“Back at it again with the sequel culture!”: an essay by summer 2018.
5. Solo: A Star Wars Story dir. Ron Howard
In a summer full of nostalgia culture, the beloved Star Wars franchise has essentially cemented a place on this list. Despite it’s predecessor’s massive success, Han Solo’s standalone arc barely made the cut. With its controversial nature among the fan base, and a heavy advertising campaign on Disney’s behalf, Solo is the lowest grossing Star Wars franchise film by a whopping $263.8 million. Despite its box office blunders, Solo exemplifies all the trademark space age nostalgia so characteristic of its predecessors. With incredibly creative and innovative character and set design, Han and Chewie gallivant across the stars, searching for a place to call their own and make a little bit of dough on the side. Well, in the front more likely.
4. Ant Man and the Wasp dir. Peyton Reed
It’s no doubt that superheroism and fantasy are dominating the box office this summer. Scott Lang’s story is barely one of them. A divorced, absentee father with a criminal record and a penchant for self-deprecating humor, working with the inexplicable Hope vanDyne and her intense gaze makes for an unexpectedly endearing story about the importance of family and gut instinct. Scott and the vanDynes are on the run after the events of the Avengers’ interactions in Germany leave Scott on house arrest and the vanDynes on a federal wanted list. Of course, their legal statuses are the least of their concern what with a new supervillain named Ghost in the public eye. With a healthy dose of size jokes and a few new faces, Ant Man and the Wasp are a duo to be reckoned with.
3. Deadpool 2 dir. David Leitch
Another superhero who doesn’t quite fit Clark Kent’s boots reached notoriety this summer for the second time in a row. The original installment of Deadpool was just as much of a hit due to its fan powered existence, and the writers knew just how to satisfy their audience. Deadpool 2 is full of twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat and clutching your sides as it happens. Its box office domination is a rare one- it’s extremely unusual for an R rated movie to make even the top 20 with its limited viewers. Part of that success could be attributed to horrified parents taking their children innocently to share the hilarity not understanding that it’s not a typical superhero movie. With foul-mouthed grace and bloodied fists, Wade Wilson explodes into the Marvel universe in a blaze of glory.
2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom dir. J. A. Bayona
Another example of nostalgia culture proving that it’s a surefire way to make people happy- Jurassic World is back in action. Well, in a way. Without the addition of tourists and unfortunately placed construction workers, Isla Nublar has become a glorified dinosaur sanctuary and the subject of a heated ethical debate. The set designers at Universal Studios also opted to use animatronics again, which was a beautifully designed callback to the original Jurassic Park movies. With a healthy dose of nostalgic set design and characterizations, Jurassic World was just below the top of the food chain.
1. Incredibles 2 dir. Brad Bird
Brad Bird and the voice cast knew exactly what they were getting into after all these years of waiting. An all star cast and seasoned Disney animation teams create a masterful rendition of the superhero family man trope as the Parrs take on criminal masterminds and even worse, teenage rebellion. New faces and old collaborate on a mission to save the world yet again in this hilarious sequel. Incredibles 2 proves that sometimes sequels can be equals to their original installments.
*according to boxofficemojo.com