Best Comedy: The Hangover- I had high hopes for this film when I saw the first trailer and am a big fan of Zach Galifianakis. He has had a handful of minor roles, but I was looking forward to seeing him in a more prominent role, and he really delivered as Alan in The Hangover. The film had no A-list celebrity and an R rating. The fact that it did so well surprised a lot of people, and now it sits high and mighty over all other R rated movies as the highest grossing R rated film in history. Studio execs must have saw what everyone else did well before the release, because most of the cast was signed on for a sequel before the movie was even released. Start looking forward to The Hangover 2 coming out in 2011.
Best Action Flick: Star Trek- It opened the summer movie season with a bang. The special effects, story, and cast were all top notch. It is the one film this summer I'm disappointed I didn't see twice. It'll be one I buy on DVD the Tuesday it is released and pop into the DVD player when I get home. A lot of people complain that Hollywood doesn't have any more original ideas. Sometimes it might seem that way, but if minds like J.J. Abrams can reboot a series like this and make it appealing to everyone, then there is no ground for complaining.
Best Popcorn Flick: G.I. Joe - Yeah, I liked G.I. Joe more than Transformers 2. Joe made an earnest attempt at a crazy plot, with cool toys, and explosions without making me question the story, jamming in inconsistencies, and overall asking myself what just happened. Transformers 2 sucked. Joe gave me something I could sit and enjoy, laugh at the cartoon references, smile at the crazy/impossible actions scenes, and make me leave the theater pondering plot holes and inconsistencies.
Best Movie I Missed: Up: I'm a little disappointed that I missed this one at the theater. Now I call it the best based on what everyone else is saying about it. I wish I could have seen it and I will probably catch it as soon as it releases. I hope to make amends to Pixar by going to see Toy Story 1 & 2 in October when they re-release in 3-D.
Best Movie The Second Time Around: Terminator Salvation: Clearly not the best award to win, but still one worth recieving. This was one movie I was excited for based on the trailers. I saw it the day it was released and was a little disappointed. However, two of my friends went to see it a few days later and I tagged along. Wow, this movie was so much better the second time around. Some people say Christian Bale ruined it for them, but I thought he really did a great job of playing someone who always new Doomsday was coming and did what he could to stop it, just to see it happen. However, he knows he has to stay alive and lead the resistance despite everything and every battle he has lost. Sam Worthington did a great job too and I look forward to seeing him in Avatar this December.
Best Summer DVD Release: Bottle Shock: Sometimes the summer is a dead zone for DVD releases but that is because most people don't check out the independent movie sections. Bottle Shock has some great names in the cast such as Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, and Chris Pine. The film is based on the true story of California wineries rise to prominence thanks to a blind taste test competition held in 1976 France. It is a good flick with an honest story, simple and inspiring score, and a deeper message of the American spirit. A good film that is great for any night of the week thanks to its run time of under 2 hours, which you don't see that often anymore in films of this caliber.
Best Movie Of The Summer: 500 Days Of Summer: If you haven't seen this film yet go out and do it right now. Leave work if you have to. The story is original, the format is original, the cast is honest, and script is great. There are parts that just make you laugh and parts that are serious. A great story about love that is not a Romantic Comedy. This is not a Katherine Heigl type film. It is an independent film that totes itself by stating "This is not a love story, rather it is a story about love." It wins my best movie of the summer nod.
Honorable Mention: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: I only made this category so I could include Harry Potter. The 6th installment of the franchise was long awaited by me. My favorite book of the series, next to the final book (which was so amazing of a conclusion that it is in a league of its own), has also become my favorite movie of the series. I always loved Goblet of Fire, but Half Blood Prince was able to capture the seriousness of what was going on in the wizard world, but during the awkward adolescent stage of life. The film made me laugh, empathize, and revel in action scenes comes to life.
I was disappointed with the ending of The Half-Blood Prince, but want to see it again before I totally summarize my thoughts. At this point, Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely my favorite.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Up is really good. You'll enjoy it.
But, you definitely overlooked the best animated movie of the summer -- Ponyo. Talk about an awesome film. It was probably my favorite movie of the summer.