The First Purge – July 4
When I think about Fourth of July, typically the first thoughts that come to my head are celebrating independence, shooting fireworks and eating barbeque — it seems like a decent enough way to spend a night.
“The First Purge,” the fourth film in The Purge series, tries to push these calming thoughts to the side in favor of watching senseless killing and crime. The film acts as a prequel to the rest of the series, but the general plot and story beats will likely remain similar.
During each annual “purge,” a 12-hour period of time in which all crime is legal, the audience follows a few characters as they struggle to survive the night.
The previous two films followed Frank Grillo as he shot an incredibly large amount of masked, costume-wearing enemies. While the series is quite entertaining, the plot has been fairly light throughout. Hopefully “The First Purge” can provide a more well-rounded experience for those looking for a slightly different way of celebrating July 4.
Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6
Sometimes it’s hard to just pick one film per week, and when Jackie Chan’s “Bleeding Steel” also comes out July 6, it’s an even more incredible challenge. However, it most likely won’t even be coming to Idaho theaters.
Hot off the heels of “Avengers: Infinity War,” the sequel to 2015’s “Ant-Man” seems to provide a happier, more light-hearted plot that won’t leave children in tears this time.
As the title states, Ant-Man won’t be working alone anymore. He’ll have to resort to taking the low ground for once, letting Wasp take to the skies with her wings and blasters, suspiciously missing from Ant-Man’s suit.
The duo’s goal is simple — try and rescue Wasp’s mother, coincidentally the original Wasp, from the quantum realm, while also trying to avoid the mysterious Ghost, a criminal with similar powers.
Marvel has been on a roll recently, and as long as Michael Pena’s character has more than five minutes of screentime again, I’ll be happy.
Eighth Grade – July 13
Also coming out this week is “Skyscraper,” the newest Dwayne Johnson film. “Skyscraper” has the potential to be an entertaining film, and Johnson is a charismatic actor who reels in viewers, but I’m pretty sure the skyscraper itself is CGI. Even if it’s not, it might be time to move on to bigger and better things.
Bo Burnham isn’t exactly a household name, but the comedian/musician/actor/poet/rapper is looking to change that by adding two more titles to his already exhausting resume — screenwriter and director.
Burnham’s career was kickstarted by his 2006 Youtube videos, and watching his growth in the last decade has been extraordinary. More than 10 years later, he is now releasing his first feature film.
“Eighth Grade” follows Kayla, an eighth-grader in her last week of middle school. After debuting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the film currently holds an approval rating of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and is being regarded as one of the best coming-of-age films in recent years.
“Eighth Grade” shouldn’t just appeal to the titular age group — this is a film that anyone can relate to and enjoy.
The Equalizer 2 – July 20
It’s always important to address the elephant in the room, — I’m not the biggest fan of “Mamma Mia!” Realistically though this doesn’t really matter, because one decade later, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is also going to hit theaters everywhere. Fans of the original will surely love this new spin on a classic story.
“The Equalizer,” to me at least, is a more well-crafted, refined film. At times it’s a little slow, with Denzel Washington playing a retired CIA operative who works in a hardware store. Yet, when the action ramps up, it becomes almost unrelenting. It’s visceral, gruesome and a perfect reflection of the action-thriller genre.
“The Equalizer 2” features Washington’s return as Robert McCall. After discovering the murder of one of his friends, McCall does whatever he can to hunt down those responsible. While it might not be suitable for younger audiences, it’ll be a great way to spend a summer afternoon.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout – July 27
The last week of July proved to be the hardest choice. Two completely different films that cater to different audiences, but in the end, it comes down to reach.
While “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” looks to be an entertaining film that appeals to younger audiences and comic book fans, it might not resonate with older audiences and those unfamiliar with the characters.
Here’s where “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” comes in. The Mission Impossible series is a bit of a conundrum. While many have an on-again, off-again relationship with the films, I would argue that the series has continued to get better with each outing.
At this point, Tom Cruise’s stunts are the main attraction. The man keeps finding ways to up the ante. From actually climbing up the Burj Khalifa — the world’s tallest building — to hanging off the side of an airplane and holding his breath for six minutes, it’s become almost surreal at this point.
Not only did Cruise HALO jump out of a plane for “Fallout,” he also filmed his own scenes in a helicopter and broke his ankle jumping from one building to another.
If this hasn’t already convinced you, the film also contains the slug match of the century — Cruise vs. Superman. At this point, Cruise might win.
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]