Maybe it’s the withdrawal that comes from not seeing a truly great film in at least 6 months. Perhaps it’s the popcorn and soda I’ve been digesting in bulk since early May within the confines of my local theatre. Maybe my brain has been so successfully assaulted by superheroes, ogres, pirates, giant explosions, dueling wizards, and mega-robots that I can now think of nothing better to do. Whatever compelled me to sum up the summer movie season, from the handful of original comedies to the numerous money-driven sequels and threequels, here is one filmgoer’s expert analysis.
Breakout Star of the Summer: Seth Rogan: After a handful of humorous, small roles in a few cancelled sitcoms and The 40 Year Old Virgin, Rogan emerged as a comedic star as Ben, a bumbling 20-something struggling with maturity and an unexpected pregnancy in Knocked Up. The film’s ultimate success rested on his convincing audiences that Katharine Heigl’s Allison could fall in love with him. It worked. Rogan also co-wrote the late summer sleeper hit Superbad, and took a very funny supporting role as an inept cop who with his partner took the inexperienced McLovin under his wing.
Runner-up: Shia LaBeouf: He brought humility and humor to his leading role in Michael Bay’s mega-blockbuster Transformers, keeping the film grounded as chaos ensued around him. He also headlined the sleeper hit Disturbia. I have little doubt he will hold his own in next summers fourth Indiana Jones installment.
Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille: A smart and involving story about a rat named Remi who’s unlikely cooking exploits in a Paris restaurant show us that anyone can succeed with a little luck and perseverance. Peter O’toole voiced a snooty acclaimed food critic in one of the summer’s most unexpectedly mature films. Few, if any animated films, have ever looked better. And the script provided as much for adults as for children. In the race for summer’s biggest animated film, Shrek the Third may have won financially, but Ratatouille was the one people will still be talking about in 5 years.
Runner-up: The Simpson’s Movie: Though not quite up the long-running series’ best episodes, this big-screen Simpson’s adventure was worth the wait. Though it lost some steam near the end, the first half was remarkably funny, mixing unexpected site gags with clever dialogue as Homer attempted to save his family from his worst screw-up ever. Also nice to see Homer finally give someone the “finger,” which you know he’s been itching to do for years.
Sexiest Female Lead: Megan Fox: It was a toss-up between Fox and Heigl. Though Heigl displayed infinitely more charisma and warmth in Knocked Up, Fox’s reluctant girlfriend to Lebouf’s geeky hero helped make Transformers the non-sequel king of the summer. And any guy whose says his favorite image of the summer wasn’t Fox working under the hood of that car is either lying or likes men.
Runner-up: Heigl: A natural stunner, she’s docked a few points for consistently wearing more clothes than Fox. It matters.
Best Action Sequence: Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End: A touch choice. Live Free or Die Hard and The Bourne Ultimatum boasted superior chase sequences. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix gave us a thrilling wizard showdown, while Transformers showcased a mammoth Decepticon spinning out of the desert sand from underground. Spiderman 3’s finale was a visual stunner with a 2-on-2 tag-team effort, even though it didn’t make much sense. But I’m going with At World’s End, in no small part for it’s thrilling final 45 minutes, which featured booming explosions, three massive ships, hundreds of extras, a typhoon, an indestructible woman who turned into a giant, dueling undead pirates, a scramble for a live beating heart, and a massive whirlpool in the middle of the sea. Over the top? Of course, but it knew it was, with Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack winking at the audience every step of the way.
Runner-up: The Bourne Ultimatum: A throwback type of action film, in which stunt work and editing played a far more crucial role than any special effects. Director Paul Greengrass deserves credit for making building jumping and street chases exciting again.
Best Villain: Imelda Staunton: As the new defense against the dark arts teacher at Hogwarts, Staunton’s Dolores Umbridge was every student’s worst nightmare. Her demeaning glares and rigid upholding of her private set of rules recalled Nurse Ratched. Tormenting opposing faculty and torturing Harry Potter, she was all the more terrifying because we didn’t see this coming. An oscar nomination is warranted, though I’d bet 1000 to 1 she won’t receive one.
Runner-up: Government Officials: America’s cinematic punching bag, reflecting an ever-growing dissatisfaction with the current administration. They were portrayed as corrupt (Sicko, The Bourne Ultimatum), ignorant (Transformers, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer), and in one case, hilariously indifferent (The Simpson Movie’s President Schwarzenegger, who was “elected to lead, not to read”).
Note: I really should’ve given the runner-up spot to Kevin Costner’s Mr. Brooks (one of summer’s underrated thrillers), but the idea of awarding Costner the title “Best” of anything was a little too much to stomach.
