Chuck's Movie Breakdown

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we've reached the end of the year, which means it's time to count down my Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2024 . Now, while this past year has been, well, disappointing to say the least, it was still a recovery year coming off of the massive Hollywood Labor Strikes of 2023. So, let's just count our blessings we had such a decent turnout of films for this past year.          Before we get to the Top 10 , here are a few honorable mentions: Bad Boys: Ride or Die : a fun fourth outing for the action-comedy franchise, with fun performances by Martin Lawrence and Will Smith; Furiosa : George Miller's prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road  was filled with action and memorable performances by Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire : the newest  Ghostbusters flick had lots of fun new elements mixed in with plenty of member berries; Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire : Godzilla and Kong retur...

           Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, another year has reached its end. And, of course, with that in mind, it's time for me to rank my favorite new television series of 2024. Now, to qualify for this list, a show has to have both debuted and completed its season in 2024. So, as much as I am currently enjoying series like Star Wars: Skeleton Crew  and DC Studios' Creature Commandos , neither of those two shows will wrap until January, so it wouldn't be fair to include them on this list. As for the ones that did make it, here we go:            #8  - Avatar: The Last Airbender : Netflix's live-action adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon wasn't perfect, but was a decent start, and certainly a much better adaptation than the 2010 M. Night Shyamalan film The Last Airbender.           #7  - Knuckles : the Paramount+ spin-off to the Sonic the Hedgehog movies was a ton of fun, with more ...

        Alright guys, Chuck here, and this is my review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , the latest film in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series. This film sees the returns of Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Lee Majdoub, Tom Butler, Natasha Rothwell, and Shemar Moore, who are joined by the likes of Krysten Ritter and Alyla Browne. Also returning are Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Colleen O'Shaughnessy as the voice of Tails, and Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles, and they are joined by Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow.         So, this movie sees Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles coming face-to-face with Shadow the Hedgehog, a being that fell to Earth years before and was being used in a secret government project once overseen by Dr. Gerald Robotnik. Teaming up with their human allies, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles must confront Shadow and Gerald, along with Gerald's grandson Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who returns after his previous defeats at the hand...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're at the end of another 12 Reviews of Christmas , which means only one thing: it's time to discuss yet another version of A Christmas Carol . This year, we're talking about one of the more... intriguing takes on the Charles Dickens classic: Blackadder's Christmas Carol  starring Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Robbie Coltrane, Miranda Richardson, Miriam Margolyes, and Jim Broadbent.         So, for a bit of context, Blackadder  was a BBC comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson as various iterations of two men, Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick, in various points of British history, such as the Middle-Ages, the Elizabethan era, and the British Regency. In each era, Blackadder was always portrayed as an insufferable asshole, while Baldrick was portrayed as a dimwitted lapdog. Each season was also notable for having additional cast members unique to each seas...

       Hey guys, Chuck here. This year marks the 110th anniversary of arguably one of the most important moments in modern world history. On Christmas Eve in 1914, in the midst of World War I, soldiers from opposing fronts agreed to a ceasefire in commemoration of the Christmas holiday. So, to commemorate the anniversary of the event, today for 12 Reviews of Christmas , I would like to take a look at the 2005 foreign film Joyeux Noël , starring Benno Fürmann, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis, and Alex Ferns, and written and directed by Christian Carion.         So, Joyeux Noël is a fictitious recounting of the actual historical event, and it tells a story of six characters: Gordon, a Scottish lieutenant, Audebert, a French lieutenant, Horstmayer, a Jewish-German lieutenant, Father Palmer, a Scottish priest serving as a chaplain, and opera singers Nikolaus Sprink and Anna Sørensen. As the Christmas holiday approaches, Ni...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, it's not Christmas without Home Alone , but since we've already talked about the three actually decent Home Alone movies, we're pretty much down to the lesser Home Alone movies, starting with 2002's Home Alone 4, also known as Home Alone: Taking Back the House .           The movie attempts to reconnect to the original Home Alone movies by reintroducing the McAllisters: Kevin, Buzz, Megan, and their parents Peter and Kate. Now, for those Home Alone fans that are wondering about the other two McAllister kids, Jeff and Linnie, they apparently don't exist in this movie, and Kevin only has two older siblings in the forms of Buzz and Megan. Also, the McAllister house is much smaller than the one from the original Home Alone movies. And, Peter and Kate have split up, with Peter living in a much more luxurious house with his new girlfriend Natalie.           Tired of being...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, since we talked about the Halloween special Scared Shrekless back in October, it's only appropriate to talk about a Shrek Christmas special in December. So, for today's 12 Reviews of Christmas , let's talk about the 2007 special Shrek the Halls .             So, it's Christmas time, and it's the first Christmas that Shrek and Fiona are celebrating with their children. But, Shrek never celebrated Christmas before, and is completely out of his depth. So, seeking help, Shrek goes to a book shop, where the clerk gives him a copy of "Christmas for Village Idiots," and Shrek attempts to follow the book to the letter to give his family the perfect Christmas.            And, for the most part, things go pretty well for Shrek. That is, until Donkey, Puss in Boots, the Three Little Pigs, the Wolf, the Three Blind Mice, Pinocchio, Gingy, and Dragon all show up, and the pa...

