This summer, many notable movies were released such as “Top Gun,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” “Elvis,” “Thor: Love and Thunder” and many more. Some of these movies were major hits such as “Top Gun” and “Elvis”.
“Top Gun” followed the story of Tom Cruise (Maverick) as he makes his way back to Top Gun pilot school and back to his past as a fighter pilot. He is forced to teach a group of hot-shots how to become stronger pilots and train them for a top secret bombing mission.
The star studded cast included Miles Teller as Rooster, Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin, Val Kilmer as Iceman and many young rising stars. While venturing back to Top Gun, Maverick reconnects with his long lost Penny Benjamin, who he mentions in the original 1986 “Top Gun” as the admiral’s daughter. Rooster is the son of Mavericks former co-pilot, Goose, who died in an accident in the first film. Rooster still blames Maverick for his father’s death.
The film received a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, which is very impressive for a sequel. There is a fan favorite scene where the whole cast plays football on the beach. “Top Gun really inspired me to become a pilot myself,” said junior Jaden Mock.
“Elvis” was another top film among movie lovers, as it scored a 94% audience rating, but critics were not as pleased, rating it 78%. This film dives deep into Elvis Presley’s life and career, highlighting his relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker, portrayed by Tom Hanks. “It was an amazing film, and I enjoyed every single second, and it gave me a whole new view of Elvis,” said senior Ella Berman.
Actor Austin Butler blew fans away with his performance as Elvis, all the way from his rise to fame to his subsequent fall into addiction.
The film starts with Elvis’s life in the mid 1950’s when he started making music. Elvis joined a music tour and gained a strong fan base, but the tour did not think he would succeed and thought about dropping him. Elvis became a major star and skyrocketed quickly to fame, but people were not happy with his inappropriate attire and performance. He was forced to dial back his clothes and his dance moves. The film concludes with his death in 1977 and Tom Parker’s death in 1997. The two started as a great duo, but over the years grew distant and at one point, Elvis fired him.
“Minions: Rise of Gru” was also a big hit. Even though it only received a 71% from Rotten Tomatoes, fans loved it. A new trend also came from the movie, where large groups of people dressed up in formal attire and attended the film. This trend went viral on Tik Tok, and the film was an overall success.
Actor Steve Carell voices Gru, and the film shows how Gru grew up to be the notorious criminal. The film starts with a young aspiring Gru, whose goal is to become the most notorious villain ever. Gru, wanting to become a major supervillain, tries to join the Vicious 6. They deny him, and in retaliation, he steals from them, becoming their biggest enemy. Gru turns to another bad guy, Wild Knuckles, for guidance and ultimately defeats the Vicious 6.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” was not a summer hit. “Thor: Love and Thunder” scored a 65% by critics and a 77% by fans. “It was nothing more than just okay,” said sophomore Drew Thompson, “It tried to be a comedy when it was not necessary.” The movie begins with Thor traveling across the galaxy to help planets and people in need of protection. He quickly learns about a mysterious man whose motive is to kill all the gods. This man is Gorr, and his life goal is to eradicate gods, because they did not help him in his time of need.
Dying from cancer, Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman, learns that Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, will keep her from dying, so she becomes Thor. Together, they fight Gorr and stop him on his quest. Thor takes in Gorr’s daughter, who has come back to life, and raises her. Jane does not make it, but Thor will always keep her in his heart.
This summer had many major hits and a few major misses. Overall, the best movie of the summer had to be “Top Gun.” The ratings were off the charts, and 99% of fans loved the movie. It was entertaining, thrilling and even had some romance. It had all the great characteristics of a movie. Make sure to go watch the movie for yourself.
