And the Winner of the Summer Movie Season Is?

The summer movie season is an incredibly bombastic affair. It's dominated by big budget movies which are never lacking in style but most of the time are lacking in substance. This summer movie season was definitely different from last summer in which there were three movies that I simply could not wait for (Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, and Dark Knight Rises). This summer's movies were not exactly lacking but following up such an epic summer of movies is certainly no simple task. (Keep in mind here that I'm keeping track of movies which I saw this summer so if I leave any out I apologize)

I guess the place to start is with Iron Man 3. Marvel's first effort following Avengers definitely had some expectations to live up to. The first Iron Man was a spectacular and fun affair, a film which has established Tony Stark as Marvel's marquee hero (not a difficult feat by any means given how mediocre the other Avengers tie-ins were...). It's follow up, Iron Man 2 was by all means...incredibly average. It was certainly entertaining, but it didn't live up to the standard that the first film set up. The third installment unfortunately fell in an awkward midpoint between the first and second film. I for one, loved the darker tone; a much different tone than the first two installments. However, the movie lacked...well...it lacked Iron Man. You could probably count on one hand the number of minutes that Tony Stark spent in the iconic suit. I understand that the director is clearly trying to prove the "take away Tony's suit and he's nothing" quote by Captain America in Avengers wrong but that's not what we want. Stark's escapades in the suits were the highlights of the first two films. That combined with how the technology got more advanced with each film. We see a bit of the latter in the third movie but not nearly enough. Overall, it was an enjoyable film but not anything thats too great.

My Score: 3/5

I already reviewed Man of Steel this summer but i think now is a good time to revisit it. Zach Snyder's take on the character was a vast improvement on Brian Singer's Superman Returns. In a DC superhero universe that the current generation only knows to be dominated by Batman it's nice to see Superman get his due. Man of Steel promised a lot in it's trailers and certainly wasn't the tour de force that was promised but it serves it's purpose. It's an origin movie meant to reestablish an iconic character for a new generation. It's hardly The Dark Knight but who ever said it needed to be? Theres plenty of Superman being Superman, a conflict that hits down to the very core of the character, and some really pleasing visuals. I don't think that Man of Steel ever needed to be more than it's final product and I was pleased when I left the theater. I'm excited for the inevitable sequel and potential Justice League movie.

My Score: 4/5

The funniest film of the summer, This is the End certainly made me laugh the entire way through. A star-studded cast in which each actor simply played themselves made for a great concept. The real strength of the film came from it's cameos (Jason Segal, Aziz Ansari, Rihanna, Emma Watson among others). What makes This is the End so good is that it manages to pack in so many stars without the concept feeling forced. The comedy is good, each actor brings his own style to the table, and overall the film (while ridiculous and many times stupid) was enjoyable. That being said, it's certainly a film that succeeds more on the skills of it's stars that anything else.

My Score: 3/5

I really hope that nobody was expecting anything groundbreaking from Pacific Rim. If anyone saw the trailers you weren'y heading into the movie expecting a deep, philosophical film. No, Pacific Rim is the epitome of the summer blockbuster. Epic visuals, awesome action, and not much substance. Pacific Rim definitely succeeds at that level. It's a movie that you can sit back and enjoy, which, to be honest, is just what you want sometimes. When it's raining outside during the summer and you've already seen all the other movies in the theater, why not sign up to watch giant robots and rhino-shaped aliens beat the tar of each other. Nothing more, nothing less and thats all Pacific Rim ever needed to be.

My Score: 2/5

Similar to Man of Steel, The Lone Ranger attempted to revitalize an old, beloved character and make him relevant for the current generation. Like Pacific Rim, this film packs on action. Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp show up to make a pair of appealing leads but they can't make up for the film's shortcomings in terms of writing. I certainly came out entertained, but I don't think the film lived up to the promise that it showed in the trailers.

My Score: 2/5










So overall, that makes for a pretty average summer movie season...except for the one movie that stood above the rest...Star Trek: Into Darkness...

Benedict Cumberbatch a smashing success as the villain

This film is not without it's shortcomings, the middle of the movie was certainly weaker than the beginning of the end, the seemingly rushed anti-climatic climax, and a bit of deus ex machina at the end. (deus ex machina isn't a bad thing per say but it felt a little anti-climatic at the end). Despite all this though, Into Darkness was the highlight of an otherwise lackluster summer movie scene. The film is J.J. Abrams second attempt to (like Man of Steel) make Star Trek more accesible to casual fans. In the process, Abrams has alienated hardcore Trekkies but has suceeded in his original goal. That plus the fact that the new films succeed in their own rights, not just because the title Star Trek is slapped on them. Into Darkness picked up where the last film left off and gives us more of the excellent character chemisty that made the first installment so good. It certainly succeeds on the merit of how good it's cast is. The trio of Spock (Zachary Quinto), Kirk (Chris Pine), and the villain Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) had incredible onscreen chemistry. Their interactions in the middle of the film make for some of it's best moments. Cumberbatch, by himself carries the film. My only previous experience with Cumberbatch was his role as Sherlock Holmes on BBC's excellent Sherlock series. Needless to say this was a much different role and even so Cumberbatch manages to steal the show as Khan. The last time that I can remember being actually scared by a villain while watching a movie goes all the way back to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. That fact alone is a testament to Cumberbatch's performance. Visually, the film is even more pleasing than it's predescessor despite Abrams' love of lens flare. Throughout you get the feeling that this is his warmup for Star Wars VII, scheduled for 2015. The movie certainly has it's lame moments, like the forced call backs to the original series (Leonard Nimoy's cameo, Quinto's KHAAAAAAN scream) but the strength of the cast is enough to overlook such shortcomings.

My Score: I hesitate to give it a perfect rating but a 4/5 is a solid rating for an excellent film.