Top 13 Movies of Summer 2015

So I was planning on posting a review of Hitman Agent 47 since last weekend but after seeing it last weekend, and it was really nothing special, a sudden realization griped my subconsciousness. I tried to deny it but as the days continued and we move closer and closer to next weekend it simply became fact...Summer is Over. Next weeks releases include No Escape and Zac Efron's We Are Your Friends, two films that may due well but I doubt have the attention of a huge summer blockbuster like Jurassic World or even a smaller more modest film like Southpaw.

So What about this summer stood out? I would argue this summer compared to last summer feels like a flunk but that would be disrespectful to what this summer had offer. We saw the return of George Miller and the reaffirming of Pixar Studios as the best name in animation. The Avengers Reassembled and the Fantastic Four flopped. The Spy movie took front and center this year establishing its self and a once again respectable genre and the Comedies this year brought more to the table then ever before. This Summer had a couple standouts that I will remember as the year goes on, and since I only recently started this blog, here is my chance to honor them.

Just before I begin lets clarify from where I see the summer movie season beginning. I know the summer solstice is June 21 but the Summer Movie season officially begins for me after the first major release in May. This year that was Avengers: Age of Ultron so anything between that and now is fair game. Also as to why I chose to do thirteen films as appose to the standard ten; thirteen is my favorite number and doing the typical approach is often boring. If you think its a cop out to squeeze three more films onto the list then skip to number ten, or five, or even one...however you enjoy this list is up to you. And lastly note that this list is my own personal opinion, if you see something that you thought should be on here then its likely I didn't like it or (in the case of horror movies and magic mike) I didn't see it.

13. Southpaw (3/5)





Jake Gyllenhaal's performance in Southpaw was defiantly the standout but their was plenty more to enjoy in this boxing movie. The complex farther daughter dynamic and the sound editing during the boxing matches was some of the best I experienced in a theater all year (the roar of the crowd was so intense in some scenes it made me thankfully I saw this at a movie theatre and now on my couch). I give this film a pass on its predictable plot and down right depressing depictions in favor of its strengths.

12. Man from U.N.C.L.E (3/5)

If your as new to this blog as I am considering this is only my fourth post then you have probably read my thoughts on Man from U.N.C.L.E. and you'll know I really liked the films style and chemistry between the two main leads. Considering on just how well Spectre does this November this year my very well go down for me as the year of the spy movie and Man From U.N.C.L.E. would have defiantly have a hand in that.


11. Shaun the Sheep (3/5)

Aaah Aardman animation, its always a joy to see these guys crank out another claymation motion feature but I have to admit I was apprehensive when I saw the first trailers to Shaun the Sheep. First off I had no idea of an old tv show and the trailer voice guy made facepalm over and over again. Fortunately once I saw the movie my fears were addressed. The story is told without any dialogue giving clarity to the corniness of the trailers. The film then continued to evolve from a cute story to a funny one to a sad one and back again to a great one. Its smart, witty and most defiantly the funniest animated movie this year so I cant give it anything less then a thumbs up.

10. Jurassic World (3/5)

And here we are the top ten with none other then this years biggest surprise Jurassic World. It was the film that surpassed Avengers in worldwide box office as well as beating it in opening weekend numbers. This is made all the more surprising that Jurassic World isn't all that great. Its good and very fun but the movie isn't really deep and the characters are laughably thin. This movie doesn't hold this spot because of the quality of film it is however it is because of what its accomplished and the amount of joy and enthusiasm it brought to movie goers, and that's something (...because shut up).

9. Spy (3/5)

Spy is a movie that needed to happen for Melissa McCarthy. After the Identity Thiefs and Tammys the world need to be reminded that with the right director, like Paul Feig, McCarthy is a comedic force. Spy works so well as a comedy because it doesn't just make the audience laugh, its a great action flick (seriously that fight in the kitchen is still one of my favorite moments in the movies so far this year). Its characters and its situations work so when the comedy misfires, and it does in the first act, you forgive it because your invested in the characters and the plot as opposed to other flicks this summer (cough..cough...ted2.cough). Now Ghostbusters is one of my most anticipated movie next summer and its all because of what Feig has done with this movie this year.

8. Trainwreck (3/5)

Narrowly beating out Spy to be the best comedy of the summer is the Judd Apatow flick Trainwreck written by Amy Schumer about Amy Schumer (or essentially her on stage persona). What helps edges Trainwreck over Spy is the drama and just how much it caught me off guard. Schumer is a comedian and Judd Apatow does comedies, so when the flick starts discussing how choices we make can design a lifestyle for us to follow and blind us to the opportunities around us it really spoke to me and the comedy helped ground that. Props to Amy Schumer looks like she is as much as a writing talent as she is a comedic one. As for you Apatow, you may have lost Rudd to Marvel (which we'll get to later) but od may have sent you another shooting star.

