2016 Summer Movie Awards

Sometimes the summer provides some of the best movie moments of the year, but they often go overlooked during award season. So, to make up for it, I’ve come up with the Summer Movie Awards, giving credit to flicks that come out in the warmest months.

Best Movie – The Nice Guys

Director Shane Black’s film “The Nice Guys” was the complete package of this movie season. The script was stellar, including great witty humor along with some real heart.

Additionally, the movie featured Academy Award winner Russell Crowe and one of Hollywood’s best in Ryan Gosling giving solid performances. The movie is also brimming with style, boasting a great noir detective feel and the period setting makes it come across as if the film came out of a 1970s time capsule.

There certainly have been some gems this summer, but “The Nice Guys” came out on top.

Runner-Up: Hell or High Water

Best Family – Kubo and the Two Strings

For a while, “Finding Dory” was in the lead for this, but the release of “Kubo” changed thing. A wonderful adventure flick, “Kubo and the Two Strings” is a phenomenally well executed folk tale told on screen.

The movie’s animation, made in stop motion, looked beautiful, especially during the action sequences. The film also had some fun memorable characters making for a well-rounded family picture that should be in the running for the Academy Award’s best animated feature.

Runner-Up: Pete’s Dragon

Best Comedy – Florence Foster Jenkins

On top of being a charming period piece set in 1940s’ New York City, “Florence Foster Jenkins” was also a delightful comedy. While there’s plenty of drama in this picture, the amount of lighthearted comedy provides a lot of strong laughs.

There are many humorous situations and they largely rely on the facial expressions of many of the lead performers. What boosts this movie, though, was the mixture of laughter and heart that the picture features.

Best Action – Star Trek: Beyond

After a second movie that was just so-so, the “Star Trek” movie series returned to form with the awesome, exciting flick “Beyond.” The film wonderfully balances action and drama, such exploring Captain James T. Kirk’s questioning of his future on the starship Enterprise.

This leads to the next point of goodness in the picture, the endearing crew of the ship. All of the characters get a chance to shine here, with the real gem being the dynamic between Spock and Dr. McCoy. “Captain America: Civil War” was certainly a solid action picture, but “Beyond” edges it out.

Runner-Up: Captain America: Civil War

Best Actor – Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys

Gosling has already proven himself in the comedy department with “Crazy Stupid Love” a few years ago, but he brings it to a new level here. Gosling manages to balance being a bit of a bumbler at times but at the same time can be a clever detective.

Runner-Up: Chris Pine, Hell or High Water

Best Actress – Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Not a hard choice here, Streep always brings her A game. On top of bringing a distinct charisma to her character in this role, Streep also portrayed a great level of depth in her character.

Through her performance, Streep brought a woman to the screen who had a true love of music and art and the audience is able to appreciate the character more for it.

Runner-Up: Blake Lively, The Shallows

Best Supporting Actor – Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Runner-Up: Ben Foster, Hell or High Water

Best Supporting Actress – Angourie Rice, The Nice Guys

Runner-Up: Sofia Boutella, Star Trek Beyond

Best Action Scene – Final fight, Captain America Civil War

I knew what I was in for with the title “Civil War.” However, even with the knowledge, the final battle in “Captain America” was still gut wrenching. The finale is intense, hard-hitting and most of all is emotionally tough to watch. On top of this, the fight between Captain American and Iron Man has great choreography and shows off both of the characters’ abilities.

Best Sound – Captain America: Civil War

Runner-Up: Star Trek Beyond

Best Cinematography – Hell or High Water

Runner-Up: The Nice Guys

Best Writing – The Nice Guys

Runner-Up: Hell or High Water

Best Special Effects – Star Trek Beyond

Runner-Up: Captain America: Civil War

Best Stunt/Choreography – Captain America: Civil War

Runner-Up: The Shallows