The sun’s out — why not sit in a dark theater?
As summer rolled by, studios filled the warm months with some of their biggest and boldest releases of the year. From what feels like the umpteenth entry into the “Jurassic World” franchise to indie neo-Westerns like Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” there was no shortage of variety among the summer releases. Here’s a quick heat check for the biggest releases of the summer.
“Superman” directed by James Gunn: 90°
The music industry had no clear “Song of the Summer,” however, movies did not face the same issue. The first filmic installment in the revamped DC Extended Universe was a smash hit. Having already seen Superman’s origin story on-screen just over a decade ago, Gunn’s film skips Kal-El’s trip from Krypton to Kansas. It follows the aftermath of Superman’s intervention in a global conflict. Tensions rise as Americans contemplate whether Superman, an American-based alien, should be able to intervene in border conflicts halfway around the world.
Gunn successfully weaves political commentary into a thrilling superhero film. The color grading, costuming and worldbuilding transport audiences to comic-accurate Metropolis. Despite having a large ensemble cast, each character feels fully fleshed out. David Corenswet’s Clark Kent is magnificent. He perfectly balances the small-town reporter alter ego with Superman’s confidence and heroism. I had reservations about Rachel Broshanan as Lois Lane, but her chemistry with Corenswet is undeniable. Additionally, she embodies Lane’s tenacity perfectly.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” directed by Matt Shakman: 70°
The war of the franchises is on. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe dominated public opinion and the box office for much of the 21st century, the DC Extended Universe suffered at the box office. Now, in a world where the roles are completely reversed, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” had high expectations. The film follows “Marvel’s First Family” fighting against the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) and Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The film’s retro-futurism is visually stimulating and feels as if it pulled 1960s New York City right off the comic panels.
While Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards is convincingly intelligent, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm was sadly underutilized. While the visual aspects of the film excel, the story falls flat due to the demands of the franchise surrounding it. Because it must set up the Fantastic Four for “Avengers: Doomsday” with the aim of providing a false sense of intimacy with the characters, the film executes four emotional character arcs to varying levels of success. The film plays it safe for the sake of franchise preparation, making it feel unimaginative.
“Materialists” directed by Celine Song: 40°
“Materialists” felt like a Thursday in late November — cold, long and utterly draining. In the follow-up to her Oscar-nominated film “Past Lives,” Celine Song provides a sour twist on the rom-com that critiques modern ideas on dating, marriage and wealth. Dakota Johnson gave a lackluster performance as Lucy, a New York City matchmaker who finds herself torn between two men. Harry, played by Pedro Pascal, is rich and seemingly perfect. Lucy’s ex John is a poor, starving artist played by Chris Evans. All three characters are uniquely mediocre. Lucy is selfish and uninteresting, Harry is reduced to the money in his pocket, and I’m not entirely convinced John is the earnest lover he claims he is. Song’s experience as a playwright shines through in dialogue that is monologue-heavy and preachy.
“F1: The Movie” directed by Joseph Kosinski: 75°
“F1: The Movie” follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) — a retired driver who hasn’t seen the inside of a Formula 1 car since 1993. Tasked with saving a failing team, he butts heads with his younger, cockier teammate, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).
Kosinski is actively carving out a place for himself as the premier action director of the 2020s. Just like his previous smash hit, “Top Gun: Maverick,” the action sequences in “F1: The Movie” are masterful. Enhanced by Hans Zimmer’s score and an eclectic soundtrack, every racing scene completely captivates. The cinematography and editing by Claudio Miranda and Stephen Mirrione, respectively, reflect each competitor’s unique driving style. The film’s story and drama are formulaic, as expected. Unfortunately, as a big fan of F1 as a sport, the egregious inaccuracies dampened my enjoyment of the movie. However, this is still a great pick for any upcoming movie night.
“Weapons” directed by Zach Cregger: 65°
As an anti-trailer cinephile, the “Weapons” teaser had me counting down the days until the release. Following unconfirmed rumors about losing the rights to the film in a bidding war that led to Jordan Peele firing his management team, the world eagerly awaited its debut. “Weapons” opens as 17 of the 18 kids in Ms. Gandy’s third-grade class came running out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. with arms outstretched, seemingly towards nothing. The film is organized into episodes, each following a different character. This format works extraordinarily to help the audience feel the disappearance along with the town.
All damaged in their own distinct ways, each character’s chapter pulls us further into the mystery. Top billing actors — Julia Garner as Ms. Gandy and Josh Brolin as the father of one of the missing children — make the audience deeply empathize with the hole that the children have left behind. By the end of each of their chapters, the audience feels as if they’ve lost something as well.
Cregger does a wonderful job of balancing the harrowing with the comedic. However, in Cregger’s typical style, the film does a complete 180 degrees from where audiences thought the film was going. In my opinion, it was a twist in the wrong direction. There were themes and imagery that I feel could have landed a much sharper, more intriguing ending. Woefully, I walked away wondering what this film could have been if Peele had won the rights.