as the first three installments, but considering its 20-year hiatus, this Indy made a great splash, winning over new fans - and fans of the first three films - in spades.
Hollywood "struck gold" (not my wording) with a wave of R-rated comedies. In an industry that generally sticks to PG-13 ratings to get more 'seats' in seats, R-ratings have become the 'flavor du jour' for comedies like Sex and the City, Pineapple Express and the upcoming Tropic Thunder. So loaded with foul language, violence and outrageous gags, filmmakers can't touch a PG-13 rating, though producers claim it's good to "push the boundaries." How about a push in the other direction, Hollywood? No family fare here, needless to say.
The Incredible Hulk burst into theaters with a version that was really quite incredible. In the words of our own Audience Alliance reviewer, Brett Stringer, "The '08 version blends action with the pathos and gravitas the story deserves. We can only hope Marvel Studios, as an independent producer, continues to bring its myriad comic-born characters to life with such respect for family audiences." Enough said.
Mamma Mia! went from the stage (where it's still going strong) to the theater with a weekend box office opening higher than any other musical - a harbinger of more musicals to come. Meryl Streep struts her best disco stuff, singing and acting with unfailing aplomb and near-perfection, but the most unusual leap in this film is Pierce Brosnan - who went from playing James Bond to singing ABBA, and not so well. Mamma Mia, there he goes again!
Ebert and Roeper are leaving the balcony of At the Movies - the TV show that brought the iconic "thumbs-up" and "thumbs-down" movie reviews to the masses. It first aired on public television in 1975 and its staying power is a real testament to well-informed film critics (Roeper replaced Gene Siskel, the show's founder, after he passed away in 1999 and Ebert now has cancer that has left him without a voice). In hopes of reaching the new generation of voices on the Internet, two younger, hipper personalities will now be in the Movies critic's chairs (Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz). Let's hope they don't simply add to the digital dissonance.
Pixar's release of Wall-E, their first animated feature set in space, proved once again that these creative gurus never stop aiming high. They made us fall in love with a garbage-compacting robot in a big film with little dialogue and a big heart, and, as usual, they left us asking "what's next?"
Though Health Ledger's untimely death was tragic, he turned in a brilliant last - and perhaps best ever - performance as the Joker in the box-office phenomenon The Dark Knight. A violent, ominous movie that focuses on the evilness of mankind, Ledger plays the villain in a way never before seen. Conversely, he has a few very funny moments. Though many say the batman series will likely go on, I, for one, wouldn't want to be the actor who tries to fill Ledger's shoes. I also wouldn't want the next installment to be so violent and malevolent or I want it to be R.
The beloved children's book, The Spiderwick Chronicles, came to the big screen with high-quality acting by Mary Louise Parker, Freddie Highmore, David Strathairn, and Joan Plowright. And for a troll-and-fairy-and-goblins-loaded movie, it ranks right under Harry Potter. Family-friendly fare, indeed.
As for those of us at Audience Alliance, where we make every attempt to review the much-touted theater blockbusters, we had a hard time finding summer movies worth the ink. Sadly, movies that entertain, enlighten and inspire were few and far between in the summer of 2008. Will the change of season also bring a change in movie values? Audience Alliance is "Changing the World of Motion Pictures for Good." Look to us in weeks to come for an update on our films, plus new fall films from other studios.
By Sara-Lynn White
