Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on March 25th, 2016
"It's time for the biggest gladiator match of all time. Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham"
In a summer chalked with blockbusters that are expected to defy box office records, dare I say this may be the most anticipated one of them all? When news about this film was first released, opposition rang out on both sides of the spectrum. Some argued that films that feature two characters facing off rarely work, especially when it comes to two heroes. I have to admit that I found myself agreeing with this argument. In my defense, this appeared to me as a clear strategic ploy to fast-track the introduction of the much-anticipated Justice League franchise. Now albeit true, my resistance did waver upon watching the trailer. So as I sat in my seat, anxiously awaiting the lights to dim and the screen to illuminate, one question dawned (pun intended) on me: can the film live up to the hype?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 23rd, 2016
It’s the one that fans have been waiting for. The conclusion of the only adaptation series to rival the star power of Twilight in my opinion (Divergent comes close, but the popularity is clearly with this Jennifer Lawrence-led series). Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 is the culmination of all the action set up in the first film. It’s time to finally take the fight to President Snow, and this film delivers in every aspect. Action sequences are tier-one as well as being character-driven, all the while staying faithful to the source material. Accomplishing all these tasks is always difficult; however, this film appears to do it with ease.
I think the number one thing loyal fans of the book were looking for was for the film to maintain the faithfulness to the original material. The series has always done a very good job of this, but I think it was best done here. As someone who has read the trilogy, I was very happy with how closely the two mirrored one another. The setting of certain scenes changed naturally (which was to be expected), but much of the dialog was the original text. I love to see a film maintain that level of commitment, because much of the fan base is made of people who fell in love with the books and wanted to see that same story illuminated on the silver screen. I don’t imagine that anyone will be disappointed in that regard.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on March 18th, 2016
"You want change with no sacrifice. You want peace with no struggle. The world doesn't work that way."
Now that Hunger Games has vacated the crown previously occupied by Twilight, the Divergent series appears to be the only game left in the teen drama genre. Ironically, this series is rounding its final corner with the release of Allegiant, part one of the two-part conclusion to the novel franchise written by Veronica Roth and made popular through Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Miles Teller. The list goes on; however, for the sake of time, we will leave it at that. This time around the heroes find themselves literally in unfamiliar territory, as they discover that the world they knew is larger than they ever imagined.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 13th, 2016
Prayer in school, oh boy, I can't think of another high-tension issue that surpasses this one. Although God's Club is not necessarily about this particular subject, its premise is bound to have some big arguments on both sides of the fence. I'm sure most of us know them already, but for the sake of my word count, let's run them down. On the one hand, this great nation of ours was founded on the ideal of religious freedom; however, the separation of church and state has much to say about the matter as well. Needless to say, this is a topic that garners a lot of attention and must be handled with care. Fortunately, I believe that to be the case with God's Club.
Before the death of his wife, Michael's attitude in regards to the bible club was tolerant at best. Believing the extracurricular activity was not worth the pushback that it was receiving from outraged parents, he was supportive, albeit unenthusiastic. Following her passing, he makes it his mission not only to reinvent the club but spearhead it as well. It does not take long before he finds himself up against the same backlash that plagued his late wife. Only through perseverance and dare I say faith will he be about to survive the onslaught.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 11th, 2016
A spaghetti western with a bit of supernatural tone. I not exactly sure that those two go together, but they give their best shot in Killed or Be Killed. This film shows how far man will come in pursuit of a fortune, as the group sacrifice almost everything including their lives. A band of outlaws, after breaking one of their number free from a chain gang, set about a long trek across the great state of Texas in order to claim a fortune that will allow them to retire from their outlaw ways. Not long after beginning their trek, misfortune strikes the gang in the form or several situations which will decrease their number and create dissent among the gang.
Soon bodies begin dropping left and right with every town the group hits. A tremendous bounty is placed on the group’s heads, attracting the attention of several lawmen looking to collect on the payday. Who will survive to make it to the fortune?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 9th, 2016
“It will be a work of fiction, inspired by truth.”
