Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 16th, 2018
So, when it comes to animated kids’ movies, I defer to the expertise of my six-year-old daughter, Nalyce. I’ve been reviewing for several years now and I like to think that I am capable of being firm and fair, but my daughter is a harder judge of the quality kids content. She actually walked out on Finding Dory. Yeah, she is that tough. Fortunately for Tad Stone the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas, it received her golden seal of approval, pun intended. A continuation of the franchise, the story functions well enough as a standalone that you don’t have to be concerned that you won’t be about to keep up with the premise.
A sequel to the previous film (Tad Stone the Lost Explorer), the story picks up with Tad about to reunite with renowned archeologist, Sara, at the unveiling of her most recent discovery. Tad is gathering his courage in hopes of rekindling the spark between the two during the first film. He never gets the chance to express his feelings, as armed men storm the exhibit and take Sara hostage. The group lead by Jack Rankin, plans to use Sara to lead them to the legendary collar of King Midas, which bestows the wearer with the power to change anything into gold with a single touch.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 4th, 2018
John Cena continues to attempt to branch out from the WWE, this time with an animated film featuring a peace-loving bull in Spain. Granted, John Cena is not first person I envision when I think about nonviolence, but it is an interesting choice nonetheless. Ferdinand tells the story of a bull raised to participate in the matador competitions featured in Spain. Disney continues to buck against the grain, creating a character that contrasts with his circumstances. Naturally, this is an animated film, and being well into adulthood, I am clearly outside the target audience. However, I am fortunate enough to have a daughter who does fit that demographic, so I enlisted her services for this film. Ironically, I actually ended up enjoying the story a lot more than she did. Too be fair to the film, my daughter only possesses a 20-minute attention span. To her credit, she stuck out the entire film, and we can both provide you with the benefit of our experience.
Continuing my earlier statement about the character, Ferdinand (John Cena), unlike the other bulls, does not desire the glory of competing in the matador competition (at this point, the bulls are unaware that they will be killed in the competition). He would much rather spend his time grazing and smelling the flowers. This also contrasts with his size, as he has grown to be a large and intimidating-looking animal, but he remains a gentle giant.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 30th, 2018
Curious what happened to Diane Lockhart after slapping the taste out of Alicia’s mouth? Well, I wish I could say that all was well, as tragedy strikes again just as she is on the cusp of retirement. That’s where we find Diane at the start of The Good Fight. I had heard rumbles about the show shortly after news that it was moving into production, the spin-off series that would focus on the powerhouse that is Diane minus Julianna Margulies’ character. More interesting was the decision to make the series only available on the CBS’s streaming service. Clearly, streaming service has become a big part of home entertainment, so naturally it was only a matter of time before the networks joined the party in order to compete. However, I must admit that I was skeptical about shows only available through these means, as I doubted that the content was truly worth the price of admission. I must confess that after watching the series, I am tempted to sign up for a subscription. The Good Fight actually turned out to be one of the most well-written and clever legal dramas that I have ever seen. This is made more impressive by the fact that I am not the target audience, but my wife is, and let me tell you, once we started one episode, she wouldn’t stop until we had watched them all.
Picking up some time after the events of The Good Fight, Diane is motivated to make a change following the inauguration of Donald Trump. She decides that it is time to retire as name partner of Lockhart, Deckler, Gussman, Lee, Lyman, Gilbert-Lurie, Kagan, Tannebaum, & Associates (yeah that’s quite the mouthful, but notice whose name is at the front), her prestigious law firm, and plans to purchase her dream home. Wrapping up her last case, she must bump heads with Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo), a well-respected attorney representing the victim of police brutality in Cook County. This case brings her in direct contact with her former employee, Lucca Quinn (Cush Lumbo), which reopens old wounds about a certain someone (Alicia). Determined to go out on a win, Diane plays hardball, but Adrian, who has something to prove, does not make it easy for her.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 15th, 2018
Girlfriends was a sitcom that ran from 2000 to 2008 back when The CW was known as UPN. It will also probably surprise people to learn that the series was executive produced by Kelsey Grammar, as the show is quite different from Frasier. Girlfriends was not the best comedy around, but it was a very important one for several reasons; every so often it tackled real world issues such as HIV, mental illness, miscarriages, and same-sex relationships. The series, as the title suggests, also featured a predominantly female-oriented cast.
