Summer Threeview!

Okay, you're asking yourself (if you're reading this) "What the f!$& is a 'Summer Threeview?"

Well, loyal and/or not-so-loyal reader, let me tell you! "Threeview" refers to the fact that Summer is 1/3 of the way over! So, I've picked my top 3 movies of the Summer so far as well as the top 3 movies I can't wait to see.

So, let us begin with the top 3 movies of Summer so far:

3.The Hangover
Yes, the story of a bachelor's party gone terribly awry due to alcohol actually garners my respect. In fact, its my favorite comedy of the year thus far. Why? Because The Hangover isn't an insult to the American lifestyle and traditions we hold unlike most movies of the same genre/style. Actually, it kind of is, but more than an insult its a tease and a commemoration of just how ridiculous the antics of our society really are. It's not a stupid movie; if you can fathom this, its a dumb movie done intelligently. The Hangover is hysterical, continuously comedic, and entertaining through and through. There's tigers, Mike Tyson, a baby, Andy from The Office, a metrosexual Asian mafia leader, and plenty of nudity. And hey, if you liked Old School or American Pie, you're gonna love The Hangover. If you didn't like either of those, you're STILL gonna love The Hangover because its better.




2. Up
Of course, how could someone not include a Disney-Pixar feature when they're talking about their favorite movies? Besides Dreamworks at least...copycats. Just kiddin, Dreamworks, we loved Shrek! And Shrek 2!.......Just the first two..take a hint.

Anyway, Up is a fantastically imaginative story that is whimsical as it is mature. Kids will love it, Adults will love it, and everyone in between will love it. It's just one of those lovable movies from almost every aspect, and Up is certainly no let-down from Pixar. Where kiddish movies like Night at the Museum and Land of the Lost weren't so hot in the "That movie was really good!" department, Up is just the type of film to take kids to...over and over again. I mean, c'mon, what's not to love about a cute and grumpy old man, a clutzy asian Boy Scout, a talking dog, and a peacock/emu/dodo bird hybrid called a "Snipe" who can say more without even making a noise than most can do with an entire speech.


1. Star Trek
You probably saw this coming...as far as Summer blockbusters go, Star Trek is that money-hording thrill ride everyone wants. But wait, there's more! It's not bad! Sure, everyone loves comic book movies or Transformers, but not all of these films really live up to the hype. They're flashy, dazzling, and have that nuance of nostalgia we all crave, but in hindsight, they were just "okay" in the sense of a well-rounded movie. But Star Trek takes the cake from the gimmick bakery and and boldly goes...well you know. A fantastic cast, expert direction, and a witty and bombastic script combine to form what is, ultimately, the perfect movie experience. You leave content and have your expectations shattered into zillions of pieces. Its that movie you recommend to all your friends...and for many, it was a surprise hit (due to the "Trekky" fanbase that seem to be the only ones to actually get excitement when an announcement like this is made). So kudos, Sir Abrams. May your sequels live long and prosper.



Intermission!

Just kidding...unless you actually left this article and did something else for a few minutes before reading on. In that case, in all seriousness. Here we are to my, personal, top 3 contenders for most anticipated Summer movie of 2009 as of June 8! Let it begin!


3. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
G.I. Joe. If you were a kid in the 80's or 90's, just hearing that name gets you inappropriately aroused. So when Paramount Pictures announced an official G.I. Joe movie, well, you can imagine the reaction. All those secret agents, ninjas, robots, mech suits, jet planes, guns, superpowers, terrorists, and weapons of mass destruction are back in superior special effects for its Summer blockbuster debut. Why am I excited? I'll admit, I was never the biggest fan of G.I. Joe...but, I did love the toys and watched the cartoon here and there. Its just one of those childhood remembrances that I can't get rid of, so I'm just naturally ecstatic. But what gets me more is the action packed trailer. Now, if that trailer just doesn't scream "COOL" right at your face for all two minutes, then I seem to have forgotten what "cool" is. As an actual all-around cinematic feature, we'll see if it has what it takes. But as a Summer blockbuster filled with combustible everything from start to finish, its looking to keep me on the edge of my seat through and through (due to fear of an ejection seat going haywire).

2. Public Enemies

Well, this entry isn't so much a Summer blockbuster as it is just a Johnny Depp declaration of "Aww shi*." The man is back as the main baddie/goodie in Public Enemies, the story of John Dillinger. If that poster doesn't already pull you in, check out the trailer. And if THAT doesn't make you want to see it immediately, well then go watch a movie about a forbidden romance between two star-crossed lovers that takes place during the Renaissance or something. Michael Mann looks to be the Man in this feature which he directs. On top of the in-your-face badass style which Public Enemies seems to be heading towards, the soundtrack is engaging and enthralling, or so it seems. This is the kind of movie I'm going to walk out of pretending to shoot up the theater with the justification that the other patrons just "don't understand me." Don't worry, it makes sense. If you love crime dramas, gangster, and/or Johnny Depp, get ready to get your ass kicked on July 1, 2009. (No androgynous drunk pirates were harmed in the making of this film).

1. Inglourious Basterds
Okay okay, so I'm a bit of a Quentin Tarantino fanboy. But, can you blame me? Tarantino stands tall amongst today's directors as one of the best and most beloved. Unfortunately, he likes to have a decent hiatus between his films, usually between 2-3 years. So finally, after a 2 year hiatus after Death Proof, Tarantino returns in his violent and overblown form with a story of Nazi annihilation. Yes, its a World War II story directed by Quentin Tarantino. I'm not quite sure I have the words to describe how perfectly suited he is for such a role. The trailer shows Brad Pitt simply being a badass and ordering the acquisition of 100 Nazi scalps...and he wants his scalps. This trailer shows that Tarantino isn't messing around and this is meant to be one of his masterpieces to show off from his repertoir. What else could be a more perfect end to Summer than a movie about collecting Nazi scalps in France? A movie about collecting Nazi scalps in France directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt and Ryan from The Office...yes, really.


