SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “F1: The Movie,” “Weapons” and “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Along with the unbearable heat and humid temperatures, summer also brings an inevitable wave of huge blockbuster movies from all major studios. From musicals like “KPop Demon Hunters” to live-action remakes like “How to Train Your Dragon” and creepy horrors like “Weapons,” the summer of 2025 certainly delivered a plethora of content.
If you’re craving some exciting new films, here are reviews of five different movies handpicked just for you.
Andrew: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”
As the movie screen flashes on, the camera pans to a TV host introducing a story as the movie cuts to a montage of the Fantastic Four in an antique style.
I entered the movie with mostly hesitant expectations. Marvel really needed “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” to succeed, especially since they are introducing one of their most famous teams to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the most part, they delivered.
After four years of serving their community with their superpowers, the Fantastic Four, consisting of Reed Richards, played by Pedro Pascal; Sue Storm, played by Vanessa Kirby; Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn; and Ben Grimm, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, a mysterious figure known as the Silver Surfer (played by Julia Garner) warns of the imminent doom of Earth by planet-eater Galactus, voiced by Ralph Ineson. The Fantastic Four must now find a way to stop Galactus while protecting Sue Storm’s and Richards’ newborn child.
The CGI definitely stuck with me the most. The best showcase of the effects easily came in the form of Galactus. Galactus’ design blended a mechanical outer appearance with a cosmic tone. While definitely smaller than I expected, the sight of Galactus towering over the Statue of Liberty would instantly strike a sense of hopelessness into anyone who saw him.
The plot was nothing exceptional, but it communicated the themes of family really well. In the movie, Galactus offers the Fantastic Four the chance to spare their world at the price of their child. Richards’ mental struggles with this dilemma contrast perfectly with Sue Storm’s intense love for her son. An especially memorable moment came when Kirby delivered an amazing performance as Sue Storm displayed the sheer magnitude of her power by pushing Galactus.
My only issue with the film was the portrayal of Silver Surfer. I enjoyed Garner’s performance, and I didn’t have any problems with Marvel gender-swapping the character. Silver Surfer easily had one of the most interesting backstories: becoming Galactus’ herald in return for her planet. After Johnny Storm confronts her, it seemed like she would betray Galactus. It would’ve been much more nuanced to see a structured development dealing with her inner conflicts with more screentime.
In general, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was incredibly enjoyable, with characters faithful to the source material and a wholesome theme of family and union. Marvel did a great job introducing the Fantastic Four with this movie.
I would rate this fantastic movie a 4/5 stars.
Zoe: “How to Train Your Dragon”
The live-action “How to Train Your Dragon,” released on June 13, revolutionized the remake industry.
One of the most notable aspects of this film was its cast, most prominently Gerard Butler, who voiced Stoic (Hiccup’s father) in the original animated films. Nico Parker, who portrays Astrid, has sparked a controversy due to her lack of blonde hair and blue eyes, as seen in the animated movies. Many argue that these traits were vital to her character, but I disagree entirely. Are her iconic strong will and occasional stubbornness relevant to her hair and eye color? No – the diversity brought upon by this casting choice did not change Astrid’s personality – simply the face associated with her.
CGI, animation and puppetry all played a role in the creation of the incredibly realistic dragons. Director Dean DeBlois explained that the blueprint behind the creatures’ design was inspired by actual animals. The primary example of this is the black panther being the model for Toothless, Hiccup’s Nightfury, a dragon with explosive and incredibly destructive blasts. According to DeBlois, the base animals were not just referenced for their anatomy, but also their social-emotional characteristics. He even brought in collaborators, including animation supervisor Glen McIntosh, to achieve this level of authenticity.
Many of us grew up with films such as “Snow White,” “Mean Girls” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” and in the past two years alone, all three of these masterpieces have been recreated and in many ways, reimagined. I can argue that in the case of “Mean Girls 2024,” this has been for the worse due to its lack of consistency with the Broadway show’s melodies and “filmification” of the stage performance. However, for “How to Train Your Dragon,” I believe that the similarity to the original plot, with the addition of modern ideas such as diverse casting, really created a wonderful and immersive experience for many.
A movie that shaped many of our childhoods is now available with an amount of realism that allows us to feel like we are experiencing the world of Berk for the first time once again.
My inner child and I rate this new sensation a 4.5/5.
Ayana: “F1: The Movie”
The tires screech, engines roar and the race is on as the Formula 1 movie aired in theaters in North America on June 27, grossing over $613 million worldwide. That made it Apple Studios’ biggest box office hit to date. But the movie captures the usual Hollywood experience more than the intricacy of the sport itself.
The film follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a retired racer who is brought back to help the team APXGP, a struggling team on the brink of failure. Sonny, a one-time star whose career ended abruptly, must confront his past and assist the team alongside rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) through a season of tough challenges, rivalries and personal conflicts.
While the storyline was intriguing, some parts felt unrealistic. I had hoped to learn more about the basics of how F1 works, but the film often blurred fact with fiction, potentially misleading viewers about the sport. For example, soft tires, which are designed to last only a short amount of time before wearing out, were shown being used for many consecutive laps. Another inaccuracy was the last-minute driver swap after qualifying, something strictly prohibited in actual F1. In the end, I learned more about how F1 really works while researching for this review than I did from watching the movie itself.
