Summer Season Recap

Ok I know the title of this post is a little strange considering we're about to leave winter not summer but any movie fan will know that the American summer season "offically" finished when Conan and Spy Kids 4 bombed last week. So lets have a look back before I give my top five summer films.

Overall the summer season was much better than last year and generally held a decent amount of films that were good, ranging from some very good ones to one of the worst films I've seen in many years.

Coming in at number five for the WORST film of the Summer Season is...

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. Ok you all this was coming and this is mostly because of how long the film is. I read a review a few months after the film came out that I think sums up my feelings perfectly. See this movie, just come an hour and a half late so you can see the extremely impressive Chicago set piece. The last hour of this film is visually amazing which is the only recommendation I can give the film

Number four of the WORST films of the Summer Season is...

Green Lantern. For what was meant to be the Ryan Rynolds summer, it really hasn't panned out to well for him with This barely making $200 million worldwide (much lower than it's budget) and The Change-Up opening fourth before dropping down to tenth. Green Lantern has the problem of not knowing what it wants to be. The opening makes it seems as though it wants to be an epic superhero film in vein of Spider-Man or Superman the problem is the script which is mostly lame jokes that don't work. Ryan gives a decent enough performance and there are a few laughs but it never builds up to what it could have been. This is one film that a sequel or remake is needed because its more of a missed oppurunity rather than a bad film.

Number three of the WORST film of the Summer Season is...

The Hangover Part II. I loved the original The Hangover; it was funny, shocking and an overall fun time. The only problem I had with it was it does't really have repeat value. I didn't enjoy it the second time as much as I did the first and by the time I'd seen it four or five times I was really over it and ended up not enjoying it at all (my friend were in love with this movie and always forced me to watch it). So when the film's sequel is basically a remake of the original with many of the same jokes, I don't have fun at all. Another one of my problems and it was  the same one I had with Due Date is that Zach Galifianakis is given the same joke over and over and you just get sick of it. He is a very talented comedian but unfortunately he keeps using the "child in a grown man's body" joke and I'm over it.

Number two of the WORST films of the Summer Season is...

Cowboys & Aliens. Again this is a missed opportunity. This could have been a really fun and exciting adventure and one that I was actually looking forward to. The problem it has is that it's not engaging at all. The action in the film is the biggest let down, everything is just really badly shot with uncoherient editing that your not pulled into the screen and you don't engage with what is happening. It's boring. Also the story is a huge problem in that I didn't care for any of the characters at all. Olvia Wilde's character is so pointless and unnessassary that everytime she's on screen I zoned out. Then again I zoned out for most of the film. Like I said, it's just boring.

and the worst film of the Summer is...

Your Highness. Ok I know, I'm cheating with this one a little but technically it didn't come in Australia until May which is when I saw it so it counts. To quote the Joker "Where do we being?" This film is just so horrendously bad that there isn't anything to really say without me sounding like I'm going on a rant. If there was ever a movie to show that the actor or actress is simply doing it for a paycheck, this was it. I mean what were James Franco and Natalie Portman thinking? They just came off of two Oscar nominated performances (with one even winning the bloody award). Sorry I'm starting to rant, this movie just annoyed me because it shows everything I hate about bad films. It doesn't know who it's target audience is. The script is filled with f words and things that get the film an MA rating (R if your American) but then the humor is so childish that its target audience couldn't get in to even see the movie. I'm going to stop now before I do sound like I'm going on a rant. My original review is here which sums up how I feel about the film. The only redeming factor is that it bombed and didn't make back it's budget.

Ok so that's the shit that came out this season, let's talk about the good stuff because surprising enough I actually go to the movies to see good films.

Number five of the BEST films of the Summer Season is...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. I know shocking right? Actually probably not but what may surprise some is how low it is on this list. I'm putting it at fifth (despite beinging a huge Harry Potter fan) because it is the second part of a larger film and so despite it being a great way to finish the Harry Potter series, the other four films on this list all stand alone as their own films which Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 can't really do. Anyway enough of me justifying its so low on my list and lets move on.

Number Four of the BEST films of the Summer Season is...

Source Code. What I loved about this film was that it was able to tell its story in such a fast-paced manner and didn't take away from the film. Too often films are slow to begin with and then really fasten the pace up towards the end and it feels disjointed. Source Code didn't and it really shows by how well the film comes across. The action is really well shot and edited, the acting supurb, the story while not overly orignal works really well and the script is really well written. This is a near perfect film. Yes there are some issues with it like plots holes and the film taking a bit of every other film of this genre but hey you forgive it for this while watching it because its fun and that's what I love about it. It's a cross between Inception, Groundhog Day and a touch of Deja Vu that makes Source Code an engaging and thrilling ride.

Ok these next three are in an order because they have to be I mean any one of them could be number one it just depends on when you ask me. Right now however is this list.

So Number Three of the BEST films of the Summer Season is...

Captain America: The First Avenger. I went into this movie a little cautious. I'd heard reviews from all over the place with some calling it cliched and corny while one calling a near perfect film so I was a little concerned. Thank god my worries were put to rest because I loved every second of this film and the reason is because director Joe Johnson understands how corny the character of Captain America is and he tries to make it realistic. The way they handle him becoming Captian America so is well done that spoiling it would be a crime. Chris Evans drops his usual cocky and sarcastic attitude to play Steve Rogers and does so with such conviction that it believable that this guy would go all over America just to get into the army. All he wants to do is fight for his country. That being said the highlight of the film of course is Hugo Weaving as Red Skull. What is it about villains that makes films so good? Captain America is lifted on the strength of it's villain, which was another problem I had with Green Lantern whose villain was annoying. What more can I say other than Captain America is a great time at the movies and one of the best films of the Summer.

Coming in at second of the BEST films of the Summer Season is...

Ceaser...i mean Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Ok yes I have talked about this film to death and it probably surprises a few of you that it's not number one but I fucking loved this movie and its all because of this guy here.

Andy Serkis. He made this movie. This is Ceaser's film from the moment we are introduced to him and I'm glad that the film didn't try to take it away. I've talked to death about this performance in another of my blogs so I'm not going to talk about it here. What also makes the film great, because you know one amazing performance doesn't movie, is the story and how it's told. Many people didn't believe that this film would work because humans have guns and there is no way apes could rise up and kill everyone. Yeah, watch the film and you'll see how they can do it. (hint; 28 Days Later...just saying). Is there anything else I really need to say about this film that I haven't already said? If you haven't seen it, go now, just go see it. You will not regret it.

And the BEST film of the Summer Season is...

X-Men: First Class. Honesly this is probably the best film of the year (yes more than Adjustment Bureau which I freaking loved). It had everything I wanted in an X-Men film and is by far the best one of the lot. I freaking loved this movie, from start to finish every second and every moment of the film was amazing. Michael Fassbender needs some type of award for this film, James McAvoy needs something too, everyone does. I'll be very surprised if they do but they really deserve it. There is something special about this film and yes I know there are a lot of continuity problems but to be honest who cares, the third and fourth X-Men films don't exist anyway. The thing that really impresses me about this film is how it was done with absolutely no time at all. This is one of those few time where lighting just strikes and something magical comes out afterwards. If you are on the fence about seeing this one go see it, I cannot recommend it enough. It is the best film of the Summer and if something if something comes out that is better than it I'm really looking forward to seeing that.

So that my list of the Summer Season, sorry for it being so long. So comment below and let me know some of your favourites. My "Fall" preview post will be up shortly and til then I'm the Mad Movie Man.