Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 20th, 2020
“We got twenty-one bridges in and out of Manhattan. Shut them down. Three rivers. Close them. Four tunnels. Block them. Stop every train and loop the subways. Then, we flood the island with blue.”
Chadwick Boseman looks to be trying to bring back the days of Dirty Harry in this film as a cop known to kill cop killers. 21 Bridges is an action-packed film where nothing is really what it seems. Also featuring Sienna Miller, Taylor Kitsch, J.K. Simmons, and Keith David, I have to admit that some of these cast members’ appearances were more like cameos, as the action primarily focused on Boseman as he attempted to hunt down his target by any means necessary. Sorry, I just always wanted to say that, but for the context of this movie it rings true, as from the quote above, you can see the extent he was willing to go to.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 14th, 2020
This movie truly took me by surprise; I was expecting another vapid romantic comedy tale without any original thoughts or concepts, but actress Emma Watson showed that she had something else in mind for this story that she penned herself. Based on the popular song by Wham! (yes, the exclamation point was necessary), Last Christmas follows the story of a girl who goes in the opposite direction of a new lease on life following a confrontation of her own mortality, and it takes a handsome stranger to help her see and appreciate the gift that she has been given. I know that it is not one hundred percent original, but it isn’t a premise that has been beaten to death, and there are some elements that keep it fresh. The manner in which the story unfolds is unique, and there is a twist that that took me by surprise. Not only did it take me by surprise, it utterly devastated my wife, who become a little bitter afterwards. Despite the effect the twist had on her, she couldn’t deny that this film starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding was very enjoyable. Writer/Actor Emma Watson also rounds out the cast as Clarke’s mother from the old country.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 7th, 2020
“You'll die right here. On a frozen, blood-soaked battlefield, the moans of a generation of young men in your ears, dying in agony around you, for a lost cause. For a vile and wicked idea! For the sin of slavery! Can you hear them? God don't mean people to own people, Gideon!”
Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross, is a staple of black history. Her deeds have been told and retold in history books for generations as one of the most successful conductors of the Underground Railroad, a network of anti-slavery activists and safehouses. Aside from her contributions to history, I knew very little about her individual history; that is a failing of mine. I’m not sure that an autobiographical film is the best avenue to correct this failing, given the propensity for things to be altered and sensationalize in order to draw crowds. However, even a sensationalized film has to have some basis in fact. Therefore, I am glad that this film made it into my queue, as it gave me a better understanding of Tubman’s accomplishment than I had previously. Bad Times at El Royale’s Cynthia Erivo takes on the monumental task of representing the historical figure on the silver screen, joined by Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monae.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 1st, 2020
“They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family.”
That is for those who read my Addams Family double feature post regarding the Addams Family theme song. Of course that is merely the first verse of the song. Have no fear, as the animated film features the full version. It must be kismet, as I had the privilege of reviewing the animated film so soon after reviewing the double feature, though I suspect that this was by design. Though this cartoon does not fit the traditional view of what a horror film is, I would argue that the subject matter is more than enough to grant it entry. Featuring a lighter tone than its subject material, this incarnation is an enjoyable experience that can be shared with the whole family, which was my experience as I was able to bring my daughter to the film with me, and I’m happy to say it got her stamp of approval.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on February 1st, 2020
Well, it didn’t take long for Robert Downey Jr. to line up his next project following his iconic Marvel run. And there is definite franchise potential with this film about quite possibly the most famous veterinarian ever written. Primarily inspired by Hugh Lofting’s The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, the film is likely anticipated to be a reboot to the Eddie Murphy-led film franchise of the same name (except with a “Dr.” in front of the name). Interestingly enough, the film’s inspiration is actually the second book written by Lofting about this famous character with the gift of talking to and understanding animals. Continuity aside, the film features a cast of verifiable talent including Michael Sheen and Antonio Banderas; rounding out the voice cast is Tom Holland (his second voicing acting role, proceed by Spies in Disguise with Will Smith, and to be followed by the upcoming Onward with Chris Pratt), Emma Watson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, John Cena, Ralph Fiennes, Marion Cotillard, and the list goes on. Seriously, there are at least five more I could have named. With a cast like this, you can only expect an enjoyable experience, and that is exactly what you get with this family-friendly adventure delivers.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 28th, 2020
A modern day romantic comedy, as well as a commentary on the co-dependent relationship that society is now engaged in with their phones. I know we all see it, with infinite information at our favorite fingertips and the ease with which we now can conduct their lives, whether it be finding out the name of a song on the radio via an app, getting directions to a place we have ever been, or merely playing music while we conduct other task, our phones have become our conduit to the world, removing a lot of the obstacles that we used to face in everyday life. However, that assistance comes at a cost as we now have come to rely on our phone to accomplish task that we used to go out and do on our own. To top things off, we have decided to connect with people on social media, relying on how many people are following us on Instagram to determine popularity, rather than actually human interaction. JEXI perfectly captures this idea as we observe our lead character Phil played by Adam Devine struggle to engage with the beautiful Cate played by the gorgeous Alexandra Shipp. Thankfully his phone is there to help him; however, what happens when his phone begins to feel neglected?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 20th, 2020
