Mummys, robots, bats, oh my: Summer 2008 films fill theaters with something for everyone

Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I had a great summer, full of action, adventure and a little taste of comedy, not to mention a couple mummies.

Summer 2008 was a great time for movies, and I spent many Saturdays in a theater and on the hood of a car at the drive-in. But it all began with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull;” an action packed movie that kept viewers guessing what would happen next. Like any Indiana Jones movie, this one is sure to not disappoint.

By Chelsea Oliver,

Sports Editor

Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I had a great summer, full of action, adventure and a little taste of comedy, not to mention a couple mummies.

Summer 2008 was a great time for movies, and I spent many Saturdays in a theater and on the hood of a car at the drive-in. But it all began with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull;” an action packed movie that kept viewers guessing what would happen next. Like any Indiana Jones movie, this one is sure to not disappoint.

Along with a new Indy adventure comes new characters. Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) is joined in this movie by the young up and coming star, Shia LaBeouf (Mutt Williams). The two meet by some odd fate and find out that they are more than just on this mission together.

The next movie I saw during the summer is considered a kid’s movie, but has a very adult message. WALL-E, brought to you by Disney and Pixar, brings to life the idea of going green, sooner rather than later.

Though it is Disney, and it of course involves a sappy love story; the new message behind the cute robots brings on a new idea for kid’s movies. “WALL-E” shows that movies can easily be used to motivate kids into doing the right thing, along with taking them (and their families) on a fun adventure on earth and in space.

Next, “Wanted” hit the big screen just a week later, and it hit the screen pretty hard. Packed in this movie are not only quality actors, but a lot of action, a little lust and more than one great twist.

James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie are just a few of the actors that build up this movie. McAvoy finds out that he is the son of a professional assassin and Freeman and Jolie are there to guide the ride to his destiny. But it’s the destiny of everyone else that matters in the end; Wanted begs you to rethink and chose your own.
The summer was not just action and adventure movies. For you comedy fans, there is another classic in theaters, starring the dynamic duo of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Step-Brothers brought an interesting reality of what having a step-sibling and moving in with a new family is really like.

Though Ferrell and Reilly play these roles in the uncommon way of 40-year olds, still living at home and adjusting to the change, in a not so adult way. Like other movies involving these two, this movie definitely brings joke after joke and a few quote-worthy moments that you’ll repeat to your friends.

Though, I must admit, not all of the movies this summer were so great. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, is one of them.

Though this movie is full of some action, it is very predictable and a little dry. Hopefully it is the fourth and final in the mummy series, since the plot is becoming so predictable. Find mummy, “accidentally wake up mummy,” find a way to kill mummy…but we’ll see.
Also, in the “you might not want to spend your time” movie category was “Journey to the Center of the Earth;” a remake of a novel and movie done in 1959. Though it is a good story, the only thing that made this movie interesting was the 3D aspect. Oddly enough, Brendan Fraser stars in both of these, dare I say, lame movies.

Don’t worry though; there is always someone out there to save the day. In this case, that someone is Batman. “The Dark Knight” brought in huge success and no doubt was the greatest movie of the summer, possibly of the year.

Batman (Christian Bale), Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) are forced to deal with the chaos that takes over Gotham City by an anarchist mastermind known as the Joker (portrayed by the late Heath Ledger). This movie is set only a year after the events of Batman Begins, and takes off instantly when a psychopathic criminal, the Joker, whose eerie grin, laughter, and inhuman morality, takes over the city that was recently put back together.

Batman’s struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing the Joker to “confront everything he believes” and improve his technology (with the help of Lucius Fox, another role by Morgan Freeman this summer) to stop him. But not to worry, the good guy always wins…right?

If you missed these blockbusters over the summer, don’t fret; Student Activities Council will soon be holding SHU Cinemas each weekend, and you can start seeing the movies mentioned by mid-September.