The show followed the perspective of Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), the den mother of the group and a successful lawyer working to find love. Rounding out the cast was Maya (Golden Brooks), the only one of the group who was married; unlike the others she is more working class, serving as Joan’s assistant at the law firm. That’s something that often causes her to clash with Toni (Jill Marie Jones), Joan’s childhood friend who comes from humble beginnings but is determined to marry into financial security. Lynn (Persia White) is the more carefree one of the group, though it is easy to be carefree when you rely on others for food and shelter. At the beginning of the series, she is forced to finally stop prolonging her education and begin her life. The central male figure for the series is the girls’ only guy friend, William Dent (Reginald C. Hayes), a fellow lawyer at Joan’s firm who brings a dry wit and interjects when the ladies begin to rant against the opposite sex. But he is also quick to lend a hand or protect them in any way that he can.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 13th, 2018
“In a SEAL platoon, then as in now, you’re there for your mates. That’s what the men fight for on the ground. They don’t fight for their country’s objective. They don’t fight for their higher headquarters. They fight for the guys left and right of their patrol order.”
Though I'm not a SEAL nor a member of this branch of service, I am still able to attest to the truthfulness of the statement. Normally, the foot soldier is not privy to the bigger picture. Without that knowledge, you must find your own reasons to fight. That signal purpose that you will end up holding onto and reminding yourself of on a day-to-day basis in order to survive the difficulties that you will face. Loyalty to a guy going through the exact thing is usually one of the popular tethers. I know it was for me. It's a powerful thing that bonds a unit. A Bond Unbroken, a documentary focused on the Vietnam War, takes it a step further, showing that very loyalty can be extended to people that aren’t even in your unit or branch service.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on March 7th, 2018
“Don’t give them all of you Dominika. Hold something back. That is how you will survive.”
There appears to be nothing Jennifer Lawrence can’t do: she is an Oscar winner, the face of a successful movie franchise, and now she is a Russian spy that specializes in seduction techniques. Now in the looks department, there are scores of men that would gladly hand over their social security number for the opportunity to be seduced by J Law, so her casting was a no brainer. But she went much deeper than that, showing an unparalleled intellect and natural aptitude for the world of espionage.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on February 9th, 2018
The world’s most erotic novel series is coming to an end with the release of the final chapter, 50 Shades Freed. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan reprise their roles as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, as the pair enters wedding bliss. Their romance has been a whirlwind, going from meeting to marriage in what seems to be less than six months. However, when it’s right, it’s right; besides, it’s rare that you find someone with the same taste, if you know what I mean. Naturally, happily ever after won’t come as easily as our couple will have to face an old enemy and a new challenge that could threaten to tear the two of them apart.
The story wastes no time getting to the moment that the audience was waiting for, as we encounter the pair on their wedding day, exchanging their vows. From there, it is jet-setting across the world in what has to be the world’s most expensive honeymoon. However, their fairy-tale ending is still a long way off as Ana and Christian receive news that her former boss and predator, Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), has broken into Grey Enterprises and set off an explosive. Christian is forced to reveal to Ana that Hyde appears to be obsessed with the Grey family and has been targeting them.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on January 25th, 2018
For Dylan O’Brien, it just seems like his start just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Going from the awkward best friend on MTV’s Teen Wolf to becoming a leading man on the silver screen, he has shown charm and charisma normally only seen in veterans. Another great way a star distinguishes himself is to get attached to a franchise, something he has done with the Maze Runner trilogy. Of course, Maze Runner: The Death Cure spells the end of that run; given his performance in the film; it does not spell the end to his rise. An entertaining and engaging conclusion to the franchise, Maze Runner: The Death Cure follows former glader turned revolutionary Thomas as he continues his battle against his former employers WCKD, the corporation that is exploiting children in order to utilize their immunity to the Flare, a virus that has caused dystopian society. Filled with action and infused with heart, the film is possibly the first book adaptation that guys will be able to get behind.
