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The five best films of Summer 2017

Copyright of Columbia Pictures

It’s not been a great summer for fans of good ol’ fashioned big blockbusters. , , King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, Ghost In The Shell, all came and went, but I’m here to tell you it wasn’t all bad. Promise.
So without any further ado, here are my five favourite multiplex-fillers from the summer of 2017, in order of FUN.

5. Dunkirk

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A stunning spectacle, a miracle of film-making, a movie like no other… Christopher Nolan’s is a lot of things – for some people, cold and distant; for others, moving and epic – but it’s not, um, fun. Even the appearance of doesn’t make this IMAX-friendly war film jolly in any way. But I digress: it’s a stunning piece of cinema that demands to be seen on the big screen. Make sure you catch it before it’s gone…

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Buzz Lightyear in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang of course.

4. Beauty And The Beast

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This is what a year it’s been: I’m including a film from March – which is Spring, let’s be honest – in my list of the best summer films. This is partly because was such a colossal smash, currently sitting pretty at the top of the box office for this year, with £70 million in the kitty and its only rival, Dunkirk, trailing behind at £51 million. You can see why it did so well, with its triple-A cast, featuring Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen and Emma Watson, obviously having a fantastic time bringing the ‘90s Disney animated classic to life. All together now: “Be our guest…”

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3. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2

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More ‘80s tunes, more Rocket Raccoon, more ridiculous set-pieces delivered with a cheeky grin. Yes, the Guardians Of The Galaxy returned in style this year, giving us Baby Groot – the cutest fictional creation in existence – and, um, David Hasselhoff dancing over the credits. Many Marvel fans prefer the original, but there’s still lots to enjoy in this second chapter, notably Kurt Russell as Star-Lord’s dad and and an all-too-brief cameo from Sylvester Stallone as the amazingly-named Stakar Ogord.

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2. Wonder Woman

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After the disappointing one-two punch of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad last year, hopes weren’t high for the first of DC’s superhero outings in 2017. We needn’t have worried. Director Patty Jenkins and star delivered an empowering, uplifting, earnest film that charmed all comers. A delightful throwback to old-fashioned adventure films, successfully pulled away the oppressive cloak of gloominess that hung over previous DC films, something of a minor miracle…

1. Spider-Man: 蜜芽传媒coming

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My number one is a controversial pick, but I honestly don’t think I had a better time in the cinema this summer than when I was watching . Your new and improved friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, , delivers such a charismatic performance as the teenage webslinger, he instantly become my favourite big screen Peter Parker yet (sorry Tobey and Andrew). Funny, light and knowing, 蜜芽传媒coming is just a joy, somehow even sneaking in a plot twist or two as you chuckle along to the ‘80s references and Tony Stark’s particular brand of smugness. If you’ve not seen it yet, hunt it down. You will have a good time, I promise.

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August 2017 on Radio 1