Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore, Flickr Creative Commons
Every summer, there’s a massive list of blockbusters – movies that take theaters by storm and make millions for studios, both large and small. And this past summer, like many others, had its fair share of hits, including, but not limited to: “Straight Outta Compton,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inside Out” and “Furious 7.”
As we transition into the fall and winter movie season, it's worth taking time to look back on this past summer's best flicks, from the lighthearted to action-packed.
Pixar’s newest film, “Inside Out,” starring Amy Poehler and Lewis Black, proved to be one of the strongest family films in recent memory. The film’s child friendly metaphors for emotion proved an effective way to analyze the mind, according to freshman Chris Hulmes.
“It was interesting to see complex emotions on a simple platform, easy enough for kids to understand,” said Hulmes.
“Furious 7,” the latest installment of the “The Fast and the Furious” franchise, persisted in maintaining its charm to a loyal fan base. The film was the last to feature the late Paul Walker, who had been a mainstay in every previous film. The posthumous performance by Walker drew large crowds, wanting to see his beloved character one final time.
This summer also had its fair share of sequels that have long been in development, including “Mad Max: Fury Road,” starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. This film is another high-action thrill ride that summer audiences loved.
On the other end of the spectrum, there have been some less-than-thrilling sequels. Namely “Jurassic World,” the long awaited fourth installment of the “Jurassic Park” series, which comes 14 years after the last installment. Fans of the series were let down by a very flat and boring story, with some of the only notable features being the dinosaurs themselves.
Freshman Ariana Focaraccio said, “[Jurassic World] could’ve been better if the characters weren’t so flat and stereotypical. That was what really kept it from being a really good movie.”
“Jurassic World” stars Chris Pratt, who most certainly underperformed in the film. As the the summer season of films comes to a close – a very critical time for blockbusters – and enter the winter, a list of some possible award contenders remain. Those that stood out from the pack did so with great emphasis and made the summer blockbuster list of 2015 one of the best seen in years.
jfishma2@ramapo.edu
