ANT-MAN and the WASP Prove Super Hero Size Doesn’t Matter on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Peyton Reed and Marvel Studios comes the next adventure bringing together ANT-MAN and the WASP.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is still under house arrest after the fiasco with CAPTAIN AMERICA: Civil War. Under the watchful eye of Agent Woo (Randall Park), Scott spends time with daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) and his business with partner Luis (Michael Pena).

With days away from the removal of his ankle tracker, Scott is doing his best to behave. Of course that’s all about to change when Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) decides to kidnap him. Freaking out about being out of the house, Hope explains that she and father Dr. Pym (Michael Douglas) need his help.

Both Hope and Pym are still unhappy with what Scott did but there is something more important they need. Working on a way to save her mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hope reaches out to Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), a man who knows how to get things that are – shall we say – slightly illegal.

Once Sonny realizes who Hope is and what her father can do, he makes demands to get a piece of the action. They are interrupted by what can only be describes as a Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and an all out brawl breaks out forcing Scott back into his Ant-Man suit to help.

Now the chase is on as it seems both Sonny and this Ghost want the same thing, to steal Dr. Pym’s lab and discover the secrets inside. Of course Scott also has to keep a low profile but that’s hard to do when you are trying to do what’s right!

Rudd as Scott reminds me of a clean Deadpool in a sense. He is funny, charming, constantly trying to do what’s right even if it goes wrong and wears a tight super hero costume. He brings out the best in his character while being put in the worst situations possible. I have to admit that the scene between Rudd and Fishburne is pretty funny when they are comparing size. I just enjoy Rudd as an actor and ANT-MAN and the WASP proves why that is.

Lily as Hope is smart, tough and has no problem whizzing between sizes to put the bad guys in their place. She is still a little bent out of shape with Scott but believing that her mother might still be alive is much more important. John-Kamen as Ghost has the chance to go a little one-on-one with Lily’s character as they both worked on their martial arts skills perfectly.

Douglas as Dr. Pym is totally p.o.’d at Scott but, like his daughter, sees the necessity of getting Scott’s help. Using his smarts to stay one step ahead of both Sonny and the Ghost, coming up against an old friend might be the hardest to deal with. Fishburne as Dr. Foster has a bone to pick with Pym and it will all come out in the wash.

Pena as Luis finally has his chance to see how the super hero half lives. Making sure Scott is protected and getting a chance to shrink seems to make his life complete. Fortson as Cassie is sweet and wants what is best for her Dad and, of course, has a few ideas on being a super hero herself.

Goggins as Sonny can do no wrong and brings bad guy humor to the film. He is a little greedy and at the same time a little charming with a few one liners that cracked me up. Park as Agent Woo also brings in the laughs trying to stay one step ahead of Scott. Pfeiffer as Janet has a small role (no pun intended) but a necessary character none the less.

Other cast include Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, T.I. as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Divian Ladwa as Uzman and Lawrence Fishburne as Dr. Bill Foster.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment began distributing under its own label in 1980 and continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

Marvel Studios has released sixteen films since 2008 in what is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel is built on a library of over eight thousand characters featured in a variety of media content for over seventy years. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.marvel.com.

The Bluray Extras include Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Back in the Ant Suit: Scott Lang – Hero and all-star dad Scott Lang brings the laughs, both in the film and on set, A Suit of Her Own: The Wasp – Check out how some of the Wasp’s craziest stunts and action-packed scenes were brought to life, Subatomic Super Heroes: Hank & Janet – Witness the legacy of these characters and the iconic actors who portray them, Quantum Perspective – Explore the movie’s VFX and production design, and much, much more!

Also, Movies Anywhere gives you a code to watch anywhere with the Movies Anywhere App for Download and Streaming! Ti watch on iTunes version requires an iTunes account.

ANT-MAN and the WASP is a fun superhero film that the whole family can enjoy filled with fun, total action and characters zipping from small, medium to large with lightening speed. The film comes in at a little over two hours yet never felt like I was being dragged along the story line.

