9/18/2016 0 Comments Best Summer Movies Of 2016It's been an interesting summer season this year. While we haven't had a massive hit like last year's Mad Max: Fury Road or Inside Out, cinema has managed to squeeze in a few unexpected (and in some cases, unheard of) gems among the big-budget blockbusters. And while some of those bigger names are certainly worth a mention, this is also a good time to shed a spotlight on those worthy indie titles that you may have missed this summer season. And here they all are, blockbuster and indie alike, listed in order of top priority.
1. Kubo and the Two Strings I relished in Kubo and the Two Strings' delightful use of gorgeous stop-motion, but even if you're not as big a fan of the animation style as I am, Kubo is a strong enough movie to appeal to just about anyone. The voice cast, boasting the talents of Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, is excellent, the original music is sweeping and well-fitted to each scene, and the story is deeply rich and unafraid to pose challenging spiritual philosophy to its child audience. But most of all, Kubo's technical qualities make it an impressive achievement of visual artistry. Each character is really a hand-crafted minature figure that took countless hours to give filmed movement to, and the result is truly breathtaking, for cinema fans and casual filmgoers alike. 2. Captain America: Civil War While it may not be my personal favorite (though it isn't far behind), this is easily the most well-rounded of all of the Marvel Studios films thus far. No matter what you're looking for, it's likely that Civil War will appeal to you; if you want to see the political espionage from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you got it. If you want to see the fireworks show from The Avengers, you got it. If you want to see a timely examination of what it means to be a superhero in relation to government surveillance, you got it. If you want to see Spider-Man and Ant-Man throw down with the Avengers in an empty airport, you got it! I think you see where I'm going here. If you're generally not a Marvel fan, there's a good chance that there's at least one aspect of this film that will appeal to you, and the variety of different aspects and facets have led to numerous fun conversations among viewers. 3. The Conjuring 2 Much like the previous Conjuring film, this impressive sequel is harrowingly creepy, not just because of the authentic set and costume design, visual effects and music cues (all of which are executed well), but also due to the fact that it has worthwhile characters and a story, a quality frighteningly rare among current horror films. Each of the haunting victims and investigators have developed personalities that are played out by lived-in performances, and when you care about your potential horror victims, the tension is automatically raised. But when you're not being scared, you're admiring its attention to detail; this is a period piece set in the late '70s, and it owns it, from the costumes, sets, dialect, and soundtrack (boasting The Clash and early-era Bee Gees). All of these qualities combined make The Conjuring 2, like its predecessor, and enjoyably creepy film experience. 4. Theeb I'm willing to bet you haven't heard of Theeb, a subtle-yet-ambitious Arabic adventure (arguably a western?), so let me fill you in on just what this movie is and why you should be watching it. The story follows a young boy named Theeb (Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat) and his older brother, who live in the Bedouin desert during the early years of World War I. Their desert village keeps them far enough away from the war, that is, until a British soldier stumbles into their village and needs them to escort him through a perilous valley. While the first half or so of this adventure isn't exactly boring, you admittedly have a feel for where it's going. But wait for that halfway mark, and from then on, it's a rollercoaster of tension, with one suspenseful scenario compounding atop the next. Young Al-Hwietat doesn't have a great deal of lines through the journey, but does an impressive job of acting against his environment, and it's a brisk, fast-paced time, clocking in at a mere hour and forty minutes. You won't be disappointed. 5. Phoenix Phoenix doesn't sound like your average summer movie by its plot description, but it became available to me during the summer, so I'm counting it. The plot follows a Holocaust survivor (Nina Hoss) who attempts to find and reconnect with her husband following the end of World War II. Although I'll admit the set design is a little off and on (the interior scenes use too many stark walls of one solid color, whereas the exterior scenes make stunning use of lighting and shadows), the two big selling points are Hoss's performance, and the script's theme, which I can't effectively sell without incurring minor spoilers (that's your incentive to find and watch Phoenix). But on Hoss's performance, it really is something; her ability to convey emotions not through dramatic outbursts typical of dramatic films, but rather through her facial expressions and mannerisms, is evocative of a Marion Cotillard performance (for those of you who don't know, Cotillard is one of my absolute favorite current actors, so that's high praise). 