Looking back over the past few months, this has been one of the best summers for blockbuster movies in recent memory. Pretty much all of the bases were covered, from giant action flicks to animated family fare, trips to other galaxies and laugh-a-minute riots. Honestly, I’m feeling a bit spoiled.

The summer 2013 movie calendar featured giant robots, high speed car chases, a handful of super heroes and even a quality horror film (The Conjuring). There was something new and exciting on a weekly basis, and with films like Elysium, The World’s End and Riddick still on the horizon, my trips to the movie theater don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

If pressed to pick a favorite summer movie from this year, it would have to be Pacific Rim. That movie offered everything I like to see in big-budget summer blockbusters, complete with jaw-dropping special effects, massive monsters terrorizing cities and towering robots eager to punch said monsters in the face. Pacific Rim was such a great big screen experience that I went to see it a second time.

I know those types of movies aren’t for everyone but, for me, Pacific Rim was reminiscent of a trip I took to the theater way back in the day to see Jurassic Park. For my younger self, Jurassic Park was awe-inspiring, exciting, and made the impossible look possible. Pacific Rim had the very same effect, serving to remind me just how much fun going to a movie theater can be.

I enjoy a good rom-com or quiet drama as much as the next guy, but summer movies should be about loud noises, unbelievable action and giant explosions. They should provide you with experiences that make that massive screen a necessity. And that’s exactly what I’ve seen time and time again this summer.

Bravo, Hollywood. These past few months have been a delight.