Summer movie recap

Bridesmaids
4.5/5
Easily the funniest movie of the summer, and possibly the funniest movie Judd Apatow has been involved with, “Bridesmaids” and its $160 million+ box office finally proved to sexist studios that female-driven comedy could be both hilarious and profitable. Led by SNL’s Kristen Wiig (who also co-wrote the movie) and Maya Rudolph, it is the story of two best friends and what happens when one gets married. The premise sounds typical rom-com, right? Not in the hands of Wiig. Every joke slays. The airplane scene. The dress-fitting scene. The bridal shower scene. Melissa McCarthy runs away with the whole movie and a van full of puppies in berets. It was wacky and ridiculous with a heart of gold—the perfect summer movie. – Georgie Morvis

Crazy, Stupid, Love
4/5
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” was one of the strongest films this summer, thanks to a brilliant script by Pixar scribe Dan Fogelman. The film centers on Steve Carell’s Cal, whose life fell apart when his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) asked for a divorce. Cal turns his life around when Jacob (Ryan Gosling) starts to tutor him on how to pull himself back together (and have sex with lots of women). Carrell and Gosling shine in their roles, as does Emma Stone as a law student. The narrative comes together with a clever twist that most wouldn’t see coming, and Fogelman lets his comedy shine through with lots of heart. – Andie Hutner

Captain America: The First Avenger
3/5
This revamp of the popular Marvel series had audiences jumping out of their seats, and for good reason. While “Captain America” fails to drift off the well-beaten path of previous superhero blockbusters, it’s entertaining. Rather than being bleakly historical, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s comic-ized 1940s come across as whimsical and engaging on the silver screen. And, while the filmmakers use the original costume as just that, a theatrical costume, the new design is far better suited to today’s tastes. “Captain” won’t surprise, but it will delight—a summer movie that will leave you cheering. – Molly Sevcik

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
4/5
Many of us have low standards for Harry Potter movies. Everyone has read the books, and the directors tend to take that as license to do whatever they want in the movies without paying much attention to plot coherency or character development. But “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” was uniquely well suited to the silver screen. There were really only two plot arcs to get through: the mission to retrieve the golden cup from Gringotts, and the climactic Battle of Hogwarts. These were both intensely visual experiences, giving us a tour-de-force of blind dragons, rooms full of rapidly multiplying gold, stone knights leaping from the battlements to defend the castle, giant gouts of fiendfyre and bad guys bursting into ash. The epic special effects did sometimes overshadow the quiet, emotional moments, but this was the last Harry Potter movie there will ever be; audiences mostly didn’t need help getting emotional. Love it or hate it, Harry Potter has been a defining feature of our generation, and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” marked the end of an era. – Nora Long

Horrible Bosses
3/5
Seth Gordon’s “Horrible Bosses” proves that an R-rated movie doesn’t always have to be about well-placed nudity scenes and quirky drug references to make an impression (though this film does both). Sometimes all it needs are clever plot twists, witty dialogue and brilliant casting. “Bosses” won’t have you questioning society’s stone-carved expectations or discussing moral validity. That was never its purpose. The film does just what all the previews promised (a rare feat for a raunchy comedy)—it leaves the audience falling off its seat, laughing their heads off and wondering, “Did that really just happen?” – Molly Sevcik

Midnight in Paris
4.5/5
Woody Allen returns to form in the delightful “Midnight in Paris.” Owen Wilson stars as Gil Pender, a frustrated writer struggling through the initial drafts of his first novel. For inspiration, Gil travels to Paris with his fiancé, Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her disapproving parents (Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller). Accidental time travel transports Gil to his favorite period of history: the 1920s in Paris. Gil has the chance to carouse with some of his idols—the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Picasso, Matisse, Eliot and Stein. The film explores nostalgia as Gil struggles to choose between his romanticized heroes and the present. Though “Midnight in Paris” features cameos by Marion Cotillard, Adrian Brody as a hilarious Salvador Dali, Carla Bruni and more, the film’s real stars are the script and the cinematography. Allen includes uproarious lines like, “You always take the side of the help! That’s why Daddy says you’re a Communist!” Cinematographer Darius Khondji captures an exquisite Paris as perfect as Gil’s vision. Woody Allen practically invented the romantic comedy, and “Midnight in Paris” is one of his best. – Davis Sargeant

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
2/5
In general, there’s a reason why movie franchises stick to trilogies. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” came out in 2003, which means they’ve been making “Pirates” movies for eight years now. At some point, people get tired of the decaying quality of sequels and lose interest. More often than not, that’s around movie number 3. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” had the added disadvantage of losing two iconic cast members, as Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley’s story is unequivocally over. Still, Johnny Depp does an admirable job keeping the film moving. Captain Jack Sparrow is in full form in his quest for the fountain of youth, whipping out catchphrases and dry humor at breakneck speed. Newcomer Penelope Cruz, as ex-nun cum pirate wench Angelica Malon, did a much better job than Keira Knightley ever could in seducing pirates into doing what she wanted. And the side love story between young, naïve missionary Philip and mermaid temptress Syrena is beautifully dark. The difference between the fourth film and the third is obvious: where “Pirates 3” dragged on into strange, confusing and unnecessarily complicated plotlines, “Pirates 4” sticks with what’s best about the “Pirates” franchise: a lot of swashbuckling, a splash of sex appeal and a ridiculous amount of love for Johnny Depp. – Nora Long

Super 8
4.5/5
J.J. Abrams’ latest movie, “Super 8,” is a childhood space-alien movie reminiscent of “E.T.” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” It doesn’t come close to those classics. But just because a director tries to update a genre doesn’t mean that he has to fail. “Super 8” is great. The children in the lead roles give organic and realistic performances, and Elle Fanning showed glimpses of what a great actress she will inevitably become. It isn’t a movie about aliens; it is a movie about innocence, the freedom of childhood and becoming an adult…and it happens to have a space alien driving the plot. It is emotional and gut-wrenching, and even if it wasn’t the 21st century’s “E.T.”, Abrams’ film brings you back to the beginnings of sci-fi in a way that no other director can. – Daniel Deibler

X-Men: First Class
2/5
Imagine a hybrid of superheroes, “Mad Men,” “Inglourious Basterds” and “Juno.” Then imagine incredibly tacky dialogue, a number of miscast award-winning actors, and Powerpoint-style transitions. That’s “X-Men: First Class.” There are a few good performances courtesy of young rising stars Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence, but then January Jones pops up with her Michelle Bachmann-stare, and Kevin Bacon tries to speak Russian. It’s at best unintentionally funny and at worst actually offensive – for example, the film cuts to the only black character (who is also the first to die) after someone uses the word enslavement. I wish I had skipped this “Class.” – Georgie Morvis