Summer Movie Breakdown: May
I shamefully have let the abundance of blockbusters get the best of me and have fallen behind on reviewing them, so to make up for it, here is a summarized list of most of the "important" films of the summer (at least the ones I have seen).
Money Monster
Jack O’Connell (Skins, Unbroken) is one of the most promising young stars to grace Hollywood. If only the most recent movies he has been in could be as mesmerizing as his performances. This movie is a victim of an engaging premise and potentially important message being shrouded by jumbled editing and confusing executive decisions. Money Monster starts out strong, but falters due to the fact that it has contradictory characters and an uncomfortable tone. For some reason, this turned out to be a sort of black comedy infused drama, but upon watching, it is hard to know whether or not this comedic element is intentional. Overall, there are decent performances from actors who we all know can do better and a plot that is enough to entertain for an hour or two, but this is not one that requires a second viewing, or even an immediate first.
Rating: C for Clooney Curse: is he destined to make mediocre movies forever now?
The Nice Guys
The Nice Guys is a fantastic movie with a not-so-nice box office. Comedy is a tough trade, and lately it seems that people forget how good it can be when jokes are actually written and not just token gags about farting or the female body. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are the comedic duo we never asked for but also never knew we needed. A ‘70s crime comedy starring the Gladiator and the heartthrob from The Notebook? It sounds weird, but boy does it pay off. Hopefully, despite a disappointing financial turnout, there will be more innovative and thoroughly entertaining movies to come from this.
Rating: A+ for actual smart comedy plus a groovy soundtrack
Alice Through the Looking Glass
What some are calling the “Summer of Sequels,” I am calling the “Summer of Stop Making Sequels.” Seriously, just stop making them. 2010’s Alice in Wonderland is what I would call a dull movie despite its unique visuals. Lacking the wit and charm that the original story requires, it is one that holds up less as time passes. Its sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, is surprisingly better. That does not mean it is good, but it is definitely an improvement. A little less Johnny Depp proves to be pleasantly noticeable and it seems like at least a few of the actors (Mia Wasikowska and Sacha Baron Cohen) are still having a good time. The visuals are still a little too phony and the story is a little too copy-and-pasted for my taste.
Rating: C- for close to being re-watchable minus Helena Bonham Carter’s giant head, of course. “Off with her head!”
X-Men: Apocalypse
Add X-Men: Apocalypse to the growing list of missed opportunities this summer. A franchise that was actively improving and gaining momentum, X-Men is back on the the gradually sinking ship of overstuffed and bland superhero movies. For something having the title of “Apocalypse,” one would think that damage would actually be done to the world. That must be too assumptive, however, because the only thing Oscar Isaac’s Apocalypse character does is occasionally kill individual people with sand and fight Professor X over who has the biggest brain. There are some new additions that deserve more screen time and Michael Fassbender has proven that he can carry almost any movie, but overall, the only genuine mystique in this film is found in questioning what went wrong.
Rating: D for Deadpool warned us about this movie
