Category: Television Reviews

Is It Die Hart or Die Harter? Movie Version Review and Sequel News.

Kevin Hart’s manic exuberance in Die Hart gets played up for different reasons. Can he become a different kind of talent that he’s not?

Die Hart 2 Movie PosterNot everyone knows Kevin Hart starred in a TV series which follows a fictional version of himself as he learns how to become an action star. Die Hart was released in 2020 on Quibi as 10 minute shorts, and to find an edited together movie on Amazon Prime is more of a reminder. That’s because Die Harter is set to debut on Roku on March 31.

From the official synopsis:

After achieving his dream of becoming a bona fide action hero in Die Hart, Kevin Hart now wants to cement his legacy as the greatest action star of all time. He’s developed a concept for a revolutionary movie where the action is so unscripted and unexpected that even Kevin won’t know what’s coming next. But his myopic dream comes with a blind spot, and he soon finds himself the victim of an evil revenge plot, orchestrated by someone from his past.

In the sequel, Kevin must enlist the help of his favourite co-star Jordan King (Nathalie Emmanuel, returning for season 2), his over-eager assistant Andre (Ben Schwartz), Andre’s mom Cynthia (Paula Pell), and legendary Hollywood stuntman Mr. 206 (John Cena) if he wants to survive.

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Shout! Factory Dialed up the Tokusatsu ♡ with 2 Complete Series this Month!

This month brings Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger and Kamen Rider Ryuki to home video, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Tokusatsu Series Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger on home video!
Available to order on Amazon USA

Shout! Factory

Before Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there was Super Sentai! This original presentation consists of many series only a superfan of the Tokusatsu genre can make sense of. Not only do we have the (fill in this blank) type ranger titles, but also there’s Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009. They’re all part of the megaverse, a term I’d rather use than meta.

What’s offered started hitting Japanese airwaves in the mid-70s, and to know where everything crosses over means really remembering all that’s been broadcasted since. Thanks to Shout! Factory for providing me with the releases lately, and they’re definitely shows I’m proud to play for my young nieces and nephews in hopes they’ll become fellow otakus.

First, I’ll look at what’s released this week and work backwards:

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Looking at Lockwood and Co from a Realistic Paranormal Investigator’s Perspective

What we see from Lockwood and Co is in how often they fail to understand the needs of a ghost who was once human.

Lockwood and CoNow playing on Netflix

Lockwood and Co has a ghastly problem. They can’t put a stop to the numerous hauntings around London alone. That is, nobody wants to help this supernatural problem-solving agency since they are like the black sheep of the industry. They are not ghostbusters, and nor are they an offshoot organisation similar to the Society for Psychical Research.

In this world wonderfully conceived of by Jonathan Stroud, these ghosts have an agenda. They want to harm the living but I’m wondering if they’re united or just separately acting out. The five books Netflix plans to adapt will show what the plan is. I haven’t read them, but after watching the first season, I feel the need to.

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Revisiting the 80s in Absurdist Fashion. Night Court is Back!

In Night Court, the mix of humour and empathy made the early series special which the new continuation strives to achieve.

Night Court 2023NBC’s Night Court is back in session, and instead of giving us a series laden with nostalgia, there’s some updates to show that life has moved on for some, others stuck in a rut, and the new faces are replacing familiar ones. That is, a few members of Harry Stone’s courtroom have either retired or have passed away. Although the first two episodes don’t have the zest that the original series had, I waited for the next releases to judge if the series is solid sitcom gold or not.

So far, John Larroquatte still got it as Dan Fielding, the character he plays. He’s a far cry from the irrepressible version from long ago, and to see how he developed to that state is why I’m loving this show. Although he was really hesitant to return to working at the old haunting grounds, the new young magistrate has high hopes that he can do what his collegue from long ago could offer. Be empatic and keep people from going to jail.

In the latest, “Dan V. Dating,” he’s certainly getting challenged in more ways than one. So far, this is the best episode to date, and it suggests that this series is more about Dan than the other characters. Hopefully that’ll change as the character arcs for the others get better. This new Night Court needs to better balance the narratives between the five. I’m finding the newcomers are basically replacements of those those performers who sadly passed away. Nothing’s been said about what happened to Christine Sulliven (Markie Post) or the others. She will always be that perky ray of sunshine and Abbey Stone (Melissa Rauch) gives similiar vibes. Had she lived, I’m willing to bet the producers would have put her on the bench once again.

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Jinkies! After 6 Episodes, HBO Max’s Velma’s Unexpected Turn Is With Why Crystal Cove Is….

Just because HBO Max’s Velma uses the same font as the Scooby Doo cartoons to implies some relationship, this series has gone astray.

VelmaIs it safe to say HBO Max’s Velma exists in a different continuity than all the past entries in the Scooby-Doo Universe combined? Although there are some references to the canon and an homage to other Hanna Barbera cartoons, it’s tough to say. At least the respect for everything Frank Welker did for this series (he voiced Scooby and Fred) is acknowledged, but I honestly do not think this inclusion is meaningful.

Not even George Jetson reference warrents a laugh. But to be fair, I’m giving my evaluation after watching the first six episodes. One missing factor is in how the main characters do not really respect each other at the start. There seems to be a rivalry between Daphne and Velma, which gets worked out later. Elsewhere, just why Norville matters is put into a strange place, and as for why Fred is a haspin needs a better explanation. They know each other mostly because they’re the same graduating class at Crystal Cove High. Just how they clicked to become a team still hasn’t happened yet.

This entry to this franchise is simply odd. Just because the title uses the same font as the Scooby Doo cartoons implies some relationship, it’s just an odd duck out. As for this group of teenagers to work as a team, it might manifest in the remaining episodes. Shaggy might adopt a dog, but maybe this canine was in his imagination all along. Fandom recognises him as a drug addict and as for that canine; perhaps we’ve been interpreting those past series through his eyes all this time!

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