Summer film in retrospect: a few faves

Summer film in retrospect: a few faves

Jay Martinez

Columnist

Summer officially came to an end on September 22, and with the death of that hot, humid season comes the inevitable summer movie season post mortem.  Here are a few films that I thought were worth a view.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy

I am Groot.

Who knew a cast of (relatively) unknown super hero characters could form the basis for one of the best Marvel movies to date. The trailer established a quirky, silly sci-fi tone, and the movie delivered on that in spades. Chris Pratt (or Andy from Parks and Rec) has established himself as a bankable lead and he was backed up by an excellent supporting cast featuring Bradley Cooper as a killer raccoon and Vin Diesel as the tree of the summer, Groot.

Guardians of the Galaxy was what we hope to receive in every summer movie: a loud fun ride with engaging and entertaining characters, and an awesome soundtrack to boot.

2. Snowpiercer:

...And the award for the weirdest movie of the summer goes to Snowpiercer. Directed by Joon-ho Bong and starring Chris Evans (Captain America), Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic tale that takes place entirely in a single location. The world as we know it has ended, and the only remaining humans survive on an ever moving train. A class system develops and the people at the back of the train become slaves to the folks that inhabit the front of the train.

This doesn’t last long and the movie quickly moves to open rebellion. Led by Evans, the oppressed people fight forward, moving through each train car. Each car has impressive set design and feels like a different and unique place. The pacing is solid throughout and the audience is always being pushed forward. There are impressive action sequences, inventive set pieces, and Alison Pill wielding a machine gun. The engaging film ends on a less than satisfactory note, but is still worth watching overall.

3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

This was the sequel to the sleeper hit of summer 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Rise left us at an interesting place with all of humanity dying from a spreading infection (sorry, spoilers!)

Dawn (what a similar name) picks up right after Rise and moves the story of Caesar forward. As was the case with Rise, the apes are the focus of the story. Caesar’s tribe has an established lifestyle and is in full reign of their domain. Interaction with the few remaining humans causes tension and a power struggle within the group of apes. Caesar and the human lead played by Jason Clarke find themselves working together and trying to get their factions to get along. The drama is engaging and easily draws the viewer in. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is full of strong character moments and some genuine surprises. It all amounts to a successful blockbuster that is well worth your time.

4. Boyhood

Boyhood is the culmination of Richard Linklater’s never-ending pursuit of capturing moments throughout a life. Filmed over the span of twelve years, Boyhood captures the childhood of it’s main character (and actor who plays him). There are no titles cards indicating the year, instead the time is shown by the technology that the main character, Mason, interacts with. It’s a subtle way to show the passing of time. The movie would not be nearly as notable if there was not a compelling story underneath what some may call a gimmick. While the plot itself is not the most diverse or unique, the film’s character moments and arcs tell an engaging story. If you have been alive for the past 12 years you owe it to yourself to watch this movie. It hits in a way I have rarely seen this medium be able to.