Rudd and Lily work so well together that they made it look effortless. Douglas adds his grumpy salt to the mix and waalaa – a super hero film that will have everyone leaving the film feeling pretty darn good.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for a jaw drop or two after its ending so don’t miss it. The interconnection between the Marvel films is becoming tighter and tighter.

ANT-MAN and the WASP is right up there with the rest of the Marvel films. There is fun, action, adventure, laughs, suspense and all of the reasons that people love superhero films. So find the biggest television in the house, crank up the sound bar and get read to be buzzed!

In the end – real heroes come in all sizes!

SAVED BY THE BELL: The Complete Collection is Binge Worthy

Jeri Jacquin

On DVD this week from SHOUT! Factory is an amazing box set of a ‘90s sitcom series that has made it’s was to the status of iconic with SAVED BY THE BELL: The Complete Collection.

Premièring in 1989, Saved by the Bell is the series about Bayside High School in Palisades, California and friends Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen), Slater (Mario Lopez), Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley), Lisa (Lark Voorhies) and Screech (Dustin Diamond) and their teachers Miss Bliss (Hayley Mills) to Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins).

In the Good Morning, Miss Bliss season, going through school together, these friends go through turmoil’s beginning with Zack beginning his school years with a bit of a lie. If he isn’t busy enough, Zack’s friend Screech has love life issues that only he can solve. Nikki decides that she isn’t about to do anything required to the class science frog.

Screech is dealing with a bully and the gang thinks its best to stand up to him. Teacher Miss Bliss and Mr. Belding trade places while Zack is invited to be part of a club that might not be what he needs.

Season one Saved by the Bell has the gang back again beginning with icon Casey Kasem hosts a dance show. Screech manages to get hit by lightening and becomes clairvoyant and you can be sure Zack and Slater find a way to make that work for them. Jessie’s room is being listening in on when she has a girl’s sleepover and they are going to make who ever is responsible miserable.

Zack thinks it’s time for Screech to have a girlfriend. When substitute teacher Mr. Crane comes to class, the girls are beside themselves with a little bit of a teachers crush. Kelly wants to go to a George Michael concert but the only way that is going to happen is if she gets immediately better at science.

It’s time for the yearly prank when Zack and Slater take off with the Valley’s mascot while the Valley gets a present of their own in the form of Screech!

In Season 2, Zack believes he is finally going to do something special with Kelly by going to the prom. When he learns that she has family problem, Zack does something unexpected. Discovering that Bayside once had a radio station, they convince Mr. Belding that it would be cool to put it back on the air.

Screech isn’t the only one who is a little accident prone when the group breaks something special that belongs to his mother. There is only one way to make it right and that’s to raise the money.

Zack is up to his money making scheme when he believes he can give good advice to students on their relationships with Screech and Lisa. This is going to be good – or is it? When it comes time to do a presentation about his heritage, Zack knows he has to make it work or he can’t be part of the track team. That is when he meets Chief Henry and learns about the culture and heritage.

Who can believe it when Zack, Kelly and Slater have a fall out and are all too stubborn to admit when they are wrong. Mr. Belding is in a similar jam at home and now everyone has to either reconcile with each other or break up an awesome batch of friendships and a marriage.

In Season Three, Kelly gets a job so that she can get a costume for the ball but instead finds herself falling for her boss. Zack is upset when he sees that Kelly and Jeff spent time at the movies so he’s going to give them both a taste of their own medicine.

Zack becomes a judge in the pageant that celebrates the Fourth of July. Thinking it will be fun he soon discovers that one of the contestants is being pushed to win. Fake ID’s are the order of the day when Zack gets a crush on Danielle who just happens to be a college student. The ID’s are so that the boys can get into a nightclub where she goes at night.

