Romantic comedies were well represented with films such as “The Proposal” and “The Ugly Truth” thanks to dynamic chemistry between the lead actors. The genres of action and comedy, however, fell short with overrated and underwhelming flicks like “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Funny People,” respectively. The highly anticipated sequel to “Transformers” contained a lot of action with no discernable plot, while “Funny People” was more depressing than humorous.
Fortunately for audiences, there were plenty more movies to choose from. The following four films are some of the best that summer had to offer.
“Up”
What do a crabby old man, a young wilderness explorer and a talking dog have in common? These three offbeat characters make up the cast of the Disney/Pixar animated feature “Up.”
In this unbelievably imaginative story, 78-year-old Carl Fredrickson, voiced by Ed Asner, defies gravity by taking his house along with him on a long-overdue trip to the wilds of South America via a vast amount of helium-filled balloons.
A pesky young wilderness explorer unwittingly becomes a passenger aboard the flying vessel, and, as a result, agrees to help Carl on his quest, all in hopes of attaining his final wilderness badge. When the duo touches down in South America, they are joined by a talking dog desperate to prove his worth.
With “Up,” Disney/Pixar has once again proven that a film can be appealing to individuals of all ages, although it’s unlikely that children will understand exactly what is motivating Carl to complete his risky adventure. A good script, a stunning visual concept and an endless source of humor, however, is understood by all.
“The Hangover”
Three friends wake up in a trashed Las Vegas hotel room with no memory of their friend’s bachelor party from the previous night. The one thing they know for sure is that the groom is nowhere to be found. Oh, and there’s a tiger in the bathroom.
To locate their missing friend and take him home in time for his pending nuptials, the guys retrace their steps from the night before, taking them on an unforgettable journey involving a naked Asian man, an adorable baby dubbed “Carlos” and Mike Tyson. There’s just something inordinately amusing about seeing Mike Tyson jam out to a Phil Collins song.
With a premise guaranteed to be rife with raunchy dialogue deserving of its R-rating, it’s no surprise that “The Hangover” became the breakout film of the summer. The superb cast of actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis also didn’t hurt.
“500 Days of Summer”
“This is not a love story,” proclaimed the straightforward narrator at the start of “500 Days of Summer.” Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in this brilliant and immensely entertaining film, which is classified as a romantic comedy despite its ominous words of caution.
Casting aside rom-com clichés in favor of a refreshing, original storyline, the film operates in non-chronological order, showcasing various points in time that make up the rocky relationship between Tom (Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Deschanel).
From post coital bliss to uneasy lovers’ spats and everything in between, “500 Days of Summer” is as close to reality as a romantic comedy will ever get. Well, aside from Tom’s spontaneous dance sequence to Hall and Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True” halfway through the film, of course. But such occurrences are precisely what make the film so memorable and enjoyable.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
After being pushed back from its original release date last fall, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” finally made it to the big screen on July 15. Months of impatient waiting paid off with the franchise’s sixth installment being the best “Potter” film to date.
With Lord Voldemort (that’s right, I said it) at large, the wizarding world is in disarray, and Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is being heralded as the Chosen One. Aside from the pressure of learning how to defeat his mortal enemy, Harry has typical teenage issues to deal with as well.
Not only are his best friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) realizing their true feelings for each other, but Harry has developed a crush of his own. Additionally, Harry’s rival, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), appears to have something up his immaculately-tailored sleeve.
With so much material to work with, director David Yates does a wonderful job incorporating a nice balance of humor and suspense. The film’s one big flaw is its anticlimactic finale, which will leave some fans (myself included) of the series by J.K. Rowling severely disappointed.