Technically, summer is just coming to a close, but the season’s biggest and best films came out during the earlier months. Some were exciting, some were funny, and some were just bad.
Unfortunately, the first film I saw this summer was Madagascar 3. As a childhood fan of the first two Madagascar movies, I walked into the theater with an open mind. Four years later, the lost zoo animals have lost their touch. The jokes were all repetitive and unsophisticated. To be fair, I’m not 9 anymore. But even as a 9 year old, I can’t imagine finding the movie entertaning. On a positive note, the animation was top notch and the voice acting was great. Only see this movie if you can really appreciate the art of an animated film.
The reboot nobody wanted, also referred to as “The Amazing Spiderman,” surprised many cynical comic book fans worldwide. Andrew Garfield played a different Peter Parker, less geeky and more heroic. If you happened to see the film in 3D, your eyes were treated to an experience that reminded me of an amusement park ride. The story was nothing mind-boggling, and the resolution was open ended, allowing for a whole batch of sequels. After the dust had settled, I was left with a very entertaining superhero movie that I could enjoy without being reminded of the previous franchise.
The big comedy film of the summer was “Ted,” the directorial debut of Family Guy mastermind Seth MacFarlane. The story surrounds a boy named John (Mark Wahlberg) who struggled as a child to make friends, and then wished his new teddy bear alive through the magic of a child’s will. The movie follows John and Ted’s adventures through life, most of which consist of smoking marijuana and watching “Flash Gordon.” Mila Kunis plays John’s girlfriend, who is growing frustrated of Ted hanging around all the time. I found the movie to be hilarious, but I’m also a 16 year old boy. If you’re a fan of Family Guy humor, or blunt or crude humor in general, “Ted” is worth a watch.
Finally, on July 20, “The Dark Knight Rises” excited moviegoers with the most action, the grandest of budgets, the most famous of actors, and the ending that thrilled (or angered) fans everywhere. The film begins at a celebration of the Dent Act, a harsh anti-crime law that cleaned up the streets of Gotham. Bruce Wayne hasn’t put on the batsuit in 8 long years after the loss of his childhood friend, Rachel Dawes, and district attorney Harvey Dent during the tragic events of 2008’s “The Dark Knight. However, Gotham’s new threat, a terrorist named Bane, soon forces Wayne out of his mansion and back into the streets of his city.
“The Dark Knight Rises” entertained me for the entire two hours and forty-five minute playtime. Christian Bale’s final performance as the caped crusader was his performance of a lifetime. Tom Hardy was menacing and fearless as the villain Bane while still fitting into director Christopher Nolan’s realistic take on the Batman universe. New characters include John Blake (Joseph Gordon- Levitt), Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard). For those who have been in a coma and thus haven’t seen the film, I won’t go into detail about the new characters for spoiler reasons. Though some first appear insignificant to the plot, the same characters who may initially seem unimportant could be proven vital by the movie’s finale.
“The Dark Knight Rises” concluded Nolan’s franchise with a moving ending and only a few questions to ponder afterward. Now that I’ve seen the best (and worst) movies of what summer has to offer, I look forward to what the fall and winter months have in store. #