Jessie is horrified to learn that her stepbrother Eric uses people to get whatever he wants. Raising money for new cheerleader outfits, Jessie is again unsettled by the school having a date auction. Zack proves why Jessie isn’t happy when a girl wins Zack and he doesn’t want to date her.

Bayside High is about to be on the celebrity map when it is chosen to shoot an anti-drug commercial and are devastated to learn that someone was smoking pot. Imagine their surprise when they learn who it is and Kelly tells them of the pressures they face about trying it themselves.

The group of friends attend a murder mystery weekend and freak out once they discover that the host is missing. They are determined to find out who is responsible for it all.

Season Four starts out with a true test of friendship when Zack and Slater can’t help but fall in love with the same young lady. Screech is busy with his grandma’s spaghetti sauce when he meets Robin. Thinking this is awesome for their friend, they soon discover that she has other plans and it isn’t good.

Slater isn’t happy when he argues with his father about the pros and cons of college versus a military academy and Jessie has college fears of her own. Zack is in another love mess when he falls for Slater’s sister. Slater isn’t about to have it and wants his sister to know of Zack’s ways.

Snow White and the Seven Dorks becomes a rap version that the group performs but a kiss might change everything. With a chance to do something awesome for Bayside High, a contest is started to see who can write the best school song.

Graduation day is here and Zack discovers he needs one more credit to even graduate. Jessie believes that she is valedictorian until she discovers that someone else is chosen and comes to realize this is her chance to let someone else have their dream.

In 1992 Hawaiian Style the group has a chance to go to Hawaii thanks to Kelly’s grandfather. Staying at his hotel, the gang soon learns that there is someone out to take it away from him and they are not about to let that happen!

The College Years start at Cal U where Zack, Slater and Screech discover that college isn’t anything like high school. Zack is going to have to remember the high school days a little bit when Kelly transfers into Cal U.

Slater begins to learn more about his Hispanic heritage when he becomes part of student activism. The girls decide they want to get a big screen TV and the only way to raise the money is by putting together a male pinup calendar. For Thanksgiving, Mike, Leslie and Screech decide to make a holiday meal for kids who truly need it.

Zack sees a copy of the midterm exam and group isn’t sure how to handle it with the new ethics professor. Kelly decides she wants to take a cruise for the summer and Zack instantly goes into a panic over it. There is truly only one way to make sure that Kelly stays with him.

Talking about their futures, Zack and Kelly now have to deal with people who want to play an active part in their marriage decision. As if that isn’t enough, Slater makes it clear that he isn’t for it at all.

Finally, Wedding in Las Vegas brings more family drama than either Zack or Kelly could have anticipated. Especially when Zack’s father makes it clear he is not for the wedding and won’t give him one dime toward it.

Packed and ready to go, the guys don’t get far before they have their first experience behind bars. The girls aren’t having any better luck when their cars radiator blows and belt fails. Along the road comes Kurt Martin who rigs the car and only wants a ride to Vegas as payment.

They boys get out of jail while the girls are already in the Stardust hotel lobby. After guys, gals, money problems, escorts, thugs, misunderstandings, car chases, and dirty diamond, there is a wedding as the group must say their goodbyes so another chapter of their lives can begin.

Hasbro Studios is an iconic brand with some of the best in animation and family programming with MY LITTLE PONY, and LITTLEST PET SHOP. Since its formation in 2009, Hasbro Studios has received seven Daytime Emmy’s!

SHOUT! Factory brings the best to fans offering up feature films, classic television series, animation and specials. For more of what they have to offer go to www.shoutfactory.com. 

The box set includes the Bonus Features of New Documentary Features – Past Times at Bayside High: Making Saved by the Bell and Bayside’s Greatest Hits: The Music of Saved by the Bell, Saturday Morning: From Toons to Teens, It’s Alright: Back to the Bell, The First of Its Class: From Sit-Com to Icon, Audio Commentaries, Photo Galleries and a Sixteen-Page Episode Guide.

