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!
… 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.
“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.
If you enjoyed the first one, you’ll enjoy this one. In the spirit of that consistency, here’s my review for “Dune 1” again, with a few numerical changes for it being part 2…
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 2” 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 3.
So… it’s not as bad as everyone keeps whining about. Thank God. I couldn’t handle another “Madame Web” this soon after.
My biggest gripes were the pacing in some spots and Phoebe Spangler being a complete dumbass for 5 minutes. It went against everything else her character is supposed to be and had strongly established. It just felt forced. But other than those two things, it’s a solid modern blockbuster. Complete with the triumphant return of the third act sky beam!
The villain was pretty cool, and the nostalgia was laid on as thick as humanly possible – a perfect combination for a self-aware franchise that knows not to take itself too seriously. Was it absolutely necessary? No. But it was an enjoyable popcorn flick, and that’s what we all need from time to time. Not everything has to contend for an Oscar.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 