HALFWAY RECAP
July 1 officially marks the halfway mark of 2013. While this year hasn't achieved the blockbuster hype of years past, the public has still been entertained by a variety of sequels, remakes, and even some new material. In this article, we will grade some of the movies that came out during the first half of the year as well as preview some of the most hyped films still to come in 2013. To remain fair and unbiased, it's only fair that I only judge the films I did indeed see, and it's also important to notify the reader that I can be a tough critic and don't hand out "A"'s easily. That being said, if you're above a C-, you haven't screwed up, and if you're in the B range, you've actually done a pretty good job. The films are listed in the order of release.
Die Hard 5: C+: There's positives and there's negatives, let's start positive. Bruce Willis is still a badass, the car chase scene is well done, and the final battle sequence is amazing. But frankly, we wish those two action sequences would have been the standard for the rest of the film. The plot is hard to follow at times, and parts of the action are almost too far-fetched for beleif. This film doesn't match the glory of some of its predecessors but I'd probably still be willing to see a 6th installment if they decide to create one. Die Hard will always be a badass series and Bruce Willis will forever be remembered as his crazy stunts as John McClane, but this particular part is just an average film and therefore receives an average grade.
21 and Over: B+. I didn't have the highest expectations going in, the plot seemed directly stolen from The Hangover and a college partying movie just seemed cliche. I was wrong. A relatively new cast was actually refreshing, and the college humor caught me laughing most of the way. The main reasons 21 and Over doesn't make the A grade is because it did borrow a lot of elements from past films and frankly because I've just seen funnier. But it was a nice surprise nonetheless and is worth seeing if you ever have a chance.
Iron Man 3: B+. Financially, Iron Man 3 has been the most successful film of the year. The film grossed over 1.2 billion, making it the 5th highest grossing film of all time, and crushing it's fellow 2013 competition. The special effects are phenomenal, and the writers create a very fitting end to the Iron Man story and do well to show how Tony Stark grows up. So why doesn't it make the A grade? Despite all it's glory, this actually happened to be my least favorite in the series. Stark doesn't make as many wise cracks or jabs at his opponents as we saw in Iron Man 1 and 2, and the time he actually spends in the suit is much less. For me personally, I just didn't have as much fun watching Iron Man as before and was a bit taken aback by the serious side. Nevertheless, this was another major blockbuster for Marvel and I still hope Robert Downey Jr. will return for future Avengers films.
The Hangover III: C. The real problem here is that the film is entitled "The Hangover", yet there's no alcohol in the entire movie. The writers take an odd turn with the last installment by making it more of an action film than a comedy. The end credit scene is hysterical, but more of what I hoped for during the entire movie. The Hangover was one of the most overrated, built up films of the summer, especially among comedies. However, the film doesn't completely sink due to a well wrapped up ending to the trilogy, and some good laughs here and there. The Hangover trilogy still remains one of comedies best, but if you're in it for the laughs and not so much for the story, it's best to stick to the first 2.
Man of Steel: B. Man of Steel was built up to be the biggest film of the summer, or possibly 2013. Instead Man of Steel was just average in my book. Through the middle, the story was hard to follow and very slow at times, and there really isn't much information given about Clark's childhood growing up. His relationship with Lois develops awkwardly quickly and Russel Crowe riding a dragon at the beginning is a bit corny. But make no mistake this film still had a lot going for it. The suit was designed to perfection, the action scenes are incredible, Lois is a lot more active and exciting than in previous films, and Henry Cavill fits well as the new face of the DC Universe franchise. The film achieved its main goal, it gave Clark Kent (or Kal-El if you prefer) a beginning, and if you remember back to 2005, Batman Begins wasn't exactly a big hit for Christopher Nolan either. That being said, I would still welcome the idea of a Superman trilogy provided the stars stay on board and bigger villains are brought in.
The Internship: A-. Talk about a surprise! Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are still the dynamic duo we saw them as in "Wedding Crashers" back in the day. New faces make strong movie debut's, aided along by bringing in big name guest stars in minor roles such as Will Ferrell, Rob Riggle, B.J. Novak and more. Google comes out a big winner, making its headquarters look about as fun as Disney World with a technology spike, and we all know Google will never shy away from exposure. What makes this film work is the great blend of elements. We know it's hilarious, but it also contains a great story line, a dab of romance, and leaves the viewer with a great sense of unity. The worlds of young and old are linked in the story with old school references such as "Flashdance" with new ones like the X-men and Quidditch. Overall, it's pretty fun! And the chemistry between Wilson and Vaughn is undeniable, just enough so that this film becomes the first of 2013 to reach my A list!
So What's Next???
It's a commonly sad misconception that once July breaks in, there really aren't any great movies to look forward to the rest of the year, or at least not until Christmastime. I'm here to alert you that simply isn't true! In fact, I decided to go ahead and list in my opinion the top 10 most anticipated films to come in 2013. Again, I tried my best to be unbiased in creating my list so please don't get offended if you disagree with my choices or their placement. Spoiler alert: 8 out of the 10 are sequels...
