The Summer of Cinema!

The summer of 2025 was the summer of cinema, and here’s our school’s opinion on each blockbuster hit from May through August. You don’t want to miss these amazing cinematic experiences!

Cinema is a huge aspect in all of our lives, whether you realize it or not. Even if you don’t regularly indulge in the proper theater experience, most of us watch movies in some capacity. This could be through a streaming service like Disney+, Netflix, or HBO Max, or it could take the shape of an old school disc format like a DVD or Blue-Ray player. If you’re really old like our dear ancient advice columnist, Wendy Wildcat, you may even be more familiar with what was known as a VHS or a VCR player, but that possibility is likely waning more and more every day. 

Now that summer is coming to a close, many movies spanning from May through August are beginning to trickle onto streaming services and other digital platforms. 2025 has been one of the most influential years in recent cinema history, with sequels to beloved 90’s hits, remakes of classic animated films, dueling comic book movies (one of them was better than the other!), and several other film releases. So, let’s take a look at some of the greatest blockbusters of the summer and see how different students at Harrison High School felt about them. Plus, stick around for my personal ranking at the end of the article, as well as several ways to watch these newest hits. 

Lilo and Stitch

It’s been years since I’ve seen the original animated film, so entering the theater for this movie was like a fresh start. Overall, this film delivered the classic, chaotic Stitch we all know and love, with a slightly more dramatic climax and several more heartfelt moments. Kylie Mitchell, a sophomore at Harrison, agreed with this conclusion, stating, “I liked the way that Lilo was portrayed like an actual child instead of most movies making them unrealistic robot children.” She highlighted the idea of using Child Protection Services, seeming to appreciate how it elevated the intensity of the plot more than the original. “You could feel the stress about it like it was happening to you and there was actual urgency that isn’t typical to the robotic ‘oh no’ type of emotion you would typically see.” Personally, I think this was one of the better changes from the original film, and it added more depth to both the characters and the overall story. 

Despite some positive outlooks on the film, not everyone at our school agreed with those sentiments. Senior, Madison McIntyre, had a lot to say in regards to the live action Lilo and Stitch, giving us a full rant on why the movie failed. According to her, “The original had such amazing messages when it came to Hawaiian culture, tourism in Hawaii, and how family should stick together, but the live action squashed those messages like a bug.” This is a very respectable opinion, and any of us could understand wanting more representation for ourselves. Clearly the cultural effects of this remake have become a bit controversial and are rubbing many people the wrong way. 

The reason for disliking this film I can relate to the most is that it simply wasn’t necessary to remake this movie. Over the past fifteen years, Disney has been recreating the magic of classic animated films as a cash grab, something to reinvigorate the community and fill in their underdeveloped movie slates. While I think the execution for this remake was decent enough, Casey Bertsch disagreed. He expressed his frustration with the movie stating, “The only thing I hate more than live action remakes are bad live action remakes.” I can’t say I hated this movie, but if you enjoyed the original film and you’re open to change, try Lilo and Stitch (2025) for your next movie night! Lilo and Stitch is now streaming on Disney+. 

Karate Kid: Legends

This is a film I didn’t get a chance to see in theaters, though I really regret it! This is a direct continuation of the Karate Kid franchise and arrived shortly after the conclusion of the beloved Netflix series, Cobra Kai. It stars Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, and Ben Wang. This particular movie seemed to have a lot of positive feedback from Harrison students. When asked for his opinion on the film, Casey Bertsch commented, “I saw it twice in theaters and saved both tickets in a scrapbook. Jackie Chan was unsurprisingly hilarious and had great chemistry with Ben Wang (the new Karate Kid) and Ralph Macchio.” Watching a movie twice is a good sign for a high school student, as often our budgets are limited to car expenses and . While I always save my theater tickets, it seems Bertsch found a lot of enjoyment out of this movie, and I’m super stoked to see it! As of September 27, 2025, Karate Kid: Legends is streaming on Netflix and is available for purchase on other digital platforms. 

F1: The Movie

This movie isn’t really for me; I’m just not part of the F1 pit crew or the Brad Pitt crew! However, I seem to be in the minority, as several Harrison students responded very positively to it! F1: The Movie stars Brad Pitt, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem, and is about a Formula One racer who returns to the game after a major accident thirty years prior. 

According to Mia Marshall, a Junior at Harrison High School, the movie was an exciting and enjoyable experience. She claimed, “I personally think that F1 is the most rewatchable movie because it was fun and exciting.” Marshall also elaborated that while she didn’t return to the theater to see the film, she would have if given the chance. Sophomore, Parker Evans, shared similar opinions about the movie, seeming genuinely surprised by how interesting it was. When asked for more details, he stated, “I think F1 is easily the most rewatchable. I never went back to rewatch any of them, although I regret it.” After hearing both of their opinions, I might just have to race to my TV and check this movie out! F1: The Movie is now available for purchase on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video and AppleTV+. 

