Chuck's Movie Breakdown

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, I've covered my favorite movies of the year, and my favorite movies of the decade. Now, let's end the year out with my Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020 . Now, there are a lot of movies hitting theaters in the new year, and these are just ten of the ones I'm most excited for. Without further ado, here we go.       # 10 - Death on the Nile : Kenneth Branagh's sequel to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express , which I enjoyed thoroughly. With a cast including Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Russell Brand, and others, along with Branagh himself returning in the role of Hercule Poirot, this is one movie that I am thoroughly intrigued by.       # 9 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife : After Paul Feig's disastrous 2016 Ghostbusters film, Jason Reitman is at the helm of this Stranger Things -esque entry in the Ghostbusters series, which will focus on two teens in a small town. Add i...

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Well along with it being the end of the year, we also mark the end of the decade. Next year will be the stars of the 2020's. So, let's say goodbye to the 2010's with my list of my Top 10 Favorite Movies of the 2010's . Just like with my previous list of my Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2019 , I did not see every movie that came out this decade. So, my list will probably not feature a lot of movies that are really popular, or are award-winning drama films. This is a list of films that I saw throughout the 2010's that I personally liked. With that in mind, lets' get started.        Before we get to the movies that made it onto the list, here are some honorable mentions. These are movies that, while I liked them a lot, they didn't quite make the cut. Such films include: Your Name - a genius feat of anime storytelling, with a unique way of developing a romance between two teens; Avengers: Infinity W...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas the other day. I, for one, certainly did. Well, seeing as it's the end of the year, I thought I'd take a look back at the movies this year and count down some of my favorites. Now, as I've mentioned in the past, these are all my opinion, and I'd like to point out that I didn't see every movie that came out this year. So, don't expect films like Jordan Peele's Us or Martin Scorsese's The Irishman to be here. But, without further ado, here are my Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2019 .            Before we get into the Top 10, here are a few honorable mentions that didn't quite make the cut: Zombieland: Double Tap - fun exciting horror comedy, with a little bit of a been-there-done-that vibe; It - Chapter Two - great concluding follow-up to 2017's It , but not as good as the first film; Glass - great continuation of both Unbre...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, this will be the final review for the 12 Reviews of Christmas for the year 2019. And since it's also Christmas Eve, I thought I'd take a look at a true staple of the holiday season: A Christmas Carol .          Based on the literary classic of the same name by Charles Dickens, there have literally been dozens of adaptations of A Christmas Carol . However, on deciding which version to discuss, I decided to go with a version that is a personal favorite of mine, which is the 1999 TV version starring Patrick Stewart. That's right, Captain Picard himself once starred in a made-for-TV version of A Christmas Carol. The story, of course, follows Ebenezer Scrooge, who is a miserable old miser, who is more concerned with profits and not with the holiday spirit. One Christmas Eve, the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, comes to warn Scrooge that there is a w...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, every so often, there is that one movie that get universally hated by several critics and reviewers. While there are some films, like 2015's Fant4stic , where I wholeheartedly agree with such sentiments, the same cannot be said for the film that I just watched, Cats . Based on the stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which in turn was based on  Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, this feature film was directed by Tom Hooper, who directed such films as the Oscar-winning The King's Speech in 2010 and Les Miserables in 2012. The film's first trailer was trashed by online commenters and movie news sites. However, even after that, and the negative critical response the film has received, I still decided to give it a fair chance. Now, keep in mind that my opinions on the movie are completely genuine. You are free to agree or disagree, but this is how I feel about the film. So,...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're nearly done with the 12 Reviews of Christmas . So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the 1966 classic: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!            Based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. this half-hour animated classic was produced by Looney Tunes ' creator Chuck Jones and narrated by the Frankenstein monster himself, Boris Karloff. The story tells of how after years of suffering through the annual celebration of Christmas, the Grinch, who resides in a cave atop Mt. Crumpit, wants to keep Christmas from happening. In a surprise decision, he puts together a Santa Claus hat and coat, ties an antler onto the head of his dog Max, and rides in a sleigh down the mountain to Whoville, the home of the Whos. As the Whos sleep, and await Christmas morning, the Grinch goes house-by-house and steals the Whos' presents, stockings, decor...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, there was no way I wasn't covering this one in my first year of posting the 12 Reviews of Christmas . So, without further ado, let's take a look at a tried-and-true holiday classic: A Charlie Brown Christmas .          First airing on television in the year 1965, this holiday special by Charles M. Schulz has aired every year around the Christmas season. The story focuses on Charlie Brown, who has a case of the holiday blues, who after some words with his best friend Linus, goes to the psychiatric booth of Lucy, who tells him that what he needs is involvement. So, she suggests to Charlie Brown that he direct the annual Christmas play. Charlie Brown, en route to the auditorium, is further depressed when he sees his dog Snoopy decorating his dog house for a lights and display contest ,and hearing that his sister Sally wants money for Christmas, mainly "tens and...

