Summer movies are always exciting, but how do we decide which movies are worth venturing out to see? Personally, I always turn to Metacritic - an online movie, music, television, and video game rating website that creates scores up to 100 utilizing both critic and user reviews. I trust Metacritic because it draws from so many sources, but also because it's incredibly hard to get a high score. Only films like "The Godfather," "Boyhood," and "Gravity" are among the few that have broken 90 and above. Based on Metacritic rank, here are a few movies I'm excited about, and a few that are a little questionable.
Movie Dos:
1. Money Monster
Score: 54
So I actually really enjoyed this film, partially because of its message about economic inequalities between the 1 percent and everyone else. However, Metacritic gave it a 54 (which isn't terrible for Metacritic at all though it seems low) because there were a handful of critics who gave it incredibly low scores, claiming it was entertaining but nothing original or inspirational. Although I can agree with their perspectives, I found George Clooney and Julia Roberts fascinating and feel it's worth seeing, even if only once.
2. Captain America: Civil War
Score: 75
Thank goodness this film is good, as the hype has been so extreme. Proponent of this film agree there is a well-balanced combination of action and character-based conflict. On top of that, it poses serious, thought-provoking questions. Marvel has been extremely successful thus far, and I'm pleased to hear that the newest Captain America earned such a good score.
3. The Nice Guys
Score: 70
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe? What could go wrong? Watching this dynamic duo traipse around 1970s L.A. as a private eye and hired hand is a blast. Neither actor is particularly comedic, but their roles and dialogue lead to a violent and chaotic, but hilarious investigation. This is probably my top must-see for the summer thus far.
Movie Don'ts:
1. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Score: 58
While this movie did score higher than Money Monster, I feel it's less worthy of a movie theater trip. I love Seth Rogan and thoroughly enjoyed the first film, but Neighbors 2 is still a sequel and it is incredibly hard to find a comedic sequel that meets the expectations set by the original (Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers were the only pairing I could think of). Just wait till this one comes out on demand or Netflix.
2. The Angry Birds Movie
Score: 43
Yikes. I don't have much to say about this one, as I feel the concept behind it sort of speaks for itself. It's absolutely catered to children, so maybe I simply don't see the appeal as I'm not apart of the target demographic. However, the voice actor who played Olaf in Frozen is in it, and he's pretty wonderful. App-inspired movies don't make much sense to me, but I can't imagine this will be the last.
3. Alice Through the Looking Glass
Score: 33
I want this film to be good – I really do. But, thus far, it's not looking so great for the new Tim Burton. This film is still brand new, so it's possible this score will increase and user reviews get published. Apparently, it branches completely away from anything Lewis Carroll ever wrote, but Johnny Depp still owns his quirky role as the Mad Hatter. As an Alice fan, I will probably indulge in seeing it but it seems it likely will not be worth the trip.