6. Tallulah I checked out Tallulah because the plot sounded similar to Raising Arizona (likeable but dysfunctional protagonist steals a baby to try and start a family), and while there are inherent similarities, Tallulah is slightly more grounded in the realm of realism. Ellen Page shines as the titular character, whose quirky personality is absolutely off-kilter, but her connection with the audience comes from her light-hearted conscience. She's at war with her free-roaming way of life, and her drive to find a more grounded living for the sake of the baby, and ultimately becomes a better person as a result (even if things don't turn out as expected). If Tallulah sounds a bit predictable to your taste, give it a watch. It's not too predictable, or too emotional, or too weird, but rather a content blend of each. 7. Finding Dory While this long-awaited sequel may not live up to the original Finding Nemo (which is an admittedly tough act to follow), it's still an enjoyable and ambitious film in its own right. That ambition comes in the form of the writers' decision to depict Dory's personal journey of self-discovery as a journey of the mind, taking the audience on an adventure formed by her brain's scattered bread crumbs. It's like Memento, but for families, and characterized by Dory's unfailing optimism (personified again by Ellen DeGeneres's fluid voice work). If the film has any flaw that holds it under its predecessor, it's undoubtedly the setting; the original film took me on a massive adventure through an entire ocean, filled with ever-changing visuals and a myriad of supporting characters, whereas this version narrowly contains itself to an aquarium as its setting. The result feels much more closed off, but again, I do have to respect the film's direction to represent Dory's journey as a personal one, instead of a physical one. 8. The Fundamentals of Caring The Fundamentals of Caring feels as though the Coen brothers directed Rain Man (for those of you who don't know, Rain Man is my favorite movie, and Joel and Ethan Coen are some of my favorite directors, so that's a big statement). The story follows Paul Rudd as a newly hired caretaker to a disabled teenager (Craig Roberts), who aspires to visiting the landmark "world's deepest pit." Cue the bonding road trip movie. Actually, The Fundamentals of Caring isn't as overly emotional (or honestly as realistic) as I was expecting...and I like that it took me by surprise. Every time they did something that just wouldn't happen in a realistic scenario, I was reminded of just how hilarious Rudd and Roberts are together. For all of its missteps in terms of realism, The Fundamentals of Caring is just too delightfully odd not to enjoy. 9. Jason Bourne While all the critics were complaining that the newest Bourne sequel is exactly like the first three, I was relishing in its consistency. I enjoyed the original three films just fine, and this one gave me another dose of everything that I liked about them. The action is entertaining (the Bourne series continues to be the only action franchise in the game to make good use of the shaky cam technique), the editing is tight, and Matt Damon's charm and effortless charisma could allow him to play the role in his sleep. Whether you like the series for all of those reasons, or dislike it for its repetitive nature, you at least have to give credit to this point: it's reliable. If you know what you're getting into and that you're going to like it, it's perfectly enough to satisfy. It doesn't quite deliver above and beyond, but I can honestly say that I left the theater having recieved exactly what I wanted out of it. 10. The Secret Life of Pets When I saw the trailers for The Secret Life of Pets, my general impression was Toy Story with animals. And yeah, I was kind of right. But I think because my expectations were so low, I walked away from Pets with a considerable degree of enjoyment (although to be fair, most of that was due to the crowd I was with). Still, if you take The Secret Life of Pets for what it is, it's a fine family outing; the color palette is warm and pleasant to look at, the characters are memorable and, in some cases, surprisingly funny (with Kevin Hart's maniacal rabbit being a particular highight), and the pacing is brisk and deliberate enough to characterize the film as its own unique product.
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A couple years ago, an animation studio named Laika debuted with a stop-motion fantasy called Coraline, and it was the film that showed me that stop-motion is a demanding art form. I've been fascinated with it ever since, so obviously, I was thrilled about Laika's newest feature, Kubo and the Two Strings. As a fan of this particular art style, I was absolutely delighted with Kubo. But does that mean it will do anything for you? I'd like to think so. Allow me to make a case for it.