#10. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: I'm not a huge fan of animation, but that doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of people who are. I expect this film to do well for two reasons. Firstly, the original film was enjoyable and furthermore it had good casting. In all honesty I don't know who wouldn't want to live in a world with giant meatballs, unless you really hate Italian food. Secondly, it's really the last big animated film that we will see the rest of the year and will have nothing competing against it. Disney already put out Monster's U as it's big summer production, and Universal followed suit by creating the sequel to Despicable Me (which I loved =D). If animation is your thing and you're not down with waiting until next summer, give this one a shot.
#9. Insidious Chapter 2: Let me start by saying horror films are like my least favorite thing on the planet. Calling me a "chicken", offering to turn the lights on, or putting a hot girl next to me can't even cure my distaste for horror films. Moving on, I did see the first chapter of this series, and I slept with a light on for the week afterwards. The ending was bizarre, and I realize that huge horror crowds will come out to see what happens next. You could have easily exchanged this with Paranormal 5 as far as I'm concerned, I just felt a horror film should be on the list. So if you're not like me and enjoy getting the bejeezus scared out of you, then there's still 2 great chances for that to happen in time for Halloween.
#8. Lone Survivor: This is probably the least known about choice in my top ten. Lone Survivor is a military novel written by former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell that deals with the adventures of SEAL Team 10 and the struggles they deal with via the liberal media and foreign policy. I hate books almost as much as I hate horror movies but take it from me, this one was pretty good. Military movies have become increasingly popular as of late and this one will be no different. Fans of the book and military movie fans will come out to see this one on the big screen for sure.
#7 The Lone Ranger: Now I know what you're thinking: "this already came out" but it's still new enough and still worth talking about. For some time now America has needed a good old-west style film, and resurrecting the Lone Ranger and Tonto on the big screen for the first time in over 32 years might just do the trick. With Disney producing and Johnny Depp in the mix, that should be enough to draw a great deal of attention by itself. And if the film does well enough, there may be more on the way.
#6. The Wolverine: I prefer to see all the x-men in film together. I enjoy seeing how they combine their powers and work as a team while being frowned upon by the rest of humanity. But if you had to give one X-man (or woman) his own set of films, Wolverine is the obvious choice. To begin, it makes perfect sense to pick the guy who's ill tempered, loves beer, and gets all the girls not named Jean Grey. Past that, he's simply the best as what he does as a member of Xavier's team. I wasn't in love with the first movie of the series, but I would definitely still see the next chapter of one of the greatest comic book heroes of all time. And you gotta appreciate that Marvel strikes back against DC's "Man of Steel" with the Iron Man and the Man of Adamantium. It's been a very metal summer...
#5 Grown Ups 2: I've talked a lot about things I'm not fond of in previous introductions to the top 10, and now it's time to talk about something I love: laughing my ass off! Grown Ups 1 is one of my all time favorite comedies, the cast is killer and the story was great too. Not only is most of the original cast coming back for this installment, but the movie even goes further to bring in an equally impressive set of guest stars that includes Andy Samberg, Taylor Lautner, and even Shaq. Side note: Adam Sandler's character stands no chance against Shaq in a game of basketball, no matter how sweet that bank shot is. Unless there's a royal screw up somewhere, this film has all the tools of matching some of the great comedies of all time including its predecessor.
#4. Catching Fire: Oddly enough another addition based on a book. While "The Hunger Games" was by far my favorite book in the trilogy, Catching Fire has a chance to be the best on the big screen. The arena is badass this time around and they basically play Hunger Game All-Star Edition in case you didn't know. The story is much darker than the first one, and the success of this movie franchise depends on how deep into the characters and their struggles this movie will be able to dig. Regardless, this movie is gonna make a lot of money.
#3. Thor 2: The Dark World: If it were my biased list, this would be my #1. I absolutely LOVE the marvel universe and it's heroes so obviously this film was going to receive high marks. Thor 1 was such a hit and left open so many possibilities. We know Thor will have been affected by the events of the Avengers, and we know that some how Thor will find his way back to Earth for Jane Foster. We expect the film will further explore at least one more of the Nine Realms, and we expect some monumental ending that gives us some insight on either Thor 3, Avengers 2, or even a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And what's become of Loki? Will he come through and join forces with his brother, or will the God of Mischief once again live up to his name. The possibilities are endless and even if they weren't who doesn't wanna see the big guy swinging around the hammer one more time.
#2. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues: You remember how I told you Grown Ups is one of my favorite comedies of all time? Well Anchorman IS my favorite comedy of all time. Even though an epilogue of each character was included in the original Anchorman, the demand for a sequel was almost inevitable. Furthermore the cast is endless with superstars making cameos, everyone from Jim Carrey and other funny SNL alumni to action film stars such as Harrison Ford, Will Smith, and Liam Neeson, even to musicians such as Kanye West and Green Day. This film already has tremendous expectations, but if stays true to the humor and feel of it's 2004 blockbuster then it's going to be huge.
#1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Even though this also counts as "movie based on a novel", its connection to the LOTR trilogy is enough to earn it the top spot on this list. I'd even go as far as to say it's better than the LOTR trilogy, simply because Bilbo's journey is dosed with action in every step of the journey, while Frodo's journey focuses more on the travelling and the fatigue. Even though the first one left me a bit dissapointed, I still have great faith in what's to come. This story has it all, giant spiders, talking bears, wizards, elves, and if nothing else a giant dragon protecting literally tons of gold.
Do you agree with my top 10? Did I leave anything out? And how about my mid-season grades? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!
Written by: Ryan Quigley
