Well, it’s time to hit the books again. The fall semester has begun, and all traces of summer fun are quickly riding off into the sunset.
But even though school-year drudgery has commenced, there are still some long weekends ahead that would be perfect to catch up on some summer movies.
If you haven’t seen these movies, you should.
Finding Nemo
Just a kids’ movie? Perish the thought!
Finding Nemo is a great ride for kids and adults alike.
With voice talents from actors such as Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Dafoe, Nemo is the sort of animated film that truly gives life to the characters.
Nemo is about a young fish’s journey through the human world when he is captured by a diver and his father’s determination to find him and bring him back safe.
The sappy-sweet influence of Disney is absent in this movie, with the exception of some well placed acts of shameless self promotion.
During a dentist’s office scene, a Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story can be spotted in a pile of toys.
Nemo deals with heavy issues in a lighthearted way, teaching everyone that even in the darkest of hours, there’s always hope.
Seabiscuit
How much can you say about a racehorse? A lot!
This movie, based off the bestseller by Laura Hillenbrand, came out at just the right time of the summer, when America was reeling from Funny Cyde’s near capture of the elusive triple crown.
The film takes place in the 1930s and tells the story of the racehorse Seabiscuit, grandson of the famous Man of War, and how he went from a glue factory candidate to America’s favorite horse.
This movie isn’t about the horse himself, but about his rider, his trainer, and his owner, all of whom met with near crippling adversities on the ride into American legend.
Seabiscuit is the sort of movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, makes you cringe, and even makes you clap at the tear-jerking finale.
28 Days Later
Hate British film?
So what. Go see this movie. In a world where there’s a severe dearth of good horror flicks, 28 Days Later is a godsend.
When a bicycle messenger wakes up in a hospital from a coma, he finds himself completely alone in an abandoned London.
Soon he discovers that 28 days earlier, a virus, which turns humans into raging, flesh-craving monsters, swept over the British Isle, decimating the population.
28 Days Later is the story of survival in a world where it isn’t safe to trust or love anyone, especially yourself.
Filled with enough plot twists and scary moments to make you jump, 28 Days Later is thought-provoking and fully engaging.
It is a definite step in the right direction for horror movies everywhere.
Don’t forget to stay for the alternate ending after the credits
Pirates of the Caribbean
This is my absolute favorite film of the year.
Excellent directing and a superb cast make this film the must-see movie of the summer.
When a ship full of ghost pirates sails into Port Royal in search of a lost medallion and its possessor, a local blacksmith and a mentally unstable pirate captain set out to rescue her and claim the pirate fortune.
Johnny Depp plays the unbalanced Captain Jack Sparrow, and steals the movie entirely.
This film proves that he is an actor, not just a movie star.
This movie has its share of plot twists, but is careful not to lose the audience in the wake.
It’s so good, you can even forget that it’s Disney.
