There is no other season when it comes to movies than the summer. It’s a time where highly anticipated films with iconic stars are released, much to the enjoyment of moviegoing masses. This past summer an extremely wide variety of films hit the theaters, from small indie films to huge blockbusters.

An early kicker was the highly anticipated Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth film in Michael Bay’s visually stunning Transformers series. Extinction is a “reboot” of the franchise, disposing of all the characters from the previous films. Mark Wahlberg takes the lead in his second Bay film, (the first being Pain and Gain) where he plays a mechanic who teams up with Optimus Prime and the Autobots as they’re being hunted down by an alien bounty hunter from another world. Like most of Bay’s films, Extinction doesn’t lack flair in the visual department. The special effects are the most stunning in the series. The battles between the Autobots and Decepticons are stimulating and there isn’t a single moment of dullness.

However, there is a drawback to the excitement and that is the storyline. The franchise has been known for it’s flawed narrative but Extinction plays the game differently. Extinction conceives a well-developed plot but fails to execute it correctly. It ends up being a conspiracy within a conspiracy with no real drive or ambition. Its two hours and forty-five minute run time doesn’t help either. As the film moves forward, it becomes a repetitive disaster. In the end, Extinction nails it with giant robot fights and explosions, but lacks a storyline that anyone will find fascinating. Maybe Bay’s formula has finally gone extinct.

The Sundance award winner, Boyhood, finally hit the theaters in mid-July. Richard Linklater’s twelve-year project tells the story of Mason, from early childhood to adulthood. First off, it’s not a documentary. It’s a normal film with a normal script. However, it’s executed differently. Linklater filmed Boyhood over a course of twelve years with the same actor, Ellar Coltrane, playing Mason. Each year they would film a sequence in Mason’s life. So not only do you see Mason mature throughout the movie, but you also witness Coltrane mature as well. And that’s the magic of Boyhood. It explores new areas of film that haven’t been touched before. It covers the normal struggles of growing up but at the same time captures the magic of it.

Coltrane isn’t the only star that shines in Boyhood. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette play Mason’s divorced parents. Hawke shines as the eccentric and go-wild father, as Arquette plays the subtle and kindhearted mother. There are several other characters that Mason encounters throughout his life, however, most characters come and go as life moves on in the film.

There are a lot of aspects to Boyhood making it a film of epic proportions. What really struck me personally was that nostalgic feel to the film. Mason grew up in the era where I myself grew up in as well. Linklater captures the time perfectly with the use of music and technology as the film progresses. It’s scary how accurate it is, but at the same time adds an emotional touch. It’s almost as if your watching an old VHS tape of yourself as a child. In the end, Boyhood is a magnificent treat and a very memorable movie. It goes deep by exploring themes such as “finding your passion” and “don’t seize the moment, let the moment seize you.” It’s a movie about everything and nothing, and it’s not afraid to show it.

Finally, Marvel has been known for bringing unique and one of a kind superheroes to the big-screen. Guardians of the Galaxy takes that concept and pumps it full of energy. Oh yeah, it also takes place in space. The sci-fi superhero film came out in the beginning of August as a special treat in the late summer. Similar to The Avengers, it takes the idea of having a team of superheroes, rather than depending on one hero. The film’s main plot revolves around Peter Quill, (Chris Pratt) as he must team up with four space criminals to prevent an evil space ruler from destroying the galaxy. Like every other Marvel film, there are fantastic action scenes as well as CGI effects. In Guardians, those features aren’t as important. The film claims the crown of being one of the best Marvel movies because of its in-depth characters. The film gives enough time to get to know each character in Quill’s team. You witness how the characters act and how he or she interacts with the other team members. It’s fascinating and very enjoyable which makes Guardians a one of kind film.

Guardians delivers in many fields, but it does fail by not having a noteworthy antagonist. The one Marvel villain to completely grasp the antagonist feel was Loki from The Avengers. He had a back-story, a motive, and an interesting personality to add to his wickedness. Guardians antagonist, Ronan the Destroyer, lacks all the qualities that Loki had. All in all, Guardians of the Galaxy is a fresh new installment to the Marvel franchise that adds more emphasis on its characters, making it a truly remarkable film.

Ratings:

Transformers: Age of Extinction – 2/5 Tomahawks

Boyhood – 5/5 Tomahawks

Guardians of the Galaxy – 4/5 Tomahawks