The Summer That Was: 2007

It is my sincere hope that the word "threequel" is officially banned from the English language by the time the ball drops in Times Square this January 1st. As a senior in high school, I thought 2003 was jam-packed with sequels, what with two Matrix films, Terminator 3 and Return of the King (among many lower profile titles). Unlike this year's onslaught, at least those films had the decency of spreading themselves out over half a year. But don't let my cynicism speak ill of this year's better films, many of which have fallen into the summer blockbuster category, with artfulness and/or excitement coming from the likes of everyone from Michael Bay (!!) to Werner Herzog. These are the best from my summer's multiplex experiences, and the worst. Stay tuned for the coming months.

The Best

Ratatouille

After their first major screw-up with last year's Cars, it appeared - if only for a moment - that animation god Pixar's winning streak had come to an end. Alas, it was only a bump in the road. Ratatouille is the finest work to come out of either Pixar or Disney in over fifteen years - a heartfelt, honest, and wholly genuine ode to the struggle of a creative spirit in a misunderstanding, uncreative world. The spectacular animation goes beyond technical glory; every frame of the film is a work of art that, coupled with the delightful vocal performances (none better than O'Toole as a food critic turned from his curmudgeony ways), creates a nearly overwhelming sense of dimension. 300 uses its technology as a bludgeoning tool. Ratatouille proves, again and again, that CGI in the right hands is as soulful as any other means of filmmaking.

28 Weeks Later

Whether viewed as a timely political allegory, a timeless look at our indebtedness to the sins of our fathers, or a relentlessly thrilling actioner, 28 Weeks Later proves that not all sequels need be pointless rehashes, here out-performing its impressive predecessor in every respect. Relative newcomer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo knows his style well and uses it to agonizingly mete out terror like an inescapable stranglehold. His film isn't just the best horror film so far this year, but by positioning the viewer as the next potential victim, it's also the healthiest.

Rescue Dawn

Herzog's films live or die based on their subjectivity, lulling our minds into sectors of the human experience otherwise unattainable for most. Following in the footsteps of Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Rescue Dawn presents the experience of Vietnam prisoner Dieter Dengler without apology; as viewers we have the ability to stand back from the horrors of his captivity but only after the lights have come up. This is easy stuff for Herzog but no less thrilling for us; truly revelatory is Steve Zahn as Dieter's doomed companion Duane. The film's politically incorrect elements are true to the mindset of its survival-driven protagonist: honest and necessary.

Superbad

It's the summer of McLovin'. Eight years after the fact, we've finally been given what was promised by the lazy American Pie films: an honest, scabrous and absolutely hilarious look at the joys and trials of the sex-driven high school life. The film represents the pinnacle of the Apatow teams output to date, and shames everything Kevin Smith has made since Clerks. Somebody crown these guys the new kings of comedy.

1408

Don't expect John Cusack to get an Oscar anytime soon. That is, unless the organization comes to its senses and begins to recognize the talent required to make gritty genre pictures work. The Stephen King-penned 1408 is like deliriously brilliant setpiece, and it's Cusack's total inhibition that truly sells the goods. The film stands to remind us of how profound seemingly simple entertainment can be.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

My expectations were low for this third entry. The Curse of the Black Pearl was a delightful B movie but Dead Man's Chest - as expected from its preview - was a leaden, rhythm-deprived monstrosity of aimless spectacle. Thank heavens, then, that whatever train that had previously derailed found its way back to the track. At Worlds End blends its elements with a masterful suave, giving its series a high-point exit reminiscent of the ravishing gestures and giddy pantomiming of a Buster Keaton film.

The Simpsons Movie

Eighteen years in the making, The Simpsons Movie is less than a masterpiece but much more than a simple regurgitation of the series that spawned it. Like so many great satires, their adventures mirror our own lives and the learning experiences that guide them. And the brilliance that is Spider-Pig is just icing in the cake.

Skinwalkers

This unpretentious little grindhouse leftover is reminiscent of the kind of movie that would have flourished during the VHS era. Scant on plot or characterization, the film is eager to plow through its simplistic, good-guy bad-guy plotting, focused almost solely on a kick-ass visceral quotient. Don't let its poor reception fool you - it's one of those cases where bad is most definitely good.

Knocked Up

Critics overpraised this little gem nearly to death, yet this touching follow-up to The 40-Year-Old Virgin remains one of the more finely tuned comedies of recent years.
Its characters are so pitch-perfectly realistic that they seem embedded in the fabric of the film itself, rather than actors standing before a camera. Indeed, it is understandable if you manage to forget that you're actually watching a movie.

Transformers

It took him eleven years but Michael Bay has managed to finally make another film worth its weight in popcorn (how much effect Spielberg's status as a producer had on this outcome is anyone's guess). Transformers is as stupid as you'd expect a movie about extraterrestrial fighting machines to be, and it's as proud as can be of its Happy Meal status. Munch away.

The Worst

TIE: Captivity and Hostel: Part II

The term "torture porn" is a critical shortcut that I pray comes to pass. Nonetheless, the majority of the films to which it has been assigned are indeed as worthless as they have been proclaimed. Hostel: Part II and Captivity aren't so much ineffective as they are totally without craft or respect for their audience, shallow entries in an increasingly futile contest of Which Horror Director Has the Biggest Dick. They wallow in the same anti-humanism Roger Ebert mistook Wolf Creek's resounding existentialism for, and they flop onto the screen with all the force of a deflating balloon.

I Know Who Killed Me

Lindsey Lohan was indeed lousy in this mind-bogglingly bad pass as a mainstream artsy pseudo-horror flick, but most offensive was the manner in which the media capitalized on its failure to further flog the flailing pop star. While not as disturbing as our culture's vicarious obsession with public suffering, though, I Know Who Killed Me truly makes one wonder about the answer to that age-old question: What were they smoking?

Shrek the Third

The Shrek franchise had official gone stale by the time its rotten second entry saw the light of day, but it took this offensively tedious third film to wake up most people to its gimmicky, soulless pop culture regurgitations (though not enough to keep it from sailing past the $300 million mark). Shrek 2 was like junk food for the soul but at least it kept itself busy. This one, on the other hand, can't even wait for the lights to come up to run to the bank.

Ocean's Thirteen

I hate to sound presumptuous, but really, how did these films ever become popular? Who likes them? What can one possibly get out of such vain celebrity masquerades? Though the original is still unseen by me, I think it about time to nail the coffin on Steven Soderbergh's artistic career.

Live Free or Die Hard

Len Wiseman can stage one hell of an action scene but good luck hoping he'll have the slightest clue how to shoot or edit it. The once revelatory John McClane has now been reduced to lame buddy cop status, no longer a guy made of flesh and blood but a virtually indestructible, patriotic Terminator. The only thing amazing about the many blows he survives is the total lack of force they deliver.

And I didn't even bother with...

BRATZ, Evan Almighty, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Georgia Rule, License to Wed, A Mighty Heart, Mr. Brooks, Nancy Drew, No Reservations, Rush Hour 3, Stardust, Surf's Up