Following the events of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Thomas is betrayed by Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), the person he trusted most in the world, and begins working with revolutionary group, the Right Arm. Teresa’s betrayal also resulted in the captured of Thomas’ friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee). Partnering with fellow Maze survivors, Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Frypan (Dexter Darden), Thomas sets out to recovered Minho from WCKD’s stronghold, the last known city in existence. Gaining entry to the city’s fortified walls will be a challenge in itself, and the group will be forced to rely on a familiar face that they don’t completely trust. Time is of the essence as they attempt to reach Minho before WCKD’s experiments leave him a shell of himself. On the other side of the wall, Teresa deals with the consequences of her choices and finds her resolve shaken as she is forced to question if she chose the right side.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 24th, 2018
Alibi gives you quite a bit of storytelling, which is surprising given that it is only comprised of three hour-length episodes. I will give it to British shows that have somehow found the key to making that work, because that would not work in the U.S. It would feel rushed, and a lot of key nutrients would have to be removed due to time constraints. Alibi manages to have multiple twists and turns in that time span as well as tell a very entertaining and engrossing story with the assistance of its two established leads, Sophie Okonedo and Michael Kitchen. Alibi tells the story of what happens when two people attempt to cover up an accidental death, when one person is a complete neurotic and the other is calculating to the point that you might find yourself question if this is her first “accidental” death.
No good deed and all that, or least that’s the case for Marcey Burgess (Sophie Okonedo), a civil servant and part-time caterer who finds herself ingrained in a murder investigation when all she was trying to do is retrieve her purse. However, I will say that she was presented with an opportunity to walk away and she didn’t take it, so I guess that technically means that she reaped what she sowed. While catering the 19th anniversary for a married couple Greg and Linda (Michael Kitchen and Phyllis Logan), Marcey notices inappropriate contact between the wife and the husband’s business partner, but keeps it to herself and leaves with her group. However, after realizing that she left her purse behind, she returns to the house to find the husband standing over the business partner’s lifeless body. Marcey attempts to flee the scene but ultimately ends up locked in a back room with the husband on the other side.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 15th, 2018
Most people that survive a near traumatic experience don’t go back for seconds. Most people that is. For the group in The House October Built 2, I guess they were adhering to the logic that lightning doesn’t strike the same way twice. Or does it? Embarking on what I can only describe as a horror tour, five friends attempt to capitalize on potential fame and fortune by documenting their experience traveling city to city to explore various haunted houses or hay rides. They even managed to convince the most traumatized member of their group to join them, reopening old wounds and provoking things that best left in the past. I wish that was the worst they had to contend with, as evidence that what they faced a year earlier begins to resurface to finish what it started.
So the concept of the film is top-shelf, execution is another matter in entirely. For one, the set-up is entirely too long. The basic idea was apparent early on, this group looking to capitalize on their famed abduction a year earlier resumes the same activities that nearly cost them their lives. I even enjoyed the addition of a holdout, the girl that refused to take part in this after being buried alive in a coffin. I mean, who would want to relieve that trauma. However, once you have the girl on board, I would say that you only need to visit a handful of places to establish tempo before moving to the center stage for the plot. I think a part of it was the fact that the group went to around three venues before they realized that they need the girl. In my opinion, they should have found themselves turned away at the first venue in order to necessitate the need for their holdout and those other two venues could have been focused more on convincing her to jump back into the mix, possibly a flashback to the year prior.
