Two thumbs up

It has been a fine summer for movies! Indeed, the last couple of months have seen the release of some of the most anticipated films of the year. Well, in my book at least. The summer movies have had me at the cinemas almost every weekend — sometimes even more than once. What can I say? I’m a movie gal and if I think something is worth seeing than it’s worth seeing on the big screen. Here are some of the movies I’ve been loving lately. (Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen these flicks yet, better stop reading right here!)

Give me a whip and a hat!

You guessed it, tops on my list of summer movies is the latest (and perhaps final?) installment of my beloved Indiana Jones series — Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. To say that I have been waiting for this movie more than half my life would be completely accurate. I have loved Indiana Jones since I first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark back in my childhood. I followed the escapades of my favorite (and the original) treasure hunter all throughout The Temple of Doom and through The Last Crusade (which incidentally is still my absolute favorite!). There was even a period in my life I wanted to be an archeologist like my beloved protagonist and roam the world looking for artifacts and treasures.

Imagine my surprise and happiness when, a year or so ago, news came out that they were filming a fourth installment! I could not wait. So last May 22, I (along with half the world no doubt) stood in line on opening day to catch the newest chapter in Indiana Jones’ adventure. And I was not disappointed.

Though admittedly different from its predecessors The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was entertaining and funny which are staples of this classic franchise. George Lucas and company once again take you through an incredible adventure and into a world unknown. Though more good than bad, I’ve heard mixed reviews about the film. Many claim they don’t like the alien direction it took. I must admit — I kind of felt the same initially, having been tipped off to this possible angle by a box marked “Area 51” shown in the trailer early on. The thing is, I realize that since so many years have passed since Last Crusade, the world Indy currently lives in is post-World War II America. It’s Cold War time and we have to realize that aliens — or at least public fear of them, along with Russians and KGB spies — were the reality of those times. This helped me accept the subtle change in direction of the series (I almost teared up when he mentioned his father and Marcus Brody) and enjoy the movie. If you ask me, it’s still a rip-roaring fun time. Oh, and Shia Lebouf was excellent!

Bringing sexy back

Now would I be a real girl if I didn’t include this movie in my list? As an avid follower of Sex and the City on television, I was beyond excited to watch the highly anticipated movie. I don’t think there was a girl who wasn’t sad when the series ended and we had to say goodbye to Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. After all, by this time we had already gotten to know the characters as if they were our own friends. Who hasn’t, on some level, related with these women at some point in our lives? I know I have.

So I was very excited when the movie came out. What made it even more fun was that I got to watch it with my girls. That was actually probably the most fun part. Since most guys, understandably, didn’t want to watch this movie it was a great reason to grab the girls for a fun girl’s day out. I saw this movie with my closest friends and it was a lot of laughs and a lot of “Wow, I’ve been there” moments.

In the end, I thought Sex and the City was a must-see movie for girls with their girlfriends. Though I did find it kind of long, it was entertaining; and the clothes — gorgeous. It would even be worth seeing just to catch the amazing outfits worn by Carrie and the girls. I lost track of how many outfits I saw that I wanted to own. Beautiful!

Back to Narnia

I am a big fan of C.S. Lewis. Having said that, it’s only natural that I am a big fan of his famous children’s book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Hence, it makes perfect sense that I was eagerly awaiting the release of the second Narnia novel, Prince Caspian. Okay, I’m going to have my geeky moment here and admit that I’m such a big fan that not only have I read all the novels in this series, but I actually have already seen a made-for-TV version of these movies way back when I was 13 years old. I completely fell in love with Narnia as early as then and it’s been an ongoing affair ever since.

So I was extremely happy when the first film came out. It was like taking a trip back to some imaginary place from my childhood. (Actually, it was exactly that). The CGI was better, the cinematography was better and basically, it was like an upgraded version of my already beloved classic. So naturally, I couldn’t wait to watch the next installment. Prince Caspian was already a bit different than how I had originally pictured it (he was older for one and Spanish, too). I guess I had grown up imagining Prince Caspian to be younger and blonde. In either case, it was a cosmetic change and one I did not mind since I thought the new Prince Caspian was gorgeous.

The film was everything it should be — an adventure, exciting, scary. It is a perfect adaptation of a loved novel, perfectly bringing to life some of literature’s most classic siblings. The scope of the movie is unbelievable and I kept asking myself where they were able to film the epic landscape shots (New Zealand, perhaps?). More than anything, though, it brought to life one of my favorite books and now I anticipate the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Awesomeness

Okay, so up to this point, I had pretty much been mentioning serious films from big-time directors or classic novels or hit television series. My last addition to this list and quite possibly the movie that made me laugh the most of all of them is a humble adorable tale of Po the panda. Indeed, Kung Fu Panda is probably one of my new favorite cartoons. For lack of a better way to describe I shall just steal from the movie and say it was awesome!

Maybe the fact that I am seriously into kung fu could be one of the reasons why I loved this movie, but even more than that it was the fun and lighthearted way they told the age-old story of an unassuming hero saving everyone. The movie follows the adventures of noodle chef Po the panda who dreams of being a kung fu hero one day. He envisions himself joining the Furious Five (as they were called in the film), namely the Crane, the Tiger, the Mantis, the Monkey and the Snake (all of which are actual kung fu styles). Po thinks his dreams may be slipping from reach when, through a lucky accident, he is named the Dragon Warrior. Now he must train with his heroes and find a way to save the land from the evil Tai Lung who has escaped from prison. It’s a great entertaining story and I guarantee it will have you in the aisles laughing.

I don’t think anyone but Jack Black could have voiced the hilarious and adorable panda. His quirky humor comes to life just through his voice and he truly brings this character to life. Trust me, you’ll find yourself cheering from Po to defeat his enemies.

So whether it’s action, adventure, chick flicks, comedy or cartoons, you are surely going to find something to astound you this season! Don’t let these movies pass you by because I promise they are definitely worth seeing on the big screen!