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Best and Worst Films from August 2024

Best Films from August 2024:

3. Twister

I’d expected a VFX action spectacle going into the original Twister movie, but what I got was also a genuinely charming, well crafted movie all-around. It’s a surprisingly strong film in terms of plot and characterization. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton were so charismatic and they exuded a lot of star power in their strong roles. The movie features superb action and special effects, but it also has a lot of charm and fun factor. It’s one of the better disaster movies out there.

2. Deadpool and Wolverine

In the Deadpool trilogy of movies, Deadpool and Wolverine has the worst plot by a mile. The multiverse trope was once again used here and I found it to be annoying and plain dumb. With that being said, I still had a blast watching this movie due to strong characterization, a fun soundtrack and particularly fantastic humor. The constant barrage of jokes never ceased to amuse me with the highlights being the never-ending anal jokes and the meta jabs about Fox, Marvel and the superhero genre at large.

1. Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus has the perfect mixture of the franchise’s signature SF and horror elements – the xenomorph biology got some interesting new revelations while the contrast between android and human perception is so well explored. The movie is genuinely creepy and even disturbing toward the end. The originality on display is remarkable and extra props goes to writer-director Alvarez, who instantly reinvented the franchise with his excellent script and directing capabilities. It’s the greatest blockbuster of the year and the second best entry in the franchise. This was the best movie I saw all month and it will undoubtedly land on my top ten for this year.

Worst Films from August 2024:

3. Twisters

Twisters is an overrated, uninspired mess of a film. This sequel simply did not have either the thrill or the charm of the original. They focused so much on characters instead of spectacle, but the characters are all dull and the actors playing them forgettable. The action and VFX were also quite weak. This movie did not deserve all the praise that it got and I am happy to put it where it belongs, which is in the worst pile.

2. Despicable Me 4

The fourth Despicable Me movie is frenetic in pace and haphazard in structure, so it really should have been a television show instead of a feature film. The plot was weak and the humor was only sporadically solid. It is by far the weakest movie in this franchise that has become quite stale by this point.

1. Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down is a war movie that is arguably more of a pro-war than an anti-war story. It is at least pro-military in its stance and I’ve had a huge problem with that. Scott exhibited his worst tendencies as a director here – it’s an action spectacle that forsakes any plot and/or characterization. This is one of Ridley Scott’s worst movies for sure and the weakest film I watched this month.