In this episode of the ‘SilverScreen 5’ we’re are going to cover my “Top-5 Favorite films of the 2016 Summer” season. It is clear this summer was a disappointing one at the cinema, there were not a ton of horrible films, in fact there were some profitable ones, but there was a string of ‘just ok’ movies, that in the end were a letdown. It wasn’t all bad however so let’s get into my favorite films of the season.

I will give the disclaimer – I haven’t gotten to see “Hell or High Water” or “Kubo and the Two Strings” yet and with mostly good reviews on both I am looking forward to them.

5. Sausage Party

This adult themed animated film was loaded with over-the-top raunchy humor, and delivers a ton of laughs. This film knew what it wanted to be, and showed zero hesitation in executing it. There was a fun-filled adventure at the core of this movie and with some likable characters, and endless waves of hysterical scenarios, this film will have you laughing and cringing at the same time.

The voice work was great and filled with many familiar names that only add to the amusement of these characters. And in the end this was a surprisingly complete film that clearly did not simply try to cash in off of simple crude humor, it was imaginative and tons of fun from start-to-finish.

4. Don’t Breathe

This contained thriller was my surprise hit of the summer. With little expectations going into the Comic-Con screener for this film, I walked out of the theater with a smile on my face. This was a simple film, with a plot that was very similar to other films but it did plenty of things very well to create its own legs to stand on.

Alvarez’ direction was very crisp, made the most of the singular location, creating many creepy and ominous backdrops that complimented the story perfectly. The run-time was short, the pace keeps moving, and had me up in my seat, intrigued throughout as these characters try to escape. Stephen Lang was excellent in this movie, he made the most out of the material, and is a major reason why the enjoyment in this movie is so high.

3. Blood Father

This was another film that surprised me. With a limited release this film came in at the end of the season and without much buzz, a great performance from Mel Gibson has gone severely undermentioned. This film is streaming on many services and I highly recommend checking it out. What I thought would be a simple action movie with a 50+ year old star turned out to be a riveting crime-drama, that boasts much more emotion than I ever would have predicted.

This movie created a compelling, heart-warming and gritty father/daughter story that was only made better by the performances of Gibson and Moriarty. There were moments of visceral action in this movie that will pull you up in your seat, but what makes this movie so good, was the well written story between them.

2. The Nice Guys

This movie was a great example of an excellent film, just not doing well at the box-office. The Nice Guys was a well written crime caper with great moments of both comedy and action. The performances of Gosling and Crowe were excellent and their chemistry completely elevated their characters and the connection to them. The story took many turns and it felt fresh and original.

The settings and time-period add to the fun vibe of this movie and with some witty and clever humor the laughs seemingly never stop. There is more than enough story to invest your attention in and with likable characters, solid direction and wildly imaginative writing this film was a near perfect film. It was hilarious throughout and executed smoothly.

– Honorable Mentions –

The Conjuring 2

This sequel was very entertaining. It delivered all that the fans of the first could have asked for, the jump-scares were well placed and complimented the creepy tone that the well written script built throughout.

Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates

I didn’t have the highest of expectations for this film but the chemistry of Efron and Devine as well as the rest of the cast translated very well on to the screen. I laughed much more than expected and as outrageous and crude as the humor was it still entertained.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

This movie highly entertained and really surprised me. It was to the pop music industry, was “Zoolander 2” should have been to the fashion industry. Andy Samberg was excellent in the lead and the script was very well written to create a hilarious parody of an already outrageously out of touch reality that is, pop music.

1. Captain America: Civil War

There was never any doubt this was my favorite film of the summer. But it was an earned number one on the list as this movie completely met my expectations. This film perfectly incorporated more characters into the fray, told a detailed story that was very entertaining between the big action set-pieces and only left me wanting more.

Marvel once again took expectations, and for the most part, surpassed them with a solid comic-book film filled with tons of action, intrigue and story-telling. The future looks bright as this world continues to evolve and Civil War gives a little something for everyone. It also boasted one of the best action scenes in recent memory, with visually stunning airport battle. There were some minor issues in this movie but nothing that could keep it from being easily the best film of the summer blockbuster season.

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