That means this amazing SAVED BY THE BELL: The Complete Collection contains all 118 episodes from all three series – Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell and Saved by the Bell: The College Years plus both movies and a locker full of special features.

SAVED BY THE BELL is an iconic series that is continually shared by those of us who watched it from the very beginning. I remember my grown kids spending their time with the Bayside High gang and I never worried that the show was too edgy for them. Instead I enjoyed how much fun they had watching the show and introduced me to it as well.

From the very beginning the show related to the kids about the issues they were facing at the time. From bullying, dances, life choices and friendship, SAVED BY THE BELL continually followed their growing up and into college years where their lives changed even more as the reached young adulthood.

The cast of Gosselaar, Thiessen, Lopez, Berkley, Voorhies and Diamond along with Mills and Haskins truly made the show. None of the characters could have gone on without them because they truly gave faces to the characters they played from the first episode to the last. That is a rare thing for a television series and we are thrilled they did!

Here it is 2018 and the opportunity to revisit old friends once again is all in one box set. That means something to all of us who have come to embrace the show because now the next generation has the chance to see what we all laughed about then and discover that things are not so very different now.

In the end – we were all saved by the bell!

SKYSCRAPER is Everything Anyone Can Want from the Rock on Bluray!

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and Digital from writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes the story of a family man, bad guys and a tall building called a SKYSCRAPER.

Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is a former FBI man who has begun a small security business of his own. Through the help of Ben (Pablo Schreiber), a former member of his FBI team, Will has been given the opportunity of a lifetime. Doing the security check of the highest skyscraper in the world owned by Zhao Long Ji (Chin Han), Will is more than a little nervous.

Living in the family section of the building that is waiting to be open to the public is wife Sarah (Neve Campbell) who is a successful doctor in her own right. Also, their twins Georgia (McKenna Roberts) and Henry (Noah Cottrell) are enjoying the adventure living in Hong Kong.

Meeting with Zhao, Will is given the okay to complete his security work and given a tablet that allows only him access to certain areas of the building. Headed to the off site facility, Will is attacked and his satchel is stolen. Ben is there to help and discovers that Will still has what it takes. It becomes clear that there is something more sinister happening when Kores Botha (Roland Moller) enters the building.

Seen by Sarah in the hallways, it is soon after that a fire alarm goes off! Will figures out that the building is under attack and tries to reach his family when he realizes they are in their apartment. He is surprised when it is put on the big screens around Hong Kong that he is the one responsible for it all.

A police headquarters is set up and led by Inspector Wu (Byron Mann) who is suspicious about everything that has been happening. Putting a call out to find Will, it doesn't take long. On a building next to the skyscraper, Will is finding his own way back into the building that has now been locked down with police hot on his trail.

Zhao is told by his handlers and Mr. Pierce (Noah Taylor) that Will's family is still in the building and they try to retrieve them. As the fire burns out of control and Zhao realizes that his building has been compromised, he knows it's time to go and who is responsible for everything.

None of that matters to Will, he wants his family safe and no billionaire, bad guy or skyscraper is going to stop him!

Johnson as Sawyer is a man with heart, soul and a deep understanding of family. Now, let’s get down to business with this role. Of course this is a 'disaster' film and it looks like a few we've seen over the years yet bit when Dwayne Johnson takes the lead it's all good with me. He always portrays a charmingly humble sort of guy who knows what the right thing is and doesn't hesitate to do it. His characters are always flawed in some way and as Sawyer; he is a man who has a physical disability that doesn't slow him down. He's smart, unwavering and determined to make sure his family comes first and that's what makes him a good dude.

I also must say that if the universe is looking for another Spiderman, they might want to consider Dwayne Johnson (you will understand when you see the film). I was also impressed with little tricks that I kept thinking, “I bet John McClane (DIE HARD) is mad he didn’t think of that”. Just a great homage to a lot of classic disaster and action films I happen to love.

