National Treasure: book Of Secrets: A Second look- Just One Sequel? Should there Be More? Quick Take: Due to the first in the franchise celebrating its 20th Anniversary, it felt like the right time to revisit the only two films that exist. the sequel actually outgrossed the original, so it is strange that the film didn’t reach the necessary threshold to launch a third film. Helen Mirren joined the franchise too, and would have been fun to see in a third movie. A solid sequel that is just a little short of the original, but not by much. For more, … Continue reading National Treasure: Book OF Secrets

National Treasure: 20th Anniversary- Nicolas Cage Searches For a Franchise In Historical Documents Quick Take: I never quite understood why the franchise driven Disney stopped making these films. The first made about 340 million internationally on a budget of 100 million. The sequel actually outgrossed it, with an international of 459 million. Where is the third film? Rewatching this for the first time with audio description, I’m reminded of just how solid this is. Nicolas Cage was really creating a nice “adventurer” type, something the world was chasing as Indiana Jones hadn’t yet made that fourth film. It was time … Continue reading National Treasure: 20th Anniversary

Brothers (2024)(Amazon)- Peter Dinklage, Josh Brolin, Brendan Fraser, Glenn close Quick Take: This odd crime caper didn’t land with me. It has a talented cast, including Peter Dinklage, Josh Brolin, Taylor Page, Glenn Close, and Brendan Fraser, but the dynamic between the brothers, the evolution of the plot, and just some story elements that felt too slow to care about, just made for a very average experience. The cast can only do just so much heavy lifting. Two brothers, born into a family of idiot criminals, find themselves on the same path. Later, Dinklage is in jail, and brolin is … Continue reading Brothers (2024)

Rez Ball (Netflix)- A True Story Becomes A Real Buzzer Beater Quick Take: This surprisingly good basketball drama, produced by Lebron James, is flying under the radar this year. It is centered around an indigenous basketball team who fight hard on the court, and off. They face a tremendous personal loss as a team, and must find their way forward, while it seems like the world is stacked against them. The audio description is fantastic and allows the cast to be supported as they navigate in and out of English and their own indigenous language, which some of the team … Continue reading Rez Ball

Divorce (Netflix)- A Witty International Offering That Asks Some Important Questions Quick Take: This international feature received random audio description from netflix, and I actually appreciated it. The quality was decent, the dub voice cast did nice work, and it was a pleasant surprise. The movie centers around a man and a woman who long ago divorced legally. She is actually remarried, and has a kid with her second husband, but her ex-husband is looking to get married but the church won’t allow it because they consider him still married. So, they have to do this convoluted dance based on … Continue reading Divorce

Memoir Of A Snail- From The Director Of Mary and Max Quick Take: Sadly, this stop motion awards contender doesn’t have audio description. I was not provided any, and the theatrical release was missing it as well. So, while the story of a woman whose life is full of these really heavy moments, and who has an affinity for snails, is not something I’d recommend to a blind and visually impaired audience. it is a shame, because the director’s previous work, Mary and Max, is very well regarded. There are moments here in this R-rated animation that are profound in … Continue reading Memoir OF A Snail