The story follows a young boy named Kubo (voiced by Game of Thrones' Art Parkinson), a young boy who is famous in his small village for telling lively and imaginative stories. As he does so, he strums on his shamisen (a Japanese stringed instrument), and the music brings to life intricate origami figures who reenact his epic tales. But one night, Kubo is thrown into an adventure of his own when he encounters a pair of shadowy figures who seek to harm him. Now, Kubo must go an a journey to find three magical pieces of armor - the only thing that will protect him from his powerful enemies. Along the way, he recieves aid from a talking money (voiced by Charlize Theron) and a samurai who has been transformed into a man-sized beetle (Matthew McConaughey). Right away, the most breathtaking quality of the film is its visual aesthetic. Everything looks alive and organic, and that's because it sort of is. When you see the characters walking around or engaging in battle, those are hand-crafted miniature figures reenacting a pre-positioned path that took countless hours to plan out, frame by frame. Unlike Coraline, however, which was entirely stop-motion, Kubo was built from the ground up in that style, and then computer effects were used to polish the movements of the larger-scale creatures. It's a pretty seamless final product that effectively fooled me, and I think the effect will work for anyone in the audience; it's wonderful to look at even if you don't know how it was made, and if you're into that sort of thing, it's even more of a marvel. But if you're not into studying visual craftsmanship (and not everyone is), the first thing you'll likely notice is the voice cast, which, again, is on point. Charlize Theron is an actor who has an impressive career of dramatic performances (see Mad Max: Fury Road and Monster), but not very many comedic ones, so it was a pleasant change of pace to see her get to flex her comedy muscles. What's funny about her performance is that her character isn't a comedian, but rather it's her stark and serious reaction to everything that draws a laugh. She contrasts perfectly against McConaughey's Beetle, who is far and away the least serious member of the group, and their back-and-forth exchanges reminded me of the loveable Baloo and over-protective Bagheera from The Jungle Book, and their rivaling techniques on how to "parent" Mowgli. And there are a few things to be said for McConaughey's character. Firstly, it's inherently funny to see a man-sized beetle (which, if you've never seen one, has a very imposing presence) possess such a nonserious personality. That contrast is funny enough, so he doesn't need an arsenal of jokes that can potentially get overused. He's integral to the story, but that never compromises his character, which is very laid-back and naturally McConaughey. You can tell he's having a lot of fun playing the role, and even better, you get the feeling that he and Theron weren't cast because they're big names, but rather because their roles are suited to them. The script is also very smart, which is good for such a visually strong film, given that movies typically tend to lean in one direction or the other. This is a straightforward and easy-to-follow adventure, but with a good deal of world-building going on around it. It's not just an A-to-B journey, but as you go along, you learn more about their characters and their motivations. This is one of the first rules of storytelling: the audience isn't spoonfed information, but rather given the chance to learn it as they continue on the journey. Exposition (the part of the script that sets up everything) can be a hard thing to balance, but I think Kubo made a wise choice in letting its characters tell their stories, and not so much the script. And aside from the storytelling mechanics, there is also some good theming to be had. Without giving away too much, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised to see a little bit of religious symbolism at hand (the pieces of "magical armor" representing the armor of God). There is also talk of where one goes after dying, and an affirmation that the memories of loved ones never truly leave us (implying that the world of the film acknowledges Heaven), but not enough to alienate non-Christian audiences. These are themes that a lot of viewers can take comfort in, and if anything, it's enough to start some spiritual conversation. Overall, Kubo and the Two Strings is a delightfully creative film. Obviously, I loved all of the technical craftsmanship that went into making the film, but I honestly do think that there's enough strong material here to satisfy someone who's just in it to see a good story unfold. The different facets of the plot are well-handled, you get to hear committed and personality-tailored performances by two commendable actors, and Dario Marianelli's original music is sweeping and fitted to each scene. Kubo felt charmingly reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender (my all-time favorite show that I've never compared anything else to), and I can assuredly give Kubo and the Two Strings four out of four stars. |
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