2021 Summer Movies

With record heat waves scorching many parts the country, there has never been a better time to check out some new(ish) releases! Here are three films to see, ranging from good to fantastic!

A Quiet Place: Part II

★★★★

Horror movie sequels are usually bad, or at the very least struggle to reach the heights of the first. The novelty has already worn off and the monsters aren't as scary. A Quiet Place: Part II smartly avoids those pitfalls by expanding the world and allowing its characters to grow.

The film picks up where the original left off. The Abbott family we met in the first film must now leave their home and venture into the dangerous outside world, armed with their newly discovered sonic weapon. The excellent Cillian Murphy joins the cast as the paranoid and embittered Emmett. He, like the Abbotts, has experienced painful loss. 

Part II splits up the characters early on, allowing each person to confront their own demons. We also learn a little more about what has happened since the monsters arrived. The post-apocalyptic setting is even more frightening than it was in the first film given the traumatic effects of the pandemic. The film is stressful and intense from the first five minutes and ends on a high note. The ending sets up a Part III which, given the success of the first two installments, seems inevitable. 

As with most horror movies, A Quiet Place: Part II MUST be seen in a theater for maximum effect. It's definitely worth the trip.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

★★★★ 1/2

It's not very often that an animated family film ends up being one of the best films of the year; even rarer when that film comes from somewhere other than Pixar. But The Mitchells vs. The Machines is the funniest, most creative, and most entertaining movie released in 2021. And it's not close.

The Mitchells centers on Katie, an aspiring filmmaker who is about to attend film school in California. Her father, who struggles to connect with her, decides to take the family on a road trip to drop Katie off at college. As with all road trip movies, things go wrong: robots created by a Apple/Google/Amazon-type tech company turn on their masters and take over the human race. The Mitchells are the only ones not captured by the evil robots and so must save the world.

The plot is indeed ridiculous, but hilariously so. The film is chock-full of witty movie references and clever visual gags. I laughed from start to finish. The voice acting is top-tier, with comedy stars like Eric Andre, Fred Armisen, and Maya Rudolph; an Oscar winner in Olivia Colman; and even NBA star Blake Griffin! The Mitchells is a heart-warming artistic wonder that is perfect to watch with your kids on a Friday night. And it comes with your Netflix subscription!

What stands out in The Mitchells is the one-of-a-kind animation style. Following the success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sony applied the comic book design style to a non-comic-book setting – and it works brilliantly. The marvelous thing about animation is that you're not constrained by reality. The Mitchells uses on-screen text and drawings to flesh Katie's character and give us insight into the inner workings of the Mitchell family.

Although Pixar is considered by many to be the premier animation studio, Sony Animation is right on Pixar's heels. Pixar's approach is to appeal to kids with cute and funny characters, and to adults with weighty ideas such as the meaning of life (Soul), whether you'll be remembered (Coco), or adolescent emotion (Inside Out). Sony similarly appeals to kids, but has blown Pixar out of the water with a wacky, creative animation style. The Mitchells vs. The Machines proves that Spider-Verse was not an anomaly. Pixar, once the bastion of animation creativity, must up its game if it wants to avoid being swept up by the innovative animators at Sony.

In the Heights

★★★ 1/2

Not everyone likes musicals. But if you do – and especially if you enjoyed Hamilton – you'll certainly have fun watching In the Heights. 

This film is the on-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-Award-winning musical. The central figure in the story is Usnavi, a young second-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic who owns a bodega in Washington Heights and longs to return to the D.R. His love interest, Vanessa, is working to get out of the barrio and move downtown. Through lively musical set pieces, we learn about the struggles of those in Washington Heights and immigrants writ large. 

The great thing about adapting plays into films is that you are no longer restricted by the stage. Director Jon M. Chu takes full advantage of the medium by creating a vibrant, enchanting setting where viewers can experience the characters' lives. In particular, the set piece at the community pool, which includes both the best song and best camera work in the film, is exciting and flashy – everything you want from a movie musical.

Like nearly film adaptation of a stage play, In the Heights is about thirty minutes too long. The third act certainly drags at times. But the movie succeeds at creating a distinct, compelling world and drawing you into that world. You can see it in a theater or on HBO MAX.