Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.8
This film was fun, and it was gorgeous to watch. It nailed it. Everything I wanted and more, but didn’t take itself too seriously and get lost in search of something more. Perfectly balanced. And, I mean… Ana Taylor Joy. You knew I’d be there to watch this one.
8.4
First off – NOT a film for children. Rocket’s backstory is HEART-WRENCHING and hard to watch, especially if you love animals. That being said, the pain is… purposeful, as it makes the impact of the story all the more powerful. James Gunn’s finale before bidding Marvel adieu is his masterpiece, and the strongest entry of the trilogy, in my opinion. Unlike many in Marvel, the crew get their full arcs. Not since “I love you 3000” have I felt this sense of calm closure was over me in the closing of the third act. It’s truly a beautiful thing, and not at all common in today’s cinematic landscape. Easily the best of Phase 4, but also one of the best in the MCU overall. Who woulda thunk it? These guys? Carrying the MCU…
7.2
A feel good sequel to one of my favorite Boomer Bait films of the 2010’s. And of course, they’re going global! You go to Italy, and you know you have to run into a long lost love. “Letters to Juliet” told us so. If I ever travel to Italy, I expect to run into the Italian foreign exchange student I had a wonderful time getting to know my junior year of high school. If not, my love of film has been all for naught!
Friendship and fun. That’s what you expect and it’s what you get a lot of from this film by the time the credits roll. A perfect match of expectations and execution.
7.2
Similar to “Showgirls,” I think this film is brilliant, but there’s a lot to dig through to get to that genius. It’s an expertly executed satire of showbusiness and Hollywood, and surprisingly funny. A true case of “less is more” in practice. The cast is fantastic. There’s not a weak link in anyone’s screen time. I was especially surprised by the non-verbal performance by Charlie Day, who typically relies on over the top vocals to sell his craft. it’d be like Jim Carrey not having any lines. A big leap, but also a big payoff here. Definitely different, but well worth the runtime and experimentation.
6.5
Just watch the bit (linked below).
It may have been that I was forced to watch the red carpet for a half hour prior to watching this opening night, but I just found it okay… Which was unfortunate, because I was excited for this one. All the funniest moments were in the trailer, which I always hate. And it just seemed to drag by the end. An hour special – solid. A two hour movie? Too much Machine. Mark Hamill is just as out of place as you’d think.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 