80 For Brady
PARAMOUNT PICTURESThe sports film genre is overflowing with movies that vary in quality pretty heavily, from the good, such as Rocky, to the bad, in Who's Your Caddy, these movies go back decades, or more, in entertaining audiences and sports fans alike. With that history in mind, and the recognition of the good, as well as the bad, comes 80 for Brady. This is a 2023 comedy starring heavyweight oscars nominees such as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno that is directed by Kyle Marvin.
80 for Brady thrives solely on its biggest draw. These four women are doing some heavy lifting with an otherwise silly, and unfortunately, forgettable premise. That isn't to say that there's no fun to be had here, but those that attend this shouldn't expect anything groundbreaking, but ultimately should expect something more in the realm of comfort. This movie is comfort food.
Now, that isn't meant as an insult but actually more of an invitation for anyone interested. Chances are these leading ladies and their trip to the SuperBowl will win over even the most ironclad of audience members. They elevate every joke in this script from SNL sketch to a fun way to spend 90 minutes, and that is quite an achievement considering the main running "joke" is how hot they find Tom Brady.
From a technical standpoint there's nothing to write home about, but also nothing egregiously bad. Some background CGI could've been tweaked more than anything else. (Why not just find a hallway instead of making one on a computer? Who knows.) It's shot like a sitcom. Nothing terrible, but nothing great either. Standard mid-budget comedy fair really.
This is a relatively fun movie, and there's nothing much to pick apart from there. It's completely harmless and absolutely nails the demographic that it is leaning into. Anyone with even a remote interest would find something worthwhile here, whether that's a Patriots fan, those who enjoy comedies, or fans of the cast, there's a lot to like here. This is especially true in the 3rd act, which is by far the funniest segment of the film. Without giving anything away it starts at a party with some gun cameos and ends with a SuperBowl victory.
80 for Brady is the definition of lighthearted entertainment, and it happily wears that sentiment on its sleeve. It might seem strange, but there's a lot to respect about that in a movie, especially nowadays.