Hancock: A fun, though inconsistent mess of a movie that had more ideas than it knew what to do with. The always appealing Will Smith kept things afloat, even as the story meandered in search of an identity. Was it a comedy? A morality tale? A superhero origin story? Could Charlize Theron's character possibly have been more underdeveloped? A couple of rewrites and longer running time could've made Hancock a great entertainment, rather than an adequate one. Still, adequate would've been a large improvement for the following releases;
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Had The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe not been so enjoyable, I wouldn't be quite so disappointed in this lame follow-up. Any sense of awe and wonder from the original quickly vanished in a story that offered no originality. It was poorly paced, inexpertly acted (to be polite), and lacked a memorable villain. The source material for Prince Caspian simply wasn't very interesting, though it proved an intellectual masterpiece compared with . . .
Mamma Mia: Look, I'm aware I was hardly the target audience. But the filmmakers still owe some level of competency to filmgoers don't they? The summer's worst film was an embarassment, from a non-existent plot to Pierce Brosnan's singing to Christine Baranski's successful attempt to prove she's the most annoying actress currently working. Steep and Seyfried were appealing, but the absence of anything resembling style or wit was pathetic. We didn't even find out who the father is! It's as if the director was thinking "Hmm, there's really nothing to this story. Maybe I should insert 78 songs to fill the running time." I'm still waiting for a refund on my admission tickets and popcorn.
Theatrical adaptations have proven a mixed bag over the years, as have film adaptations from television. This summer gave us three uninspired attempts. It's not that any of them were outright awful. They just weren't especially memorable, which has typically been the case with a few notable exceptions (The Fugitive, The Untouchables, The Simpsons Movie come to mind). The biggest drop-off in quality this summer belonged to . . .
Sex and the City: I wouldn't describe myself as a closet fan by any means, though I can readily admit that the t.v. series was well-written and often funny. But the movie just didn't have a story worth telling. The dialogue lacked the punch of the show, as the men were written as 1-dimensional beings, while the four primary actresses came off as self-absorbed and somewhat pathetic. I must admit though, seeing the film in a packed theater was quite the experience. I counted 7 men in attendance, at least 5 of whom were gay, leaving me and one other guy on a date feeling thankful that most women aren't like Carrie and company. (They aren't right?) Then again like Mamma Mia, I know this movie wasn't aimed at me. A couple that were included . . .
The Incredible Hulk: I admit it was better than Ang Lee's Hulk, which turned off almost everyone when it was released in June 2003. Ironically though, despite higher ticket prices, the newest version failed to match the box-office totals of it's predecessor, making one wonder just how commercially viable the character is. In an important casting change, Edward Norton was far more interesting than the relatively bland Eric Bana had been as Bruce Banner. But Liv Tyler and William Hurt (can you say paycheck role?) brought nothing new and made me wish Jennifer Connelly and Sam Elliot had reprised their roles. The most valuable attribute this time around was the visual effects, probably the coolest of the summer, though upon reflection they stood out most because of the lack of a plot to hold everything together.
Get Smart: Another movie that was too fun to be called bad, but far too jumbled to rate as good. The leads (Carell and Hathaway) were very likeable, though they surely didn't make older audiences forget Don Adams. And for younger audiences, the movie came across as Austin Powers-lite. The biggest problem with Get Smart was it's indecision as to whether it was an action movie or a comedy. There were large elements of both, but neither was strong enough to truly satisfy, leaving this viewer underwhelmed once the credits rolled. But Get Smart did lead me to a theory that has stuck well since . . .
COMEDY AND VIOLENCE DO NOT MIX! As proof, look no further than these two late summer entries;
Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder: The former was a wonderfully funny buddy picture until the final third when humor was abandoned in favor of gunfire and explosions, which left me wondering what the hell happened to the pithy bantar that had ruled the film's opening? Excessive violence is rarely funny in comedies and often seems to indicate that the writer has run out of ideas. Tropic Thunder pushed the envelope further by providing nearly two hours of bloody brutality following an opening that featured hysterical fake ads and trailers. The movie's funniest scene was also it's most offensive, a promo for Simple Jack, with Ben Stiller galavanting about as a helpless retarded yokel. Unfortunately, little else in the film made me laugh, as each subsequent scene drew closer and closer to a remake of Apocalypse Now. Also unfunny was Tom Cruise, bloated and bald as a profanity shouting studiohead. It's one thing to have funny ideas, but it's another to execute them effectively. Tropic Thunder ended up being a bore.
Summer 2008 has ended, though with studios pushing up release dates for next summer's tentpoles to late April, I only have to wait thirty weeks for the new onslaught of wannabe blockbusters. If we're all very lucky, maybe one or two will approach the intelligence and excitement level of The Dark Knight, which proved that great movies can still be seen during the summer.
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