REVIEW - May / June / July Leftovers
August 18, 2016
Honestly, this summer has been quite the mixed bag. Most sequels not called 'Civil War' came and went with a whimper. X-Men: Apocalypse is on track to be one of the lowest grossing X-Men titles in the US (still going strong overseas), Alice Through the Looking Glass looks to be a small blot in Disney's arsenal (not to mention box office receipts) this year, and Independence Day Resurgence instantly destroyed any hopes of a franchise extension. Meanwhile, the likes Now You See Me 2 and Warcraft got their 'Get Out of Jail Free' cards courtesy of the Chinese mainland. Even the recent, much anticipated Suicide Squad didn't exactly get much favours from fans or critics alike.
The king of the summer box office undoubtedly belong to the Animation genre in this robust summer, with the caveat of Finding Dory, The Secret Life of Pets, The Angry Birds Movie (and to a lesser extent Ice Age 5... five!) all attaining that sweet worldwide moolah. Don't disregard small budget films either, with minor hits like Me Before You, Purge 3 and The Shallows ruling the roost, earning studios a small profit on relatively risk averse productions.
Box office report aside, let's go through some of the other films that either a) missed its time of relevance of a full review b) excerpts from our short Facebook reviews. Think of this as our 2016 edition of our Big Summer Blowout, featuring The Lonely Island, CGI Harambe and space-age Fast & Furious!
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
The returning casts are solid, it's the addition of Chloe Grace Moretz as the new leader of the frat house, along with her interactions with Seth Rogen and Rose Bryne, that really shines in this film that's an unexpected yet surprising vehicle for feminism (not the feminazi kind, mind) and equality. I'll recommend this only the original is right up your wheelhouse, as Neighbors 2 relies largely the same lot of humour seen two years ago.
6.0 / 10
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Cameos are a certainty, and are well executed with the film's pacing (way better than Entourage's effort, anyway). Nevertheless, Popstar's weak point surprisingly lies in their dull soundtrack, which are meek in comparison with the hilarious tracks produced trio over the past three TLI albums. In the spirit of the film, if I were to rate this film without a score, I'll probably give this the 🙈 emoji, for sheer stupidity at its funniest.
7.5 / 10
Finding Dory
The original has more depth (get it?), while being a marginally more enjoyable trip (for a then 9 year old anyway), but this rather straightforward sequel manages to hold its own with its own batch of new characters and a tear-jerker of its own. Oh yeah, be sure to come earlier for that adorable short, and stay back after the credits for a great cameo.
You can tell I really disliked Cars 2.
8.5 / 10
The Legend of Tarzan
The characters are mostly one-dimensional (with constant flashbacks for development purposes), while the storyline is borderline confusing at times (I can't tell the good tribe from the bad tribe). Only the presence of Samuel L Jackson stops this from looking like an expensive B-movie. I'm now fairly certain that no one can get Christoph Waltz right as a villain as long as said director isn't Quentin Tarantino. A missed opportunity.
5.0 / 10
Ghostbusters
The cameos are clever as they are plentiful, but the story follows rather similar beats to the original, while the CGI looks shoddy as best (think Ghostbusters II-level of uninspiring ghosts). It's a shame the trailers were filled with all the worse scenes, which did little to dampen the negative public/internet reception, and thus continuing the tradition of 'shitty-trailers-to-actually-decent-Paul-Feig-films'.
Ghostbusters 2K16 is less of a remake with a Paul Feig touch, but think of it as more like a Paul Feig film with a layer of Ghostbusting as the icing. If you've enjoyed the likes of Spy or Bridesmaids, this edition will totally be along your wheelhouse.
It's unlike the 1984 original, but it doesn't have to be. The franchise is in safe hands.
7.5 / 10
Star Trek Beyond
Justin Lin really shows his mantle in directing ensemble flicks, given his past work on Fast & Furious 3 through 6 (wow), as each core member of the enterprise are given enough screen time to shine, especially when the team is separated with unlikely companions (Bones+Spock being the best of the lot). The change in director also allows Lin to inject a lot of fun into Beyond, a far cry from the rather dark, albeit enjoyable, Star Trek Into Darkness (Benedict Cumberbatch was a menacingly good villain too, right?)
Nevertheless, while the third of the Star Trek reboot films does not put a foot wrong, it fails to bring anything new to the sci-fi table, as Beyond feels like your sub-standard action piece set in space. The new additions, in the form of Idris Elba and Kingsman's Sofia Boutella, play interesting new aliens with lots of story potential, but ultimately get overshadowed by the main cast as the film progresses. It's fun in spades, some moments will have you chuckle, while some CGI will either dazzle you or make you cringe.
In a time when Star Wars is making a massive comeback, Star Trek Beyond is struggling to compete against the awakened giant, despite its lofty ambitions.
6.0 / 10
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