Summer 2017 Movie Poll Results!

A few weeks ago, we asked you all which films you were looking forward to watching this summer. The votes are in and in a surprising turn of events, we have a three-way tie between Alien: Covenant, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Wonder Woman. This tie proves that we simply can’t choose between the wide selection of films coming out in the coming weeks!

#1.3 Alien: Covenant

Fans of the Alien franchise rejoiced after Ridley Scott delivered on his long-anticipated prequel to his beloved 1979 classic,  Alien,  back with his 2012 film: Prometheus. The film garnered praise from fans and critics alike and the open ending left audiences yearning for more from Scott and this newly-invigorated universe with seemingly endless potential.     

Alien: Covenant looks to build on where Prometheus left off, following a new crew of space travelers seeking to colonize the cosmos before they take a detour to answer a distress call from a ship on a nearby planet. It is here the crew finds the ship is none other than the Engineer ship Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) had commandeered at the end of Prometheus with the help of the not-so-nice android, David 8 (Michael Fassbender), who figures to be a big part of Covenant and future installments. The rest of the film follows the formulaic Alien movie recipe where (Generic Crew with Female Lead) + (Deserted Planet with No Escape) + (Hungry Xenomorphs) = fun times for audiences. With plenty of potential to add to the Alien mythos, fans are eagerly awaiting to see what direction the franchise is headed in after Covenant, considering Scott has claimed he sees himself making several more sequels if there is a demand for them.

#1.2 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

As the only film on the poll that has already been released, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has the luxury of having already been watched, re-watched, and re-re-watched by audiences who can’t get enough of everyone’s favorite band of space misfits. (No, we’re not still talking about Alien: Covenant).

 

Volume 2 attempts to recapture the lightning in a bottle of the first film as it follows the Guardians on their biggest adventure yet: taking on a sentient planet. The sequel succeeds in replicating much of the heart and humor from the first installment, and the film itself is a fun ride, especially with the welcome additions of Karen Gillan’s Nebula and Michael Rooker’s Yondu to the Guardians’ core group.

Minor grievances that come with ensemble casts aside, perhaps the biggest failing of Volume 2 is that it feels less like a true sequel and more like just another standalone episode. With Guardians of the Galaxy 3 having been confirmed some time ago, there was plenty of excitement for a trilogy of films following our cosmic heroes. While some sequels (See Empire Strikes Back) are able to simultaneously carry over elements from the first installment and set the stage with several lingering plot lines that are yet be resolved in the follow-up, Volume 2 misses its chance to forge a true and connected trilogy where the three films blend into each other and demand being viewed in unison.

#1.1 Wonder Woman     

After three critically panned films, the fate of the DCEU’s future lies on Wonder Woman’s shoulders. Luckily, the film has a lot going for it. Wonder Woman herself is as iconic a comic book character as any and fans have longed for a modern adaptation to grace the silver screen. DC is poised to break ground by producing the first female-led comic book movie, a welcome breath of fresh air for a genre many believe will eventually begin to wear on people (Superhero-movie fatigue). Gal Gadot’s performance as Wonder Woman was, for many, a saving grace in Batman V Superman and the trailers and the marketing campaign for her solo film has generated positive buzz in the last few months that the film will look to ride into its opening weekend. With a strong supporting cast of Chris Pine, Robin Wright, and David Thewlis, Gadot’s Wonder Woman is poised to defeat not only Ares and Doctor Poison, but her and DC’s critics that are salivating at the prospect of another film they can tear to shreds as well.



Mario Avalos is a senior at Florida International University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, along with certificates in Film Studies and Professional and Public Writing.