Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.2
Cheesy – Check
Romantical – Check
Happy Ending – Check
Yep… this one’s got every ingredient for a solid Disney Chanel original movie. An adorable love story, with some good chuckles along the way. Coincidently, also the reason I got into watching “Modern Family.” Making my way through the nostalgia of the Disney+ library this week.
6.2
So… that happened. Pretty run of the mill horror movie set in a haunted medical facility of some sort. Jump scares, demons, religious ritual gone wrong, this one checks all the boxes. It’s no “haunting on hill house”… if there’s nothing else on, you can maybe consider turning it on in the background? Not Netflix’s best. Or MTV Films’ best, for that matter.
9.4
After “Avengers: Endgame,” I didn’t know if anyone would ever land the plane as well as the Russo brothers when it came to a mega franchise believed by millions… until JJ Abrams delivered one of the greatest third acts not only of a trilogy, but a saga, that I have ever enjoyed on the big screen. Expertly executed callbacks and homages to classic Star Wars moments. The redemption of the perfect characters at the perfect times. The best case scenario endings for almost all involved… and enough nostalgia to make “Ready Player One” blush. To see everything come to fruition and come full circle left such a strong sense of closure that I felt completely satisfied when the credits rolled. There will be division, yes, but we can all say that we have witnessed cinematic history this year, and have shared some cherished memories with our fellow Star Wars fans over these past 4 years. Bravo to all involved… now onto a much deserved rest for the near future for this legendary franchise. We’ll see you on Disney+.
7.7
How does Ryan Reynolds do it? He plays virtually the same character in every movie… and it always works!?! Any-who… this Christmas-time tale of wisdom regarding the dreaded “friend zone” will forever live on in infamy. Not only for its cinematic genius within the genre, but for its relatability and wisdom. A definite classic.
0.5
If I could give negative stars, I would. Yikes. There’s almost 2 hours of my life I’ll never get back… not only was the dialogue just a collection of bad hot takes from cable news, but the acting was terrible, and the characters were as one dimensional as they come. The film also had an undeniable crisis of identity that left it constantly contradicting itself and taking all of the power out of its messages. Never a good sign when you’re rooting for the characters to die faster so the movie will be over sooner.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 