Most Thought-Provoking: Sicko: It didn’t have the hype or box-office of Michael Moore’s earlier hits Bowling for Columbine or Fahrenheit 9/11, but his latest film was actually the most accomplished. Focusing more on the stories of his subjects than himself this time, Moore contrasted the health care programs offered in America with seemingly more competent programs in Canada, England, France, and Cuba. Health care exists as a fundamental “right” elsewhere in the world, not as a business industry that allows its citizens to die if they aren’t properly covered. If they can do it, why can’t we?
Runner-up: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry: Actually, the only thought-provoking thing about this film was in making us wonder how such a simplistic, ignorant view of homosexual life could get on-screen in the first place. Every scene seemed taken from an early 90’s sitcom, with simplified caricatures, but no real characters. The half-dozen or so laughs in the movie belonged to Kevin James. I like Adam Sandler, but since he began straining to add “messages” to his comedies, we’ve been treated to steadily decreasing comic results. Chuck and Larry also contained the season’s most ridiculous ending.
Biggest Disappointment: Ocean’s 13: The latest star-studded caper film had me leaving the theatre wondering, “That was it?” Ocean’s 11 was a complete entertainment, with a clever heist and a witty script. Ocean’s 12, while inferior, was basically more of the same, with plenty of winks from its star studded cast. But in unlucky 13, the fun was gone. The plot and heist were lame, with hardly any memorable dialogue as the crew basically rehashed the original. I never thought Al Pacino would be wasted to the extent he was here. Andy Garcia had a lot more bite as the heavy in the original. And with no Julia Roberts or Catherine Zeta-Jones this time around, our biggest stars (Clooney and Pitt) our left with little to humanize them other than an episode of Oprah.
Runner-up: Spiderman 3: Plenty of choices here, including a mediocre third Shrek (a few solid laughs, but the inventiveness was gone) and a ridiculous sequel to Fantastic Four (which was actually a step-up from the original). But in part because its immediate predecessor was so good, Spiderman 3 had more to live up to than the others. 2007’s highest grossing blockbuster pitted Peter Parker’s alter-ego against no less than 4 villains; Harry Osborne’s new goblin, Flint Marko’s shape-changing Sandman, and the mysterious substance “venom,” which first attaches itself to Peter and later to rival photographer Eddie Brock. That’s enough story for two sequels, but it’s all crammed here into a film that either needed to run a lot longer (to flesh out its villains) or shorter (cut two of them out all together). While there are many enjoyable scenes scattered throughout, director Sam Raimi never found a consistent tone as the audience was jerked from one plot to the next. Kirsten Dunst’s MJ was more an irritation than anything else.
Biggest Surprise: Live Free or Die Hard: Despite owning the year’s worst title, the fourth Die Hard adventure emerged like a breath of fresh air in late June. Relying more on stunts and explosions than CGI, the film gave John McClane a partner, a daughter, and pitted him against a cyber terrorist with financial motivations. This film won’t win any Oscars, but the winning combination of Bruce Willis in civilian hero mode, top-flight action, and a few clever one-liners was enough to make any male between the ages of 12 and 60 leave with a smile.
Runner-up: Lucky You: The film’s title must’ve been aimed to me, because I among the 8 people who actually saw it. Opening against Spiderman 3 (nice job executives), this tale of addiction and redemption deserved a larger audience. Director Curtis Hansen, a reported poker nut, got everything about the game, including the grind and psychology involved, exactly right. If Texas Hold’em doesn’t match your criteria of a fun evening out, it was still worth seeing for Robert Duvall’s best performance in years, as poker legend L.C. Cheever, estranged father of our hero (played by Eric Bana).
Best On-Screen Duo: Jonah Hill & Michael Cera: The most likeable pair of high school best buds since Bill and Ted, they turned Superbad into one of the year’s biggest and funniest comedies. Seen as geeks by the masses, Seth and Evan use a student wimpier than even them to aid in their quest for beer and women. That character was Fogel (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who ends up with the best name ever put on a fake I.D., “McLuvin.” Though it didn’t have the heart of Knocked Up (Apatow produced, Rogan co-wrote), it nearly matched the earlier hit laugh for laugh, on a slightly more juvenile scale.
Runner-up: Jackie Chan & Chris Tucker: Who would’ve thought a third film with Detectives Lee and Carter could prove so enjoyable? The last big threequel of summer, Rush Hour 3 was probably the lightest and most briskly-paced of them all, though it was also by far the least ambitious. Still, it basically offered what its predecessors did; some action, some humor, and lots of chemistry between the two leads. More importantly, it required almost no thought on behalf of the viewer, exactly the way a summer movie season should end.
