Up first this week is Ride On. We here at The Nerds Templar are big Jackie Chan fans and yes he’s getting older and can’t do the stunts he could do before, but this was a nice throwback to classic Jackie films. Chan plays an aging stuntman in China and along with his horse gets a chance to do more film work. His career picks up a bit of steam again while he fights to keep his horse. He got the horse through the studio and after the death of an executive, the estate comes calling for the horse. Chan gets his estranged law student daughter involved to help deal with his legal battles. Along the way you get to see Chan do some great stunts even at his age and, the best part, old footage of past Chan films are cut in to show what his character used to do. If you are a Chan fan you’ll recognize some of the footage. I also have to admit I almost cried watching the film. Not only did the old footage almost get me, but there is a hugely emotional scene with Chan and the horse towards the end of the film. I legit almost cried. As he ages we won’t get nearly as many films and crazy stunt work from Chan, but this was a nice reminder of the incredible career he’s had. If are you familiar with his filmography you’ll completely eat this up. Definitely recommend for fellow Jackie Chan fans.
Second we have Dark Winds: Season 2. Season 1 was a nice surprise for me and Season 2 is just as solid. The series is based on books I’ve never read, but you don’t need to know the characters to enjoy the show. Season 2 finds Leaphorn dealing with a case that intersects with Chee’s case. Chee is in the private sector looking into a missing item from a safe that Jeri Ryan hires him to find. A white man connects both cases and might have ties to the death of Leaphorn’s son from years past. Set in the early 1970s, I love the vehicles and clothing in the show. The old school pick-up trucks are fantastic and Chee wears a polyester suit they all make fun of. It’s a solid series and I’ve enjoyed both seasons so far. Having never read the books I can’t tell you how accurate to the books the series is, but even if they aren’t similar, the series is a well made drama with good acting and a storyline that keeps you guessing. I’ll catch Season 3 when it comes my way for sure.
Sticking with TV next is Murdoch Mysteries Season 16. It consists of 24 episodes on 5 discs including a 2 part episode to open the season involving the death of 2 gravediggers. Murdoch and his wife Dr. Julia must balance their professions with raising their new baby daughter. Episodes include author Rudyard Kipling, a murder outside a burlesque show, the creators of Harley Davidson, an actress killed on-screen, an athlete killed by a javelin, Halley’s Comet, the murder of an art dealer, the death of a bride on her wedding day, and Murdoch going into the private sector. I binged the season over about a week and love the quirkiness of it. Sixteen seasons in it still has that oddball Sherlock type vibe with late 19th century/early 20th century technology and setting. If you are a fan you should add the latest season to your collection.
Last we have Marcel Pagnol: My Father’s Glory & My Mother’s Castle. I am not familiar with the work of Marcel Pagnol. He was a playwright, novelist and filmmaker and these two films are adaptations of his autobiographical novel. They are from 1990 and while watching them I thought they were much older. I honestly thought the films themselves were from the 1960s especially having child nudity. My Father’s Glory recounts Pagnol’s youth set between the early 1900s and World War I. His father was a school teacher and he was a very intelligent young boy. The family takes a trip to the country for the summer where he befriends a boy and spends his days until they need to return to Marseilles. My Mother’s Castle continues the story this time involving a young girl instead of a boy he befriends. It also jumps into the future telling the viewer what has become of the characters and how he became a famous film director. They aren’t films I’d watch again, but they are well made and well acted. I genuinely thought there were 5 or 6 decades old, not just from the 1990s. If you are a fan of Pagnol’s and know the films you’ll love this release.
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