2024 in film (so far)

If it's not clear, I love movies. From the big blockbusters to the small indie darlings and everything in between. Now that we are halfway through the year, I want to take a look at the theatrical selection and ask, is this the best you've got, Hollywood?

Mean Girls (2024)

Already off to a bad start. A remake to a cult classic that adds very little in the way of new, fresh ideas. Just a tired and lazy soundtrack that no one's bumping to.

Argylle

On the surface this should have been a hit. An original spy film from the makers of "Kingsmen" with hyper-stylized action, rauncy humor, and a cute animal sidekick. What could go wrong? Turns out the mixture of different wacky elements wasn't blended well and left a bad taste in your mouth.

Madam Web

Sony loves to take the most obscure characters from Spider-Man comics and turn them into movies. Quite frankly, no one cares. Honestly, I could do a whole rant on just this one film.

There are a lot of examples of poorly recieved films. I don't have time to go through them all. It's crazy how many of them just came and went in a blink of an eye. Mostly franchie films, gasping for air. Did you know we had a Ghostbusters film this year? What about Kung-Fu Panda 4? They were alright. Just like everything this year. The scale is from trash to meh.

There are some expections. I enjoyed the latest Planet of the Apes film. Even with being one in a long running series, it still has something to say. Inside Out 2 was very nice and sweet and now the highest grossing Pixar film of all time.

Deadpool and Wolverine are right around the corner. That's sure to get the geeks excited, I being one of them. But beyond that, is there anything that can save this lousy year? Transformers One? Just kidding. Even Gladiator is getting a sequel, and Twister. The 90s are making a comeback.

In all seriousness, Hollywood is scared. Reboots, sequels, and direct-to-streaming. They are no longer in the business of taking risks. What will be the next Star Wars? And don't say Baby Yoda: The Movie. We need to start trying something new, empowering new voices, experimenting with new visions.

Hopefully 2025 will be better. But what do you think? Am I out of touch? Did you like Despicable Me 4 ? Do you plan on watching Wicked? What am I missing? Please let me know.

_see ya at the movies!

Mikey Bee

#movies #moviereview #2024