Continued to by summer film fest of 21st Century Movies
The Way Way Back (2013): I had never even heard of this until
@KarmaPolice suggested it but it's a really good coming of age story about a shy kid who gets dragged a long with his mom and her new boyfriend to his summer home in a beach town. It's predictable- funny, lots of heart, etc. but where it really shines is the cast. Steve Carell as a DB supreme, Toni Collette as the caring but conflicted mom, Allison Janey as the drunk boundary stepping neighbor, Amanda Peet as the fun loving beach town flirt, Maya Rudolph as a sweet but tired water park employee but the real show stealer is Sam Rockwell. He's the owner of the local water park and simultaneously manages to be the coolest guy you've ever met and a complete loser. This great for people of any age but if you have tweens or teens, I think this is the perfect summer movie to watch as a family.
Toy Story 4 (2019): I am a fan of the series and had seen all of the previous movies close to their release. I think I avoided 4 because I heard some lukewarm reactions and it felt like part 3 ended the series perfectly meaning this was Disney/Pixar trying to a cash grab 9 years later. I actually rewatched all 4 of them with my kid this summer and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Toy Story 4. It might actually be my 2nd favorite after the original. I thought Forky was so funny and the idea that he's being forced to be a toy when he wants to be trash was actually interesting. When I thought it was going to take some predictable turns, it veered just enough to keep me satisfied. It's not doing too much new here and I still prefer the way 3 ended the series but I had a blast watching this and thought it was the funniest of the series thanks to the additions of Tony Hale, Jordan Peele, Keegan Michael Key and Keanu Reeves.
Pride and Prejudice (2005): I think everyone knows what this is and you're either into these kind of romantic period pieces or you aren't. If you do care for them, this is an excellent watch. Sharply funny and very romantic despite there being just 1 single kiss in the whole movie. Keira Knightley has never been better. Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are a hoot. The only jarring thing (though to his credit I got past it pretty quickly) is seeing Tom Wambsgans from Succession as Mr. Darcy, the romantic lead of the film. I was waiting for him to say "Aw, Ms. Bennet, honey badger. God, I want to dock myself inside you so much right now." or refer to him and Mr. Bingley as "the disgusting brothers".
Logan Lucky (2017): Steven Soderbergh's directorial return and he does it in a genre that he does the best: the heist. If there was a theme across these 4 movies, it was humor. This is a heist comedy playing with some Southern stereotypes. This movie delivered 3 things for me: a well done heist, always love to see that and it's original. They ripoff the Charlotte Speedway so it's quite different from the usual bank/art/jewel heist. Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Seth Macfarlane, Brian Gleeson and Jack Quaid all doing the most insane accents and off the wall character work. Finally, you get to see Roy from The Office be a total tool and get humiliated. That's always enjoyable too. I would definitely recommend this and I'm sure I will watch it again sometime.
