Category: Blockbuster

Blockbuster Comedy

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”

By Brett_G on

8.1

The movie itself is everything you can really ask of an unnecessary sequel ~35 years after the original. Michael Keaton seamlessly slips back into the Beetlejuice character and Jenna Ortega absolutely kills it as Astrid Deetz. Just enough new perfectly balanced with the right dose of nostalgia to thread the needle for a great time in the cinema. The Tim Burton aesthetic remains undefeated.

What made this one special for me was the venue. As I made my way through Iowa for a baseball game and a football game at the grad school I attended virtually during COVID, I stumbled upon The Last Picture House in Davenport, Iowa, which I cannot recommend highly enough. From the lobby built for hangouts with new and old friends, to the rooftop outdoor showtimes, to the cinnamon sugar for topping popcorn… it’s a 10/10 for me. AND Dolby Cinema!

https://www.lastpicturehouse.com/home/

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Action Blockbuster Science Fiction

“Alien: Romulus”

By Brett_G on

7.4

It’s an “Aliens” movie. If you watched “Twisters” and were wishing it was a xenomorph picking off unexpecting morons instead of mother nature teaching lessons in humility, then this is the blockbuster for you!

What this one lacks in originality and overall storytelling it more than makes up for in cinematography and ambiance. Holy shit is it beautiful. There’s not a single frame of this one that’s not a veritable work of art. It’s what keeps you invested even as the narrative wanders down the familiar old path of “oh no… they did the thing and are going to die now…”

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Action Blockbuster Comedy Romance

“Deadpool & Wolverine”

By Brett_G on

9.1

Ah… the magic of cinema.

It’s not often you get to experience the culmination of 25-30 years of storytelling and wish fulfillment with 500 of your closest friends in an IMAX theater. This one truly turned out to be Fox-Marvel’s “Endgame.” Not only did Reynolds manage to stick the landing and close out one of the greatest superhero trilogies on the highest of notes, but also managed to shoehorn in every cameo and magical moment we didn’t even know we needed. A comic book movie that can cause guttural laughter and move me to tears is something of beauty. A work of cinematic art. Those ripping on the film are doing so because they’re not bought into the bit. Which is fair. It’s a weird world to enter. But if you’re willing to take off your thinking cap and let the Merc with a mouth work his magic for two and a half hours… you’re going to be hard pressed to find a more entertaining film this year. If we’re talking comic book movies, this is honestly the first one since “Avengers: Endgame” to not tarnish the brand.

*Stay through the credits for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. I didn’t expect such care to be taken, but I’ll be damned if this wasn’t the most “respectful of the legacy” film in AGES in Marvel. Well done!

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Action Blockbuster

“Borderlands”

By Brett_G on

3.0

An hour and forty minutes (that feels like two and a half) of my life that I will never get back…

Runescape level graphics, straight up lazy writing, uninspired performances, culminating in a hot mess of a movie. There was a reason I was the only one in the theater to see this one. If I didn’t have AMC A-List I would have felt even more ripped off.

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Blockbuster Documentary

“Reagan”

By Brett_G on

7.5

Pretty much exactly what I expected… which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I feel like I forgot how good of an actor Dennis Quaid is. John Voight as a Russian spy was an interesting choice, but Quaid turns out to be a perfect pick.

What I was afraid was going to fall into the trap of being pure “Boomer Bait” in the first half actually lets some punches fly in the second half. I figured they would shy away from the skeletons in the closet of one of the more conflicting legacies in American politics, but they actually went there. From calling in the National Guard as Governor, to losing his jelly beans (Alzheimer’s) likely before departing the White House, to running guns and destabilizing Central America, South America, and the Middle East in just 2 terms… I figured “Narcos” and “Sicario” were going to be the only projects willing to admit we created our own enemies for the last 50 years trying to “fix” things.

The framing device of an old Russian recounting his life’s work was a weird choice, but fades more into the background as things take off, and you’re left with a mildly entertaining, albeit long biopic.

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