Saturday, June 21, 2008

Summer movies

I have now seen three of the "blockbuster" summer movies; Iron Man, Get Smart and Indiana Jones. All have disappointed; all have promised greater things than they delivered. Summer movies were once something that promised excitement and entertainment, if only for a brief, few hours. But where are the movies that caused the viewer to relive moments for weeks after, smiling and anticipating the next great moment? I've not seen a movie that has made me feel entertained, indulged, and thrilled for a very long time. There have been some that were moderately enjoyable, but none that entranced me. I don't ask for realism from summer movies; I do want plausibility mixed with action and humour. One of the funniest moments in Get Smart is not delivered by Maxwell Smart (as played by Steve Carell), but by Dwayne Johnson (The Rock). It is sad that the secondary characters have become more amusing and interesting than the leads. The jokes are lame, the action is forced ("ooh, look at that...wonder how long the computer guys took to make that effect?"). I don't think that superior computer effects have improved movies at all. I don't have a problem with watching special effects that do not have the slick, designed feel to them; movies from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s still have more of a thrill, and that warm summertime fun feel to them than anything I've seen lately. Give me Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard, even Star Wars, over the drivel I've endured the past few summers.