The summer's best blockbuster is also the summer's best sequel, somehow escaping the bloat and bombast of 2013's other sequels. With 2009's "Star Trek", director J.J. Abrams revitalized a much-loved but increasingly-irrelevant cult classic into a more exciting, but no less philosophical, modern marvel. "Into Darkness" took that newfound energy and ran with it, delving even deeper into complex themes of leadership, terrorism and revenge, propelled by a stellar performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. "Into Darkness" may be no "Wrath Of Khan", but it has more than earned a rightful place in the "Trek" oeuvre.
The first "Kick-Ass", which came out in in 2010, was a surprise hit with a memorable turn by Chloe Grace Moretz as foul-mouthed child assassin Hit Girl. The sequel is a tired effort with none of the wit of the original that indulges in the hyper-violence it also pretends to be a criticism of.
Hugh Jackman's first solo turn outside of the main "X-Men" franchise, 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is widely considered the worst movie in the series -- it was an overblown mess that condescended to fans by throwing in famous characters just for the heck of it without actually exploring their potential (Deadpool, Gambit). Imagine everyone's surprise, then, when "The Wolverine" was one of the tightest, most character-driven, and most subdued action films of the summer.
Why does this film exist? Sure, the first one doubled its $80 million budget, but it was universally panned (with a 10% on RottenTomatoes) and absolutely no one was crying out for a sequel. But money talks, so Adam Sandler & Co returned in this even more face-palm-worthy film (with an even worse 7%).
Notably absent from the Top Ten list above are several big-budget blockbusters headlined by usually bankable movie stars: Will Smith in "After Earth", Ryan Reynolds in "R.I.P.D.", Channing Tatum in "White House Down" and Matt Damon in "Elysium". But by far the biggest flop by a huge star is "The Lone Ranger", headlined by Captain Jack Sparrow himself, Johnny Depp. The film, which clocked in at a ridiculous 2h 29m and cost a reported budget of $215 million, managed to gross only $89 million domestically. That's a huge misfire from Disney (who also misfired last year with the equally large flop "John Carter") and a rare misstep from the usually bankable Depp.
Reportedly plagued by a ballooning budget, tensions between director Marc Forster and star Brad Pitt, and the last-minute rewriting of the film's entire final act, everyone expected "World War Z" to be a bomb of epic proportions. So the world was pleasantly surprised when it turned out "Z" was actually a fairly capable, taut thriller without any of the trappings of a mega-failure. It may not be remembered as the summer's best film, but at least it won't go down in history with the likes of "Waterworld".
Yes -- "Elysium" was even more disappointing than "Man Of Steel". Directed by the man behind the brilliant Oscar-nominated "District 9", many expected "Elysium" to be a similarly stellar blend of eye-popping sci-fi action and clever allegory. Instead, we were served with cardboard characters and a one-note, extremely unsubtle political agenda. All the more disappointing when you think about how incredible the movie could have -- and should have -- been.
While the similarly-themed British comedy "The World's End" is certainly not to be ignored in the comedy department, it can't win over the irreverent "This Is The End" in terms of sheer number of laughs. It's a sneakily brilliant film that stars James Franco, Seth Rogen, and more as fictional versions of themselves (a more difficult thing to do well than you might think). James, Seth and their friends are all despicable people, and their narcissism and giant egos prove to be just as troublesome as the apocalypse raging outside Franco's posh house. Obviously-improvised dialogue, elaborate sight gags, and a plethora of celebrity cameos make this the biggest laugh-fest of the summer.
Horror made a small comeback this summer after a series scare-free flops. This fright flick from director James Wan ("Saw", "Insidious") is a superbly atmospheric film elevated by an unusually strong cast including Vera Farmiga ("Bates Motel") and Patrick Wilson ("Insidious") as a husband-wife team of paranormal investigators. The time the film spends focusing on the lives of the investigators as much as the victims of the haunting makes "The Conjuring" a surprisingly strong, character-driven piece...that also happens to be scary as hell. Audiences ate it up -- "The Conjuring" made back its entire budget in its opening weekend alone. Here's hoping Wan's next effort, this month's "Insidious: Chapter 2" is equally spooky and successful.
It may look like just another home invasion film featuring killers wearing creepy masks, but "You're Next" holds many surprises up its sleeves -- not the least of which is that the film is actually funny as hell. While it doesn't derive its laughs from a wink-wink meta approach like "Scream" or "Cabin In The Woods", it is definitely self-aware and manages to poke fun at the genre it's simultaneously indulging in. You have to have a very black sense of humor to chuckle at the brutal massacre of an entire family, but if you go in with an open mind, you'll have a bloody good time.
Spoiler alert! Though many fans of the comic books were outraged that "Iron Man 3" turned Tony Stark's biggest nemesis into a hammy out-of-work actor posing as a front for the real bad guy of the movie, regular moviegoers were surprised by the unexpected twist. And Ben Kinglsey delivered an undeniably great performance as the perpetually drunk, hilariously accented sellout.
Spoiler alert! For months prior to the release of "Into Darkness", the internet was abuzz with speculation over exactly who Benedict Cumberbatch would be playing. Director J.J. Abrams explicitly denied rumors that Benny Batch was the iconic villain Khan. And then came the big reveal: Cumberbatch's character, billed as "John Harrison", turned out to be none other than..."Khaaaaan!" Shocker.
A shining example of not knowing when enough is enough. The first Hangover film was a smash hit -- it was the highest-grossing R-rated film of 2009 and received a respectable 79% on RottenTomatoes. If only they'd quit while they were ahead. "Part II" was a pale imitation of the first, only garnering a 34% on RT. However, due mainly to high expectations, it still managed to gross twice as much as the first, so of course there was going to be a third. Thankfully, the third grossed even less than the first, and only managed to scrape up a pathetic 19% approval rate, finally putting the nail in the coffin of this deflated franchise.
The Young Adult book adaptation fad reached its peak with the final films in the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" franchises in 2011 and 2012 (respectively). Since then, there's been several titles that have tried to capitalize on that craze with very little success. "The Host", "Beautiful Creatures", "Percy Jackson" and "The Mortal Instruments" were all major box office flops, hopefully signaling an end to this genre full of tired fantasy clichés and young women pining after hot boys. ("The Hunger Games" is the obvious exception to this rule, with three movies to go in what will surely remain a very lucrative franchise.) The fad will give its last gasp in March 2014 with "Divergent" -- if that one flops too, expect a welcome moratorium on all YA adaptations.
What awards would you give out to Summer 2013? Nominate your favorites/least favorites by tweeting us @StageBuddy!
