Garrett's Review Blog

Long time, no see! I'm back after a longer period of time off than I wanted to have, but between the Holidays and getting sick it's been a heck of a two months. I wanted to do one mega-sized post that covered all of the movies I watched during the last two months, excluding theatrical releases. As I normally do, I'll start with the movies from the podcast, before diving into the movies I watched outside of the show. I've kept you waiting long enough, so here are the movies I watched during the last two months! Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) REVIEWED ON THE PODCAST SCORE: 39 /100  Directed By: Sam Raimi Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz Synopsis: A small-time magician is swept away to an enchanted land and is forced into a power struggle between three witches. Quick Review: While there are some fun visuals and decent effects for the time, Oz feels like an unnecessary attempt to breath more life into a landmark film that doesn’t need more story. If you...

Enchanting Enough? SCORE: 78 /100 Directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo Synopsis: A young Colombian girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers. ****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**** REVIEW: There was a lot of hype built up for Encanto before I saw it. Some reviewers had called it the best Disney animated film in years. Is that the case? Not entirely, but it's still a gorgeous and fun film that, now that it's available on Disney+, is worth a watch.  It's not as perfect or as incredible as some may say, and certainly has some flaws. The first thing I didn't really like were the songs. Apart from one or two good songs that had incredible visuals, most of them aren't memorable, and even the songs I liked are hard to remember. I know I'm not the largest musical fan out there, but I can more than appreciate good songs and even put them in my playlist...

It's the End of the World, and I Like It SCORE:  85 /100 Directed by: Adam McKay Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep Synopsis: Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. ****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**** REVIEW: I remember being sold on this film from just the trailer, and I'm still reeling after what I've seen. Let's start with the positives, because there are a great many of them. The cast is amazing here, and easily one of the highlights of the film. DiCaprio and Lawrence are incredible here, and the film wouldn't have worked if their performances didn't. Also incredible are Streep and Mark Rylance, playing the stand in for Trump President and the stand in for tech billionaires respectively. In fact, everyone in the cast is great, and there really are no duds. Their performances all blend reality and fiction in such a way that it's so much f...

I Love Better Films, Lucy SCORE: 53 /100 Directed by: Aaron Sorkin Starring: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons Synopsis: Follows one week of production for I Love Lucy, where Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage. ****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**** REVIEW: When I initially saw the first trailers for this film, I was excited to see two incredible actors portraying these two important, historical television figures. That's what we get, I just wish the film didn't drag on. Let's get the obvious out of the way, the performances. Across the board they're awesome, with J.K. Simmons and Javier Bardem being the true standouts. Everyone pulls their weight here, and it's among the things that make the film better. Kidman is a little off for me, as her portrayal of Lucille Ball was a little insufferable for me. Her performance is fantastic, but I think it may have been more in the way the character was ...

What Was I Expecting? SCORE: 22 /100 Directed by: Lana Wachowski Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick Synopsis: Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. ****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**** REVIEW: No witty sentence or intro needed. The Matrix: Resurrections is awful. And I was so, so excited to see it. I now understand those left behind by the hype train on anything else.  Let's go over my few good points before I rip into this film. The new additions to the cast here are great. Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, and Jessica Henwick are all having loads of fun, especially Harris. It's fun to see Moss and Reeves together again, and their dynamic and chemistry are what make a lot of their scenes work. There are some cool visuals, and I like the ideas presented in the new ...

Spider-Man Can Sing SCORE: 91 /100 Directed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus Synopsis: On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising young theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City. ****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**** REVIEW: I didn't think I'd like this film as much as I did. It's not every day that a musical captures my attention so thoroughly, at least none like this. Let's get the obvious out of the way, Andrew Garfield is a revelation here. I'm pretty sure it's actually him singing through most of this, and he's fantastic. He injects so much emotion, depth, and care into this portrayal of real life playwright Jonathan Larson that it's astounding. I truly mean it that Andrew may be one of the best actors that people sleep on.  Initially, I thought we were getting more story and detail about his conception of RENT, however as the film went on...

Feel Good Fun SCORE: 82 /100 Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal Synopsis: A look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard Williams. ****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**** REVIEW: King Richard, for better or for worse, is your typical feel good, based on a true story movie. And while it certainly is formulaic at points, it's made better because of its stellar performances. Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way, this is among Will Smith's best work. In playing Richard Williams, Smith has committed to playing a character that is so full of love for his kids and their future that it's truly inspiring. His accent and mannerisms are so spot on, at least as far as the archival footage shows. I truly think he's in the running to go up against Benedict Cumberbatch for the Oscar this year. Also incredible is Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene Willi...