Action – Page 5 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“The Blue Angels”

By Brett_G on May 27, 2024May 26, 2024

8.2

I had to actually hunt a bit for a nearby IMAX screen to see this one, which was an unexpected hurdle. Once we got that out of the way, it was full afterburners, baby.

Strap in and get ready to be in awe of the dedication to the craft for almost 2 hours straight as real life Top Gun takes place. Watching the team come together and grow over the the course of a Blue Angels season was truly inspirational. As expected, there were quite a few life lessons tucked away in between the wing tips of the formations that make you wince on the edge of your seat, but the action rarely stops the entire time. You’ll leave with a newfound or renewed appreciation for aviation and expertise. Way to go Glen Powell and team!

Action Blockbuster Romance

“The Fall Guy”

By Brett_G on May 5, 2024

8.9

This one was recommended with a heavy helping of hype… and it exceeded every bit of it! The definition of “firing on all cylinders.”

I was sold immediately on the soundtrack, and will watch anything Emily Blunt is in. That being said, they somehow shoehorned in more meta commentary than a “Deadpool” movie, a love story, an action movie, a murder mystery, and a tip of the cap to stunt doubles for the ages! Unexpected as “Nobody” in 2021, this one I thought would be good, but blew past that to be on my current shortlist for best of the year. Holy crap.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a match for having this much fun in the cinema! Strap in and enjoy the ride!

Action Blockbuster

“Civil War”

By Brett_G on April 11, 2024April 11, 2024

3.0

… And all of those points are for the soundtrack. That’s it.

53 movies in. I’m calling it. WORST of the year. In the running for worst of the decade. It’s up there with “Cats.”

I’ll save you 2 hours of your life you can never get back. Don’t do it. 2 hours is an INSANE runtime for this genre, but then they make it 2 hours of violent torture porn. I don’t need to see you sprinkling Lime powder on a mass grave. There’s no need for this movie to exist. Don’t give me any analysis about this having a deeper meaning or societal commentary. I call bullshit. This makes “The Hunt” and “The Purge: Election Year” look Oscar-worthy. A shovel to the face would have been more subtle than this movie trying to make a point. I’m actually surprised that wasn’t a scene here. I can’t drag this movie enough. A24… come on… get your shit together.

Action Blockbuster

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”

By Brett_G on April 7, 2024March 30, 2024

7.2

“Godzilla Minus 1” really ruined the U.S. version of these films for me. The differences in cultural maturity and taste are so glaring now. We’ve turned a beloved Japanese figure into “Fast & Furious” with monsters. It’s popcorn flick to its core and “turn your brain off and watch the monkey fight the lizard” filmmaking at its finest. Zero stakes, zero character development, zero sense. All gas, no brakes. See it on a giant screen or in 3D if you can.

Action Suspense/Thriller

“Drive”

By Brett_G on April 2, 2024March 23, 2024

7.2

Between “Baby Driver” and “John Wick”… I give you, “Drive.”

I didn’t expect so much gore, but I also didn’t expect such a well made action movie either. A solid performance by Gosling, a tight storyline, and a nice interwoven crime caper to keep the action scenes tied together until the credits roll. Nicely done!