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're getting close to Christmas, which means that I'm down to the last four reviews for the 12 Reviews of Christmas . So, let's start off the final stretch of the 12 Reviews of Christmas with The Polar Express .         Based on the children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, the story focuses on a child listed in the credits as Hero Boy, who is starting to become skeptical about the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve night, a massive steam engine shows up in the middle of his street, and the Conductor asks if his climbing on board. This train is none other than the Polar Express. The boy climbs aboard the train, where he meets several other kids, including a very spirited young girl, credited as Hero Girl, and a know-it-all kid, voiced by Eddie Deezen (the voice of Mandark from Dexter's Laboratory ), and a boy named Billy, who sits alone in the obse...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, it's time for another entry in the 12 Reviews of Christmas . Today, I thought I'd take a look at a genuine holiday classic. So, let's take a look at Home Alone .           Released in 1990, this film, which had the makings of a run-of-the-mill slapstick comedy, became a holiday classic thanks to director Chris Columbus. The story focuses on Kevin McCallister, who during a busy night that involves getting ready for a morning flight to Paris along with his parents, siblings, cousins, and his aunt and uncle, ALL of whom are going on the trip, becomes fed up with his older brother, Buzz, and shoves him making a mess in the kitchen, and is forced to sleep in the attic, upon which he wishes his family would disappear. During the night, a heavy wind blows in, causing a tree branch to break off, affecting the power lines, and cutting off power. The next mor...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, last night I went to see Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga. This is it, no more Episode films going forward for Star Wars . We've reached the end of an era, friends. So, here are my mostly spoiler-free thoughts on the movie. Don't worry, only minor spoilers lie ahead, nothing major to the plot of the film.            First of all, this film was directed by J.J. Abrams, who also directed 2015's  The Force Awakens . Originally, Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow was slated to direct, but due to issues with story planning, Trevorrow left the film and J.J. came back to conclude the trilogy he started. As far as the story goes, the film picks up some time after the ending of The Last Jedi , with Rey continuing to train as a Jedi, with Leia acting as her teacher. Kylo Ren, the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, ...

           Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, last night ABC aired a special presentation - Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family & Good Times , which features re-creations of two episodes from the shows All in the Family and Good Times , with the characters from the shows being played by contemporary actors. So, I thought I'd discuss my thoughts on the special as part of the 12 Reviews of Christmas .          For a little background on the whole idea behind this special, back in May of this year, ABC did a similar special, with the main difference being that All in the Family was paired up with The Jeffersons . That special features Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz as Gloria and Michael Stivic, with Sean Hayes and Anthony Anderson as part of the All in the Family  episode, with Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes as George...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, I guess we have an answer to the question of whether or not they can make a good Christmas special from a title that is literally a pun. Here it is: A Very Murray Christmas . Released on Netflix in 2015, this Sofia Coppola directed Christmas special features an all-star cast led by, of course, Bill Murray. So, let's take a look at A Very Murray Christmas.         It's Christmas Eve night at the Carlyle Hotel, and Bill Murray has come down with a case of the holiday blues. He's got a Christmas special filming live downstairs in the lounge, and everyone he invited couldn't make it due to there being a massive blizzard keeping any traffic in and out of New York shut down. After some convincing from his producers, Bill, along with Paul Shaffer and Dimitri Dimitrov, heads down to the lounge to perform his special, being stopped by a sleazy Hollywood agent, played by Michael Cera. After a disastrous start to...

           Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, here's another more recent entry on my list this year for the 12 Reviews of Christmas , but with the recent announcement that its sequel is in development, let's take a look at the Netflix Original Movie: The Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell.           The movie starts in Lowell, Massachusetts with recently-widowed mother Claire Pierce, who is still getting over losing her husband Doug, who was a firefighter. Meanwhile, her son Teddy has been stealing cars, and her daughter Kate is trying to keep the family's Christmas spirit alive. On Christmas Eve, Claire has to fill in for a coworker, leaving Teddy to look after Kate. Kate, while watching some old Christmas videos, notices something odd: an arm appearing from the fireplace. Believing this to be Santa Claus, Kate and Teddy set up a camera to catch him in the act.    ...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, this is one I just had to talk about during the 12 Reviews of Christmas . Not a lot of people talk about this one, which is a shame, because it's pretty damn funny. Here we go: A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas .           Released in November of 2011, this Yuletide stoner comedy reunites John Cho and Kal Penn as Harold Lee and Kumar Patel. In fact, Kal Penn took leave from his job a the White House just to film this movie. Not kidding, Kal was working for the Obama Administration at the time this movie was being made. The movie itself is set several years after the second Harold & Kumar movie: Escape from Guantanamo Bay , and several things have happened: Harold has moved out of the apartment and is married to Maria, and Kumar is still at the apartment, his relationship with Vanessa being over. It's Christmas Eve, and Maria's father Carlos has arrive...

           Hey guys, Chuck here. What? You thought I was done talking about Frozen ? Nope! As part of the 12 Reviews of Christmas , I'm taking a look at one of the two Frozen short films that Disney released in between the release of Frozen and the release of Frozen II . The first was Frozen Fever , which I'll probably cover some time in the future, and the second, which I'm talking about now, is a holiday short called Olaf's Frozen Adventure .           It's Christmas time in Arendelle, and everyone is getting ready. After ringing Yule Bell, Anna and Elsa are surprised to see everyone going home, despite having a huge party planned. It turns out that everyone in Arendelle is off to enjoy their Christmas traditions. Realizing that Anna and Elsa don't have one of their own, Olaf heads through town, along with Sven, to find some. After gathering a few traditions from the people, Olaf gets lo...

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and welcome back to the 12 Reviews of Christmas . Today, I thought I'd take a look at something a little darker than yesterday's Jeff Dunham review. So, let's take a look at Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale .          Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a Netflix series based on the Archie comic book series of the same name. This is actually the latest TV version of the character of Sabrina, who was most popularly featured in a late 90's TGIF sitcom on ABC, and was portrayed by Melissa Joan Hart. However, this version of Sabrina, portrayed by Kiernan Shipka of Mad Men fame, is in a much darker world, that is tied in with the CW series Riverdale . While no cross-overs between Sabrina and Riverdale have happened yet, creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has not ruled out the possibility yet, and has even suggested a stand-alone feature film featuring ...

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and welcome to the start of the 12 Reviews of Christmas . I thought I'd kick off this series of yuletide reviews with Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special .           Aired initially on Comedy Central, and currently available to watch on Netflix, this comedy special was filmed live at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, and features a series of hilarious segments performed by Dunham and his various ventriloquist puppets. Jeff starts off with telling the story of watching a video of his daughter trying to put gasoline in a car, and then he performs with the following puppets, and each one is more hilarious than the last.           The first of the puppets is the ever-grouchy old curmudgeon Walter, who is annoyed with the different holiday greetings, and cracking a joke about Kwanzaa, which was pretty funny. The next puppet in the line-up is, of course, the skeletal goofball ...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, this will be the last Throwback Thursday of 2019. Tomorrow, I will be starting a new set of reviews to close out the year with what I'm calling the 12 Reviews of Christmas . After that, I'll be posting two top 10 countdowns: my top 10 favorite films of the year, and also my top 10 favorite films of the decade. After that, I'll be taking a hiatus for a week or so, and will return with new reviews starting on January 16th.  But, for Throwback Thursday this week, since I'm still in Star Wars mode, let's take a look at Fanboys .         Released in 2009, this road trip comedy was directed by Kyle Newman, and is a real love letter to Star Wars fans, but also a bit of a middle-finger to Star Trek fans. The story starts off on Halloween Night in 1998, just six months until the release of the newest Star Wars film: The Phantom Menace . Eric ...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, here we are. The last review in the Countdown to The Rise of Skywalker . It's hard to believe that after starting this series with my review of The Phantom Menace that I'd get to this point. But here we are: Star Wars: The Last Je di. Released in December of 2017, this entry of the Star Wars saga was directed by Rian Johnson, and has three major storylines going on at the same time: one of which is Rey training in the ways of the Jedi under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker, and the other two deal with the Resistance fleet trying to de-activate the First Order's active tracker so that they can jump to lightspeed without being followed. Now, I am aware that The Last Jedi was very divisive, with some fans liking it, and others hating it outright. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at The Last Jedi .           The story starts off with t...