Summer Movie Recap -- Part I

So, it’s been a while since my last post. I’m sure hundreds (thousands?) of my devoted readers have been checking the blog daily for new material. Well, ease off on the hunger strike; I have returned. This Friday will mark the first installment in an ongoing series of Friday posts imaginatively titled “Adam’s Movie of the Week.”* I’ll choose a movie that I like that you may not have seen, and say why it’s great. Basically, I’ll talk about stuff I like, which is why blogs exist in the first place. In the meantime, here is a recap of my summer at the movies.

*Title is subject to change upon unexpected stroke of creativity.

The summer kicked off with Iron Man. I never cared much for Iron Man the comic character, but Robert Downey Jr. does a phenomenal job creating the playboy Tony Stark. He actually is what Bruce Wayne pretends to be. Jon Favreau put together a movie that is fun, huge, and action-packed. This began the wave of big budget movies we all associate with summer. Hopefully the inevitable sequel will add a little depth by exploring his struggle with alcoholism, which was a major story arc of the comic.

The second big budget summer blockbuster should have been Speed Racer. I saw this in IMAX, and it’s speedballing in a melting candy store. Critics unjustly crucified Speed and audiences stayed away. You owe it to yourself to watch this in Blu-ray on the biggest screen you can find. It is pure cinematic fun. At heart Speed Racer is a simple story about a family, but the visual innovation on display thanks to the Wachowski brothers is breathtaking.

There’s nothing new for me to say about The Fall, except “SEE IT.” See it in high definition. No matter what else comes out as we approach Oscar-bait season, The Fall will remain one of the best movies of the year.

At least Prince Caspian was better than the first Narnia movie. The kids are a little older and a little less annoying, plus Aslan only makes a few cameos until the end. Am I the only one who hates the stupid lion? Surprisingly, the changes made when translating the novel to film were generally improvements.

Then things went off the rails. Indiana Jones and the Aliens from Another Dimension. Spielberg and Lucas give us a magical fridge, Shia Doolittle swinging from vines and talking to monkeys, and CG gophers. WTF? It’s too upsetting to even talk about.

The Incredible Hulk improved on Ang Lee’s version by toning down the CG, giving us a tangible villain (played with enthusiastic menace by Tim Roth), and more interesting motivation for Bruce Banner. The filmmakers opt to skip the origin story, which allows them to delve deeper into his life on the run as he tries to evade the authorities who would turn him into a weapon. The most engaging parts are when Bruce is not hulked out, which speaks to the abilities of the great cast and strong script.

To Be Continued....