Well I decided to do something fun, and instead of my blog just being film reviews, I've decided to do a top 10 list every month. Since this will be the first one, I thought something exciting should kick off this new installment and I decided to list the top 10 films of the summer. Tell me what you think about this new section, and tell me if you agree or not with my list. I'd also be happy seeing what everyone else would put in their list :D Let's start!
8. San Andreas
Also, since these will just be my quick thoughts, if you want to see the full review just click on the film name.
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Surprisingly I guess I didn't put a review up for this one, oops. Anyway, Avengers: Age of Ultron is what I find, and I'm in the minority apparently, is a much better film than the first one. People's biggest complaints are like "it's just copying the first one" and while the basic plot is eerily similar, this film has much more character and depth. In every film, Hawkeye pretty much gets shit on, is called useless, and people question why he's even on the team. Age of Ultron is that answer and so much more. I'm not the biggest Hawkeye fan, granted, but it really showed how underutilized he's been. Other than that, this film does a fantastic job in characterizing new players such as Ultron and Vision, while also adding to existing arcs like Tony's PTSD from the New York attack.
Jurassic World did what no other Jurassic movie has done after the first one, made Dinosaur's fun. It brought back the nostalgia ten fold in this summer popcorn movie. Looking back on it the script may not have been great, and obviously they missed some really great story points, but like the creatures in this movie, the box office for JW was monstrous. No one ever saw how big of a hit this would be, and while I don't think it deserves as much praise as it has gotten, it definitely was a fun, stupid, turn your brains off type of movie that (almost) the whole family could enjoy.
8. San Andreas
The Rock, what more could you ask for? Yes, this movie wasn't great, and can be called cheesy, but what disaster film isn't at this point? For me it was the charismatic nature of The Rock, the awesomeness of Paul Giamatti, and the insane special effects that really made me appreciate this epic summer blockbuster. When you look at it I'm sure a lot of people were thinking that there was a decent CGI to reality ratio, but it really blew my mind to learn just how much CGI was in the film. I had a great theater experience watching this popcorn flick, the Rock was throwing out one liners and being amazing, and the special effects were top notch, especially the shots you see the whole state move. It's not going to win any awards, but it definitely won my happiness.
7. Tomorrowland
This was another film that I was surprised I didn't review. I was sure I reviewed Ultron and Tomorrowland, but I guess not. Anyway, Tomorowland has had a weird outing. First the film was kept in total secrecy so I'm sure a lot of people didn't know what to think of it, or even know that it was out. The trailers were also very confusing and you weren't sure what the film was going to be. Then finally, after the film is out and critics have seen it, they start saying how bad of a movie it was, and how the third act fell apart. I will agree with them that the third act wasn't as great as I would have liked, but the first two acts are magical. I literally felt like I was five again and watching the power of movie magic unfold before my eyes. I was giddy, laughing, and blown away with all the great acting, story, and special effects. The film even covered such a strange topic about a man growing up and only loving a robot that looked like a child for eternity. That concept alone could have been the film, but because it's Disney I'm sure they didn't allow that little plot thread to be fully explored. All in all, this is the only film that actually made me feel like a kid again, and because of that it wasn't a total disaster,nor should it be a film that you skip it's simply magical.
6. Southpaw
Wow, other than Tomorrowland, Southpaw is one of the best theater experiences I've had in a long time. I went to see it twice, and it wasn't until the second time that I started to notice how messy the script was. When you think about the film on a story standpoint there are so many things that they missed or could have elaborated on. In fact if they made this film longer, say three hours long, I think this could have been an instant classic. While they did have a lot going on, it was the acting that made me forget all that. It was Jake Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker and the little girl who brought such powerful performances that I actually didn't notice the weaknesses of the film. This is a great example of how phenomenal acting can save a messy script, because Gyllanhaal should at least get recognized for this powerful performance.
5. Big Game
This Finnish film is one I've been waiting a year for. The only reason I've been dying to see this is because my great great grandmother was from Finland, and I wanted to see what an actual Finnish film looked like. So this may not be a great example of a Finnish film since it looked like it had a lot of American help, but it did a really great job on making an enjoyable action movie that meshed classic 80s action and modern action. Some of the scenes were stunning, and just getting a peak into another culture/country is spectacular for me that I instantly got hooked with this movie. I also think any action fan should hunt this down and watch it.
This is one of those films that I love so much, but other people just don't see why. Not all movies are made to have an interesting plot, and unfortunately everyone was criticizing the cliche plot that this had. To me, this was a love letter to that era of films (60s spy thriller) and the story wasn't about the plot, but more about an American (Cavill) getting along with a Russian (Hammer). Their chemistry together is phenomenal.The best part of the movie was when they were trying to one up each other from fashion to fancy tech. It gave me great laughs, it was filmed in that unusual Guy Ritchie way that really made me feel like I was watching something special. I for one would love to see another one, but sadly I don't think it had enough support.
3. Mr. Holmes
I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I've watched a lot of his movies, read the books/short stories, watched a few episodes of a black and white TV show, and even dabbled in his radio dramas. So, when a film that shows what an aging Sherlock Holmes is like, and the fact that he's battling something that everyone must face, makes a really compelling story. I've watched this twice in the theaters and can't wait to own it on Blu-ray. Ian McKellen does a spectacular job portraying an older Mr Holmes, and an elderly Mr Holmes. The story is complex and yet is complete and makes you feel satisfied by the end of it. For all those who like mystery and Sherlock I'd advise highly to watch this as soon as you can.
2. Inside Out
I wanted to put this at number one because it has so much context. Like every great Pixar film kids and adults alike will fall in love with this instant classic. It's creative and ingenious, while also bringing up nostalgia for adults. It has more of a story, and layers to peel back than my number one, but if my number one didn't come out then Inside Out definitely would take it's place. This is a film that everybody should see, and probably the first animated film that might be nominated for Best Picture in a while.
If this isn't in your number one spot, it should be in your top five. This is the first Mad Max film I have ever seen, and I do not regret it one bit. Saw this three times in the theater, and I just cannot get enough of it. This is so masculine, and yet has strong female characters. The action is choreographed so well that your on the edge of your feet swearing at how totally insanely awesome this could be. Mad Max: Fury Road is a movie that I never knew I was waiting for all my life. It has cars, a crazy guitar player, a dystopian setting, and Tom Hardy who likes to grunt. The first thirty minutes or so will keep you on the edge of your pants, and by the time you finish this you'll ask "where have you been all my life?"
So tell me what you guys thought, share your lists, and I hope you had a wonderful summer :D
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