Campell as Sarah is a pretty darn good woman in her own right. She is supportive of her husband, smart with an important career and equally as dedicated to her family. When it all starts to go down, Campell goes into beast mode and makes it clear she is a force to be reckoned with as well. I enjoyed that about her role, she gets her hands dirty and clearly isn't a pushover. That goes for Roberts as daughter Georgia and Cottrell as son Henry as these two are afraid (with every reason to be) yet are motivated by the example set by their parents.

Moller as bad guy Botha is quiet, skilled and doesn't give a hoot who gets in his way. He has a score to settle and settle it he absolutely will. Schreiber as Ben is the man who starts it all using his friendship with Will. Taylor as Mr. Pierce is the guy I'd never trust in a million years which means a performance well done. Mann as Inspector Wu gives Will the chance to plea

Other cast include Kevin Rankin as Ray, Matt O'Leary as Skinny Hacker, Tzi Ma as Fire Chief Sheng, Adrian Holmes as Ajani Okeke, and Elfina Luk as Sgt. Han.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bluray includes the Bonus Features Deleted & Extended Scenes with Commentary by Director Rawson Marshall Thurber – Go behind the scenes with Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the cast of Skyscraper, Dwayne Johnson: Embodying a Hero – Go behind the scenes to see what it took for Dwayne Johnson to bring the intense character of Will Sawyer to life.

Inspiration – Meet the real life amputee and motivational speaker Jeff Glasbrenner, the inspiration for Dwayne Johnson’s role of Will Sawyer. See how Jeff’s consultations helped inform Dwayne’s character from day one. Opposing Forces – There’s no holding back as the women of SKYSCRAPER get in on the action. Now, see first hand what it took for Neve Campbell and Hannah Quinlivan to be fight ready.

Friends No More – When Dwayne Johnson and Pablo Schreiber met face to face, they immediately knew what they were up against. Witness first hand the making of the intense apartment fight between two former on screen friends.

Kids in Action – In SKYSCRAPER everyone gets in on the action, even the Sawyer children. Go on set with Noah Cottrell and McKenna Roberts to discover the moves behind their stunts.

Finally, Pineapple Pitch – Hear first hand from Dwayne Johnson how writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber pitched him the idea of SKYSCRAPER. It may be a little fruitier than you think, and Feature Commentary by Director Rawson Marshall Thurber.

SKYSCRAPER has pretty much everything you go to see an action film for. Although the storyline might seem familiar in a few ways, it certainly doesn't take away from what happens on screen. Johnson goes in full force and doesn't waste any time taking his character for a full on adventure but then again we have come to expect that from him - happily so.

Look, I've been a fan of disaster films since I was a kid. My earliest experience in disasters on film was watching the 1953 film TITANIC with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck which captivated me from start to finish much to my mother's dismay. After that I couldn't wait to see what Hollywood would come up with next and I followed fearlessly with each film. It's probably the notion that I get a thrill out of surviving the disasters or perhaps I just enjoy watching what human beings do when survival is on the line.

Now, SKYSCRAPER is one of those films that I will watch again and again. I enjoyed Johnson be a part of a family that fights for their survival and not be a victim of it which I'm sure the bad guys didn't anticipate. Instead, I cheer them all on and boo when the bad guys showed their ugly mugs and will every time I watch the film.

That's what makes films like SKYSCRAPER so enjoyable - the interaction that my family enjoys being a part of and now at home we can holler as loud as we want! There is something to be said for being outspoken when the characters on screen give us something to cheer about. Finally, this film is just one heck of a good time and just like in the theatres, do so with a bucket of popcorn and a comfy seat.

In the end - don't look down!

SICARIO: Day of the Soldado Brings Deception to Bluray

  

Jeri Jacquin

This week on Bluray/DVD and Digital from writer Taylor Sheridan, director Stefano Sollima and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is an escalation of a drug was and SICARIO: Day of the Soldado.

