14
Octob
Summer blockbusters please extensive audience
A r\ i i LJ/ m » j r A
_ A
dam H olmes ____________
a
Staff Reporter
As the first weeks of
school pass and students
face daily homework and
barrages of tests, movies
provide one of the best
therapeutic treatments to
keep sane. This year, the
film industry released a
number of movies that
performed exceptionally
well at the box office.
From the "Incredible Hulk"
smashing through the
big screen, to "WALL-E"
spreading its eco-friendly
message to audiences, to
"Sex & the City"...well, yeah.
The most anticipated
summer film of the year
"The Dark Knight" made
history by breaking records
left and right. Even before
its release, the sequel to
"Batman Begins" already
had a lot of positive hype
from fans and critics alike.
The accidental death of
Heath Ledger, who portrays
the Joker, only heightened
the film's popularity, as fans
were eager to see if Ledger's
last performance could be
his finest and overshadow
Hollywood legend Jack
Nicholson's interpretation.
Fans, critics, and non-fans
were not disappointed.
I especially enjoyed this
film, being a fan of Batman,
but what was remarkable
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about the film was how
it was able to a wide
demographic of people,
regardless of whether they
were comic book
fans, curious
intellectuals,
or just regular
individuals who
had no idea what
to expect. The
film managed
stay in touch with
its comic roots,
but it also offered
a portrayal of
what the caped
crusader would
be like if he was
a vigilante in real
life.
Although all
of the actors did
an excellent job,
Ledger stole the
show with his
interpretation
of the Joker.
Instead of doing what all
the previous actors had
done with that character,
Ledger strayed away from
the goofiness and absurdity
of the character and focused
more on the dark and
psychotic side of him.
The camera work was
excellently done, especially
when director Chris Nolan
used an IMAX camera on
six different action scenes.
This made the scenes more
vivid and pulse-racing. I
think it is the best Batman
film to date.
So far, the movie has
earned $517,680,000 at the
U.S. box office, and still
remains in theaters after two
months. For those waiting
to watch the film in the
comfort of their homes, it
will be released on DVD
and Blu-Ray on Dec. 8.
"Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull" sees the return of
the whip wielding, fedora
sporting, adventurous
archaeologist 19-year
absence. Aside from being
slightly aged, Ford did a
superb job of returning to
his character and giving
audiences another chance at
experiencing the rush of one
of his adventures.
The film tried to stay true
to its roots by using minimal
Sigh...because they dorit
want dumb people to try
doing it and end up blowing
themselves up!
computer generated images
and focusing on the stunt
work. Although many
thought this film
wasn't as good
as the original
three, it did take
an interesting
turn.
The fourth
Indiana Jones
film did
exceptionally
well at the
U.S. box office,
becoming the
second most
successful film
of 2008, earning
$783,266,513.
The film also
featured Shia
LaBeouf, who
starred in 2007's
"Transformers",
as Indiana Jones'
sidekick. The
film will be
released on DVD and Blu-
Ray on Oct. 14.
"Iron Man", another
superhero flick that did well
at the U.S. box office, was
produced by DC Comics'
(who produced "The Dark
Knight") rival Marvel
Comics. Featuring an all-
star cast and a marvelous
comeback by actor Robert
Downey Jr., this action-
packed flick kicked off the
summer movie fest with a
bang.
This film features
Downey Jr. as weapons
industrialist Tony Stark who
becomes the superhero Iron
Man after a series of events.
Although most superhero
films tend to be action-
oriented and serious, Iron
Man blended comedy into
the mix. Downey Jr. offered
a hilarious interpretation
of Stark, who is usually
portrayed as serious and
tragic.
The film
also boasted an
all-star cast of
famous actors
and actresses
including
Gwyneth
Paltrow and *
Jeff Bridges,
as Stark's
love interest
and sidekick,
respectively.
Bridges was
great as the
antagonist
Obidiah Stane,
who rips off
Stark's Iron
Man design and
creates a bulkier
and stronger
version. The film
will be released
on DVD and Blu-Ray on
Sept. 30.
These are just three of the
many summer films. This
year was especially excellent
for movies, and many of the
films that came out will not
be forgotten anytime soon.