not that DVD spinoff those two lab boys starred in. What the heck was that about? Are those two characters really that popular?
10. THE INCREDIBLE HULK
June 13, 2008
Rating: B-
A rant on this movie is alredy in place in my journal, but I'll give you the condensed version: I liked this movie. I truly did. And that made me - excuse the obvious reference - ANGRY! - because I personally hate the Hulk character because he's so one-dimensional. It was a lot tighter (but no more interesting) than the last Hulk movie, though. At least he had a real villain to fight - but the sad thing is that as soon as the CGI beasts (Hulk and Abomination) took over, I lost interest. Everyone in human form was much more interesting. The Hulk is a hero for kids under 10...he doesn't hold a candle to any of the truly cool superheroes out there, as far as being interesting or possessing any depth.
9. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
May 16, 2008
Rating: B
I really enjoyed the first Narnia movie - and I liked the first book - so this movie, while it's more "adult" and focused on the fighting, it didn't have that same feel of magic and wonder that its predecessor did. That's the only reason why I give this a lower rating than The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, which I'd give an A-. And I miss my little beaver buddies!
8. TROPIC THUNDER
August 13, 2008
Rating: B
Welcome to the most overrated movie of the summer. I think it was only so overrated because it's an average comedy that lampooned Hollywood marginally well - and all the movie critics just enjoyed something different. Sorry, I didn't. Apart from the fake movie trailers (better than the crap Tarantino did with Grindhouse...except for "Hobo with a Shotgun"), Robert Downey Jr's blackface character, the retard speech, and...I can't believe I'm saying this...Tom Cruise, the movie was nothing more than a run of a mill war parody to me. It could have been so much more - I'd prefer a bittersweet parody like The Truman Show or just a well-written all-out farce like Bowfinger - both A+ movies in my books. This is honestly decent, but pale by comparison. There were still too many "Ben Stiller moments" in this movie. And Jack Black was pointless. Nothing bothers me more than a bad movie...except maybe a decent movie that was so overhyped that it can only disappoint me. Which it did.
7. HANCOCK
July 1, 2008
Rating: B
Will Smith, Mr. Do-No-Wrong at the box office. He really is critic proof, isn't he? He's one of my favourite actors, too, and has been ever since 1990 when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air first aired. The more I learned about this movie, the more I liked the idea. Then I saw the movie and...while the idea was great, again, the movie didn't go as far as it should have. I realize a lot was cut to keep it from getting an R rating, but I think that would've made it a better movie (though likely less profitable). So...I ended up being disappointed. And the run time is only about 100 minutes - what's up with that? So many Will Smith movies have great premises but have really short run times...I Am Legend and the Men in Black films are in the same boat.
6. WALL-E
June 27, 2008
Rating: B+
I respect this movie a great deal for what it accomplishes through minimal dialogue and excellent visual storytelling. I really do. It's a definite excellent addition to Pixar's growing collection of gems. I would still place at least half of Pixar's movies above this, though...in fact, everything besides A Bug's Life and Cars. Not a bad movie by any stretch, but not truly my type.
5. IRON MAN
May 2, 2008
Rating: B+
The summer movie season pretty much kicked off with this excellent entry - about a second-tier superhero that most haven't heard of. I hadn't either, except for the fact that I remember back in 1996 that Tom Cruise was set to play him. That may have worked but casting Robert Downey Jr. was perfect - he truly was the movie, and even though I'm not a huge Iron Man fan, I liked the movie for what it was - an intelligent superhero movie that had actual characterization and actual emotion behind it. In the next movie, though, now that you don't have to focus on a hero being "born", introduce a true villain, please! Not that Iron Monger was BAD, but he just wasn't around enough.
4. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
May 23, 2008
Rating: B+
This movie has so many flaws - but it's a nostalgia trip for me and still contains a decent amount of fun. That's the main reason why its rating is as high as it is. But Indiana Jones and...aliens? I'd rather see him doing something pertaining to the Roswell cover-ups and area 51 instead of this...even though they built a decent story around it, it's just kind of tacky. I wrote a good rant about this earlier this summer as well. Decent movie, but nothing special - not like the original Indies, especially Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, two of my favourite movies of all time.