To say that this film got the Nalyce stamp of approval would be an understatement. In fact, I have never seen her take to a film in the manner she did this one. In the past, I’ve seen her be bored or entertained, but with Abominable, she was fully engaged, conversing with the characters as if they were real. While distracting at times, it was good to see her connect with the content on this level. For me and my wife, it was the embodiment of a family experience, as we both found ourselves enjoying this tale of kindness and friendship. The characters are in their own way all searching for something; something to bring them whole whether it be a home or rediscovering themselves following a profound loss. Agents of SHIELD’s Chloe Bennet makes her feature film debut in this animated adventure tale about a young girl that discovers a Yeti on the roof of her building and endeavors to help it find its way home. Joining the cast is American Horror Story’s Sarah Paulson, as well as Eddie Izzard. As mentioned earlier Bennet plays Yi, a young girl who has become a self-imposed loner following the death of her father. Despite her family’s efforts, Yi prefers to be alone, filling her time by working to go on a trip across China. Meanwhile, a Yeti escapes from a secret compound owned by wealthy businessman, Mr. Burnish (Eddie Izzard). Mr. Burnish is determined to prove the existence of the Yeti species in order to overcome an embarrassment earlier in his life when he attempted to recount a previous encounter with the species. Employing renowned zoologist Dr. Zara (Paulson), Burnish uses his considerable resources to track the species across Shanghai.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 20th, 2020
When we last saw the Mistress of Evil (which also happens to be the title for the sequel) she was more of a hero rather than a villain. However, the sequel sees her return to her previous status as the feared fairy that ruled the Moors. How quickly people forget her contributions. Though not traditionally scary, the film features plenty of magic and carnage courtesy of Jolie. Additionally, the film features the return of Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, and Harris Dickson as Aurora, Diaval, and Prince Philip. With the addition of Chiwetel Ejofor and Ed Skrein, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith, Philip’s mother, who gives Maleficent a run for her money for the title of Mistress of Evil. In the five years that have passed since then the original film, Aurora has continued to reign as Queen of the Moors and is beloved by her subjects, and especially by Prince Phillip, who works up the courage to propose marriage. Aurora accepts, but then comes the hard part: telling their parents. For Phillip the difficulty comes from her mother, who feels that their people have a right to pillage the Moors and worries about losing her son to Aurora, who rules the land she would like to acquire. For Aurora, the difficulty is much more challenging, as she has the unfortunate task of telling her godmother, the protector of the Moors, Maleficent. Though initially opposed to the idea, Maleficent grants her permission. However, this is only the beginning of their troubles.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 29th, 2019
It’s been a while since a film has come along that has frustrated me as much as Adopt a Highway has. The film opens up with numerous sound bites that are discussing the “three strike law” from the Clinton era. This is pretty much used to set up a bit of a back story for Russ Millings (Ethan Hawke), a “victim” of this third-strike law that resulted in him serving 21 years for possession of an ounce of weed. With this kind of opening, I’d be expecting this to be a film that would delve into the unfairness of this law and how it affected many individuals, but instead, this film had other plans. The film takes on the journey Russ takes from his last day in prison to being thrust out into the free world again, but over the course of two decades, the world is nothing like it was before. Russ is in a unique situation where he went into prison in the late 90’s, and upon his release he’s now in the digital age. Basically he’s never had an email, nor has he had the chance to discover internet porn or YouTube. There is so much potential with this character, but at the same time, while watching this, I couldn’t get past his numerous bad decisions.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 21st, 2019
This film proves that not all things need to be adapted for the silver screen. This re-imagining of this Broadway musical was best left on the stage. Now I am saying this having never seen the musical, but given the execution of this film, I am forced to make that the assumption that the musical has to be better than what I witnessed at the theater. Despite having a top-shelf cast that included Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Rebel Wilson, Jennifer Hudson, and Taylor Swift, the film fails to entertain. This isn’t just a biased opinion, either; my wife, who was very excited for the film, fell asleep at multiple points and was highly annoyed by the story. I have no idea what was initially hoped for this adaptation, but I am hard pressed to believe that it was this. As much as I want to put the film behind me, there is one song regarding a magician cat that is just staying with me, furthering my frustration. The film was already going to have a difficult time making its mark based on the fact that is going against a film that is basically guaranteed to win not only this week but also subsequent weekends at well. Given the cult status of the musical, I assume that the die-hards will make the trip to the theater, and I would be curious to speak with any of them and find out if they were as disappointed as I was.
