Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet”

By Brett_G on February 10, 2020

8.1

A comedy in the vein of “the office” or “community,” this show made me laugh harder than I have in quite some time. The actors all play to their strengths and blend to form a comedic force to be reckoned with. Inappropriate humor at its finest! Skewering nerd culture created by the likes of “the Big Bang theory.” Never thought I’d buy into a show about a video game company, but here we are. If you’re a fan of “it’s always sunny in Philadelphia,” you’ll be pleased. AppleTV+ is definitely building its repertoire.

Foreign Suspense/Thriller

“Parasite”

By Brett_G on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020

8.1

Definitely see why this is getting so much attention during awards season. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a foreign language film this much. Beautiful cinematography and powerful storytelling. The imagery and substance somehow overcome the distraction of the subtitles, and almost transcends the language barrier to tell the story of the families involved. A striking twist, and a Tarantino-esque ending. Bravo!

Action Blockbuster Comedy

“Birds of Prey”

By Brett_G on February 8, 2020March 23, 2020

7.8

Solid superhero film from DC. The tone feels more “Suicide Squad” than “Dark Knight” or “Joker,” but it works. Margot Robbie fully comes into her own as the character, and really starts to embrace the chaos and take over the screen. Everyone in the film really seemed to enjoy playing the off the wall characters, which really comes across. Solid standalone. She’s Harley F**king Quinn, and she’s here to party!

Action Blockbuster

“The Rhythm Section”

By Brett_G on February 8, 2020March 23, 2020

5.0

Disappointed in EON Productions. (The production company behind the James Bond Franchise) Come on, guys! And Paramount should know better by now… Clunky, poorly directed action. Choppy at best story development. One dimensional characters throughout. What attempted to be a “strong woman gets destroyed and comes back to be the next Bryan Mills from ‘Taken'” lands somewhere between Mr. Bean and Frank from “Naked Gun.” Ouch… Blake Lively being cornered by a shark for 2 hours was worlds better.

Action Blockbuster

“Bad Boys for Life”

By Brett_G on February 8, 2020March 23, 2020

7.5

He may only officially make a small cameo introducing a wedding speech, but this is a pure Michael Bay movie through and through. One last time… one last ride. Let’s roll! Get ready for this film to penetrate your soul. Explosions, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith playing their most stereotypical characters in a long time. Put some extra stank on Mike Laaawreyyy, and kick some ass with the old boys and new crew of tactical SWAT in the Miami PD? Vanessa Hudgens is bae. And hilarious. All in all, you get exactly what you expect, and it’s an extremely fun 2 hours at the cinema.