Blockbuster – Page 7 – 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.

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

By Brett_G on October 22, 2023October 22, 2023

8.4

I still prefer the book on this one, but the movie gave it a run for its money and was a work of art itself presenting this important story.

While Leo puts on another great performance (and chalks up another epic meltdown scene) alongside the truly menacing Robert De Niro, I want to call attention to Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart and Tatanka Means as Agent John Wren. My biggest reason for preferring the book to the movie is due to the perspective of the story being told. The book’s focus on the FBI team and the community impacted was a much more impactful viewpoint, but narratively, I understand why Scorsese went this route. The ending was a creative Hail Mary pass to tie a bow on such an unsatisfying ending to the story. There was no good way to land the plane on a story with such a lack of closure/happy ending. The thing that the film nails is the tone. You’re uncomfortable for the entire runtime, waiting for the other shoe to drop, unsure of who you can trust, sensing the pervasive danger around every corner.

It’s absolutely gorgeous in its cinematography and the overall aesthetic of the film. The editing made the three and a half runtime pass more quickly than I was expecting, but it definitely tested my back’s tolerance for a single sitting in non-recliner cinema seats. It’s definitely on of those “Hollywood couldn’t write something this insane and interesting” stories, finally making its way onto the big screen, with a perfect cast and soundtrack.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI https://a.co/d/aSIbW1M

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 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.

Action Blockbuster

“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part 1”

By Brett_G on September 27, 2023September 16, 2023

8.1

For a three-hour runtime, this adrenaline soaked fever dream flies by. It may be much of the same, cranked up another notch to top the last film, but it’s executed to perfection. Cruise may in fact perish in pursuit of his next blockbuster, but there’s no one better in the business of popcorn selling, theater packing summer blockbusters that anyone can enjoy. The panache of Christopher Nolan without the headache from overworking your frontal cortex to keep a grip on the unfolding narrative. Like “Oppenheimer,” this was born for IMAX.

Important Note – I greatly appreciated the structure of this film, especially as a Part 1 of 2. It completed the arc, while also setting up the finale in the next chapter. It didn’t leave me feeling let down and immediately needing the part 2 in order to not feel cheated like the “Hobbit” franchise or “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.”