           Hey guys, Chuck here. After the release of A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner , Nickelodeon decided to produce a sequel to be released for the 2012 Christmas season. And, of course, director Savage Steve Holland and lead stars Drake Bell and Daniella Monet would return for A Fairly Odd Christmas , which would also Star Tony Cox, Devyn Dalton, Travis Turner, David Lewis, and Donavon Stinson.           So, it's Christmas time, and Santa Claus is getting ready for his annual deliveries on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, many of the children on Santa's nice list are having their names disappear, as they're already getting their wishes granted thanks to the wish-granting business that Timmy and Tootie have taken up since the end of the first movie. So, two of Santa's elves, Christmas Carol and Dingle Dave, escort Timmy, Tootie, Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof to the North Pole. And, it's here where Santa decides to have a tal...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a recently released anime film from director Kenji Kamiyama, who is best known among anime fans for his work on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Blood: The Last Vampire, and at least one of the shorts from Star Wars: Visions .          The movie is set one hundred years before the War of the Ring, and tells the story of a conflict over the control of Rohan, where Helm Hammerhand, along with his sons, Hama and Haleth, and his daughter, Héra, must fend off the ruthless Wulf and his army of Dunlendings at the fortress of Dunharrow, which later becomes known as Helm's Deep.         Okay, so this movie has been getting slammed online, with many calling it "fanfiction" and referring to Héra as a "self-insert girlboss." However, while I don't wholly disagree with such criticisms, I do think that such criticisms are misleading and in...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. And, as many of us know, there are a ton of well known commercials produced to air at Christmas time. So, for today's 12 Reviews of Christmas , I wanted to talk about some of my favorite Christmas commercials. And, there are quite a few to discuss.        - Hershey's Kisses: We Wish You a Merry Christmas : Okay, so this is one of the more famous Christmas commercials, and the perfect one to start off with. A bunch of Hershey's Kisses, wrapped in red or green foil, ring out like Christmas bells to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Certainly a fun choice of song, and definitely a simple commercial. And, it definitely gets me to include Hershey's Kisses among the treats I like to share with friends and family around the Christmas holidays.          - M&M's: Meet Santa Claus : another famous one, this M&M's commercial gets a ton of airplay at Christmas time, and has since I was ...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we haven't done a game review for 12 Reviews of Christmas , so I think that today is the perfect day to do so. So, let's talk about the 2013 video game Batman: Arkham Origins, developed by WB Games Montreal and based on the DC Comics character Batman.          Set roughly eight years before the events of Arkham Asylum, Arkham Origins is set on Christmas Eve night in Gotham, were Roman Sionis/Black Mask has instigated a riot at Blackgate Penitentiary. Batman suits up and takes the Batwing to assist in quelling the riot. While Batman is able to save the Warden, he fails to save the life of Commissioner Loeb, who is executed by Black Mask. Batman goes after Black Mask, but is attacked by Waylon Jones/Killer Croc, who after their fight reveals that he's merely the first, and others are out there. Back at the Batcave, Batman and Alfred go over a data card, which reveals what Croc was talking about: Black Mask pu...

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and it looks like we have another Christmas special featuring that little yellow sponge who lives in an undersea pineapple. Yep, SpongeBob SquarePants is back in SpongeBob and Sandy's Country Christmas , which aired on Nickelodeon earlier this month and is currently streaming on Paramount+.           So, it's Christmastime once again in Bikini Bottom, and everyone in town is getting ready. Meanwhile, in her Treedome, Sandy is working on a science experiment, was help from SpongeBob, to revolutionize Christmas. Unfortunately, the formula she creates doesn't exactly work right away, but she hopes to crack it in time for Christmas. However, Sandy's relatives arrive from Texas, in a genuine holiday surprise.         And, of course, when SpongeBob goes to his Christmas Eve shift at the Krusty Krab, things aren't going super well, as Mr. Krabs is having Squidward sing, terribly mind ...