7. Paper Towns (3/5)

Here's a movie that I can bet a lot of my friends didn't see but are going to wish they had. I remember going into this movie and everybody was telling me "dude thats a chick flick its so stupid" and "why are you going to see that its for like teen girls" and I walked out with a huge smile on my face. There is such thing is as a chick flick, but calling this flick a chick flick is like calling the Dark Knight a horror movie, maybe from the images and themes of the movie you might come to that conclusion but you would be woefully misguided. Paper Towns is a delightful, smart and engaging teen discovery/ road trip movie about growing up and stepping out of ones comfort zone. It isn't winning any Oscars this year but I'll be damned if I forget when Ben starts singing the Pokemon theme song!

6. Avengers: Age of Ultron (3/5)

Now My favorite studio takes its turn at the bat and comes out swinging with the follow up to one of the biggest movies of all time with the sixth biggest movie of all time Avengers: Age of Ultron. So many people bashed on this movie and declared it was the herald for Marvel's fall from the heavens but I just have to declare...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! If this movie came out May 4, 2012 everybody would have been singing its praises but now since its has its predecessor to be compared to people have to say it missed the mark. The Avengers was lightning in a bottle and lightning rarely strikes the same place twice let alone in the same way. The only reason of disappointment I had for AOU is when you compare it to Marvel's more resent afair. Is AOU better then Guardians of the Galaxy? No. Is AOU better then Captain America: The Winter Solider? Hell No. The reason I was only slightly disappointed with the latest avengers was because compared to Marvels latest entires it lacks the depth and wow factor that I had from my expectations being blown away similar to the first Avengers. Our expectations have been spoiled by Marvel the last couple of years to the point now where its almost expected of them to surpass our expectations and that is too much to ask of any studio. Avengers Age of Ultron is still a great world spanning adventure epic that combines the events of the previous MCU movies and forwards the story in its own way. Its still funny, its characters are still incredibly deep and the expirence is still a blast from start, when they attack Struckers asylum, to end, where they stop a city from crashing into the earth.

5. Mad Max: Fury Road (3/5)

First I would like to acknowledge all the following entries on this list including Mad Max here. It's is significant for me when I can say I liked a movie more then a corresponding marvel release and all of these flicks have that privilege. Also with this entry it should be noted that while I have been singing the praises of these movies I have not yet on this list given any movie above a 3/5. The reasons are variable (and the explaining of my ratings is a post for another time) but ultimately it comes down to my enjoyment of the movie more then anything else. With Mad Max I spent a long time debating what its rating should be. The word masterful gets tossed around a lot in today's culture so I try to reserve it to only a couple of cases, and although I gave Mad Max: Fury Road a 3/5 I would still claim that their are aspects of it that are masterful. The Action on one hand is some of the best directed action I have even seen in a movie period. Going back to Mad Max I enjoyed it more and more and learned more about its plot and its messages, though I never went the step up and awarded the movie more then a 3/5. At the end of the day I stand by this rating firmly and claimed that I highly enjoyed mad max and that there isn't really much wrong with it but considering I enjoyed it only so much and less then the following entries on this list I could never award it more then I thought it deserved. Movies are subjective and I think Mad Max: Fury Road is a brilliant film that may get attention come Oscar season, though it only gets a firm recommendation from me.

4. Inside Out (4/5)

Inside out gets the honor of the first 4/5 on this list because for me it deserves it most. I loved Inside Out! It had me smiling, it had me in tears, and most of all it reminded me of why Pixar is so great. Inside Out clicks because its more then just a kids movie about growing up, it explores themes that other movies wouldn't dare come across. It's not just a compilation of fun ideas, like the train of thought being a train and long term memory being a labyrinth like archive, but it uses those ideas to say something about the world of its characters and develops its message. Engaging for kids, engaging for adults, good job Pixar your back on the map!

3. Dope (4/5)

Its funny that the best film to take place in Compton summer of 2015 wasn't Straight Outta Compton even though it may have been the favorite. So what makes dope better? For me it was the message, it characters and the style of the flick. Dope is funny, like really funny and the best part is that it fell like its not trying to be at all its just that relatable. Everything weaves together seamlessly in Dope just like it should in a great film. Most of you guys reading this probably haven't even heard of Dope or maybe you have and thought the movie wasn't for you, but as a middle class white college student let me tell you, seek it out, you'll be glad you did.

