Fault can be found in any film if the viewer looks hard enough, but it so happens that the series of movies released in the Summer of 2014 were constructed well enough and were entertaining enough to disguise any obvious faults that usually plague similar releases. Despite that fact that I've seen more movies this summer than any other summer, my reviews failed to follow. I'll feed you excuses of work, work, work, tired, work, tired but DON'T accept them for an instant. My lack of in-depth reviews, especially when I have such substance to delve into, is shameful. So here I sit, middle of
My 2014 Summer Countdown consists of movies that I HAVE SEEN, released from May-
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
My full review of the second install of the 2000-teens reboot can be found HERE and while the film suffed from a bloated story, too many villains, and several conveniently coincidental plot devices, I can't deny that I enjoyed Marc Webb's take on Spidey. Was the The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a complete set-up for a Marvel (as owned by Disney) esque attempt at The Sinister Six? Absolutely...Did I enjoy the pretty lights, slightly disturbing dub-step and non-sensical action? Yes. It was pure summer entertainment.Godzilla
Sadly my last fully reviewed movie was GODZILLA, all the way back in May. Shame on me. A film that I thought was shoe in for Summer's biggest hit ended up being one of the bigger disappointments. I fully enjoyed Gareth Edward's suspenseful, entertaining...disaster movie. There's the rub, I didn't enter the theater wanting a disaster movie, I wanted GODZILLA! KING OF THE MONSTERS! We the audience instead received roughly 20 minutes of screen time from the big brute and even less of Brian Cranston, another of the film's big draws. "High quality graphics and bone-rattling sound" remain high points as I reflect upon the film, but it's these attributions that may lessen the effect once viewed at home.
Maleficent
Painful yet not without it's merits...what those merits are I have yet to realize. I found this film thoroughly adequate for the time I was viewing it, a rainy Saturday afternoon. Comical special effects, a predictable plot, and the dullest Disney Princess' to have ever graced the big screen remove Maleficent from possible Alice in Wonderland status, yet I didn't find myself hating it. A plethora of ridiculous design and theatrical elements blend the bad together so successfully I walked away content with my movie-going experience. Perhaps Angelina Jolie's cheekbones possess a seductive magic of their own.X-Men: Days of Future Past
Bryan Singer, it's good to have you back. There's no denying, before First Class and Days of Future Past, the series had seen better days. Despite a disastrous conclusion to the original X-Men trilogy, studios still saw fit to torture audiences with a painful slew of origins stories. My complaints regarding the films before were their claustrophobic scripts, too much in too short of time; too many back stories, too many exceptions, too many mutants. The X-Men universe is vast, I understand this; however, by ascribing to quantity over quality the favorite characters that audiences are treated to are poorly represented. First Class AND Days of Future Past improve, but are not exempt from this problem.
Days of Future Past continues to introduce more and more mutants, touching on their skills but never fully showing the audience their extent. I enjoyed many of the these new characters, especially Evan Peter's Quick Silver and wish he would have played a larger role in the film.
DOFP, like many of it's predecessors, carries an overly complicated story but one can see Bryan Singer truly TRYING, and for the most part succeeding, in simplifying that story. The action, accompanied by the many mutants skills, is thoroughly entertaining and is never the same sequence twice. DOFP best feature, without a doubt, is it's cast. The two sets of Professor Xs & Magnetos are expertly cast and deliver the emotional punch to counter the physical entertainment.
Side note...Hugh Jackman may finally be growing out of his claws; while his portrayal of Wolverine is consistently spot on and amusing, I'd be fine with him passing the torch.
Lucy
You can't beat a bad script...add Scarlett Johansson's lack luster performance and a collection of Special Effects that look like they were generated on a Windows 98 screensaver and what you have was one of the worst films of the year. The half-hearted attempts at creating a unique "art house" action film feel prove futile; Lucy is a non-sensical snooze-fest that had me laughing from beginning to end...and this, ladies and gentlemen, was not a comedy. A barren script turns Johansson's character into an emotionless computer, giving audiences absolutely nothing to feed off of. There was an idea and I'm quite sure that idea was stolen from both Limitless and Transcendence. Johansson, a talented actress, is box-office gold, I highly suggest if you want to see her in a film of interest, giving a quality performance check out Under the Skin.
The Fault in Our Stars
I do believe my friend and I were the only members of the audience not wearing yoga pants, PINK t-shirts and top knots to The Fault in Our Stars but we enjoyed it just the same. It's one thing for a film to cater to it's audience and another to make a film that can be appreciated by the general audience; I feel The Fault in Our Stars did just that. A story that very easily could have turned into a sappy tween fest stayed quirky, cool, and true enough for audience members of all ages. A considerable amount of cheese was encompassed by a fair amount of heart that anyone could connect to at least once. If you missed it in theaters, The Fault in Our Stars makes a solid at home watch...where no one will judge you for NOT crying.
Boyhood
A fascinating and successful concept derived by director Richard Linklater, Boyhood shows the commitment of a director and his actors in creating a truly unique piece of cinema. 12 consecutive summers of filming with the same cast give the audience an intimate look into the life on an average American boy. The film doesn't preach nor is it particularly exciting, but watching a cast literally grow in front of our eyes keeps audiences interested and engaged. Perhaps a half-hour too long, Boyhood is relatively a one note, low note, kind of film. That being said, I appreciate Linklater's execution in so fully capturing the life of middle class America.
Guardians of the Galaxy
I hesitate in reviewing this film upon fear I may blurt out something along the lies of THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY WAS BETTER THAN THE AVENGERS.
All Marvel movies carry their far share of imperfections and Guardians of the Galaxy is no exception, but it's charm, characters, and soundtrack won me over. Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper's Rocket own this film and make it worth watching. Dave Bastia delivers a devastating performance and was the only questionable casting decision, the remaining supporting cast work their roles well, creating memorable characters. Fun, sexy, and beautifully designed, Guardians of the Galaxy surpasses Marvel's Avengers in more way that one. The movie's cast left me wanting more and it's costume designer, Alexandra Byrne, left me craving a red leather trench coat for fall.