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're back with more 12 Reviews of Christmas . For those who are unaware, Big Time Rush was a Nickelodeon sitcom focused on four teenage boys from Minnesota who wind up working with music producer Gustavo Rocque to form a boy band called Big Time Rush. In addition, the four actors playing the fictional band Big Time Rush performed together as Big Time Rush in real life, even recording a few albums together. And, in the show's second season, Big Time Rush had a Christmas special titled Big Time Christmas .        So, it's Christmas time, and Big Time Rush is preparing to return home to Minnesota for Christmas, along with Kendall's mother and sister, both of whom moved into the Palm Woods in Los Angeles with the boys. Gustavo, meanwhile, is planning a Christmas trip to Fiji. But, things are derailed as Gustavo's boss, Griffin, wants Big Time Rush to record a Christmas E.P. to sell online. So, Big Time Rush and Gusta...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. A Nonsense Christmas is a brand new Christmas special, currently streaming on Netflix, and stars Sabrina Carpenter, along with other celebrity stars like Shania Twain, Tyla, and Chappell Roan.            So, A Nonsense Christmas is very much your typical Christmas special, filmed in a studio with a live audience. And, as Sabrina Carpenter says it, it's a "musical comedy holiday special." So, it's got lots of funny humor, holiday jingles, and everything that one would associate with the holiday season. And, I would be lying if I said that it wasn't a lot of fun. Because, honestly, this particular Christmas special was probably one of the most fun straight-up Christmas specials since Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays from a couple years ago.            Right off the bat, you can tell that Sabrina Carpenter has a lot of fun hosting this special. And, she gets into...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. And it looks like 12 Reviews of Christmas has come full circle, as it was during the first edition of 12 Reviews of Christmas where I talked about Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special . So, today, let's take a look at Jeff's latest Yuletide comedy special: Jeff Dunham's Scrooged-Up Holiday Special,  currently streaming on Amazon.           Filmed live at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, the special sees Jeff talking about the reason for hosting a Christmas special, and what Christmas means to him. As it turns out, Jeff got his first ventriloquist puppet for Christmas as a child, which led to his career in ventriloquism. As for the purpose of this particular Christmas special, Jeff reveals that his wife, Audrey, suggested that he and his many puppet characters film a new take on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. But, who to cast in the roles? Well, to find out who would play whom, Jef...

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and the most wonderful time of year is back, which means it's time, once more, for 12 Reviews of Christmas.  We've got twelve holiday specials to talk about, and twelve days to do it in. So, let's start off with a brand new movie: Red One.         Released a month ago, Red One was produced by Amazon-MGM and Seven Bucks Productions, directed by Jake Kasdan, and stars Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, and J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus.         The movie tells the story of how, on a Christmas Eve night, black ops agents breach the North Pole and kidnap Santa Claus. This forces Callum Drift, who leads Santa's security detail and is preparing to retire due to the growth of Santa's naughty list, to locate a hacker named Jack O'Malley, who had evidently found the North Pole's secret location and sold it to an anonymous buyer. Drift, despite knowin...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Back during 2023's Disney Renaissance Month , I mentioned that one of the more successful animated films to cash in on Disney's success at the time was 1997's Anastasia , directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, and starring Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Hank Azaria, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Lloyd, and Angela Lansbury. Well, today, I would like to give you guys my thoughts on this '90s animated gem.             So, to get this out of the way, what is Anastasia ? Well, the best way to sum up this movie is that it's a musical fairytale inspired by a Russian historical urban legend surrounding the Grand Duchess Anastasia, who was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicolas II, and part of the Romanov dynasty. The legend goes that, on the night the Bolsheviks invaded the palace, one daughter was rumored to be missing, and many women had made false claims to being the lost princess to claim wha...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, with the holiday season just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to take a look at a fantasy film from the early 2000's. Based on the C.S. Lewis book of the same name, Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was directed by Andrew Adamson, and stars William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, James Cosmo, and Tilda Swinton, with the vocal talents of Michael Madsen, Rupert Everett, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, and Liam Neeson.          During the London Blitz of World War II, the Pevensie children, consisting of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are forced to flee the the city, and are taken in by Professor Kirke, who lives in an sizeable mansion in the country. One rainy day,while playing hide-and-seek with her elder siblings, Lucy wanders into an empty spare room, and opens a beautifully carved wooden wardrobe. A...

         Hey guys. Chuck here, and I just went to see Moana 2 , the newest film from Disney Animation, and the sequel to the 2016 film Moana . This movie features the vocal talents of Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, and Rachel House.           Set a few years after the first film, Moana 2 sees Moana and members of her village traversing the ocean, and getting them used to going back on the ocean again. One night, however, Moana sees a vision from her ancestors, and thus she gathers her crew, reunites with Maui, and sails the ocean to find the hidden island of Motufetu, break the curse of a sea god called Nalo, and reconnect the people of the ocean.           So, one major thing I liked about Moana 2 is the improvements in animation and character design. While Moana and Maui still look like their counterparts from the first film...