BEST & WORST MOVIES OF SUMMER 2009
A quick review of what we saw this summer in theaters. 7 movies you must rent and 4 you must avoid like the plague!
By John C. Lyons
THE BEST:
THE HURT LOCKER
INTENSE! There is no word that better describes The Hurt Locker. This movie kicked my ass and I loved every nail-biting minute of it. Director Kathryn Bigelow takes a very fly-on-the-wall approach here. Right out of the gate she drops the audience into the unbelievable action and stress these brave (and crazy!) soldiers face every day diffusing bombs. When the tension finally lets up, and SSgt. William James (Jeremy Renner) comes home, there’s more brilliance in a powerfully quiet scene in a grocery store. Best movie of the summer. Rated R.
UP
The first scenes, a montage of Carl and his wife Ellie growing old together, easily pull you in emotionally and the film hasn’t even started spinning it’s beautifully-rendered wheels yet! Pixar has it figured out and “kids movies” have really grown up. This would make a great double feature night with WALL-E for the whole family. UP is 3-D animated perfection. Rated PG.
THE HANGOVER
Easily the funniest and raunchiest movie of the summer! The Hangover will be one of those movies I watch over and over and never get sick of. It doesn’t break any new ground, but the combination of great casting and solid, surprising laughs keep it entertaining from start to finish. Rated R.
MOON
This was one of those “little” films I heard about on the festival circuit and automatically put in my Netflix queue because I thought it would never come to Erie. Thankfully we have two great film series (Guelcher and Edinboro) to feed us these otherwise missed gems. Sam Rockwell is amazing here, and he has to be, he’s pretty much the only person in the movie. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I had no idea where this one was going ahead of time and I’m glad I didn’t. Director Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) is one to watch. Best Sci-Fi movie of the summer and proof that you don’t need $200M to make great Science Fiction. Rated R.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Director Quentin Tarantino at his finest and a literal display of the power of cinema. Hitler loses! Who doesn’t want to see that? From the bizarre casting that somehow works (Mike Myers, B.J. Novak, etc) to the slow-building, dialogue-driven scenes of intensity – I loved every minute. Huge kudos to Christoph Waltz for his performance as brutal Nazi Col. Hans Landa. When Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) looks into the camera at the end of the film and says “I think I just made my masterpiece”, sure Tarantino is bragging. Big time. But I, for one, agree. Rated R.
DISTRICT 9
With Peter Jackson behind this one it should have been on everyone’s radars, but District 9 snuck up on all of us and didn’t disappoint the potential displayed in the trailers and director Neil Blomkamp’s short film Alive in Joburg. The movie is packed full of unique, alien action but it’s also a smart social commentary as well. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this new filmmaker. Rated R.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
In the mood for love? This was the best romantic comedy of the summer. It barely fits the formula, and oftentimes is a bit of a downer, but because of it (500) Days of Summer plays more realistic than most rom-com’s you’ve seen in the past. The lead cast of Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are also a breath of fresh air from the standard players in this genre and both do a fantastic job. Give Sandra Bullock a break and check out a modern, indie take on love in Los Angeles. Rated PG-13.
THE WORST:
TRANSFORMERS 2
The most boring action movie of the summer. How does one take a film property with a guaranteed audience, a $250+M budget, giant robots, fast cars, the best special effects in existence, and fail so terribly at creating something entertaining? Rated Boring.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
I skipped this one in the theaters, but just recently caught it on Blu-ray. I’m glad I didn’t waste my money. X-Men 3 was terrible, this one is the same caliber. The only reason people say this movie is the better of the two is because High Jackman is charm-tastic; he’s in every scene and he’s blinding you. Don’t be fooled. This movie is silly and lame. What the hell happened to this franchise? I think they need to take a Batman break. Rated Lame.
THE UGLY TRUTH
Gerard Butler should never make another romantic comedy. Here’s the proof. Katherine Heigl is the new master at these average/sub-par chick flicks. I don’t mind her and I’m sure she has four more coming out next year, but this movie sums up everything a hate about the formula. Skip this one, ladies. Rent (500) Days of Summer or even The Proposal. Rated Cliché.
FAST AND FURIOUS
I actually liked the first movie (similarly titled The Fast & The Furious) but I guess this time around I just wasn’t in the right mind set for such stupidity. Dumb story, annoying testosterone-fueled rants, poor CGI car tricks. Ugh. But hey – fast cars and like three hot chicks! Kudos though go out to Edinboro Film Series alum, Shea Whigham, for getting some good screen time and his ass beat by Paul Walker! Rated Stupid.
I saw most of these films at Cinemark’s Tinseltown 17 Theatres on Peach Street in Erie, PA. Click for showtimes. I saw Moon at the Guelcher Film Series. Click for events.
Erie Entertainment 