So I neglected to write my reviews for the summer movie season - probably because I didn't really go to the movies that often this summer. So I decided to include all of the movies I went to this summer into one post. Here it goes:
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| Avengers: Age of Ultron |
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron - The second installment of this
Marvel franchise was one of the most anticipated movies of the season and possibly one of the biggest let-downs. Several minor films and TV episodes culminated in bringing the heroes of
S.H.I.E.L.D. together again to combat an imminent threat to life as we know it. The
first movie was gripping, showing the struggle between the heroes to swallow their egos and to learn to work together. There are some really cool action sequences in this movie. But the character interaction is almost non-existent except for some unusual twists. (Wait, what?
Hulk and
Black Widow?) There are a few new characters introduced -
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as
Quicksilver,
Elizabeth Olsen as
Scarlet Witch, and
Paul Bettany as
Vision - but their characters are so sketchy, do we really care what happens to them?
James Spader plays the villain, a gravelly-voiced robot named
Ultron, but his character is so whiny and ambiguous that it is hard to take him seriously. Should we be scared? It was really disappointing, but I hold on to the hope that the next one will be better. I must say - my kids loved it. It has already come out on video, and I have watched it again this week. Maybe I should have waited for it to come out on video.
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| Jurassic World |
2. Jurassic World - When "
Jurassic Park" by
Michael Crichton came out, it was a novel with biting commentary, an ironic look at the world of science when it collides with commercialism. The movie based on the novel, directed by
Steven Spielberg, had the same spirit of the book, along with some cutting edge special effects, The movies that followed seem to seek after the same commercialism that the original story preached against, following an undeviating formula. "
Jurassic World" is no different - a dinosaur theme park gone wrong where all the dinosaurs break loose. Park administrators that refuse to heed dire warnings of imminent danger. Heroic park staff that rescue kids from said dinosaurs. Genetic super-dino on the prowl. It's all there, man. Right there. Predictable as all get-out. It's still fun. Who can dislike a movie with
Chris Pratt in it, right? But in the end, not even
Vincent D'Onofrio can save this movie.
Jeff Goldblum might have. Still, the kids loved it.
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| Ant-Man |
3. Ant-Man - Sometimes the little guy does win. "
Ant-Man" is probably among Marvel's best pictures to date, along with the first "
Iron Man" and "
Guardians of the Galaxy". Quirky and light-hearted, it tells the story of one of the more idiosyncratic characters from the Marvel pantheon,
Ant-Man, played by
Paul Rudd, who gives his hero a softer, more comedic feel. He plays a down-and-out thief recruited by the irascible
Michael Douglas to escond and use a technology that allows the user to reduce his size to that of an insect, along with inheriting other insectile traits. Of course, he winds up facing another minuscule villain,
Yellowjacket, played by
Corey Stoll. This film is unconventional and fun. And yes, the kids will love it.
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| American Ultra |
4. American Ultra - "American Ultra" tells the story of a neurotic stoner in a sleepy town played by
Jesse Eisenberg. The on;y solace he has is in his girlfriend played surprisingly well by the otherwise boring
Kristen Stewart. His life take a turn for the chaotic when he discovers that he is a killing machine, a victim of an
MK Ultra-type government experiment. As teams of assassins lead by
Topher Grace descend on the town, he discovers his secret talents along with other dark secrets of his past. This movie is subversive, violent, and fun. All of it set within the confines of a small town with colorful characters within the space of one nightmarish night, this film evokes the suffocating feeling of
Scorcese's "
After Hours". This really is my kind of movie - a cerebral, psychedelic mindf*** disguised as a summer blockbuster.
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| Everest |
5. Everest - "Everest" is probably my favorite movie of 2015 so far. When I walked into the theater, I only knew it was a climbing movie, and I am a sucker for those kinds of movies. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was based on the events portrayed in "
Into Thin Air" by
Jon Krakauer, one of my favorite books. It is not specifically based on the book, but the events were pretty close to what I had read. It narrates the tale of the ill-fated Everest expedition of 1996. Visually, the film has superb panoramic shots of the
Himalayas, which makes the
3-D experience worth it. There are stellar performances by a diverse cast that includes
Jason Clarke as
Rob Hall and
Jake Gyllenhaal as
Scott Fischer, as well as excellent performances by
Keira Knightly,
Josh Brolin,
Sam Worthington,
Robin Wright,
John Hawkes,
Michael Kelly as Karakauer, and
Emily Watson. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as stir you emotionally. I went to see it a second time and took my wife. She was in tears by the end. Don't miss the chance to see this on the big screen.
