No film released this year has broken the $300 million mark and a number of high-profile, expensive movies either bombed or under-performed.
The industry and film critics have all sorts of theories about why. The World Cup was an intense distraction. There was widespread sequel fatigue. The movies weren't very good.
Some of these or all of these explanations could be true.
I know that for me, as I get older, I feel less compelled to rush out to see the latest mainstream action extravaganza. Nowadays films face their biggest threat since television severely cut into their revenue. It's the DVR/streaming age we now live in. Quality films like Snowpiercer are being released directly to the public at an affordable price. And now, more often than not, film viewers are willing to "wait for Netflix" for some titles instead of paying to see them in a theater.
As the summer movie season comes to a close and Hollywood continues to scratch its head about what went wrong, here's my take on an interesting, if a little bit low-key, summer movie season.
Biggest disappointment: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
I really wanted to like this movie. I believe the first Andrew Garfield Spider-Man film was the best movie made to date about Marvel's iconic webslinger and I, like many comic book movie fans, was eagerly anticipating this second installment. But, despite a few winning scenes, this sequel was a mess - too heavy on pyrotechnics, too many characters and not enough cohesion. Not even Garfield and Emma Stone's much-hyped chemistry could save this film.
Movie I wish I hadn't missed: The Edge of Tomorrow
This well-reviewed Tom Cruise thriller made money but not enough to be deemed a hit. Still, it has very vocal fans and seems to be emerging as something of a cult favorite. I chalk its failure up to bad marketing. From the title to the trailers (which made the film look no different than other minor Cruise spectacles like Oblivion), the movie didn't come off like a must-see. But multiple people whose opinions I respect have convinced me that this was one of the best movies of the summer. But now I will have to wait for Netflix to see if they were right. Honorable mention: X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Most overrated: 22 Jump Street
I had fun at this movie, don't get me wrong. It's an enjoyable time at the movies. It was also smug and overplayed its self-awareness to a fault. Repeatedly joking about the fact that you're cashing in and essentially remaking the first film can only take you so far. The best bits in this comedy (Jillian Bell) were largely spoiled by the trailer. The film also missed the opportunity to lampoon modern college in the way the original film nailed high school. Instead they retreated to cheap humor about the homoerotic implications of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill's bromance. Honorable mention: Neighbors, for some of the very same reasons.Best blockbuster:
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Even though it's title is a mouthful and the human element of the story was lacking, there was no summer film that delivered on more levels than this latest installment in the rebooted (and reinvigorated) Planet of the Apes series. Andy Serkis continued to make Ceasar the most compelling CGI character ever created for a Hollywood movie and the action sequences were both scary and original. This film really took risks -- it's ape-only opening minutes for instance -- and they paid off. I'm excited to see where this series is going.
Biggest surprise: Boyhood
Although the fall promises to bring several critically acclaimed films (I am eagerly anticipating Birdman, Foxcatcher and Gone Girl), the best film of the year may very well have come out this summer. Richard Linklater's epic, years-in-the-making coming-of-age film really blew me away. I never thought this beautiful movie could live up to all the hype, but it did. There isn't a false note in the whole movie, which unfolds without a traditional narrative and yet never loses an audience's interest. It's a tragedy that this movie isn't getting a wider release. Hopefully, Oscar won't forget it by the end of the year.
Movie I'm glad I missed: Maleficent
I was tempted to say the new Transformers film, but I checked out of that series after the first installment. What can I say? I am not a fantasy guy and I really can't understand the preoccupation with Angelina Jolie. For me, her "celebrity" has so outpaced whatever skills she has an actress and I simply can't separate her off-screen persona from her on-screen one. I had no interest, and never would, in watching her saunter around in a wicked witch costume. But apparently I'm in the minority here because the movie was an enormous hit. Honorable mention: Lucy.
Most charming summer movie: Guardians of the Galaxy
This crowd-pleaser was far from perfect -- it suffers from Marvel's insistence on setting up sequels and spin-offs and the final act gets overwhelmed by special effects -- but it was undeniably fun and likable. Chris Pratt and company brought a great deal of humor and some originality to the ubiquitous superhero genre and wound up delivering the most popular film of the summer season.
There are some who have earnestly argued that this was a great year for summer movies, not on par with a classic year like 1984, but nothing to sneeze at. I can't say that I agree. Even among the films that were profitable there were far too many unnecessary reboots (Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), unfunny-looking comedies (Sex Tape, Tammy) and sequels that came too late or shouldn't have come at all (sorry, Expendables).
If Hollywood wants to win audiences back they don't need to keep increasing their budgets. They need to instead focus on making better, more enticing films, the kind of movies people will want to go see opening weekend with an audience instead of waiting to see them in the comfort of their own homes. They can't point the finger elsewhere forever.
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