Captivated by Summer Blockbusters

There’s something magical about the union of summer and blockbusters—a perfect blend of escapism and thrill that transforms movie theaters into epic playgrounds of imagination. Have you had a chance to see this summer’s blockbusters yet? Before you purchase your movie tickets, check out the reviews of our writers below.  

PWN Board member and screenwriter Ray Brunt reviewed Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning. 

“If we are talking summer blockbusters you can’t skip over Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning, starring Tom Cruise. It has all the ingredients of the prototypical summer blockbuster. A big star, (Tom Cruise) a continuation of a highly successful franchise, (Mission Impossible) along with amazing stunts, chase sequences, and of course, Tom Cruise going off of a cliff on a motorcycle, for real! I highly recommend you see this film in IMAX if at all possible. This is the kind of film you want to feel your seat rumbling beneath you.

So much tension is built and released so many times throughout the film it is absolutely exhausting. Oh, and go with people who want to laugh and gasp together because it will certainly tighten the experience. One can only imagine how they will top it with Dead Reckoning Part 2. That mission in itself appears to be impossible.”

Screenwriter Jillian Donado saw Barbie. Here’s what she had to say. 

“I saw Barbie its opening weekend and felt it was near-perfect! It featured a pitch-perfect cast, smart and witty writing, surprisingly deep themes, as well as the glamour and fun you’d expect in a movie about the iconic doll—mostly thanks to the aesthetic created by the amazing set design and sensibly fashionable costumes. All of the actors (especially our male and female leads) portrayed their characters with just the right mixture of camp and sincerity. I also appreciated that it was outside the realm of your usual ‘Summer Blockbuster.’ Instead of superheroes and intense action sequences, Barbie gave us hyper-femininity, humor, and real emotion. Overall, Barbie was a delightful, exciting, and meaningful movie-going experience for men and women alike.”

PWN Screen Academy director Lizzie Finn watched Oppenheimer. Read her review below: 

“With all the buzz around Oppenheimer, I was super excited to get back to the movies this summer. I’m usually captivated by Christopher Nolan’s films and by history. Unfortunately for me, Oppenheimer was a disappointing biopic that crammed in three different timelines but was pretty skimpy on character development. Besides racing to make the bomb, the film also lacked excitement, especially in the third long hour. I jokingly call it a movie about “important men writing on chalkboards.” I was also irritated that the female characters were one-dimensional and emotionally unstable. And finally, I thought it was a mistake not to show how Japan was devastated by the horrific bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While the visuals were stunning and the acting superb, the overall film was too clinical to me. I never felt emotionally invested in the characters or situations. In my opinion, this type of complex material (based on the book American Prometheus) would probably have been much more deeply satisfying as a limited streaming series like HBO’s Band of Brothers, which I rewatch once a year!”

Our operations and communications manager Elizabeth Jannuzzi saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. 

“I mean Harrison Ford and his whip, it’s usually a safe bet. But you can pass on this summer blockbuster. Boring, no real plot, just a lot of senseless action. Wait until you can stream it on your couch, and even then, I don’t really recommend it.”  

We hope you found these reviews helpful! Have fun at the movies!