This summer's movie selection brought dinosaurs, road warriors and an iconic rap group to the theaters, making it one of the most memorable film lineups in a long time. It's tough to pick which ones are the best, but here are my five of my personal favorites.
“Straight Outta Compton”
Closing out the summer box office on a strong note, “Straight Outta Compton” is as a fascinating and insightful look into one of the most famous and notorious hip-hop groups of all time. Director F. Gary Gray crafted an energized, yet honest portrayal of the N.W.A. and how they managed to top the charts and shed light on the world they were living in. Top-notch performances by Ice Cube's son O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre and Jason Mitchell as Easy E make the film even more believable.
“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation”
The “Mission Impossible” franchise continues to be one of the most consistent and surprising films series in production right now. The fifth installment in the adventures of super spy Ethan Hunt, once played by Tom Cruise, finds Hunt and his team facing a deadly syndicate trying to eradicate the Mission Impossible Force completely.
Writer and director Christopher McQuarrie crafts a superbly taut thriller that features numerous jaw-dropping stunts and one of the most sleek and well put together action sequences I think I have ever seen. “Rogue Nation” is grade A popcorn fare and is just about the perfect summer movie.
“Jurassic World”
I grew up obsessed with the original film, and it would be an understatement to say I was expecting big things from “Jurassic World.” Fortunately, the film did not disappoint.
While the movie was not without its faults, it managed to successfully capture the nostalgic feel of the original and remind viewers of the magic of movies. Though certainly not as great as Spielberg’s original film, writer and director Colin Trevorrow managed to create a film that captures the essence of the 1994 classic while bringing his own take on the story.
The movie broke the record for the best opening weekend of all time, and rightfully so. “Jurassic World” lived up to, and even surpassed, my expectations and will surely be looked upon as one of the year’s biggest hits.
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
Though certainly not a conventional summer film by any means, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is one of the best flicks of the year so far, if not the very best. Adapted from the book by the same name, the film tells the story of two high-schoolers who befriend a classmate dying from cancer.
Though bittersweet and hard to watch at times, “Me and Earl” strikes a perfect balance between being quirky and incredibly somber. The film won both the Audience Award as well as the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance festival this year, and for good reason.
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
After an incredibly long and tumultuous road to the big screen, mastermind George Miller’s prequel to his hit film franchise saw critical praise from nearly all audiences, myself included. Miller’s ability to tell a story so vividly via images and with so few words is nearly unprecedented.
Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron both turn in fantastic performances and the film’s ability to tell a story through non-stop action makes it that much more impressive. The movie is essentially one long chase sequence, but Miller’s style and smart script help elevate it to so much more than that.
Above all, “Mad Max: Fury Road” isn’t just the best movie of the summer, it’s one of the best movies to come out in a long, long time.
Reach this reporter at: seweinst@asu.edu or on Twitter: @S_Weinstein95.
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