After hours of buying overpriced tickets and stuffing my face with popcorn this summer, I’ve decided what summer movie reigns superior, what movie isn’t worth renting, and what movie didn’t get the credit it deserved.
Mad Max Fury Road marked the triumphant return of director George Miller to the Mad Max franchise after 30 years. Now, Tom Hardy takes on Mel Gibson’s role of a man struggling to survive in a world devastated by nuclear holocaust.
In this long awaited sequel Max finds himself assisting Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa in freeing the labor wives of the tyrant Immortan Joe. This plot sounds relatively straightforward, but this only plays to the movie’s benefit.
Using fast paced directing and astonishing practical effects for multiple vehicular fights, Miller successfully throws the audience into the insane world of Mad Max. He also uses CGI to enhance more than replace, as this apocalyptic sandy future is surprisingly colorful.
Despite the title, Furiosa is truly the film’s protagonist. Furiosa’s crusade, design, and overall character have been well received by both critics and feminists.
Whether you’ve seen the Mel Gibson Mad Max films or this is your first exposure, I highly recommend this movie as it surpassed my expectations on a number of levels.
Meanwhile, Fantastic 4 proved that nostalgia for childhood video games, movies, or comics does not compensate for an overall terrible product.
Directed by Josh Trank and starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell, Marvel’s first family is reimagined with a dark and gritty story where four teenagers are given superhuman abilities from interdimensional travel.
The film had a lot to prove as there was a large share of controversy and opposition from the start. Fans were angry that this film was being created in the first place, not just for the tone which contrasted the fun and lighthearted adventures of these beloved icons, but also the fact that one of the main reasons this reboot was being rushed and produced was to stop the film rights from reverting to Marvel Studios and joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which continues to thrive this year with Age of Ultron and Ant-Man.
So with a production nightmare that could make for a good book, what were bigger problems? Inconsistent directing, mediocre special effects, unengaging characters, and somehow screwing up one of the most iconic villains in comic book history.
Yet despite this abomination, bombing at the box office, and failing to give us a good Fantastic Four movie, Fox is still insistent on making a sequel.
Shaun the Sheep Movie comes as a underrated surprise that charms you with simplicity. It was produced by Aardman Animations, the stop motion animation studio behind Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, and the television show this film originated from.
The movie focuses on a herd of sheep who venture into the city to try and find the amnesiac farmer while avoiding a crazy animal control worker. This film oozes with personality. The stop motion is fluid and the references, gags, and slapstick humor took me back to the days sitting in front of the television watching Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry.
I definitely need to watch it again since I laughed my way right through the dog pound scene.
Of the few people whom I saw in the theater not one left without a smile on their face.
Unfortunately, it had a very limited release. So if you’re a fan of stop motion animation, Aardman animations, or charming animated films in general, I recommend you give it a shot.
-Brady Lass