5. Pacific Rim
Here on the blog, I always try to award originality (since there are so many sequels, reboots, etc., each summer), which is why Pacific Rim just barely makes the list. It is for the most part an original story, which borrows heavily from Godzilla films. Plus, it's loud and explodey, which always wins points in my book. Much like the author of the Winnie the Pooh tales, A. A. Milne, I suspect the screenwriter may have written the entire movie based on watching his son play with toys, but it was still an enjoyable way to spend two hours.
4. Iron Man 3
Iron Man 2 was kind of a weird disaster, so I was glad to see a return to form with the most recent installment. I often judge how good summer movies are based on whether Sarah actually enjoyed watching them with me. Of all the loud, action-packed movies we saw this year, this seemed to be the least objectionable to her, which earns it the #4 spot.
3. Monsters University
Pixar will almost always have a spot in this list. I remember being disappointed last year when I heard that Pixar would be doing yet another sequel, but Monsters University ended up being a great film. I think what impressed me the most was that it had unique message for the kids watching. I feel like almost every kids' movie today has the same "dare to be different" theme, so I was glad to see something unique, namely the idea that "sometimes you don't get what you want, even if you try really hard," which is a pretty tough lesson for kids, if you think about it. My son seems to be working on that every day.
2. The Way Way Back
Huh? What movie is this? Well, let me explain. Most of you are probably scratching your heads wondering what I am talking about. This movie was only in limited release, so not a lot of people heard about it. Let me paint a picture for you: Sarah and I are visiting my folks in Arizona for a couple of days, and we're all amped to see Pacific Rim in the giant IMAX theater. All except for Sarah, who wanted to see a heartwarming coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of a summer at the beach working in a water park. What?! Who wants to see that? I want to see giant robots fight giant aliens. Summer is NOT the time for movies that make me think and/or feel things. Well, Sarah won out, and we went to see this instead. Let me tell you, it is a fantastic film, and it really captures how magical/distressing summer vacation can be when you're a kid. That being said, it could have used a giant robot battle at some point.
1. Star Trek: Into Darkness
I'm not even a Star Trek fan, but this was one entertaining film. It was funny, smart, and had stuff blow up. Enough said.
Well, that's it for this year. Who knows if I'll ever get the chance to go to the movies again, but here's hoping we see you all back here for the 2014 Roundup. Adios!