2. Ant-Man (4/5)

"Here it comes Marvel's first bomb." "What are they thinking?" "Ant-Man looks stupid!"...........can we all just start giving Marvel Studios the benefit of the doubt now. Does anybody remember Guardians and the hate it was getting up to its release? Is it the same now? Well What about Ant-Man surly that must have sucked (and if your reading its placement in the list you'll know Im being sarcastic)? Well no surprisingly (again sarcastically speaking) Ant-Man didn't suck, in fact its my second favorite movie all year. Its not an action flick and its not a comedy, it's Marvel Studios take on a heist movie. Its also the 12th financially successful film in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and ties in the threads of Hank Pym to the greater story line that is going to unfold. Once again Marvel delivers the full package. Hank and Hope Pym are fully fleshed out and realized characters and Paul Rudd performance of everyman Scott Lang turned thief/criminal turned superhero grounds the story and events at play. The parallels between Hank and Hopes relationship help Scott grow his relationship with his daughter and sway him into ultimately becoming a better person for the people around him. Ant-Man may have some great action toward the end, and it may be one of marvel's funniest movies yet thanks to Michael Pena, but really this is a movie about mentors. This is a movie that shows us that sometimes its the people around us, the ones we look up to, can shape the person we become and then have the biggest impact on our lives...Are you still one of the people who just won't see Ant-Man because it looks dumb? If you are would you kindly get off my blog. 

1. Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation (5/5)

Here it is. The first and only 5/5 I have given this year and it goes to the movie that is personally responsible for making the upcoming bond film Spectre quivers in its wake as it sweeps more and more money from the latest summer blockbuster (if you can call what were getting now blockbusters) by staying in the second spot in its now third week. Rouge Nation isn't just a great summer movie or a well told story or an interesting character study or a bombastic action film, but the embodiment of everything I love about going to the movies. I have never seen a Mission Impossible film until the night before I saw rouge nation when I bought the blu ray of Ghost Protocol just to make sure I wouldn't be lost but honestly even if I didn't do that I would have still loved it. Rouge Nation doesn't lean on the plot of its previously successful entries when it tells its story and instead goes full throttle telling a brand new one. Where to begin...there is Tom Cruse of course and his portrayl of Ethan Hunt as he embodies his inner Ahab pursuing mastermind Soloman Lang who is the head the fictionalized syndicate. There is Rebecca Ferguson whose portrayal of is she good is she bad spy gives dramatic weight to almost every scene she's in. Simon Pegg never feels unwelcome and complement Hunts badass determination as the endearing and hilarious sidekick who is just as valuable in his own right. Then there is that underwater tank scene, or the motorcycle chase or the entire opera segment which blends beautiful cinematography with incredible characters with a high stakes intelligent plot. This movie is probably the only entry this year I would deam unforgettable which is why it is also the only entry of the year to earn my most prestigious rating of 5/5.

Thank you so much for checking out this latest post guys, I have spent literally all day on it. If anybody has any thoughts on why I rated something more or less you should post a comment below, or if you just have something to say the comment board is yours as well. I'll be posting more of my post and I'll send links through facebook. 

Straight Outta Compton - Review

N.W.A.'s Story is Told with Great Characters

Man From U.N.C.L.E. Review

Style is the Game in This Late Summer Spy Flick

Brand New Blog!

Good Morning afternoon evening and night (depending on what time your reading from) and hello Internet! This is a new movie blog that i'm starting up today that will offer movie reviews and other discussion topics involving movie related media. I wanted to build this as a way to communicate my thoughts and experiences on all new weekly releases at the theaters. With this blog I will be offering weekly reviews as well as my thought on other bits of news or topics related to movies.

Just a little bit about me, My name is Matt and I am brand new to the internet space. I haven't really commented on youtube video let alone operate a blog (hence why my site is pretty much the uber generic google blogger set up...maybe in time I can change that). I do not do this for money. I don't even do this for attention. I do this because I like movies. I love watching the new releases that come out and spending hours afterward on youtube hearing what the online community has to say about it. I am an active follower of youtubers like Jeremy Jahns, Schmoesknow and of course Collider Movie Talk. If your a fan of any of those well known youtube commenters then I think you can get the idea of where Im coming from.

So keep an ear out (well you don't really listen to a blog but you catch my drift) for new content because I intend to update fairly often. If you like spending hours reading movie reviews, stick around I might be able to give you another five minutes. If you like reading a review that completely bashes on a movie well I'm sure 2015 has one or two more disasters on the way. And if for some chance your that 0.00001% who has never heard of the internet and you just happened to find my blog as your first site then let me tell you that the internet can be a hostile place and just try and follow the golden rule...(quote) "don't be a dick".

Anyway thats going to do it for me, I still have a job to get ready for! Like I said keep a watch on the blog I should have content coming up soon!