by Joseph Rossi
Summer is over. As the last few days lead into the back to school season, I choose to reflect on the films of the past few months while on vacation. My obligation is to the medium (don’t tell my wife).
The summer started with a BANG with Iron Man 3, which happens to be the only Iron Man movie I like because it was written without the baggage of other Marvel films weighing down on it’s shoulders. It’s a stand-alone film.
Soon after was Star Trek: Into Darkness, which was a feast of movie going pleasure. Acting, direction, screenplay and craft were all on hand. Then came the 6th of the Fast and Furious movies, which was fun and stupid at the same time. There was The Hangover 3, which was just stupid. How stupid? They revoked Bradley Cooper’s Oscar nomination. (kidding)
After Earth was a loud, big, bomb that ended up ruining mega-star Will Smith’s hot streak. The Internship and its huge product placement budget was a waste of the public’s money. But have no fear; Superman and Brad Pitt saved the day. Man of Steel and World War Z were huge successes, ensuring more sequels to come. For anyone interested in good comedy, This is the End provided big laughs. Those interested in bad comedy watched The Heat.
Good family entertainment ruled with Monsters University and Despicable Me 2 barreling over tripe like Turbo and The Smurfs 2, hopefully squashing those little blue bastards into powder.
Whitehouse Down, Lone Ranger, RED 2, and RIPD were a few big studio disasters and all the more reason to support smaller films like Lee Daniels’ The Butler. The great Pacific Rim wasn’t the homerun people thought it would be, a single will have to do. The Wolverine turned out to be a pretty decent and authentic comic book movie.
Matt Damon, for me, was the summer’s real hero, starring in a smart and fun action spectacle called Elysium. It wasn’t a sequel, part of any franchise or an animated film. Thank God.
In short the worst film of the summer is a toss up between The Lone Ranger and The Hangover 3. The best is Lee Daniels’ The Butler. Everything else in between has long been forgotten and will soon be on VOD and DVD to watch again. Goodbye summer, hello awards season and all it’s campaigning pleasures.
