Up first this week is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. I don’t think it was the box office hit they were expecting and I understand why, it doesn’t separate itself from every other action-adventure flick before it. I think they were expecting this to grow into a franchise like The Mummy especially with all the D&D lore there is to come up with movie ideas, but unfortunately it’s just the latest CGI-fest relying on too much comedy. I don’t mind comedic elements in sword & sorcery films, but this went for laughs more than adventure. Chris Pine gets laughs and I’m ok with that because he’s the lead, but every other character goes for laughs as well. Justice Smith is the same nerdy type he’s played in every movie he’s been in. Regé-Jean Page is Pine’s foil who gets laughs because of his character traits. Hugh Grant is almost a live-action Lord Farquaad from Shrek adding even more (unnecessary) comedic relief. The only one playing it straight is Michelle Rodriguez, but yet again she’s playing a tough woman as she does with every role. I want sword & sorcery films to succeed for the newer generation because I loved them as a kid, but this feels more like Warcraft than The Mummy. The 4K is pretty breathtaking though and the film looks gorgeous. The coloring, effects and costuming all look beautiful. It also comes with over an hour of bonus features so if you liked the movie (and it was liked by audiences who saw it and the press), 4K is the way to go.
Sticking with action, second we have The Siege. I like the concept of the movie, but ultimately it’s very forgettable. Daniel Stisen plays a hired gun who gets compromised and must spend time at a facility to get a new name and cover story. While there bad guys try to take the facility over to find a woman. Stisen is asked to help her and another woman survive. Great concept, but unfortunately the action and fighting sequences aren’t good. Hand-to-hand fighting is overly choregraphed and looks bad. The one woman kicks a lot and a trained fighter/soldier would know how to defend it. Stisen has done a lot of stunt work and action movies, but someone like Gerard Butler would have made this film a lot more enjoyable. He’s clearly a tough guy, but I want big, over the top action and great fighting like in The Raid or John Wick. I understand not every movie has the budget for it, but this concept could have really worked with the right people involved.
Third we have The Lost King. Sally Hawkins is a mother of two boys, separated from her husband played by Steve Coogan and after watching a local adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Richard III becomes obsessed with him. She joins a group of Richard III supporters and soon finds out his body has never been found. She takes the task on herself and if you remember the story from the news, she finds him. It’s based on the story from 2012 and it’s a nice little film. You root for Hawkins even though her obsession is taking over and she’s not interested in her job, her sons and life. I somewhat remember the story, but enjoyed the film because I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. I’m not sure how accurate the film is compared to the real story, but as a film it works.
Mill Creek Entertainment has out the western The Warrant: Breaker’s Law. Neal McDonough is Marshal John Breaker who is tasked at bringing in an outlaw played by Dermot Mulroney. When something doesn’t feel right he heads to a local town that is trying to be taken over by a gang. His father and sister live there so he gets tied up in helping them stop the gang and deliver his outlaw. I grew up on westerns so I like the genre. I also like McDonough and Mulroney plays two characters so the acting isn’t bad. It won’t remind anyone of The Unforgiven or Tombstone, but if you like westerns it’s good enough for a watch.
The next few releases came out last week, but I didn’t get them until after their release. First is BONANZA: The Official Complete Series. This is an absolute BEAST of a collection. This series collection includes all 14 seasons — 431 full-length episodes — together for the very first time, along with an exclusive bonus disc containing nearly 2 ½ hours of rare content not seen in more than 60 years. Every episode has been restored and remastered from the original 35mm film camera negatives for a superior viewing experience. This has to weigh 8 pounds, it’s so big. BONANZA is one of TV’s most well known series having gone 14 seasons and being re-run for decades. My parents watched it. I know I watched it in re-runs. I was so impressed by this collection having over 400 episodes in one glorious box set. The restoration and remastering looks great especially for a decades old show. The bonus features are great with rare, behind-the-scenes footage and personal looks at cast members. There are interviews with Lorne Greene and Michael Landon, bloopers and gag reel, PSAs and promos and cast members on The Tonight Show and Ed Sullivan. If you are a fan, this is a must own. It’s a great gift with Father’s Day coming up.
Sticking with classic TV, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Complete Seasons 11 & 12 came out last week. I’ve enjoyed these releases over the past few years because it’s a show well before my time that I only saw originally in reruns. These DVD sets are fully restored and remastered versions of the classic TV series. Season 11 contains all 26 episodes, some unseen and unavailable for decades. Season 12 has 25 episodes some also unseen and unavailable for decades. Watching these releases reminds me of what family programming once was on TV. It’s wholesome with no agenda unlike today’s cynical world. By these seasons this series was pumped out flawlessly. Every cog worked smoothly and the show had a slew of guest stars. Like BONANZA it’s iconic TV and timeless and would make a great Father’s Day gift. The restoration and remastering is pretty top notch and the picture quality might be better than when it originally aired.
Last we have SEAL Team: Season Six. This was a series originally aired on CBS, but now streams on Paramount+. It’s a show I’ve enjoyed on home video for years and every time a new season comes my way I question why I never actually watch the show when it airs. It’s a show respected by veterans because of all the veterans who work on the series. David Boreanaz is the lead and I’ve always liked him since Angel. Season Six has 10 episodes and opens with BRAVO team being ambushed in episode 1. Other episodes include action in a Russian controlled territory, Syria, Jordan, the attack of the U.S.S. Crampton and more. There’s a major loss towards the end so I’m curious where it goes in Season 7.
The Nerds Templar 