While August is typically not the highest grossing of the summer months compared to June or July, this year it just happened to stand up to the competition.
Now I know we are all busy with moving in, starting classes and catching up with our friends, but there are still a few films you may want to catch while they’re still in theaters.
The film that had Marvel fans on the edge of their seats since it’s after credit scene in "Avengers" ended up scoring one of the highest ratings of the season. "Guardians of the Galaxy" opened up on Aug. 1 with the Rotten Tomato’s score of 92 percent, and has held that ever since. It stars new fan favorite Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, also know as Star Lord. The rest of the team includes Star Trek’s Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as Rocket and Groot. With critics raving about it possibly being better than Avengers, this one is a must see.
The next weekend brought us another highly anticipated blockbuster. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" came out on Aug. 8 and immediately took over the box office in the number one spot, where it currently resides. This live action version of the decades old classic stars Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Pete Ploszek and Johnny Knoxville voicing Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello. Alongside them stars Megan Fox, who ironically plays a similar role as her one in the first two Transformers movies, with the same producer. We see what you did there Michael Bay.
Unfortunately this one didn’t quite make the Certified Fresh category on the Tomato-meter. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" approaches the end of the month with a low score of a 21 percent.
If you are looking for a laugh when heading to the theater, "Let’s Be Cops" opened up on Aug. 15. Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. portray two more than average guys who end up taking a game of dress up just a little too far. After showing up as police officers for a Halloween party, they decide to keep their sudden popularity going. While the critics didn’t enjoy it very much, audiences seemed to love it. Critics tend to rate comedies fairly low, so try giving this one the benefit of the doubt.
Boyfriends everywhere don’t even have to wait until February to be dragged to the theater for another tearjerker. "If I Stay" opens on Aug. 22 and appears promising at pulling on some heartstrings. The drama stars up and coming actress Chloe Grace Mortez as a teenage girl whose life changes the moment she gets into a car accident. While in a coma, she has to face some tough decisions about waking up or moving on. With a pre-opening rating of a 37 percent, this one could still have some potential.
So if you happen to find some free time in your busy back-to-school schedule, get a group together and head over to your local college town theater. It could be worth the overpriced, non-student discount offered ticket.