However, I did enjoy the character development throughout the film. From the opening moments, the movie captures intense, split-second moments of Sonny Hayes behind the wheel in what seems to be moments before disaster, before abruptly cutting to him waking up. This creates a sense of mystery that follows him throughout the movie, slowly unraveling his core memories. It’s really interesting to finally understand his story and connect the puzzle pieces of his past, and watch how he takes the chance to rebuild his life and redeem himself.
One of the best parts of this film has to be the soundtrack. Some of my favorite artists, like Don Toliver and Tate McRae, were featured, which added so much energy to the experience. The songs made scenes more tension-filled and exciting, especially when they played during moments where Sonny prepared to race.
In the end, F1 is exactly what you’d expect from Apple Studios and Brad Pitt: a classic, high-energy film that gives impressive visuals and keeps you entertained. It might not teach you much about F1, but it’s definitely a movie worth watching.
I would rate this enticing movie 4/5 stars.
Kristine: “Weapons”
My laptop flew across my bed as I screamed. The little boy hidden by his covers suddenly transformed into a clown-like woman who smiled creepily at me.
I don’t watch a lot of horror, but “Weapons” piqued my interest. The premise of 17 children running away simultaneously at 2:17 a.m. was very intriguing, and it played out in a way I did not expect. The filmmaking and acting were truly phenomenal at projecting the feeling of uneasiness and fear that carries throughout the story.
With respect to filmmaking, I particularly enjoyed the utilization of different character perspectives and the jumpscares. The movie pans through the lenses of the different characters, all revolving around the same moments, but with more backstory added until it is tied together during the finale. With some horror movies, the scares happen back-to-back, often making it predictable and less scary. The jumpscares in this film did a good job of only appearing when necessary. Do not let this fool you, though. The bits that did occur were quite gory and direct. If the jumpscares weren’t enough, there were also a handful of disturbing moments that felt like they came out of nowhere, often leaving me quite shocked and asking myself, “What just happened?” Such as when Alex’s parents, out of nowhere, started stabbing their faces with forks.
“Weapons” was not lacking in the acting department. Amy Madigan was undeniably the star. Her character, Aunt Gladys’ off-putting makeup, unnatural movements and disturbing behaviors were portrayed perfectly. Her first appearance in a dream, jumpscaring the father of one of the missing children, frightened me to my core. I also loved the way she was able to alternate between the two personalities she needed to maintain in order to fulfill her goal – from the caring aunt to the tyrant of a witch. Furthermore, Cary Christopher, who played the role of Alex, although young, performed beautifully. Watching him be the kid who just wanted his family back was heartbreaking. I also enjoyed the mystery and “Sherlock Holmes” aspect that was executed wonderfully. It was engaging to watch Justine (Julia Garner) and Archer (Josh Brolin) go from being unfriendly with each other to relying on and trusting each other, because in the end they wanted the same thing — to bring the children back.
“Weapons” will leave you disturbed. I rate it 4/5 stars.
Mallika: “KPop Demon Hunters”
As I sat buried in blankets in my living room and listened to the Netflix ‘Ba-bing,’ I prepared myself to sleep through “Kpop Demon Hunters.”
I ended up watching all 96 minutes of the movie.
I wasn’t the only one to be infatuated. Kpop Demon Hunters climbed the ranks to become Netflix’s most-streamed title ever. Its soundtrack has also risen to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Don’t make my mistake and dismiss the movie as a kids’ movie– you’d be degrading a cinematic masterpiece.
“Kpop Demon Hunters” tells the story of HUNTR/X, a K-pop girl group with members Rumi, Zoey and Mira, secretly dedicated to protecting souls from demons. But Rumi, their leader, is hiding a secret. She’s half-demon. As HUNTR/X gets close to sealing the demons away forever, the demons come up with a counterattack – creating a K-pop boy group, The Saja Boys. Throughout the movie, Rumi struggles with keeping her secret from those she loves while also developing feelings for the leader of the demonic Saja Boys, Jinu. Talk about relationship drama.
The plot was set to some incredible music. “How It’s Done” and “Golden” were easily my favorite songs of the movie – HUNTR/X for life. Both songs stayed in my head for days and perfectly matched the vibe of the scenes that they went with. That being said, “Your Idol” by Saja Boys deserves a begrudging honorable mention. Honestly, the entire movie was jam-packed with catchy singles.
Kpop Demon Hunters also delivered on the script-writing front. The movie beautifully combined cultural representation and humor. On the cultural side, I appreciated the references to Korean culture, like the Saja Boys’ gat hats, or the reference to Minhwa art via Jinu’s tiger. The movie also had me giggling throughout; from Zoey and Mira’s popcorn eyes to the girls’ endearing love for their couch, the jokes kept the entire movie lighthearted.
There was only one qualm I had throughout the entire movie – Jinu and Rumi’s relationship. It felt incomplete and underdeveloped. Before their relationship ever got resolved, Jinu just had to go and sacrifice his soul to save the world, leaving me – and probably Rumi – wondering what could have been.
But, overall, Kpop Demon Hunters was a perfect comfort movie set to easy-listening K-pop songs with thoughtful representation of Korean culture and plenty of humor mixed in.
I give 4.8/5 stars for this golden movie.
As the sun sets on the summer of 2025, these Hollywood hits have made those few months an unforgettable memory we can all share.
