Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 3rd, 2018
Ever since Disney purchased the rights to the Star Wars property, it was no surprise that Disney would take full advantage of it. Between the movies and TV shows it’s fairly easy to get your Star Wars fix, but is too much of a good thing a bad thing? For Disney XD we have the animated LEGO series Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, and though it is targeted towards kids, there is plenty of fun for the long-time fans as well. What I already enjoyed about the series is that instead of following established characters in the Star Wars canon, we get to get a glimpse at the life of the mechanics who repair the ships after returning to battle. Granted, the story seems to always venture off to other planets and many adventures throughout the galaxy.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on March 30th, 2018
Like so many others, when I read the book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline I simply fell in love with the nostalgic ride through the 80’s, all thanks to the virtual reality world called The Oasis. From start to finish it was a book filled with pop culture references that would make film and video game geeks squeal with delight, and it was no surprise that the book was a hit and would be turned into a film. There were only two names I could think of that could ever come close to making this film a reality: Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg. With Spielberg involved, he was the only person I could imagine that had the clout to get all the licensing rights needed to pull this adaption, but still the biggest question I had was does Spielberg still have it in him?
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 30th, 2018
With Archer Season 9 Danger Island getting ready to debut in April, Season 8 of Archer titled Dreamland makes its way onto DVD, for many to binge and catch up before the season premiere. I have to admit it took me a while to finally give this show a chance. Last year I had the opportunity to review Season 7, and honestly, ever since I have been a fan. What’s bothered me, though, is how could the show continue following the way season 7 ends? Let’s face it; things were looking grim for the former world’s greatest secret agent, Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), so where does the show go from here?
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on March 22nd, 2018
When Pacific Rim first came out, I had a blast with the film. It was the ultimate giant-monster-versus-giant-robot film that my inner ten-year-old has wanted to see for so long. Sure, the film had some dialog issues, but the world that Guillermo del Toro created with the film was so over-the-top and beautiful that the bad dialog was easy to forget. It knew what it was, brainless eye candy, and it delivered in a big way. Now we have the sequel coming out; del Toro is no longer at the helm, and in his place we have Steven S. DeKnight whose previous directorial efforts have been episodes from Daredevil and Dollhouse. Does the sequel hold up? Well, to put it bluntly, not even close.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 22nd, 2018
When Calls the Heart is already five seasons in and has been a fan favorite of the Hallmark Channel. It’s no surprise that the channel would take a chance with the show and develop a movie from the material that author Janette Oke has created. As a show that plays on the Hallmark Channel, it should come as no surprise that it is wholesome and filled with values that you don’t often find on the cable networks. In this day and age a little bit of wholesome television can be a nice change of pace; after all, for many all they see is the sex and violence that flood the airwaves. It’s hard to find entertainment that is safe for the whole family to watch. But just because it’s something for the whole family to watch, is it any good?
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 21st, 2018
I can’t think of a real life cop who is more famous than Frank Serpico. Ever since the film Serpico was released in 1973, people around the world knew the name of the cop who singlehandedly attempted to end corruption in the NYPD. Al Pacino made the character famous, and the name continues to live on in pop culture, but now we have the documentary Frank Serpico to tell the story from the man himself. The film that follows is not just about the man and his crusade against the NYPD, but it also serves as a reflection with the man 45 years following his time in the department. Back then he took a bullet for speaking out about the corruption. Have the man or ideals changed over the years? That is what the documentary sets out to find out.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on March 16th, 2018
For some reason, adapting videogames into good films has been the nut Hollywood just can’t seem to crack. The Resident Evil series has been successful, but I wouldn’t say it really holds up to the game. Personally, Silent Hill has been the only adaption I’ve really enjoyed, and that film has divided fans as well. As for the Tomb Raider franchise that kicked off in 2001, sure it had some fun sequences. And with Angelina Jolie becoming a hot commodity at the time, it’s not too much of a surprise that it did well at the box office. Now 17 years later, the time has come for Tomb Raider to get a makeover
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 14th, 2018
I’ve been a fan of The Walking Dead ever since the first episode aired on AMC. I’m a sucker for zombie films and the original Dawn of the Dead remains as one of my all-time favorite horror films. I mention this because when the idea came along to do a spin-off of The Walking Dead, I was stoked. But when Fear the Walking Dead first aired, I have to admit there was something about it that just didn’t hook me. So I gave up after a couple episodes. I wish I had held out just a little bit longer.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on February 24th, 2018
Going into Annihilation a couple days ago I had only seen the trailer once but was excited for it based on the strength of Alex Gardner’s first directorial effort Ex Machina. The film is based on a series of books that I had never read, and from what I understand the film takes many liberties with the storyline and characters. As his sophomore effort behind the camera, there were high expectations for what Garland would do, and the result I believe is one of the most divisive films I’ve seen in a while. This is the kind of film that gets me excited for the future of cinema, not just because I loved the film, but I love the conversation it can provoke with other filmgoers.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 24th, 2018
With the success of The Revenant, it shouldn’t be a surprise that other survival films would follow in its wake. At first glance when I came across Walking Out, I didn’t expect much and figured it would be nothing more than a halfhearted attempt to capitalize on the success of The Revenant. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What Walking Out brings to the table is a heartfelt tale of survival for a father and son, yet instead of focusing on the bleak conditions in the mountains of Montana, the focus is rather on the bond the two are attempting to develop. With a beautiful landscape as the backdrop of the film, it’s easy to see how Cal (Matt Bomer) could fall in love with his home and want to share it with his son.
