Summer Movies, Part Two

OK, let's move on to part two.

Man of Steel
I kind of enjoyed the latest edition of Superman, at least while I was watching it. However, there really wasn't much that stuck in my head, other than mulling over exactly how insane Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) was in the movie. Oh yeah, and thinking about how the Smallville Casey's will be getting a lot more business.* Perhaps they can use some of the more problematic elements (such as the incredibly high death toll/property damage) in the sequel.

Monsters University
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this, considering from its trailer it looked rather middle of the road. Please stay tuned for a longer post about the latest adventure of Mike and Sulley.

Much Ado About Nothing
Who follows a top grossing summer Blockbuster with a barebones rendition of Shakespeare shot at his house? Joss Whedon, that's who. There isn't much value beyond watching some of your favorite Whedonverse regulars play at Shakespeare, and some inspired physical comedy from Amy Acker and Alexis Denisov. Which was good enough for me.

White House Down
I still contend that Roland Emmerich's big, dumb summer movies are in a different league than the typical big, dumb summer movie**. With one exception*** I've enjoyed every one of his movies, even if they are full of implausible science, magical "technology", and ridiculously over the top set pieces. White House Down did not disappoint, although it wasn't quite as good as some of its summer brethren. Still, it has one of my favorite over the top movie lines ever.

The Heat
So far, this is the funniest movie I've seen all year. Yeah, the plotting is far too beholden to typical "buddy cop" cliches. However, that is secondary to the performances by Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. When you watch this, be on the lookout for a cameo by Paul Feig, the director of the movie.

Despicable Me 2
Eh, this wasn't too bad, and a few parts were pretty inspired. Like the first one, this one felt like they had a edgier film in there somewhere, before those edges were smoothed over by committee thinking and screen tests. The minions had some good moments, particularly towards the end (you'll know it when you see it). I can't see a movie based around them being very good.

The Lone Ranger
This was definitely a weird movie at times. There certainly were parts I enjoyed, and I'm not going to try to dissuade you from seeing it*****. However, I can't forgive the movie for holding the Promontory Point ceremony in Texas (hundreds of miles from the actual site in Utah), or for playing a anachronistic "Stars and Stripes Forever". C'mon, Mr. Verbinski, couldn't you at least use a contemporary march. Considering this was right after the Civil War, there were plenty that could have been used.

Pacific Rim
Holy crap, a big popcorn movie that ISN'T a sequel or reboot of a franchise? That's a real shocker. Like many movies this summer, it wasn't as original as it could have been. After all, this is a Guillermo Del Toro film, so you kind of expect more. However, I stopped caring about the time one of the giant Jaegars picked up an ocean freighter and...well, you'll just have to see the movie.

R.I.P.D.
Jeff Bridges was fun to watch, as usual, and I enjoyed Mary-Louise Parker as well. Frankly, they seemed like they were picked up out of a much better movie, and placed in some mediocre Ryan Reynolds vehicle. Once again, a pretty great premise was poorly executed. I think the next time I want to see Bridges fart around as a frontier lawman, I'll go with True Grit.

My Recommendations
Monsters University
White House Down
Much Ado About Nothing******
The Heat
Pacific Rim

* You midwesterners know what I'm talking about. After the big fight in Smalltown, you can spot a Casey's in a overhead shot of the town, well away from the battlezone where at least one of its competitors was destroyed.
** See Bay, Michael for more details.
*** Godzilla, for the record. That's a completely forgettable piece of crap.
****For the record, completely out of context: "I CHOOSE THE PEN!"
*****Judging by the box office, the movie doesn't need any help convincing people not to see it.
****** Only if you are a Whedonverse fan.