One of my goals for the summer was watching movies that I haven’t had a chance during the school year or wouldn’t be allowed to watch during this coming novitiate in August.  My sister Liza later added movies to my wish list.

This movie mania worked like bookends: a giant early push and the last-minute rush to the movies.  We ended up discovering cheaper theaters (Movieworld in Douglaston) and nearby eateries (Grimaldi’s in Douglaston).

Here are quick reflections on the seven movies my sister and I watched this summer:

• Eye in the Sky (Liza’s addition) offered a powerful portrayal of the ethical issues in the War on Terror: Save a girl’s life or halt a terrorist attacks? I explored those issues in this blog post.
• Batman vs. Superman received good reviews from my fellow seminarians. The storyline is decent for an action film.  The movie provides the ground for a Justice League movie and another Superman sequel.  But if you want to hear a deeper analysis on Batman and Superman, you can check Father Mike Schmitz’s video.
  
• Love and Friendship is based on Jane Austen’s Lady Susan. Do all that schemes produce happiness and love?  I explored those issues in this blog post.
• X-Men: Apocalypse (Liza’s addition) was my first X-Men movie in over a decade. The story and action were both riveting.  The ’80s culture references and a Hugh Jackman appearance were nice touches.
• Into the Looking Glass (Liza’s addition) was the first time I watched the current remake of Lewis Carroll’s characters. I watched bits and pieces of “Alice in Wonderland.”  The film offered a powerful lesson on viewing time as a gift.
• Star Trek: Beyond was my second look at the Star Trek reboot. I didn’t bother with “Star Trek: Into Darkness.”  The latest movie offered a solid plot with the usual visual action scenes.  It reflected on whether virtue grew in war or in peace.  Capt. Kirk gave his answer: “We all face the struggles inside us.”  The film also made a few references to the previous TV series, “Star Trek: Enterprise,” like the Xindi and MACOs.
• Jason Bourne was the latest in the Bourne series. My fellow seminarians and I had watched all the Matt Damon movies during spring break.   This would be a good action flick to end my summer vacation.  The plot tied up all the loose ends in Bourne’s past.  But a twist in the end allowed Bourne to wander free.  The hand-to-hand combat wasn’t as intense as in previous movies.