What to Watch This Weekend: August 28, 2020 - Bill & Ted, Get Duked!, The Binge, The 24th, Some Great Black Films, and Documentaries

For The Dark Comedy Fan - Get Duked! (Amazon)

Get Duked! has a dark comedic style, quirky characters, and story that puts them all to great use with plenty of ridiculousness and laugh out loud moments!  For more information, check out our review!

A Historical Story About Racial Injustice That Feels All Too Familiar - The 24th (Digital)

The 24th tells an incredibly powerful and timely true story that will spark emotions with its fantastic performances and focus on issues that we as a nation are still confronting.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Thrillseeker - Class Action Park (HBO Max)

Class Action Park tells an unbelievable story with fantastic archival footage and first-hand accounts by those most affected by this fun and dangerous abusement park.  For more information, check out our review!

For the World Traveler - Through Greenland (Topic)

Through Greenland lets you follow along Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's journey of self discovery, giving an intimate look at the people and places that make this such a special land.  For more information, check out our review!

For Those Wanting A Night Out - The Binge (Hulu)

The Binge is a fun, ridiculous Purge-like movie with good camaraderie, ridiculous situations, a good group of friends and Vince Vaughn being his Vince Vaughniest.   For more information, check out our review!

For The Fan of Most Excellent Adventures - Bill & Ted Face The Music (Digital)

It's been a long time, but Bill and Ted are back and this sequel / reboot is better than ever.  It has the characters and humor that made the original films so great, but has been updated for our modern times.  

For the Spike Lee Fan - BlackKKlansman (Free to rent on streaming platforms)

Spike Lee has been one of the most outspoken and influential black movie voices of our time.  BlackkKlansman tells a compelling historical story with an amazing cast, biting commentary, and a lot of humor.  And it is free to rent on various streaming platforms so now is a great time to experience it.

For the Action or Keannu Fan - John Wick 3: Parabellum (HBO)

Tick tock Mr. Wick.  The latest John Wick film leaves HBO this month, so make sure to check it out.  It has John Wick's trademark flair, brutal and imaginative action, and continues the assassin's story against ever increasing odds.  For more information, check out our review!

For Those Living Their Best Life - The King of Staten Island (Redbox)

The King of Staten Island was one of the first films to go direct to on demand, and Pete Davidson's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama received rave reviews for Davidson's fantastic performance.  

What to Watch This Weekend: February 7, 2020

In Theaters: Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey is a triumphant breakout for Harley Quinn, a wild celebration of this character filled with bold style, entertaining action, a wonderful cast, and plenty of craziness.  For more information, check out our review!

In Theaters: The Traitor

The Traitor is an Italian mob epic, with amazing acting, a brutal and compelling story, and perfect music that will keep you engaged until the final shot.  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire takes a very funny cast, ridiculous situations, and lots of funny moments and tells a silly but heartwarming story that the whole family will love!  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep pairs a stellar cast, with a big score, and enough nostalgia from the original movie to keep you entertained.  Whether you are a fan of the novel or have seen Kubrick's original masterpiece, you will thoroughly enjoy Doctor Sleep. For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Showtime): The Best of Enemies

A historical film starring two amazing actors playing very different characters, The Best of Enemies tells the story of the clash between a civil rights advocate and a leader in the local Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina during school integration.  This was an underappreciated film in theaters and should not be missed now!

Streaming (HBO): John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

John Wick Chapter 3 is an action-packed new chapter in the John Wick saga.  It has John Wick's trademark flair, brutal and imaginative action, and continues the assassin's story against ever increasing odds.  For more information, check out our review!

Review: John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

Release date: May 17, 2019
Running time: 130 minutes
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane

Tick tock, Mr. Wick.  John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum takes place immediately after the last John Wick.  John has gotten himself into a conundrum, and in true John Wick fashion his only hope of survival will involve old favors, coins from his past life, and lots of bullets.  This time John has a price tag on his head, and all his old colleagues are lining up to take on the baba yaga himself.   

John Wick is all about action and this movie does not disappoint.  The fights are the highlight of this film and the action is brutal and imaginative.  John Wick's fights have never shied from violence and this film continues that tradition with some truly imaginative fights and bone crunching sounds.  Although the action is varied and brutal, the choreography itself is a little slower than I would have liked.  Perhaps it is just John Wick showing his age, but there were several fights that had a medieval times type of vibe, where moves are visibly held waiting for the opponent to wander right into them.  It distracts a little but, thankfully, is only a minor knock against some truly knock out fights.   

John Wick has a certain style to it and this movie does not disappoint.  Despite the generally dark environment and subject matter, there are plenty of bright colors and vibrant lights to keep the action engaging.  The movie has a fairly diverse set design, with John traveling to many locations throughout New York City and afar in an attempt to extract himself from his current predicament.  John travels to a couple exotic locations, and some of these scenes are truly breathtaking the first time you see them.  

If there is one knock against John Wick (other than the minor issue with the fight choreography) it is that the story itself is lacking.  There is a through line, but the plan itself that John comes up with is one part confusing and another part convoluted.  Additionally, although the film tries to have the audience empathize with John when he reveals his motivation to continue fighting, the motivation felt disingenuous to the John Wick character.  

Minor criticisms aside, John Wick Chapter 3 is an action-packed new chapter in the John Wick saga.  It has John Wick's trademark flair, brutal and imaginative action, and continues the assassin's story against ever increasing odds.  

Watch it