The hazy July days are upon us, so what better time to pick our favourite summer movies?

Check out Jane’s, Conor’s and Rika’s choices below – and make sure to let us know yours on LinkedIn and/or Twitter. 🙂

Jane Boland – Marketing Executive

The film that screams “summer” to me has to be Mamma Mia! The Movie.

Shot on the sunny Greek island of Skopelos, the backdrop of glistening ocean, steep cliffs and cobblestoned streets would convince anyone who’s watching to book a holiday to Greece ASAP.

The film is an adaptation of the theatre show of the same name which is written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, and of course features all the greatest ABBA hits.

The incredible soundtrack paired with the stellar cast is a match made in heaven that makes you overlook Pierce Brosnan’s questionable singing.

Meryl Streep is radiant from start to finish and I love her relationship with Amanda Seyfried, which shows the deep bond between mother and daughter and the fear of letting each other go.

However, supporting actresses Christine Baranski and Julie Walters steal the show for me with their quick wit and brilliant banter throughout.

The ending is as satisfying as a movie like this should be, with every little issue or dilemma resolved and tied up in a pretty bow.

To sum it up: a bubbly romantic comedy that will have you dancing in your seat while also making you want to leave your life behind and run a hotel on a deserted Greek island.

Conor Regan – Snr. Content Acquisitions Executive

Summer movies are usually light on their feet, upbeat and a bit nostalgic.

Families go on poorly planned road trips, while teenagers have wistful romances. Beer, beaches and barbeques.

It’s cheery, easygoing, undramatic stuff.

Independence Day is not cheery, easygoing, undramatic stuff.

So how does it qualify for this post?

Well, can you think of a better way to spend an August evening than in the company of Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, as they nuke the alien mothership?

I sure can’t.

Because Independence Day is the definition of “summer blockbuster”: big, bold, and a whole lot of fun.

Now, to be fair, the movie isn’t perfect. It has its share of implausible moments.

Like, how did Jeff transfer the virus to the mothership from his mid-90s Mac? Was there Wi-Fi onboard? Did he use Bluetooth? A USB?

And how did Will knock out that massive alien with just one suckerpunch? Maybe he had already started training for “Ali”. Who knows.

But there’s a lot to like here. So much in fact, that I’m happy to overlook the occasional, logic-defying plot hole. For instance:

• The cast is excellent, and has real chemistry (special mention to Judd Hirsch – I love his performance).
• The practical effects have held up very well.
• The action scenes, especially the dogfights, are tense and exciting.
• Bill Pullman’s iconic “today is our Independence Day” speech.
• The aliens are mysterious and scary.
• It’s surprisingly funny for a disaster film.
• The whole goddamn thing is just magnificently enjoyable.

So there you have it. Independence Day: perhaps an unlikely candidate for a favourite summer movie, but what can I say? It goes down easy.

Not unlike the alien ships, once their shields are down.

Rika Argadireja – Metadata Team Lead

My favourite summer movie would be the teen comedy What a Girl Wants.

Loosely based on The Reluctant Debutante, a 1955 play by William Douglas Home, it tells the story of Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes), a 17-year-old New Yorker who embarks on a trip to England to find her long-lost father (Colin Firth).

In contrast to her free-spirited musician mother Libby (Kelly Preston), her father, Henry Dashwood, turns out to be a wealthy Lord and a prominent politician hoping to eventually become the prime minister.

He met her mother in Morocco, and they got married in a Bedouin wedding ceremony. When Henry brings her home to meet his family, Alistair, Henry’s aide, plots to drive them apart.

He tricks her to conceal her pregnancy from Henry and tells Henry that Libby is leaving because she was in love with someone else, leading Henry to be unaware of Daphne’s existence.

To make matters worse, Henry is currently engaged to Alistair’s daughter, the snobby Glynnis, who has an equally snobby teenage daughter, Clarissa.

They feel threatened by Daphne’s presence, since they think that a love child would negatively influence Henry’s political aspirations.

Undaunted, Daphne dives into a schedule of social events, determined to prove that love and proper etiquette can conquer all.

But as hard as she tries to reunite her parents and make a bid for “Debutante of the Year,” Daphne cannot conceal her irrepressible personality or hide what a girl wants.

Coming-of-age has always been my favourite genre, and in my opinion, this movie provides a good example of what growing up feels like – the struggles, emotions, and the desire to find ourselves.

Furthermore, the sentimental story is well-supported by the superb cast, Colin Firth’s charming acting and the lively chemistry between Firth and Bynes. Sweet and funny, this heart-warming movie never fails to put a smile on my face!