I wrote a blogpost a few weeks ago on how 2017 has been the best year for quality summer movie blockbusters, and as we now approach the end
of the summer I thought I’d tally up my top 6 films of this summer.
Why 6 you ask? Well, I was going to do a top five, but then as there have been so many incredible films this summer I had to increase the list to highlight these six! So what are they...
To be clear, these are my favourite films so won’t
necessarily be ranked in terms of Rotten Tomatoes review score or anything like
that. Also, this is not restricted to purely cinema releases, we live in the 21st
century and we should therefore acknowledge that great original films get
released directly on service like Netflix and Amazon (instead of being released in the
cinema).
I’m including films released theatrically or to streaming
service between May and August. When I say I’m including streaming services,
it’s not old films that just got added to the platform they have to be launched
officially on them.
So here we go…
The title is somewhat misleading, this is not the all-out
war movie I think many of us were expecting. It is a much more intimate and
thought-provoking drama of a movie. A more fitting title would probably be “Prisoner
of War Of The Planet Of The Apes” but then I guess that’s a bit too long.
However, looking at this film for what it is, it’s still an
absolute gem of a movie. Andy Serkis puts in an amazing performance again, as
we’re taken on an emotional tale of revenge and inner conflict. The special effects
are also absolutely incredible.
I think I prefer the 2nd film (Dawn of the Planet
of the Apes) out of the whole trilogy, but that’s not stopping this being a
great piece of film-making.
5) Wonder Woman
Finally! A great movie set in the DCEU (DC Extended
Universe).
Wonder Woman is a step up on anything that has come before,
and it’s really for the most obvious reason, it has great likeable characters,
a compelling story and some exciting action. It’s everything you want in a
summer blockbuster. Gal Gadot is the definitive Wonder Woman, and this is no surprise
if you’ve seen Batman v Superman where she absolutely stole the show.
I do have a few problems with the last 20 minutes, the twist
with the villain and the final fight sequence turning into bland CGI pulp hurts
the film slightly, but overall it’s great fun.
4) Okja
Well this is the reason I put all the stuff about Netflix
movies being included in the list. I really enjoyed this film, it’s a real
marvel of a movie, the likes of which we don’t see anymore. It’s technically a
family film, yet with some very dark and thought-provoking subject matters you
would rarely see in similar films these days.
The story of a genetically modified super pig Okja and a
south Korean girl Mija, gives us an adventure that is just as heartwarming as
it is heart wrenching, and therefore creates a very unique film. One of which I
highly recommend.
3) Baby Driver
Another absolutely incredible and unique movie!
Part musical, part action, part heist movie; writer /
director Edgar Wright proves he is one of the most talented and original
film-makers working in the mainstream at the moment.
This is a truly wonderful film, with an beautiful soundtrack
that is artfully edited into the movie (I won’t spoil how exactly).
See this film. Hear this film.
You can read my full thoughts on Spider-Man Homecoming here,
but needless to say I absolutely loved it. It’s easily the best Spider-Man film
and also one of the best Marvel movies ever released.
1) Dunkirk
Likewise I wrote a full blogpost on Dunkirk being the ultimate cinematic experience. As a result it’s my top film of the summer, I have
doubts as to whether it would stand up on any other format except in the
cinema, but then we’ll have to wait and see. I enjoyed this so much I actually
went to see it twice.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you check it
out whilst it’s still in the cinema.
I did also enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge
and Alien: Covenant, however as these movies felt just like modern day remakes
of earlier films in their respective franchises, I didn’t think I’d include
them in the top six.
So that’s the list, what were you’re top movies of the summer?
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