This summer, moviegoers were treated to a vast array of blockbusters. Among the summer’s heroes were super-geniuses, metaphor-wielding teens and a dancing baby tree. As the summer falls away, the time has come to reflect on the its biggest hits—and misses.
“The Fault in Our Stars”
Released June 6
Cast: Shailene Woodley of “Divergent,” Ansel Elgort of “Divergent,” Laura Dern of “The Master,” Sam Trammell of “True Blood,” Willem Dafoe of “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old cancer patient Hazel Grace Lancaster (Woodley) meets the charming Augustus Waters (Elgort) at a support group and her life is irrevocably transformed.
Verdict: This faithful adaptation of John Green’s 2012 best-selling novel was unsurprisingly the summer’s biggest tearjerker. But “The Fault in Our Stars” succeeds not only in making viewers cry, but also in addressing bigger, eye-opening concepts of life and how to live it. Woodley and Elgort deliver heart wrenching and hilarious performances, turning what could have been a very sappy film into something genuine and resonant.
Grade: A
“22 Jump Street”
Released June 13
Cast: Jonah Hill of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Channing Tatum of “White House Down,” Ice Cube of “Ride Along”
Synopsis: In this sequel to “21 Jump Street,” Hill and Tatum return as the bumbling cop duo to take down a drug ring on a college campus.
Verdict: The sequel strikes back. A knowingly-superfluous follow-up to their first film based on the classic 1980’s drama, “22 Jump Street” doesn’t take itself too seriously. With an unrelenting wit, the film makes fun of itself, its predecessor, and sequels in general, aided by the undeniable chemistry between the two leads.
Grade: B+
“Lucy”
Released July 25
Cast: Scarlett Johansson of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Morgan Freeman of “Transcendence,” Amr Waked of “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” Choi Min-sik of “New World”
Synopsis: When Lucy (Johansson) gains superpowers after inadvertently becoming a drug mule for a Korean mob boss (Min-sik), she goes on what Tarantino might call a “roaring rampage of revenge.”
Verdict: “Lucy” had all the makings of a summer blockbuster classic: elements of science fiction, hints of mystery and an ass-kicking heroine at the helm. However, “Lucy” succeeds only in its aesthetics, not in its substance. The striking use of visual effects and cinematography pillar an overly-complicated story filled with head-scratching twists and indiscernible themes. Even Johansson, who plays zombie-like Lucy, can’t help save the film from being the summer’s biggest disappointment.
Grade: C-
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
Released August 1
Cast: Chris Pratt of “Parks and Recreation,” Zoe Saldana of “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Dave Bautista of “Riddick”, Vin Diesel of “Fast & Furious 6,” Bradley Cooper of “American Hustle”
Synopsis: A group of unlikely space heroes—including a tree (Diesel), a raccoon (Cooper) and a vengeful WWE champion (Bautista)—come together to save the galaxy from a catastrophic threat.
Verdict: With this film, Marvel once again delivers a solid and entertaining installment in its ever-growing, ever-successful franchise. “Guardians of the Galaxy” had the daunting task of incorporating perhaps the most complicated mythology of any Marvel film to date into the already established canon—and the film did it with ease and wit. Though the titular guardians are alien in appearance, led by the lone human Peter Quill (Pratt), they are easily the most relatable of Marvel’s heroes, thanks to their humor, heart and unapologetic personalities. The film doesn’t miss a beat. It’s self-aware without being self-serving, it’s epic without being over-the-top. This is Marvel at its best.
Grade: A
“The Giver”
Released August 15
Cast: Jeff Bridges of “R.I.P.D.,” Meryl Streep of “August: Osage County,” Brenton Thwaites of “Maleficent”, Alexander Skarsgård of “True Blood,” Katie Holmes of “Jack and Jill”
Synopsis: Based on the children’s classic by Lois Lowry, this utopian/dystopian story follows Jonas (Thwaites) as he discovers the truth behind the seemingly perfect world he inhabits.
Verdict: Die-hard fans of Lowry’s 1993 novel might be disappointed with this summer’s adaptation of “The Giver.” However, in a very rare case of a film being better than its novel, “The Giver” deepens in meaning and emotion with every deviation from the source material. The story, a rather simple one, uncovers a beautiful, oft-forgotten message about humanity and what makes us who we are.
Grade: A-