Aaaaaand there you have it! Kyle Shelton's Summer Threeview! Now, I know a lot of you are probably all ancy because I didn't include X-Men in my favorite films nor did I include Transformers 2 or Harry Potter in my anticipation part...well, I love X-Men, but more like that family member that gives you presents every year and you'd be sad if he/she died but you're not exactly psyched to go see when mom and dad decide its their house's turn for Thanksgiving this year...

Long analogies aside, X-Men was great but didn't hold up to the first 2 X-Men films nor the the overall comic book counterpart of a storyline. As for Transformers, I'm going to go see it, as is 99% of the United States' population, but if I didn't, I really wouldn't be that disappointed. I only liked the first Transformers, and the trailer for this second one really hasn't gotten me in a twisted bundle like the other films I mentioned. In fact, I'm more stoked to see "Funny People" than Transformers 2, but I'm still excited. What can you hate about giant robots beating the bejesus out of eachother, right?

And Harry Potter...well, I haven't finished all your films, and I've only completely read 2 of your books. The movie certainly looks promising, but considering its an adaptation of a craze I never got too into, I'll let it slide as just a mild intrigue rather than full-fledged midnight premiere-worthy fiasco.

The Hangover Review: Tastefully Tipsy or Drearily Drunk?

And alas, the director of Road Trip and Old School, Todd Phillips, comes to us with yet another raunchy, bromance-filled sexcapade of drunken misadventures and an over-the-top propensity to say "Oh my God" with the perfectly titled "The Hangover." However, do we really need another movie about all those good times at college blown up into an even more adult form? Haven't we developed this formula time and time again? Is "The Hangover" just beating the drunk dead horse over and over again?

Nope. Glad to say, this is the one Hangover you'll actually enjoy.

The story of "The Hangover," as you would imagine, follows a group of odd-coupled friends celebrating their buddy's wedding by having a boisterous bachelor's night in Sin City itself, Las Vegas. But, when Alan, (Zach Galifianakis) Doug (Justin Bartha), Stu (Ed Helms), and Phil (Bradley Cooper) end drinking too much, they all wake up not having a single clue as to what happened the night before. What makes matters even worse is that Doug is getting married in two days, but when his friends wake up, they realize that he goes missing and spend the 2 days (including the day of the wedding) ruthlessly searching for him. After waking up in the villa they rented, they find a tiger in their bathroom, a burned chair, a suspended footrest, Stu missing a tooth, and a slew of other ridiculously random situations to deal with. In an effort to rescue Doug before the wedding, keep the whole vacation a secret from everyone back home, and figure out what exactly went on the previous night, they backtrack from the clues they find in their villa and it becomes a story of mystery and comedy seamlessly meshed together.

The script written up for "The Hangover" is so clever and well-thought that its hard to believe that it was concocted for what would, otherwise, just be a stupid frat-boy comedy thrill ride. What we get as an audience is actually a commemorative comedy to show that not all simple slapstick and schlock has to be mediocre, monotonous, and just plain dumb. The film pulls punchlines almost every other phrase and never lets up; there's not one moment of lull in the entire film. In fact, if you think there's a part that seems not as funny as the rest, give it about 10 seconds and something hilarious will ensue, guaranteed. What most impressed me is how quick the jokes were...almost like there was no cheap setup for any of the comical scenes, physical or verbal.

Alongside skilled writing is the work of the actors themselves. No, they're not winning Oscars for their work, but keeping in tone with the film, they perform spectacularly. Their characters are so believable and it truly seems that each character was developed almost exclusively for the actor that played each. Each of the main characters have a real sense of charisma about chemistry between them and the story, while far-fetched, is believable from their interactions and the continuously quick and cunning comedy.

However, "The Hangover" isn't perfect in any regard. While the actors have real personality on-screen, they were a little hard to really delve into considering their back-stories and connections to each other were hardly touched on. The film never describes how each of them really met each other and/or why they're friends, especially considering each of them seem like they would never actually be friends in real life (from their immediate character traits). What's more is that the characters themselves aren't really drawn out all that well; its hard to really sense what each character is truly like. When someone can assess almost immediately what a character is going to do next, they form a bond with that character; they learn and feel who that character is. In "The Hangover," it really seems as if a bunch of shallow ne'er-do-wells were thrown together randomly for a preposterous night in Vegas. In short, there's no real depth to the characters and, thus, you never truly get an attachment to any one of them.

Alongside this, I had a bit of a trifle with one particular scene near the end which is built up through the entire movie. Without spoiling it, its something that is foreshadowed and alluded to plenty of times, and when the moment of the occurrence finally arrives, it really isn't as dramatic, engaging, funny, or climactic as it should've been. But this reflects the entire conclusion as a whole...once the resolution of the initial conflict starts to take place, you realize that there was nothing to really look forward to the entire movie. You were just awaiting the next joke or the next silly antic to come across the screen rather than actually, anxiously, expecting something to happen.

But then again, what else have you come to see from a light-hearted silly movie about friends and their crazy adventures? "The Hangover" pretty much serves up exactly what you were expecting, if not more. Its hilarious, quotable, and immensely memorable in all the right ways and holds up as this year's Knocked Up or Old School. Now if the writers of this collaborated with Judd Apatow and his team, we might get something truly epic. Until then, keep your morning after pills handy for this film because its going to be one hell of a night.

7.5/10