Blockbuster – Page 14 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Spiderman: No Way Home”

By Brett_G on January 18, 2022January 18, 2022

8.9

An incredibly depth-filled Marvel movie with *gasp* actual stakes involved!

The Spidermen not only reenact the three Spidermen pointing at each other meme but all get the closure that Sony had thus far denied them in their respective franchise reboots. All three shine in their own ways and have lovely chemistry while sharing the big screen. I was impressed with how balanced this movie felt, given the sheer amount of content filling the runtime. There’s so much that this movie accomplishes before the credits roll, which left me feeling successfully satisfied and hopeful for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s not the perfect happy ending that has come to be the hallmark of so many of Marvel’s entries to the MCU, but it leaves room for and builds a strong foundation for the films to come.

“Eternals” notwithstanding, I say this a lot with new MCU movies, and again find myself shrugging my shoulders as I declare, “Marvel did it again.”

Blockbuster Drama

“House of Gucci”

By Brett_G on January 9, 2022January 4, 2022

7.8

So much pettiness, so little time, so many family members to keep track of. One of the dumbest public missteps since Jerry Springer tried to pay a sex worker with a check. Lesson: don’t hire a hitman on the cheap.

Who would have believed that Lady Gaga would be the best actor in a film alongside such powerhouse names? Not I, but here we are. The woman commands your attention every time she’s on-screen, elevates Adam Driver’s already fantastic performance, and is worlds better than whatever offensively Mario Brothers impression Italian accent Jared Leto landed on. How did no one tell him that his entire character was overshot?

The film may be about a half-hour too long, but every frame is absolutely gorgeous to take in. Ridley Scott focuses his talents usually stretched over an epic scale film onto an intimate family drama, and the attention to detail shows in every scene.

Side Note: Sperry’s Movie House is AMAZING! The heated, massaging recliners, the prime location, the delicious food… Home run!

Action Blockbuster

“The King’s Man”

By Brett_G on January 5, 2022January 3, 2022

8.5

The prequel no one asked for, but looking back, should have been asking for.

The origin story of the Kingsman, an eloquently told family drama intertwined with global geopolitics affected by international family drama, wrapped in one of the slickest action films of the year. The directing, cinematography, and choreography are off the chart and exceed the already high bar of the Kingsman franchise. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained for two hours by a political drama. I’m as surprised as you are I just said that. However, if you drench it in scotch, high tea, and high octane adrenaline, you have a hit on your hands. Rasputin is the least interesting part of this, and that’s saying something. Well worth the wait through multiple delays to finally see this action-packed masterpiece on the big screen. Too bad that D-Box motion seats are no longer a fad. This movie would have been INSANE in one of those!

Blockbuster Drama

“Dune”

By Brett_G on October 23, 2021October 23, 2021

7.3

The prodigal son is cast out into the desert. Let me guess, for 40 days?

Yes, the Jesus metaphor is that on the nose for all 3 hours of the runtime.

I went into this film expecting spectacle, and spectacle I got. All three stories of the IMAX screen were bathed in the cinematic beauty of this film. The score crafted by the masterful Hans Zimmer thundering through my chest… all for me to leave the theater underwhelmed and confused. Similar to the “Hobbit” series, “Dune” attempted to be too careful not to overwhelm the audience with lore and instead errors on the side of feeling ultimately empty. The disbelief and shock on my face when I was greeted with “Part 1” immediately after the title flashed across the screen must have been a sight to see.

This cake is all frosting. Somewhere between “Star Wars” and “Mad Max,” the world they build is breathtaking. Then there’s nothing really behind the curtain. I felt like they were trying to avoid the cramped confusion of the cult-classic original film adaptation and overcorrected.

If you don’t care about the story, have at it. Just don’t disrespect it by watching on a TV or, God forbid, a mobile device. Highly recommend the most massive screen possible for the spectacle factor. Here’s to, I guess, hoping there’s enough box office success for them to fill in the gaps in part 2.

Action Blockbuster

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage”

By Brett_G on October 18, 2021October 16, 2021

6.5

How about “let Marvel finally handle this character and stop mismanaging the cinematic universe?”

I really don’t like crapping on movies. They tried. Everyone here tried. They just missed the mark. I enjoyed many pieces of this film, but in the end the short runtime was my favorite thing.

I think they were going for the Marvel quippy, but it ended up just being silly in most instances. A lot of half baked plots and funny scenes that don’t add up to anything. Fun to watch, but not a great film overall. Happy to see the post-credit scene, and hope it means brighter days ahead for this character.