Action – Page 9 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“The Marvels”

By Brett_G on November 28, 2023November 27, 2023

7.1

I actually enjoyed this one! For all of the hate it got, this is one of the few in Phase 4 (this and “Guardians 3”) that didn’t earn the disdain. It was a return to form for Marvel, even if that made it feel a bit tired and played.

They finally solve for Captain Marvel’s Superman Syndrome, and she comes across quite likeable in this go-round. As do Carol and Kamala. The three amigas team up in a tight, fun hour and a half action film.

Story-wise, you can tell they jump cut some of the story development for the sake of a reasonable runtime, and sometimes it seemed a bit jarring as a viewer, but the CGI looked good for the first time in ages and I felt myself genuinely laughing at some of the gags. I left pleasantly surprised, but still committed to Marvel taking a siesta from the big screen for a while to let it breath a bit.

Action Suspense/Thriller

“To Catch a Killer”

By Brett_G on October 3, 2023September 16, 2023

6.8

I think they were going for “Seven” here… but ended up with a by the numbers cop drama. It never got that deep, despite it’s best efforts.

Ben Mendelsohn and Shailene Woodley carry a lot of water to get this one across the finish line. it has it’s moments where it goes full “shock and awe,” and some potentially intriguing threads, but they fail to fully pull those threads or veer off the beaten path enough to have piqued my interest above general intrigue. It was a solid movie, just not as good as I was hoping it would be.

Action Blockbuster Drama

“The Equalizer 3”

By Brett_G on September 30, 2023September 17, 2023

8.1

He did it again! Denzel and crew stuck the landing and nailed the conclusion of the trilogy. This time with the additional impact of a reunion with Dakota Fanning, a chemistry you can feel permeate the story and provide a strong heart to the story that I was afraid would be missing in this one without the usual supporting cast, following the events of Part 2. They haven’t lost a beat since “Man on Fire.”

You won’t find better choreography and kill count outside of “John Wick,” with only “Nobody” giving them a run for their money.

I found this film to have a return to form and a softer touch than 2. There was no lack of bloodshed, but moments between Fanning and Washington, paired with attention to detail like the score paying homage to Nina Rota’s “Godfather” theme to fit the Italian locale… I appreciated the well rounded nature of this stuck landing. Incredibly well done and well worth a watch!

Action

“Sound of Freedom”

By Brett_G on September 29, 2023September 16, 2023

7.2

I could feel it trying to be “Taken” or “Sicario.”

It’s a solid action flick with the added impact of being based on a true story that Hollywood took some license with. Lucky for this particular story, I will watch anything that Jim Caviezel is in. The action and characters are really well done, and everything under the hood is firing on all cylinders.

Addressing the “controversy”: I rarely, if ever watch the news. Especially cable news. I had no idea the hair on fire this one was causing when I saw it. Aside from a sprinkling in of “saving God’s children” in the third act and the marketing campaign being based on an “us versus the world” narrative… they really made a mountain out of a molehill here. The irony of the guy blogging about movies on the internet having to tell people – stop taking movies so seriously. And no shit a movie’s going to have a rough time getting a theatrical release without a distributor. It’s the downside of the studio system, and one of the beauties of the internet and the proliferation of smaller studios, distributors, and theater chains/individual theaters.

Action Blockbuster

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

By Brett_G on September 28, 2023September 16, 2023

6.8

Everyone and everything here is indecisive, which is sadly the hallmark of a Disney creature. A great premise with a great deal of promise that sadly falls flat in the end. In trying to be everything, in the end it becomes mostly nothing. In a word, generic. Or safe. And that’s not what we come to the movies for. In the wise words of Nicole Kidman, “we come to this place for magic.” The magic has been successfully milked from this franchise by the mouse.