After a suicide bombing in Kansas City, Federal Agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) receives orders to find a way of stopping terrorists coming to the United States. The government suspects that the Mexican drug cartels are responsible and wants something done about it. The plan is to instigate a war between the big cartels starting with kidnapping the daughter of a kingpin.

Graver knows who he needs to help with this mission and seeks out Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro). After creating a kidnapping-rescue to win the young Isabel’s (Isabela Moner) trust, her father ups the game even further by using Mexican police for a double cross on Graver, Gillick and the other soldiers. Returning fire is what also turns the game.

Isabel runs and the U.S. government is furious over the deaths of the Mexican police fearing it will cause more problems. Especially when it is discovered that the bombing suspects are not who they thought. To clean up the mess, Graver is ordered to stand down and do what is necessary to make everything that happened go away – and anyone involved.

Gillick decides he is not about to do what Graver asks and works his way to the border with Isabel. The only way they can enter is by become illegal immigrants. Unfortunately Gillick is recognized and meets his fate at the hands of a kid. Graver finds Isabel and goes against orders bringing her to the United States.

But this isn’t over – for either Graver or Gillick!

Brolin as Graver jumps right into the assignment knowing what it will take to get the job done. Given the information about the mission he proceeds by finding the best to work with. Jumping from plan to plan, things become complicated when the information shifts and the cartels are infiltrating those who are suppose to protect them. I actually enjoy Brolin in these roles; he has the straight face needed to never let his hand show. Also, when he’s done being used, he is done being used!

Del Toro as Gillick is the perfect person to call on for the mission. The problem for him is that he doesn’t like it when the plan makes a U-turn and he’s on the other side of the fight. This actor has the same abilities as Brolin in that he can be as crazy as you want him to be but there are moments when he just takes a deep breath as if to warn the person he’s talking to that it’s not wise to push him further. Taking an interest in Isabel’s welfare also puts a target on his back – literally.

Moner as Isabel is one tough teenager, when she’s in school slapping around a fellow student. The minute the bullets fly and there isn’t a moment to think, she becomes exactly what she is – a vulnerable and terrified teenage girl who can’t smart mouth her way out of trouble. Now, she sees the horror of the business her father is a part of and it isn’t pretty. As the mission escalates, she has to learn what she is capable of and who to trust. Moner does a good job in what is needed to keep her character moving forward.

Other cast include Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Forsing, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Gallo, Shea Whigham as Andy Wheeldon, Elijah Rodriguez as Miguel Hernandez, Howard Ferguson as Troy, Catherine Keener as Cynthia Foards and Mathew Modine as Secretary of Defense James Riley.

Sony Pictures Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

The Bluray/DVD include the Special Features of From Film to Franchise: Continuing the Story, An Act of War: Making Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and The Assassin and the Soldier: The Cast and Characters.

SICARIO: Day of the Soldado is a continuation of the story that started with the 2015 film SICARIO also written by Taylor Sheridan. The film was a big hit and with Brolin, del Toro and Blunt at the helm of the story, it makes sense that this film would come to be.

This time director Sollima jumps in the director’s seat and knows exactly how to make the story come to life. Using the countryside as another character in the story, it brings a depth to the film. He is responsible for the 2012 television series A.C.A.B. and Gomorroah.

What makes this film work are the twists and turns in the plot as, like with Isabel, you aren’t always sure who to trust. The case is made that the good guys might not be so good and the bad guys can have a conscience too (as with Gillick).

From beginning to end, SICARIO: Day of the Soldado is go, go, go with not much time to catch it’s breath but I like it that way. Even when walking through the desert, I found myself waiting for the next cactus to fall.

I am on board with this thriller to bring Gillick and Graver back for a showdown because there is no way this is over – no way.

In the end – no rules this time! 

THE RESIDENT is the New Amazing Series from Fox with Season One on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Just in time for the new season, on DVD this week from 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is THE RESIDENTS: Complete Season One.

