Summer Blockbuster time
What woeful weather for August! But at least it doesn’t make you feel so bad at turning your back on the sunshine to disappear into a darkened cinema. And – for once – there is quite a decent crop of summer blockbusters to enjoy. Here’s my pick of the current selections you can find at the cinema as an August movies roundup.
- Free Guy (12A): Ryan Reynolds as Guy in a noisy and colourful cross between “Ready Player One” and “The Truman Show”. Set in the gaming world of Free City, it’s a blast, due in no small part to a fabulous big-screen performance by Jodie Comer from “Killing Eve”.
- Jungle Cruise (12A): A film based on a pretty naff Disney theme park ride really shouldn’t work. But it surprisingly does. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt provide the star power in a Bogart/Hepburn-style relationship. And comedian Jack Whitehouse stays just the right side of annoying as the comedy turn. Blunt’s take on a female Indiana Jones makes this highly watchable. It also has a neat plot twist that I didn’t see coming. Note that although it’s Disney, there are scary scenes that make this not suitable for young or sensitive children.
- The Suicide Squad (15): “From the horribly beautiful mind of James Gunn” gushes the trailer. And for once the marketeers ain’t kidding. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” creator delivers this soft-reboot of 2016’s woeful “Suicide Squad” with verve and great comedy. Be aware though that it’s very violent: I can’t believe it got away with a 15 certificate.
- The Last Letter From Your Lover (12A): A “they don’t make them like that anymore” film that older viewers, in particular, might like very much. A glossy late ‘60s love triangle (between Shailene Woodley, Joe Alwyn and Callum Turner) as viewed from the present day by investigative journalist Felicity Jones. It also features one of the last performances of the late Ben Cross.
- Stillwater (15): Matt Damon’s latest has sparked controversy for being “inspired by” the murder trial of Amanda Knox. Although a fictionalised story, Knox has objected to the film profiting from her misfortune. But the film, although not cheery, is well-told by Tom McCarthy, the director of the Oscar-nominated “Spotlight”. By the way, I’m not sure why this one is a “15”. Aside from some racist language, it felt far more “12A” territory to me.
And not forgetting the rug-rats there are a load of kid-friendly movies showing during the day. “Peter Rabbit 2” is particularly good (and fun for adults too!). But there’s also a range of other films (which I can’t vouch for!). These include “The Croods 2”, “PAW Patrol”, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and “Spirit: Untamed”.
So that’s my round-up of August movies. You can of course read my full spoiler-free reviews for these movies, and others, on the website at http://bob-the-movie-man.com, or see my video reviews on Tiktok (@onemannsmovies). Happy viewing!