3. KUNG FU PANDA
June 6, 2008
Rating: A-
This movie has a special meaning for me, mostly because it caused me to acquire the nickname "Panda" at work, after my co-workers and I saw it back in June. That said, I still really enjoyed the movie and thought it was far better than absolutely anything Dreamworks Animation has ever put out (besides Shrek 1 & 2); the story was good, the animation was great, and there were lots of fun and funny moments. Definitely my favourite family movie of the summer.
2. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
August 6, 2008
Rating: A
A pot smoker action film? Who ever thought this would be that well done? Well, pretty much anything Seth Rogen touches these days is gold, and this is no exception. Not QUITE as good as his entry last year, Superbad, but still an excellent action-farce that earned James Franco a lot more of my respect as an actor. And I prefer this pot smoking duo far more than the antics of Jay & Silent Bob. Just saying.
1. THE DARK KNIGHT
July 18, 2008
Rating: A+
I knew that going into this summer, this was going to likely be my favourite movie if it held up to any of my lofty expectations. After seeing it five times, I can safely say it did, and then some. Despite all my nitpicking which I can still do, it's an action-packed, emotional (and emotionally draining) movie that everyone should see. It's not just a comic book movie, or a crime movie, it's a cultural phenomenon. I won't go any further than that because since this movie is my absolute prime forte, I could write forever. It's just that good.
So, in review, as this is traditionally my favourite movie season, let's review what I have seen - and I'm only counting movies released between May 1 and August 31, 2008.
"HONOURABLE" MENTION"
12. WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
May 9, 2008
Rating: C
This movie barely made my list, because it's the only summer release that I've yet to see on DVD. It's nothing, really, and my least favourite of the summer fare I have seen. And is it just me, or did Cameron Diaz suddenly get a lot uglier? I don't think it's just due to her aging!
NOW, ONTO THE REAL LIST
11. GET SMART
June 20, 2008
Rating: B-
I never watched the show as a child, but I was fully aware it inspired a childhood favourite of mine, Inspector Gadget, so I had to check it out. That, and I generally like Steve Carrell in anything I've seen him in since he made it "big" a few years back in The 40 Year Old Virgin. This was a solid fun action movie, but nothing really that special, honestly. Hence why I put it at the bottom of my list. It looks like they want to make a sequel though - and not that DVD spinoff those two lab boys starred in. What the heck was that about? Are those two characters really that popular?
10. THE INCREDIBLE HULK
June 13, 2008
Rating: B-
A rant on this movie is alredy in place in my journal, but I'll give you the condensed version: I liked this movie. I truly did. And that made me - excuse the obvious reference - ANGRY! - because I personally hate the Hulk character because he's so one-dimensional. It was a lot tighter (but no more interesting) than the last Hulk movie, though. At least he had a real villain to fight - but the sad thing is that as soon as the CGI beasts (Hulk and Abomination) took over, I lost interest. Everyone in human form was much more interesting. The Hulk is a hero for kids under 10...he doesn't hold a candle to any of the truly cool superheroes out there, as far as being interesting or possessing any depth.
9. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
May 16, 2008
Rating: B
I really enjoyed the first Narnia movie - and I liked the first book - so this movie, while it's more "adult" and focused on the fighting, it didn't have that same feel of magic and wonder that its predecessor did. That's the only reason why I give this a lower rating than The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, which I'd give an A-. And I miss my little beaver buddies!