Chastain Park Memorial Hospital is just like any other complicated hospital filled with patients looking for help and staff trying to provide it. Into the fray is new resident intern Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) who comes in with fresh energy. Assigned to third year resident Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) they both see to leukemia patient Lily (Violett Beane). Hawkins likes Lily and continues to help her with recurring problems. Also caring is Nicolette ‘Nic’ (Emily VanCamp), a no-nonsense nurse practioner that Hawkins seems to have an eye for.

Watching over them is narcissistic Chief of Surgery Randolph Bell (Bruce Greenwood) or, as the staff refers to him as “Hodad” (Hands of Death and Destruction) who is in under the gun for an incident during surgery. Hawkins gets the opportunity to talk with kids about being a doctor when the teacher collapses. Needing a transplant, the first of many conflicts with Bell about who can afford treatment comes into play. To make things happen, Hawkins has to leave Devon to swim in the ER alone.

Head of the hospitals oncology department, Lane Hunter (Melina Kanakaredes) visits Lily and to the dismay of the staff, discharges the young woman. Bell is coming to terms with a condition he has recently discovered that could stop him from performing surgery. Putting his needs before the patients, he quickly decides he isn’t about to help an undocumented immigrant with a procedure she needs.

Mina (Shaunette Wilson) is a young surgeon who doesn’t have the best bedside manner but is brilliant in the operating room. Constantly up against Bell’s ego, she knows that there is something wrong with him that is putting patience in jeopardy. Nic begins to suspect that Dr. Lane’s clinic where Lily has been suggested to go is a problem, especially when she sees an overcrowded treatment room.

When Nic shares her suspicions with Devon and Hawkins, Dr. Lane makes sure that she doesn’t have any more contact with her patience. With money for the hospital in short supply, a new investor makes himself known to Dr. Bell. Marshall Winthrop (Glenn Morshower) wants the hospital to get back on a paying basis but looks for suggestions in the most unlikely place.

Lily is back in the hospital much to the dismay of Hawkins, Devon and Nic, especially when it’s discovered that her functions are failing. As if she doesn’t have enough to deal with, Nic also suspects that Mina is doing something wrong that could put her career at an end and a athlete decides he can have his way with her.

Devon’s and Priya (Tasie Lawrence) welcome his parents to discuss upcoming nuptials but the problem is that the family is from India that still has the caste system. When the hospital decides to put cameras in the operating room, Bell becomes even more nervous, especially since his medicine isn’t working any longer.

Lily comes back to the hospital again for a reaction to medication and Lane is upset that the young girl has sought other medical advice with the support of Nic. After a dose of medicine ordered by Lane, Nic receives some devastating news.

Lane and Bell, both hungry for power in their own way are hooking up. Lane has woven her magic spell around him and he loves the pep talks she gives. Especially the pep talk suggesting that Bell replace the current hospital CEO and willing to help make that happen.

Lily’s parents decide that they want the hospital held responsible for everything their daughter went through. Dr. Lane, being quick on the draw, decides to lay the blame at Nic’s feet. That doesn’t sit well with Hawkins and Devon who immediately begin to look at the history of Dr. Lane’s other patients. Yet in the board room, Bell becomes the new hospital CEO and his first duty is to fire Nic.

Mina meets cardiothoracic surgeon AJ ‘The Raptor’ Austin (Malcolm Jamal Warner) who is almost as arrogant as Dr. Bell. Quietly and without a job, Nic begins searching the back history of Dr. Lane and it brings physical danger. Getting help from a friend from nursing school, Nic is mysteriously arrested and put in jail.

Hawkins knows there is a link and isn’t about to give up looking for it. Especially when Dr. Lane is recruiting more patients and Devon knows she is fudging the medical records. Once they have proof, they immediately go to the FBI. Now Bell must make the decision as to what to do next and plays right into the hands of the government and Bell’s new superior!