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Rebirth is my third favorite movie in the Jurassic World franchise, it’s really not that bad! The film returns to many of the vibes from the original Jurassic Park and has the humor and modernized charm of the more recent Jurassic World films. However, despite the fun and mostly engaging cast (*cough* *Scarlett Johansson* *cough*), this film left many viewers feeling disappointed with the final product. When asked for his least favorite film of the summer, Parker Evans responded, “Jurassic World: Rebirth. It felt very color-by-number and like every Jurassic Park movie in the last ten years.” Part of this lackluster reception is likely due to the exposition of the film. Everything rolls smoothly after you get through the introductions, but the first half hour is kind of boring and drags on for what feels like an eternity! It’s certainly worth viewing, but make sure you bring enough popcorn to get through the boring snooze fest that is the beginning of the movie! See digital platforms to watch this movie here. 

Superman

What’s not to love in this movie? Superman delivers action, tenderness, romance, wacky science fiction plots, evil businessmen, a sensational score, and much more! This has to be my favorite film of the summer and you can check out my review of Superman here. Harrison students seem to love this movie, and for good reason, it’s amazing! Kora Doolan shared how much she enjoyed the unique visuals in the film. She added, “I am definitely rewatching Superman. Its storyline/plot was honestly really great and I am still gagged by their filming techniques.” Superman is a masterful work of art and every student at Harrison should go see it right away! You can go watch Superman now on HBO Max and other digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Fandango at Home. 

 

 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

This was one of the most hyped films of the summer and was meant to be Marvel Studios’ big comeback after several commercial and critical flops in the past few years. However, it appears by the standards of Harrison high school, that The Fantastic Four was a fantastic flop. Junior, Mia Marshal, stated, “My least favorite movie was The Fantastic Four because it didn’t really spike my interest much.” Perhaps Marshall isn’t the target demographic for the audience, but even diehard Marvel Studios fan, Parker Evans, claimed, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps did not live up to the hype.” I absolutely agree with both of these opinions and I almost wish I hadn’t seen it in IMAX. It’s possible that part of this disappointment was from the overwhelming success of Superman only one week before Marvel’s launch date, though I think the film would still have been lackluster in spite of this competition. If you’re interested in giving this movie a chance, check it out on these digital platforms. It will also land on Disney+ soon, though the official release date has not yet been confirmed. 

Other Summer Movie Hot Takes

Students had a few more miscellaneous thoughts on other movies from over the summer. On the subject of Freakier Friday, the sequel to 2003 film, Freaky Friday, Kora Doolan expressed disapproval and disappointment with its release. She claimed, “I don’t understand the need for the Freakier Friday movie. I haven’t seen it yet, and it may be really good, but it’s most likely not.” She explained that the film is merely part of a ploy by major companies (in this case, Disney) where they produce as many sequels as possible to independent films that are successful. Doolan makes a good point as this establishment of a franchise is just a money making scheme, and studios will not pay any attention to the quality of those sequels. Freakier Friday is now available on digital platforms and will likely be streaming on Disney+ within the next few months. 

On a slightly more positive topic, there were two other movies that seemed to receive good feedback from Harrison students: K-pop Demon Hunters and How to Train Your Dragon. In regards to the former, Malia Faulkner shared, “K-pop Demon Hunters was so good and had a great soundtrack.” While I haven’t seen it yet, I found myself enjoying the catchy soundtrack, and it’s getting me hyped to give the Netflix film a try! Addressing the latter of the two films mentioned above, Kylie Mitchell expressed her eagerness to see the live action How to Train Your Dragon film when asked about her favorite summer movies. I had the opportunity to see the movie when it released in theaters back in June, and I was delighted to see a live action remake that actually worked for once! I highly recommend it for fans of the original or newcomers who want to see a fun story brought to life. How to Train Your Dragon is now available on digital and will be streaming soon on Peacock and AppleTV+. 

Final Ranking

This ranking may be slightly biased, as I haven’t seen every movie yet on this list. I do intend to watch K-pop Demon Hunters, F1: The Movie, Karate Kid: Legends, and Freakier Friday, but for now, this is my personal ranking of each movie from over the summer. 

9. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

8. Freakier Friday

7. F1: The Movie

6. K- pop Demon Hunters

5. Karate Kid: Legends

4. Lilo and Stitch

3. Jurassic World Rebirth

2. How to Train Your Dragon

1. Superman