Ian’s moved back to the land of Jayhawks meaning he won’t be penning many new movie reviews for a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to leave you loyal RF readers without something to raise hell ‘bout. Today he gives us his favorite films of the summer that was 2008. Who could possibly be number one?
I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say that 2008 was a damn fine summer to the movies. With just a couple of missteps, a season defined by idiotic explosions and plot holes bigger than an SUV, 2008 bucked the trend and delivered competent if not smart work every weekend. Each of the following five movies I enjoyed without a drop of shame, and I get excited about seeing them all again just writing this. Without further adieu, the list:
Five
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Plenty complain that this installment doesn’t live up to the originals in the franchise that so many grew up with. But few acknowledge that everyone likes everything – movies, music, excessive use of the word ‘Poop’ – a lot more when we’re younger. That The Crystal Skull didn’t live up to many hopes isn’t so much a failure as much as it is an inevitability. But for me, a guy who somehow never saw Raiders of the Lost Ark until he was 18-years-old, this fourth Indy adventure was a lot of fun. It had a slow middle, but come on guys. Harrison Ford running past hundreds of Mayan warriors to find a flying saucer? The Indiana Jones movies have always been dumb but entertaining, and I don’t see how the latest entry deviates from that formula.
Four
Pineapple Express, Step Brothers, and Tropic Thunder
The past few years, we’ve seen an explosion in quality in comedies, and this summer is no exception with three R-rated movies sure to bust plenty a gut. I honestly can’t pick one of these over the others – Pineapple has the most brilliant directing, Brothers has the best one-liners and Thunder has Robert Downey Jr. I’ve seen these movies a combined six times, and I won’t die happy unless I them another six times.
Three
WALL·E
The standard for computer animated movies is disappointingly low (the Ice Age movies made how much money?) which should make us all the more grateful that Pixar is able to spit out a movie every year. WALL·E is plenty of things – sci-fi, silent film, cautionary tale, but more than anything else, director Andrew Stanton sells us on the adorableness of the protagonist and his love story. WALL·E is a truly wonderful film that makes me want to have kids just so that I can show them this movie.
Two
Iron Man
It should be said right away Iron Man is not a better movie than WALL·E. What gives Jon Favreau‘s movie the number two spot over PIxar’s masterpiece is that it could be the very definition of a Summer Movie. It’s got laughs, thrills, eye candy and escapist fare with events that, unlike most Superhero movies, are relatively possible in the real world. And Robert Downey Jr, come on. Is there a more endearing sly-alleck in Hollywood today? If the guy could have narrated Meet Dave, I would have given it at least three times as many stars.
One
The Dark Knight
Do I really need to defend this pick? Partially because it would be redundant with all the positive reactions taking up valuable Internets, but mostly because I’m lazy, I’m not going to anything more than point you to my review of the film; which comes off as such a high compliment that anyone who thinks Christopher Nolan paid me for the write-up wouldn’t be unjustified – until they saw the movie. I’m serious, if you’re the one of the few thousand people in America who haven’t seen this movie yet, I suggest you leave your Amish community and upbringing, waive down a taxi and go to an IMAX theater as soon as possible.