By William Gillespie - Eagle News Guest Critic
While we were all on break this summer, a number of films came to theaters that not everyone may have gotten the chance to see. From sci-fi epics to classic disaster flicks, this summer had it all at the movies.
Twisters - 7.5/10
What I found to be the most popular movie of the summer, Twisters seemed to have all of Franklin County in a trance. The film follows a woman who returns to her home town to chase tornados and comes into conflict with repressed memories and some friendly competition. I was apprehensive going in, as director Lee Isaac Chung’s previous film,
Minari, didn’t give me the idea he could direct a big disaster film such as this. However, I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by Twisters. In a world of so-called “legacy sequels” which come out decades after the original, it stands out as being one of the better ones. The film comes out swinging with a very tense scene that I found to be a perfect cold open. The set pieces it offers for the rest of the runtime are just as good and the final sequence in particular is sure to have some on the edge of their seats. The cast is great all around with the clear stand out being Glen Powell. He brings a perfect cocky yet sincere air to the character of Tyler Owens. In the way of negatives, I felt that the arc Daisy Edgar Jones’ character went on was very rushed, and the themes of loss and trauma are quite shallow. For sure a fun time, and a film I could see myself revisiting soon.
Alien: Romulus - 6/10
The 9th entry into the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus has director Fede Alverez take the reins. The film sees a group of young adults exploring a deserted space station in search of resources that can take them to another planet. I consider the original Alien to be nothing short of a masterpiece, but I was disappointed to find out this film largely rehashed that film’s brilliance. When dealing with a franchise approaching double digits, I think more of a swing should’ve been taken creatively speaking. The previous installments, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, took major creative swings and they largely paid off. That’s not to say this film is all bad though. I really appreciated the use of practical effects throughout and it was shot very well. David Jonsson brings a fascinating dichotomy to the character of Andy that I found to be very interesting to see unfold. I also really enjoyed the final 20 minutes mostly because it took a big risk with a new creature design I thought was appropriately grotesque. A gorgeous film all around, but lacks the originality I’d like to see from this franchise.
Deadpool and Wolverine - 5/10
As much as I wanted to love this film, I just couldn’t. Deadpool and Wolverine sees the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for the first time since Logan in 2017. He’s paired up with Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and their dynamic is meant to carry the film. Unfortunately, I only found one side of this duo interesting. Jackman delivers a stellar performance as per usual in his outings as Wolverine, but I have the unpopular opinion that Reynolds as Deadpool isn’t all that funny. It feels like he’s telling the same joke over and over again. A lot
of this film's attempted emotional moments also fall flat because their impact depends on an understanding of the larger X-Men mythos from the viewer. Without getting into spoilers, Wolverine has a scene that’s supposed to be very emotional, but he mentions “Scott” in it as one of the people who means so much to him. However, no character named Scott appears in the film. “Scott” refers to Scott Summers a.k.a Cyclops but the audience has no way of knowing that, so the moment ends up falling flat because it hinges on the feelings of a character the audience doesn’t know. I also found the general direction and color grading to be very dull with nothing truly interesting going on. This film is saved by its energetic performances and occasionally funny gag, but overall, I found it to be a disappointing experience.
Trap - 8/10
The latest outing from controversial director M. Night Shyamalan, Trap follows a serial killer named The Butcher when he discovers the concert he’s attending with his daughter is an elaborate trap set up to catch him. The portion of the film that takes place at the concert itself was fully engaging the entire time. Watching The Butcher try and navigate a way out of the concert and make small victories over his pursuers is riveting. Josh Hartnet turns in one of my favorite performances of the year, if not my favorite. I felt that as the film went into its third act however, it became very meandering. The first two acts felt very meticulous but the third feels like events just sort of happen without a good flow between them. There’s also the trademark M. Night dialogue which can be very hit or miss depending on who you are. I personally like the campy-ness it brings to an otherwise serious story but your mileage may vary. The film also explores ideas about how a parent can impact their children for better or for worse and I felt it handled its themes very well. A thrilling ride from beginning to end, Trap was my personal favorite film of the summer.
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