Welcome back to Best
of the Rest! I’m doing a best summer
blockbusters list instead of continuing with my flailing unpopular 2014
Retrospective series. I will complement
it with a “worst blockbusters” list later this week.
Before we begin the list I think that some proper
definitions are in order; these can be read below.
Blockbuster: For the purpose of this article a Blockbuster
is any movie that has made at least one hundred million dollars at the domestic
box office. So successful low budge hits
like The Other Woman (83 Million,) and art house flicks like Belle (10 Million)
will not be included in today’s list or the future worst list.
Summer Movie Season: There is some contention over when exactly
the summer movie season starts, but for the purpose of this article any movie
released in May, June, July or August counts.
I know that I included Captain America, an April release, in my
2014 Summer Retrospectives, but I think that calling almost half of the
cinematic year part of the summer is a bit excessive.
Well there you go. So
now if you don’t see your favorite movie on the list you’ll know that it didn’t
meet the criteria, or that it sucked. I
can now with clear mind tell you my Top 4 Summer Blockbusters of 2014.
#4 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Out of all the summer movies released this year, this was by
far the one I was most excited about. The
first Planet of the Apes prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was not only
the first decent Planet of the Apes product that we’d seen since the 60’’s, but
in many people minds was the best “Apes” film yet. The sequel had a lot of pressure to be high
quality, and it lives up to most reasonable expectations.
“Dawn” may not be quite as good as “Rise,” but it’s just as
ambitious. Painting a picture of war
between two factions who’s only desire it is to survive. Unlike similarly themed films, like Disney’s
Pocohontas, there is no absolute villain in this prequel sequel; All we get are people (and apes) who make the
wrong decisions due to ignorance or anger.
In the veins of it’s predecessor, “Dawn” is a very smart movie that goes
deeper then most action movies. It’s
definitely worth checking out.
#3 How to Train Your Dragon 2
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is some of the best family entertainment
we’ve gotten in years. While movies like
Frozen and Despicable Me feel like pandering products How to Train Your Dragon
2 never feels like anything less than real.
While the first How to Train Your Dragon was kind of forgettable,
its sequel is stunningly memorable. It’s
the rare follow-up that not only improves on the original, but makes it look
bad in comparison. Everything that the
first “Dragon” got wrong, “Dragon 2” gets right; and everything the first “Dragon” got right,
it’s “Dragon 2” gets better. This is to
the first movie what “Empire” is to “Star Wars.”
What we have here is some almost perfect story telling
filled with remarkably human characters, daring adventure and edge of your seat
action. It’s the rare children’s movie
that adults might enjoy even more then their kids. It’s a shame that this movie didn’t do as
well financially as its predecessor, because it really deserves to be
seen. It’s a big fun rollicking ride
from start to finish, and its flaws are so minute, that they are almost not
even worth talking about.
#2
22 Jump Street
If there was ever a movie that could make you crap your
pants laughing and crying at the same time, then 22 Jump Street is that movie. Yet another in a long line of sequels that
are better then the original, 22
Jump Street is one of the funniest and most
heartfelt movies you will ever see.
Phil Lord and and Chris Miller are slowly establishing
themselves a comedy juggernauts. between the “Jump Street” movies and The Lego Movie it’s
clear that these guys no how to make hilarious entertaining movies that are
surprisingly intelligent in their execution.
22 Jump Street
is both their funnies and most irreverent yet;
It’s definitely the funniest movie I’ve seen this year.
#1 Edge of Tomorrow
Much like How to Train Your Dragon 2, Edge of Tomorrow is
one of the most perfectly told stories you will ever see in a main stream
blockbuster. It’s intelligent and
lovable, while still being cold and dramatic when it needs to be, keeping it’s
audience firmly on the edge of their seats.
Doug Liman’s direction tip toes around the many problems and
pitfalls a movie like this could have to deliver a strikingly interesting movie
that, while reminiscent in some ways of Groundhog Day, is able to separate itself out,
and become an original Sci-Fi smash. It’s
just short of being an instant modern Sci-Fi classic on the levels of Inception
or Looper. If you haven’t seen it
yet, then you should.
In Conclusion. . .
This summer has been a summer of bizarre opposites. The movies listed above are among some of the
best summer blockbusters to be released in my lifetime. But, as you will see in my “worst” list later
this week, The bad stuff is so much worse then it usually is!
Also, oddly enough, many of the sequels that have come out
this summer are not only better then the originals in which they are “sequeling,” but have done significantly worse
financially. It’s an odd trend that will
probably influence the kind of movies get greenlit in the future.
Thank you for reading!
If you’re wondering why movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficent
or the Amazing spider-Man 2 aren’t on todays list, then check back for my “Worst
Summer Blockbusters of 2014” list later this week. If you think that my list is perfect, and my
opinion prestine, then feel free to email me at atchleyosaurus@gmail.com, or follow
me on Twitter and Facenook.
No comments:
Post a Comment