0
0
Here’s our rundown of this summer’s biggest successes and failures at the theater
By Jimmy Fortuna-Peak
This World War II epic follows the evacuation attempts of 400,000 stranded allied soldiers trapped in the French town of Dunkirk. Director Christopher Nolan pulls no punches in his 10th feature-length film and creates a tension-filled narrative that hooks the audience from start to finish. Rather than using dialogue, Nolan utilizes visual imagery to push the plot forward, making it a unique entry into the war film genre. Dunkirk received high praise from both fans and critics and could be looking at Oscar gold come year’s end. Analysis: Critical Success
Universal Picture’s attempt at starting their own cinematic universe has come into question after their release of The Mummy. The film stars Tom Cruise as a wily tomb raider who inadvertently releases an ancient princess from her desert tomb, causing her to wreak havoc on the human race. Both fans and critics criticized the film and its attempts on trying to set up future movie installments in Universal’s monster universe (The Dark Universe). Even with the negative reviews, The Mummy was still able to make $350 million at the global box office, giving a small shimmer of hope for the future of The Dark Universe. Analysis: Critical Disappointment
Wonder Woman exceeded expectations making over $390 million at the domestic box office. The movie tells the story of warrior princess, Diana Prince, and how she travels to earth to help end World War I and achieve her true destiny. This is the fourth entry into the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and is being considered by many to be the best in the franchise so far. Gal Gadot does an amazing job at portraying the iconic character and is slowly becoming a face of modern day cinema. Wonder Woman is a pioneer for female-led superhero movies and has opened the door for many more of its kind. Analysis: Box Office Champion
This graphic novel adaptation follows special agents Valerian and Laureline as they race against time to save the city of Alpha from a dark threat that could not only destroy the city but the entire universe. The film made a disappointing $22 million on its opening weekend with a production budget of $177 million. It received mixed reviews from fans and mostly negative ones from critics. The poor performance puts into question the future of the science-fiction genre. This by no means made the least amount of money this summer, but due to its large budget, it will end up with a giant loss at the box office. Analysis: Box Office Bust
Edgar Wright’s newest film, Baby Driver, surprised everyone with its fast-paced action, witty dialogue, and clever romance. Baby Driver tells the story of Baby, a getaway driver, and his final heist before retiring for good. A hit with both fans and critics, Baby Driver offered fun characters, an all star cast (Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Lily James), and was reminiscent to award-winning director Quentin Tarantino. The fancy car chases and spectacular soundtrack brought a breath of fresh air in this sequel-heavy summer. Analysis: Surprise of the Summer
September Picks
Stephen King’s newest novel adaptation, It, comes out on September 8th and looks to be scaring audiences all across the country. Spy comedy Kingsman: The Golden Circle comes out September 22nd. The first Kingsman was a hit among audiences, and the sequel plans to be no exception. Also coming out on the 22nd, Warner Brother’s next LEGO-inspired film, The LEGO Ninjago Movie. The story focuses on a group of young teenagers and the challenges of being high schoolers by day and ninjas by night.
