3.5 Razors

The Kid Who Would Be King

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Kid Who Would Be King
  • IMDb: link

The Kid Who Would Be King movie reviewFar more successful than 2017’s dreary King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, there may be a lesson for Hollywood to adapt a lighter touch when embracing the legend of King Arthur. The Kid Who Would Be King is a family movie that kids are likely to enjoy more than adults, but what surprised me was how smart the film turned out to be and how earnest its themes which will help adults get onboard as well.

After a brief recap of the Arthur legend, the film opens in modern day with a slightly pudgy Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) attempting to save his best friend Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) from a pair of older bullies (Tom Taylor and Rhianna Dorris). While running away from the bullies, Alex stumbles on a sword in a stone which he removes allowing the legend to begin.

Initially discounting what he sees, Alex is forced to believe by the sudden appearance of Merlin (played interchangeably by Patrick Stewart and Angus Imrie) and undead riders from the underworld attempting to retake the sword and deliver it to the evil sorceress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), who after being imprisoned for centuries is about to break free.

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Buffalo Boys

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Buffalo Boys
  • IMDb: link

Buffalo Boys movie reviewAlthough only the first scene of Buffalo Boys takes place in the Old West, there’s never a doubt that Singapore’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film in the 91st Academy Awards is a western through and through. The film tells the story of two brothers (Yoshi Sudarso and Ario Bayu) raised in exile in America who return home to Java with their uncle (Tio Pakusadewo) to avenge their father’s death and bestow some justice to the Dutch oppressors led by the villainous Van Trach (Reinout Bussemaker).

While far from the most polished or original tale, Buffalo Boys proves to be an entertaining mix of marital arts and western themes. On the return home, the family comes across a village whose rebellious daughter (Pevita Pearce) will get wrapped up in their plans leading to the brothers standing against an army of Van Trach’s men in the middle of town.

The final product could have been helped by the addition of more traditional wide-sweeping landscape shots and some tighter storytelling in spots, but it certainly hits the mark in old-school justice themes and in its extended gunfight that, of course, starts with a showdown on Main Street.

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Hawaii Five-0 – Hala I Ke Ala O’i’ole Mai

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Hawaii Five-0 – Hala I Ke Ala O’i’ole Mai
  • wiki: link

Hawaii Five-0 - Hala I Ke Ala O'i'ole Mai television review

Hawaii Five-0 returns from winter hiatus with McGarrett‘s (Alex O’Loughlin) and Catherine (Michelle Borth) in Montana torturing a prisoner for information about the location of the man (Ben Youcef) responsible for the death of Joe White (Terry O’Quinn) and four other SEALs. With Danny (Scott Caan), Junior (Beulah Koale), and Wade (David Keith) in tow, the pair head off to Laos to rendezvous with super-spy Harry Langford (Chris Vance) to infiltrate a highly-secure skyscraper, find their target, and get some justice for their fallen friend.

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Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #45

/ / Comics

Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #45 comic reviewWhile entertaining, Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #45 doesn’t offer much for Mystery, Inc. to do. Opening with the gang attending a show featuring Mister Miracle showcasing the escape artist’s talents, the showman’s wife (along with Daphne and Velma) are captured by monsters from Apokolips forcing the rest of the gang to head after them (van and all).

It’s obvious both writer Sholly Fisch and artist Dario Brizuela are fans of Scott and Barda, and the story does allow for some fun moments featuring the characters, even if figuring a way to get Scooby and the others into their story feels a bit forced.

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X-Force #1

/ / Comics

X-Force #1 comic reviewAs has become Marvel Comics’ custom, X-Force is the latest team title where a new group of familiar faces (and a few new ones) is thrown together under the rebrand of a popular preexisting title. X-Force #1 opens with Domino, Cannonball, Shatterstar, Boom Boom, and Warpath on the trail of the mysterious Teen Cable. With the help of an anti-mutant terrorist group, the team is able to finally catch up to Cable when he rescues Deathlok and escapes a secret Transian facility filled with weapons that shouldn’t exist for at least another 2,000 years.

The issue does its job in introducing the core characters of the title while also setting the stage for the opening arc in which the mutants are framed by the local government of Transia for the death of its leader by the mutant-hating general who has turned the advanced weapons on the mutants given refuge in the country and the X-Force team.

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