The Summer Blockbuster season is over and the results are in!

As the kids go back to school and the evenings get shorter it's time to reflect on another season of summer blockbusters and give the low down on what I felt was, overall, a slightly better than average spell of big budget popcorn movies designed to entertain the masses and give the brains that well deserved break!
As has been the cinematic pattern over the last number of years, the summer season is dominated by superheros, franchises and comic book creations and this year was no different.
On inspection of what was hitting our screens at the start of the sunny season, I have to admit, I was not too optimistic but what transpired were some pleasant surprises, some unfortunate let downs and a marked improvement on the quality of blockbusters that the cinema going audience have been subjected to over the last few years. Here are my grades:
The Good:
The superhero film saw a surprising surge this year with studios showing that a huge budget can also benefit from the assistance of a top class director not afraid to put their own mark on the genre with Patty Jenkins and Jon Watts doing exactly that with the surprisingly enjoyable Wonder Woman and the resurgence of spiderman in Spiderman: Homecoming.

Dunkirk - an unquestionable high of the summer cinema season

Other movie franchises enjoyed continued success as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and War for the Planet of the Apes arrived to critical and commercial approval.
Cardboard Gangsters also proved the that the well runs deep in this country when it comes to film making also as Mark O'Connor's crime drama was another shining example of the quality of Irish film on show currently.
It was Dunkirk, however, that was the shining beacon in the array of films offered this summer as Christopher Nolan continues his golden streak in a film that simply has to be experienced to get a full idea of it's brilliance and will remain near the top of everyone's list come the end of the year!
The Bad:
Summer 2017 also threw up a few turkeys unfortunately with Tom Cruise's The Mummy leading the way. The reboot that nobody wanted was seriously flawed and despite a gallant effort from the reliable lead actor and some fancy stunts this film left a lot of it's audience cold! The jaded Pirates and Transformers franchises added some more, less than welcome additions to their series in two films that will (hopefully) drift from the memory fairly soon!

The Mummy - an undeniable low of summer 2017

Missed opportunities also in the Dark Tower and the House, two different types of films completely but both armed with a strong cast and a decent premise which failed to convert such riches to anything positive and will also be in the bargain bin before long you would think! Some hair brained schemes like the Baywatch and Chips movie got the reception they deserved in a period that will also be remembered for it's failures as well as it's triumphs!
The Rest:
There were numerous trips to the cinema this summer that whilst didn't disappoint -  didn't satisfy completely either. The overrated Baby Driver, Ripley Scott returning Alien Covenant and buddy movie The Hitman's Bodyguard were examples of movies that promised so much but ultimately came up short!
In conclusion, a somewhat enjoyable summer blockbuster season in comparison to years gone by and a lot of improvement evident from some of the sub standard material of previous seasons but undoubtedly still room for improvement!

Grade C+ - Read my reviews of these films by clicking on this A-Z Review Index