It never seems like a bad idea to spend the summer in the cool and comfortable confines of a movie theatre. Of course, that all depends on what film is being projected onto the screen.
From large-budget blockbuster productions to smaller independent films, I covered a vast group of genres.
“The Hangover”— released June 5
How did these boys get into such a crazy predicament? That’s the road director Todd Phillips takes his viewers down in another outrageous comedy.
Instead of witnessing how drunk and out-of-control four men can get in Las Vegas, “Hangover” tells the aftermath of a night in which the four are purposely slipped Rohypnol by fellow groomsmen Zach Galifianakis.
The film does its job by causing the audience to laugh throughout, all while not having Judd Apatow attached to the credits.
“Hangover” earns the prize as top comedy of the season.
GRADE: B
“Moon” — released June 12
Sam Rockwell stars as astronaut Sam Bell in the science fiction thriller directed by Duncan Jones. With only himself and his computer assistant GERTY (Kevin Spacey) to communicate with during a three-year project on the moon, the audience begins to believe Bell is slowly losing grip of reality.
As the movie progresses, Bell begins to realize what really is behind his insanity.
Rockwell puts on a fascinating performance that I think will earn him an Oscar nomination for best actor.
GRADE: A-
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” — released June 24
The Decepticons return to resurrect Megatron and take another shot at destroying Earth, but the Autobots and Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) stand in the way again.
blah, blah and blah.
“Revenge of the Fallen” was certainly eventful and entertaining in some ways, but director Michael Bay and company really stretched the production by putting out a subpar plot. Honestly, a horny, leg-humping Decepticon paired with jive talking Autobots?
Audiences get what they want with a ton of action and explosions. The film earned nearly $400 million at the box office, so we can all expect another heap of junk to hit the screen in 2011.
GRADE: D
“The Hurt Locker” — released June 26
The opening quote sums the film up best: “War is a drug.”
“The Hurt Locker” tells the story of a bomb-defusing unit in Iraq. Jeremy Renner stars as Staff Sgt. William James, the cocky, brave and risky unit leader. Anthony Mackie plays a great supporting role as Sgt. JT Sanborn. The movie gives audiences plenty of nail-biting scenes, but the film tends to center on the mental hurdles that the soldiers experience during their time in the desert. Some men can’t handle Iraq, and some men thrive on it.
Definitely, the best war-based movie I’ve seen in quite a while.
GRADE: A-
“Funny People” — released July 31
Apatow returned with the third installment of his extremely successful set of movies (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) with a comedic drama starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan.
Sandler gives a solid performance playing comedian George Simmons. After being told he has a short time to live, Simmons begins to open up his heart and enjoy life in a new way.
Plenty of laughs still occur throughout, but don’t expect the same amount of chuckles from “Virgin” and “Knocked Up.”
“Funny People” earns another top score for Apatow.
GRADE: B
“District 9” — released August 14
Loaded with a talented, yet unfamiliar cast, “District 9” grips you from the very beginning with its amazing special effects and a fresh and different take on alien flicks. Director Neil Blomkamp gives a view of alien life living in slum on Earth, while humans urge the visitors to depart.
Lead-actor Sharlto Copley plays Wikus van der Merwe, a field agent with the objective of evicting and relocating the alien camp to a smaller, more confined area. After Merwe is exposed to an alien liquid his DNA begins to change from human to alien.
“District 9” is one of those films you won’t want to forget.
GRADE: B+