By Feature Editor: Hannah Snyder
From swimming to sledding, throughout the year almost every outdoor activity comes to an end throughout various seasons. However, one form of entertainment seems to stay all year round, movies. Every year the big screen dishes out new love stories, horror films, tragedies and adventures for viewers to enjoy. Some clearly being better than others and leaving a mark on that year’s output. Although it’s not official, here’s a list of some of the top movies released in 2013.
Iron Man 3
The super hero films featuring the Marvel Comics character continues in Iron Man 3. It’s a sequel from the 2008 Iron Man, 2010’s Iron Man 2, and the 2012 crossover film, The Avengers. Iron Man 3 focuses on the mental illness Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) also known simply as Iron Man received due to various events from The Avengers. From bombings, attacks, and emotional endings, Iron Man 3 was a blockbuster hit that kept viewers on the edge of their seat. From the time it was released on May 3, the film earned an estimated record breaking $1.2 billion, won nine awards, and holds 15 nominations.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
A November release, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire created a wave of excitement from coast to coast. The movie was the second of The Hunger Games trilogy based on the books by Suzanne Collins. Coinciding with The Hunger Games, Catching Fire takes place after Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) return from winning the 74th annual hunger games. The pair celebrates and goes on their victory tour through the fictional universe, and deals with struggles thrown at them from the Capitol and the start of the next game. According to boxofficemojo.com, the film earned just over $158 million during opening weekend (Nov. 22-24) and is expected to earn $8 million by the end of 2013. Catching Fire was nominated for a Golden Globe award.
The Spectacular Now
The Spectacular Now tells a story about teenagers finishing up their senior year, and their basic preparation for their future. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) views life slightly differently. He’s the high school partier, drunk and overall cool guy. Aimee Finicky (Shailene Woodley) is the complete opposite of Keely. Throughout the film, they become attracted to each other and make a pair that most people would never expect. Together, they face obstacles most high school students face and tackle fears, goals and adventures. The Spectacular Now hit theaters Aug. 2 and made over $6.8 million worldwide.
The Great Gatsby
Released May 10, The Great Gatsby topped charts and intrigued movie viewers of all ages. It follows the lifestyle of the rich and famous in New York City in 1922. Mysterious Jay Gatsby
(Leonardo DiCaprio) leads the innocent Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) on an indescribable journey filled with love and tragedy. The movie is based on the classic novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It appeared in theaters in 2D as well as 3D and profited over $4 million worldwide. The Great Gatsby was nominated for the People’s Choice Award for favorite dramatic movie.
The Heat
The Heat hit theaters June 28 and made movie watchers laugh for the entire 117 minutes. Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy play two significant roles – a determined FBI agent (Bullock) and a messy, foul-mouthed Boston police officer (McCarthy). The two are paired together to work on a serious case. Throughout the film, Bullock and McCarthy argue about hilarious differences and ways to solve situations. Unlike several comedy movies, The Heat does a good job of actually following a storyline and having a plot which keeps the viewers interested until the credits start rolling. The film made a profit of almost $230 million when it left theaters and won two Teen Choice Awards.
Just like every year, movies left a mark on 2013. The year of 2014 will be no different, some of the top movies being released this year are Divergent, Captain America, The Winter Soldier, and The Fault in Our Stars.