8. TROPIC THUNDER
August 13, 2008
Rating: B
Welcome to the most overrated movie of the summer. I think it was only so overrated because it's an average comedy that lampooned Hollywood marginally well - and all the movie critics just enjoyed something different. Sorry, I didn't. Apart from the fake movie trailers (better than the crap Tarantino did with Grindhouse...except for "Hobo with a Shotgun"), Robert Downey Jr's blackface character, the retard speech, and...I can't believe I'm saying this...Tom Cruise, the movie was nothing more than a run of a mill war parody to me. It could have been so much more - I'd prefer a bittersweet parody like The Truman Show or just a well-written all-out farce like Bowfinger - both A+ movies in my books. This is honestly decent, but pale by comparison. There were still too many "Ben Stiller moments" in this movie. And Jack Black was pointless. Nothing bothers me more than a bad movie...except maybe a decent movie that was so overhyped that it can only disappoint me. Which it did.
7. HANCOCK
July 1, 2008
Rating: B
Will Smith, Mr. Do-No-Wrong at the box office. He really is critic proof, isn't he? He's one of my favourite actors, too, and has been ever since 1990 when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air first aired. The more I learned about this movie, the more I liked the idea. Then I saw the movie and...while the idea was great, again, the movie didn't go as far as it should have. I realize a lot was cut to keep it from getting an R rating, but I think that would've made it a better movie (though likely less profitable). So...I ended up being disappointed. And the run time is only about 100 minutes - what's up with that? So many Will Smith movies have great premises but have really short run times...I Am Legend and the Men in Black films are in the same boat.
6. WALL-E
June 27, 2008
Rating: B+
I respect this movie a great deal for what it accomplishes through minimal dialogue and excellent visual storytelling. I really do. It's a definite excellent addition to Pixar's growing collection of gems. I would still place at least half of Pixar's movies above this, though...in fact, everything besides A Bug's Life and Cars. Not a bad movie by any stretch, but not truly my type.
5. IRON MAN
May 2, 2008
Rating: B+
The summer movie season pretty much kicked off with this excellent entry - about a second-tier superhero that most haven't heard of. I hadn't either, except for the fact that I remember back in 1996 that Tom Cruise was set to play him. That may have worked but casting Robert Downey Jr. was perfect - he truly was the movie, and even though I'm not a huge Iron Man fan, I liked the movie for what it was - an intelligent superhero movie that had actual characterization and actual emotion behind it. In the next movie, though, now that you don't have to focus on a hero being "born", introduce a true villain, please! Not that Iron Monger was BAD, but he just wasn't around enough.
4. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
May 23, 2008
Rating: B+
This movie has so many flaws - but it's a nostalgia trip for me and still contains a decent amount of fun. That's the main reason why its rating is as high as it is. But Indiana Jones and...aliens? I'd rather see him doing something pertaining to the Roswell cover-ups and area 51 instead of this...even though they built a decent story around it, it's just kind of tacky. I wrote a good rant about this earlier this summer as well. Decent movie, but nothing special - not like the original Indies, especially Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, two of my favourite movies of all time.
3. KUNG FU PANDA
June 6, 2008
Rating: A-
This movie has a special meaning for me, mostly because it caused me to acquire the nickname "Panda" at work, after my co-workers and I saw it back in June. That said, I still really enjoyed the movie and thought it was far better than absolutely anything Dreamworks Animation has ever put out (besides Shrek 1 & 2); the story was good, the animation was great, and there were lots of fun and funny moments. Definitely my favourite family movie of the summer.
2. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
August 6, 2008
Rating: A
A pot smoker action film? Who ever thought this would be that well done? Well, pretty much anything Seth Rogen touches these days is gold, and this is no exception. Not QUITE as good as his entry last year, Superbad, but still an excellent action-farce that earned James Franco a lot more of my respect as an actor. And I prefer this pot smoking duo far more than the antics of Jay & Silent Bob. Just saying.
1. THE DARK KNIGHT
July 18, 2008
Rating: A+
I knew that going into this summer, this was going to likely be my favourite movie if it held up to any of my lofty expectations. After seeing it five times, I can safely say it did, and then some. Despite all my nitpicking which I can still do, it's an action-packed, emotional (and emotionally draining) movie that everyone should see. It's not just a comic book movie, or a crime movie, it's a cultural phenomenon. I won't go any further than that because since this movie is my absolute prime forte, I could write forever. It's just that good.