2022 AUGUST MOVIE RANKINGS

Summer has officially come to a close (or at least, according to school systems), leaving us a blockbuster-sized rift in our hearts to tend to as we race toward award-season-months.

To be honest, this summer was sort of… flat. There were a few darlings to grace us in theaters (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Elvis,” “Nope,” and “Bullet Train”), but overall the year 2022 couldn’t seem to put out something worth trading fun in the sun for a few hours in a dark room that smells of popcorn.

For what it’s worth, August was an alright month; that is, for my own viewing. I managed to see a few flicks in theater, but as usual I turned to some older titles. No burnt popcorn pictures this go-around, with every one of these doing a bang up job in entertaining me. If you all get a chance, I would check all of them out…

#5- “Never a Dull Moment” (1968)
78%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Dick Van Dyke at his best, fun concept, humorous moments, and an all-around entertaining flick for the whole family.
Cons: The third act is a bit too silly for my tastes (especially with the bit of taking out the guards), and there are a few dull moments to be had.

#4- “Date Night” (2010)
80%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Great leading chemistry between Steve Carell and Tina Fey, wildly funny, enjoyable story, and a slew of fun performances that grace the screen (so many celebrities).
Cons: At some point things get too off-the-rails for the story (particularly at the taxi cab chase scene), culminating to a conclusion that is nowhere near as grounded as when we started.

#3- “Nope” (2022)
87%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Unique/original story, awesome villain design, visually striking, great performances, and an engaging adventure with cool twists.
Cons: The sitcom monkey bit – while interesting – didn’t do much for me when it came to the film.

#2- “Bullet Train” (2022)
90%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Fantastic cinematography, killer action, wonderful/funny performances, and highly entertaining.
Cons: Some characters were downright annoying and there were a few predictable moments involved.

#1- “Zodiac” (2007)
92%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Brilliant direction, intriguing story, notable performances, solid cinematography, and great setting/aesthetic (I love the 60s/70s).
Cons: The continual jumping forward in time can cause a bit of a disconnect between myself and the characters.

2007’s “Zodiac” takes the cake of August, and will go on to compete for Movie of the Year against “The Princess Bride,” “Luca,” “The Batman” (2022), “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Northman,” “The Karate Kid,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Tarzan” (1999), and the rest of the monthly winners.