The summer of 2012 flew by, but we were not left without a couple of unforgettable seasonal films. For those of you just settling in at Eastern Michigan University this week, picking up these hot summer films could make for an epic night in.
The first film that comes to mind, which also broke all box office records with an incredible $207 million opening weekend, is “The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon. The record-breaking hit that blew crowds away across the country starred a cornucopia of incredibly talented actors, including Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”), Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are All Right”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man”), Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”), Tom Hiddleston (“Thor”), Chris Evans (“Fantastic Four”) and Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”).
The super-epic and super-fantastic superhero story is that of Marvel Comics’ “Avengers,” who are desperately trying to protect Earth’s inhabitants from an evil plan by Loki, a Norse god and
Thor’s brother, to conquer the human race.
“The Dark Knight Rises,” directed by Christopher Nolan, came in second place this summer. The film tells a tale of Batman’s (Christian Bale) return to the streets of Gotham City in his attempts to save his beloved town from the terrorist Bane.
The cast was well-assembled and performed well as an ensemble, with surprisingly good performances from Bale’s supporting actors, Anne Hathaway (Selina Kyle), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (John Blake) and Tom Hardy (Bane). The amount of crowd-pleasing moments made this blockbuster a fan’s dream.
Another superhero flick released this summer was the less than impressive “The Amazing Spiderman.” The cast included Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) as the new Spiderman, along with Emma Stone (“Easy A”) and Dennis Leary (“Rescue Me”).
The performances given by the group were a tad disappointing, seeing as it was a long awaited reboot of the 2002 “Spiderman.” Unfortunately, the gaping plot holes left in the story made it nearly impossible to stay focused on, or even interested in, the plot. This revamp lacked the pizzazz summer films normally have and made for an insignificant watch.
For the sci-fi fans out there, Ridley Scott offered up “Prometheus” to the summer movie list, which starred Noomi Rapace (the original “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”), Charlize Theron (“Hancock”), Michael Fassbender (“X-Men: First Class”) and Idris Elba (“Obsessed”).
The cast formed a crew of explorers leaving the comfort of Earth to search for the origins of mankind in the depths of the universe, only to discover that where we came from wasn’t what they had hoped. And if the story doesn’t keep you enthralled enough, the scenery and acting most definitely will.
Keeping in the sci-fi category, the “Total Recall” remake hit theaters recently to cap off the summer, but did not exceed expectations as hoped. Colin Farrell (“The Recruit”) stars in this interesting story of a place called Rekall, where they turn a dream into a detailed memory. However, the film itself was not very memorable. With an extremely low rating of 30 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it lacked the plot twists the original offered to fans.
Honorable mentions of the summer go to “Cabin in the Woods,” also directed by Joss Whedon, “Moonrise Kingdom,” directed by Wes Anderson, “Men in Black III,” directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, “God Bless America,” directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and “Dark Shadows,” directed by Tim Burton. Though these films may not have blown crowds away as most of the others did, they do deserve a watch and your judgment.
While the summer was jam-packed with box-office hits, some good and some bad, any of these epic film spectaculars would make for an awesome viewing party with friends as you cozy up in your new dorm or apartment.
