Iron Man
Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard
And so began Robert Downey Jr.’s reentry onto the A-List. His enlightened portrayal of billionaire Tony Stark coupled with a sharp script and the direction of Jon Favreau made “Iron Man” one of the most enjoyable and critically acclaimed super hero movies ever. And if you were unlike I and stayed until after the credits, you saw Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury andthe inception of the Avengers.
Sex and the City
Directed by Michael Patrick King and starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis
Carrie’s horrendous fashion sense, Charlotte’s naiveté, Miranda’s one-liners and Samantha’s nymphomania were all back this summer. And many drinks, break-ups, lays and bowel movements later Carrie and Mr. Big end up married at City Hall, and both the women on the screen and those watching it experience blissful closure.
The Dark Knight
Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal
All the hype surrounding Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker proved undeniably true. His eerie performance as the lip-licking, high-voiced Joker, delivering one of the most memorable lines of the summer—“Watch me make this pencil disappear”—will probably win him a posthumous Oscar. Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart were none too shabby either. The Joker and “The Batman” are Yin and Yang, for as the Joker tells Bruce Wayne, “You complete me.” “The Dark Knight” did not just blur the lines between good and evil, it made it disappear.
WALL-E
Directed by Andrew Stanton and starring Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver
Wall-E is not a movie for children. Set within the next 100 years or so, the earth is no longer habitable after megastore ‘Buy ’n Large’ has taken over every aspect of life and morbidly obese humans lounge, unmoving, in hover chairs on a remote space station. Wall-E, an adorable big-eyed robot, spends his days compacting the trash on earth into cubes and his nights watching “Hello Dolly” hoping that one day he can find someone’s hand to hold. With stores like Wal-Mart and the need for alternative energy sources, Wall-E delivers a scary picture of the possible future but also an endearing story about a robot and his search for love.
Mamma Mia
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried
Who gave Pierce Brosnan the role with the most solos? Seriously, who okayed that? With its Oscar winners and classically trained actors all shamelessly singing and dancing to hits of the iconic ’70’s pop band, ABBA, this was tthe most ridiculously enjoyable 90 minutes I spent this summer.
Indiana Jones
Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeof, Cate Blanchett
Okay, so it wasn’t exactly “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” But at least it was better than “Temple of Doom.” Despite the sometimes-strained dialogue and the whole extraterrestrial bit (i.e. “Their [the aliens] treasure wasn’t gold, it was knowledge. Knowledge was their treasure”), with its fight scenes on caravans and myriad fire ants, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was just as entertaining as its predecessors. And, the last scene where Indy just barely snatches his hat from Mutt’s (Shia LaBeouf’s) reaching fingtertips: genius.
The Love Guru
Directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba
The Packers offered Brett Farve $20 million to stay home and away from football for 10 years. And though this didn’t work for Green Bay, after this monstrosity, movie studios should considering offering Mike Myers the same deal.
Pineapple Express
Directed by David Gordon Green and starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, Rosie Perez
James Franco as a drug dealer looking so unlike James Franco, Seth Rogen as his buyer turned ‘BFFF,’ flying ashtrays and a far-too relatable conversation about a car battery: “No, no...What do you mean car battery is dead.” “How else can I explain this to you? The battery died. It has ceased to live:” Judd Apatow has added yet another side-splitting movie to his CV.
Tropic Thunder
Directed by Ben Stiller and starring Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller
A pointed, sharp satire about the movie-producing industry, written and directed by Ben Stiller, “Tropic Thunder” also stars Jack Black, as a cracked-out comedian, and Robert Downey Jr. as an Australian method actor so dedicated to his craft that he undergoes “skin pigmentation surgery” to become fully immersed in his role. Yet, Downey isn’t the only one covered in make-up. Tom Cruise, balding and unrecognizable in a hairy fat suit stole the movie as “Tropic Thunder’s” executive producer, Les Grossman. His dancing to Ludacris’ “Get Back” at the movie’s finale made me forgive and forget all of the scientology-Katie Holmes business and remember the good old days of Top Gun and Jerry Maguire.