That one line best summarizes the entire movie, in my opinion. In In The Heart of the Sea, we are treated to the insight of how Herman Melville was inspired to write what may be considered one of American literature’s biggest epics, Moby Dick. As this is a film based on a true story, naturally we recognize that certain liberties were taken with the specific goal of maintaining the audience’s attention; however, as you watch, I am confident that you will find yourself wanting to believe in the legitimacy of the tale. I know I did.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 1st, 2016
“I fought for the sport of it, never to kick someone’s ass. It started in the ring and ended in the ring. Fighting should be a last resort, not a first.”
Before this quote, I must I was mildly concerned about the message this film was sending to the public. I wholeheartedly agree with the statement; however, before the words were uttered, I was mildly confused by the behavior of some of the characters in Fight to the Finish. Fortunately, the confusion did not last long, as I was quickly brought up to speed about the characters’ actions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 22nd, 2016
My, my, my, it is always interesting to watch established actor leave their comfortable circumstances and explore other areas. I imagine it is easy to be complacent with your work and very difficult to find roles that continuously challenge you, so why not seek out new titles? In the case of Criminal Activities, the actor I am referring to is Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), who makes his director debut with this tale about four men who end up way over their heads. In my experience, actors either hit or miss when they step into the big chair; you can either end up with soul-crushing reviews or an Academy Award. Although this film is unlikely to reach such meteoric heights, I would still call it a success by a large margin.
Four high school friends (Michael Pitt, Rob Brown, Chris Abbott, and Dan Stevens) reunite at a funeral following the tragic death of another one. It is clear that these four have not spoken for some time and are at different junctures in their lives but decide to spend some time together to relive old memories and catch up. In the midst of their reminiscing, one of them mentions some inside information overheard regarding a breakthrough a company has made that is about to quadruple the value of their stock. Eager to invest and reap the benefits, however short on the parcel, the group unknowingly borrows the money from let’s call it a less than accredited source (i.e. the mob).
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 1st, 2016
With a few slight changes and additions, Sin Seer could have been quite something. As is, it is far from the worst film that I have ever seen, but there were a few areas that upon examination did not make much sense, such as in what world would we ever allow a convicted felon to carry a weapon? There are a few other things; however, I will let you marinate on that question, as it is one that plagued me for much of the movie’s duration. Our story opens up at a prison; convicted felon Grant Summit (Isaiah Washington) is released after serving an undetermined amount of time for the death of at least three people. OK, let’s just pause there. Let that sink in, he killed at least three people, and he is being released while he is still young enough not to require a breathing apparatus to survive. In the film’s defense, the circumstances of the crime are bit muddled, and he was outnumbered. Unpause; after his release he finds work with Rose Ricard (Lisa Arrindell Anderson), a part-time consultant of the police department. Rose is gifted; however, the nature of her gift is not very clear in the beginning. Based on my assessment, Rose is uniquely attuned to the sins of other people. She uses this ability to assist the police as well as earn a living for herself. As you can imagine, her probing into the private matters of others has the capacity to put her in danger; enter Grant. He serves as her protector from those who would do her harm. However, he may not be enough given her new case.
Rose is hired by the wife of a boxer who has been missing for six months. As the two dig deeper into the case, it becomes evident that the once-believed-wholesome boxer had a darker side and was caught up in a conspiracy that will have the pair unsure who they trust, or if they can even trust each other.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 21st, 2016
Here comes another in the long line of movies featuring a WWE superstar. Boy, I tell you, the floodgates open after The Rock (although now he goes by Dwayne Johnson) proved it was possible to move from wrestling stardom to silver screen stardom. That said, none them have really made the leap successfully since him; however, that is not from a lack of trying. This time around, Randy "The Viper" Orton looks to try his luck in the sequel to a WWE sponsored film in The Condemned 2.
After a botched operation to capture the leader of a gambling ring that ended in tragedy, bounty hunter Will Tanner (Orton) walks away from the bail enforcement life. Having his entire world rocked, Will resigns himself to a quiet life; however, just because he is done with his past doesn't necessarily mean that his past is done with him. He suddenly finds himself fighting for his life in a deadly game brought forth by an old enemy. To make matters worse, not only is he forced to do battle, he is forced to do battle against his very own team, the same men who accompanied him for years, men who he was willing to put his life in their hands in the past. Now he must stay one step of ahead of the men who know him best, all the while trying to make his way to the man behind the curtain.
