Summer may be over, but thankfully, our staff kept busy at the movie theater. From comedies to superheroes to KPop Demon Hunters, here are The Hustler’s favorite new releases from the summer.
Kailey Aldrich, Nashville Correspondent
“Happy Gilmore 2”
Almost 30 years after “Happy Gilmore” was released came “Happy Gilmore 2.” A decent amount of Adam Sandler movies have a sequel, but many of them do not live up to the original. That said, the hopes were high for “Happy Gilmore 2,” since the original movie was a career take-off for Sandler. Although I’ve never seen the original, I was badgered to watch the sequel by friends, family and strangers alike. Late one evening with my pasta in hand and cookies in the oven, I turned on the movie. From the very beginning to the end credits, I was smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.
The parallels to the first movie are evident in the sequel, even to someone who hasn’t seen the original, with a death of someone close to Gilmore being the driving force of the movie. “Happy Gilmore 2” is a beautiful, modern sequel to a movie that many grew up watching. In Gilmore’s deep alcoholism, almost every prop on screen doubled as a flask. It was hilarious to watch Sandler drink from golf clubs, golf balls, his phone, the TV remote and even a cucumber. At one point, when Gilmore was sobering up, he had his family dump all his hidden flasks. He announced where he had hidden alcohol and I was cracking up.
Besides the hidden flasks, the movie did an amazing job at incorporating cameos. Every few minutes, I would be stunned, pointing at the screen and asking, “isn’t that so-and-so?” Most often, cameos in movies fall flat and provide no addition to the plot, but “Happy Gilmore 2” mastered the art of the cameo. With characters like Oscar (Bad Bunny) being an impeccable comedic relief and big names like Travis Kelce, Post Malone and Eminem making humorous displays, there was never a dull moment in this movie. There were also multiple references to the real world, with professional golf players playing themselves and even some of Sandler’s SNL appearances. On top of all of that, there were plenty of references to the original “Happy Gilmore,” with almost all of the original cast making an appearance, multiple flashbacks and general parallels. I enjoyed this movie so much and I still laugh thinking about it.
Anisa Juma, Entertainment Correspondent
“Superman”
The classic superhero takes the silver screen once again in a reboot by the acclaimed director James Gunn, whose previous works include the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy and “The Suicide Squad” series on HBO Max. I have never been very interested in Superman as a hero or DC comics in general, but I wholeheartedly left the movie with a new appreciation and understanding of why Superman has stood the test of time as one of the greatest comic book heroes. James Gunn’s direction and the treatment of this movie felt like a love letter to the hero and a shift from the dark, edgy takes we have experienced regarding our favorite superhero characters in recent times. David Corenswet’s Superman feels like an homage to all the other portrayals before, taking their greatest aspects and forging them into his own modern take on the character.
Placed in the fictional city of Metropolis, we follow Clark Kent as he balances his dual identity: a journalist for the Daily Planet and the world’s mightiest hero. Superman has had many iterations across decades, so expectations for this movie were high — especially given the mixed reception to Cavill’s take on the character. Yet, as soon as I returned home from the theatre, I found myself engaging with all sorts of DC media — watching “Smallville,” reading comics and joining a welcoming fandom online.
I highly recommend this movie as an introduction to Superman, DC or comics in general. Catch “Superman” soon — it’s now streaming on HBO Max (free for Vandy students!).
Anisa Juma, Entertainment Correspondent
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps”
The newest entry in the famed Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t exactly feel like part of the franchise. Directed by the same creative mind behind WandaVision, it had its own distinct identity, experimenting with aesthetics, costume and set design. Its look draws inspiration from the 1960s while blending in touches of futurism. I will admit, with the lackluster projects the MCU has been churning out in the last couple of years, my expectations were low going in. It’s safe to say I was pleasantly surprised.
Having grown up on the original “Fantastic Four” series and loving its cast, I had my doubts about if this movie could capture the same chemistry. To my surprise, the dynamics between Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), the Human Torch (Joseph Queen) and the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) worked seamlessly. They truly felt like a family who had been working together for half a decade. What worked well in this film is that it wasn’t an origin story; it throws the audience right into the world, immersing you in the action and adventure. The “Fantastic Four” movie felt like a literal new step into this new wave of superhero movies that are filled with hope and light — gone are the superheroes of doom and destruction!
Claire Kelly, Staff Writer
“KPop Demon Hunters”
In a world where demons hunt humans, stealing their souls to feed their ruler, Gwi-Ma, only one force can protect humankind: singing. With the help of generations of demon-hunting K-pop girl trios, a permanent seal is forming between humans and demons — known as the Golden Honmoon. But when Gwi-Ma forms his own boy group to challenge the hunters, it falls to the current girl group, Huntr/x, to save humanity. Think this sounds like a dark thriller? Think again.
“KPop Demon Hunters” is an animated musical fantasy that has taken the world by storm. Just 10 weeks after its release, it became Netflix’s most-watched original title, drawing over 325 million viewers as of Sept. 28. Its runaway success even led to a limited two-day theatrical release of the sing-along version — and I can only imagine the volume and excitement inside those theaters. With unbelievably catchy tunes, stunning animation and a feel-good story, it’s no wonder it has become a cultural phenomenon. A sequel is already in development, and I’ll definitely be there opening night.
“The Naked Gun”
Nearly 27 years after Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant of “Police Squad!” stumbled onto the big screen, “The Naked Gun” reimagines the 1988 classic in a modern yet faithful fashion. Under the direction of Akiva Schaffer, known for “The Lonely Island,” the film takes bold creative swings, most notably replacing Leslie Nielsen with…-Liam Neeson.
This legacy sequel crams jokes and visual gags into every minute, leaving audiences laughing three punchlines later. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say three things: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Sex and the City” and “Jack Frost.” And don’t skip the end credits, which might contain the funniest gags of all. With large-scale comedies becoming increasingly rare in Hollywood, “The Naked Gun” brings back the familiar, chaotic hilarity of the genre, hopefully sparking a new wave of blockbuster comedies.
Iman Abbas, Staffer-in-Training
“Jurassic World: Rebirth”
A new installation in the Jurassic Park franchise, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” takes on a new twist and focuses on the terror and gruesome aspects of the dinosaurs, shifting toward a horror genre and separating itself from the previous Jurassic Park movies that tend to take on the action and suspense genres. The film was widely anticipated due to its thrilling trailer, but it wasn’t received well by the public once it was released.
I grew up on the Jurassic Park franchise and was captivated by the trailer, which is why I was also dissatisfied with the movie as a whole. I found it to be slow-paced and too focused on the characters rather than the dinosaurs, which only works if you have good writers and directors. This installation doesn’t live up to the previous movies, but the franchise has been on a steady decline in its quality since the 2010s. It took a new perspective on the violence of dinosaurs and introduced the mosasaurus, which was cool to see on the big screen. All in all, there needs to be a complete reboot of the franchise, taking more notes from the original 1993 movie.
