BLOG: Summer 2019 rapid-fire film reviews
After an incredibly eventful summer for film, summer 2019 saw the release of nearly too many movies to count. As a raging film addict, these are 20 of the films this summer I felt were worth seeing. If one hasn’t seen some of these and were interested but didn’t make it out to the theater, these rapid-fire reviews may help you decide when, or where, to see them.
Shazam!
For the first time in recent history, DC Comics delivers an incredibly fun, refreshing and hilarious take on the superhero origin story. “Shazam!” Is incredibly wholesome and fun in every way it should be.
Avengers: Endgame
The finale of the Infinity Saga left fans with a satisfying conclusion to the character arcs that made the Marvel Cinematic Universe the absolute machine that it is. I’ve already written a full review of this film here, so check it out for more.
Long Shot
Seth Rogen’s hilarious walking stoner comedy stereotype Fred Flarsky meets costar Charlize Theron’s most influential woman turned presidential candidate Charlotte Field in a romantic comedy where both characters learn the value of humility via humiliation.
Detective Pikachu
“Gotta catch em’ all” was clearly my philosophy heading into these summer blockbusters. As a long time fan of Pokémon, “Detective Pikachu” was an enormous amount of fun supplemented by an astonishingly beautiful world, resulting in perhaps the greatest video game movie of all time.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
Easily the best instantiation of this world yet, John Wick returns for another action-filled adventure after he is exiled from the international assassin’s guild for violating the rules of the continental hotel. “Parabellum” sees Wick tactfully defending against a revolving door of assassins as a high bounty placed over his head attracts assassins from New York City to Morocco, and everywhere in between.
Booksmart
An incredible coming-of-age comedy centered around two teenage girls who focused on grades instead of fun in high school, only to realize their classmates who partied also got into good colleges, decide to cram four years’ worth of partying into one night. Hilarious and heartwarming, Booksmart is a ton of fun and reframes a ‘high school party’ story in an incredibly refreshing way.
Aladdin
One of the many Disney live-action remakes from this year, “Aladdin” is certainly the best of the bunch. “Aladdin” provides beautiful and lush visuals with some updates to the original story that result in stronger characters and execute a new vision, even if it is mostly similar to its animated counterpart.
Rocketman
“Rocketman” was perhaps the greatest musical and biographical film made of a musician whose reputation precedes him. Elton John’s story was beautiful and terrifying, framed from tales told in his rehabilitation group by the late rock star via the chronology of his wide discography.
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
Largely fixing what its predecessor did miserably, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” was an epic and awesome film documenting battles between more monsters than one can count that western audiences haven’t had the pleasure of seeing in what feels like decades. Beautiful visuals and plenty of on-screen battles made this film an absolute pleasure to watch from start to finish, despite the cheesily written human character story arcs.
The Dead Don’t Die
This deadpan comedy is not for the faint of heart, but it is for fans of the zombie film genre. Featuring a star-studded cast fronted by Adam Driver and Bill Murray, this movie takes place in a strange apocalyptic world where few people, if any, seem to care about the ongoing disaster(s) occurring on the planet. Political parallels galore, the movie also acts as an intensely self-aware and fourth-wall-breaking comedy perfectly fit for fans of the genre.
Toy Story 4
While fun at all points and incredibly stunning to look at, this “Toy Story” makes the audience wonder how much longer the focus of these films can be on Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, neatly tying their characters’ story arc with a beautiful bow, hopefully for the last time. New and updated characters Bo Peep (Annie Potts), Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves), Ducky (Jordan Peele) and Bunny (Keegan Michael Key) make this film refreshing and exciting, but leave you wondering how they didn’t get more screen time.
Child’s Play
Chucky’s character gets rebooted in a smart-home enabled era where he can connect to phones, televisions, thermostats and more technological devices than should be permitted for the demented and disturbing toy. An exciting reboot with gratuitous violence and enough unpredictability to be an enjoyable summer suspense film, “Child’s Play” has the potential to enter a new era of cult success.
Annabelle Comes Home
An addendum to the continually growing Conjuring film universe, Annabelle Comes Home delivers an exciting and at times haunting coming-of-age story with an unlikely protagonist. Undoubtedly one of the best films in this universe, “Annabelle Comes Home” makes the most of every minute and further opens the door for a future of Conjuring spin-offs.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
The long-awaited sequel to “Spider-Man: Homecoming” sees the web-slinging friendly neighborhood hero return to the post-blip world to take on new threats, and the mantle of Iron Man? Filled with action and romance, “Far From Home” forces Spider-Man to work on a whole new scale, throwing audiences headfirst into Phase 4 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe by its incredibly unpredictable conclusion.
Midsommar
This eclectic and disturbing thriller tests the strength of a rocky relationship in ways foreshadowing could never allow the audience to imagine. “Midsommar” is an incredibly disturbing film in its suspense and visuals. Director Ari Aster borrows elements of horror to build a cult drama the likes of which have never been seen before.
Stuber
Incredibly funny and action-packed, Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani are perfect foils for one another in this unexpected buddy cop comedy film. The action kicks off when Detective Vic (Dave Bautista), recent recipient of Lasik eye surgery, is tipped off on the location of a mortal enemy and gang lord as he forces Stu (Kumail Nanjiani), an uber driver, to take him to various locations around California as he hunts for revenge on a personal vendetta without his vision fully healed.
The Lion King
Another of Disney’s ‘live-action’ remakes, “The Lion King” left a lot to be desired, as it expects audiences to suspend their disbelief for English-speaking and singing animals, but doesn’t visually recreate or even reimagine the elaborate and character-building musical numbers which made it incredible in the first place. What results is a dull and almost characterless frame of its source material that looks visually stunning. Updates to Sarabi (Alfre Woodard) and Nala (Beyonce Knowles) are worthy additions, as well as updated dialogue from Zazu (John Oliver), Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen).
Yesterday
Struggling musician Jack Malik rides home on his bicycle one evening when a mysterious global blackout occurs, causing him to be hit by a bus. Once Jack wakes up, he soon realizes he lives in a world where The Beatles never existed, among other largely popular cultural influences. The singer-songwriter then capitalizes on the opportunity as he realizes fame wasn’t exactly what he thought it was. While a mostly predictable romantic comedy, “Yesterday” has its surprises and is a must-watch for any Beatles fan.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director Quentin Tarantino returns to chronicle the fall from grace of actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of Hollywood amid late 60s hippie culture. Although much more character and world-building are present than there is gratuitous violence for a Tarantino film, the climax culminates in an immeasurably satisfying rise for its protagonists.