Czuchry as Hawkins portrays his character who never takes his eyes off the patient. A former soldiers, he came to understand that if you are going to help people – you have to be all in. That’s what Hawkins does at Chastain; he goes all in and isn’t about to let anyone, especially Dr. Bell, take health care away from people because it doesn’t fit the bottom line. I like Czuchry’s portrayal of this character because it’s strong, unexpected at times but always with the belief that the patient comes first.

Dayal as Devon is a resident who trusts Hawkins and the way he believes in the staff. He is also keenly aware that residents are not always looked upon favorably but it doesn’t stop what he also knows – that this is the only profession he wants to be part of. I am a Dayal fan so having him on a series means I just get to watch his performance grow and grow.

VanCamp as Nic is a nurse practioner who loves her job, has a thing for Hawkins and will do just about anything to protect the rights of her patience – even go to jail. VanCamp gives her character strength in many ways that equals the residents and even doctors who may want to challenge her ability to stand strong. I enjoy her performance and it’s not just a woman thing, it’s a do what is right by the jobs these professionals chose making their characters believable and powerful.

Greenwood as Bell is absolutely amazing. Trust me when I say that I wasn’t sure I’d be too thrilled about him playing what could only be considered a douchy-character roll. Instead, I am watching this stellar actor ride the razor leaning on the narcissist side to occasionally dip back onto the human side of life. He jumps from one disaster to another like a gazelle and I kinda dig it.

Wilson as Mina is a woman who has done everything right by her education and equally right by the gift she obviously has for healing. She has found her friendships with Nic, Devon and Hawkins but also with AJ. Warner as AJ doesn’t have a problem saying exactly what he’s thinking but can back it up. Being at Chastain tests everyone but there are beautiful moments when he’s not being ‘The Raptor’.

Kanakaredes as Hunter is just the worst character anyone wants to see on a medical television show but there it is. Watching Kanakaredes waltz into Chastain and feel bulletproof, there are moments where I am stunned at the nerve and a cheer section for those who are not going to let her get away with it.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The three-disc DVD includes the Pilot episode as well as Independence Day, Comrades in Arms, Identity Crisis, None the Wiser, No Matter the Cost, The Elopement, Family Affair, Lost Love, Haunted, And the Nurses Get Screwed, Rude Awakenings and the Raptor, Run Doctor Run, and Total Eclipse of the Heart.

This series broke the ground running last year and hasn’t stopped for a moment. Dealing with the struggles of patience who need help and the bureaucracy that keeps the doctors and staff fighting are what the series is about. Of course there is intense drama and conflict that one could find in any hospital on any given day.

The cast brings the drama on strong yet lets us know the characters they portray also have all the human frailties. Even though Dr. Bell would like to think he’s one step above everyone at Chastain, I can over look him with people like Hawkins, Devon and Nic fighting the good fight.

This is a series that I see so much potential for in the stories that they tell. As a huge fan of the successful series E.R. from 1994, THE RESIDENT takes it all a step further and I can’t wait to see where it leads. Fox has given us another amazing series so if you happened to miss the first season, now you can binge quickly and catch up because the first two episodes of the new season are loaded!

The new second season of THE RESIDENT has begun and airs on Fox every Monday at 8/7c. Be there to see the staff, residents and patients work to make Chastain work for all.

In the end – it is the good and the bad behind hospital doors!

ANT-MAN & THE WASP Comes to Bluray and Your Chance to Win!

Ant-Man & The Wasp is available on digital 10/2 and Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD on 10/16!

They can be buzzing to your own home entertainment library as well. Go to 

hellomoviemaven@aol.com

with ANTMAN in the subject line along with your name and address and good luck!

SMALLFOOT is Total Family Fun

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres from directors Karey Kirkpatrick, Jason Reisig and Warner Bros. is the story high in the clouds about SMALLFOOT.

Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum) is a yeti who lives in a village high in the clouds. His father Dorgle (Danny DeVito) has a very important job of helping the sun come up each morning and Migo wants to be just like him.

When the village Stonekeeper (Common) bestows on Migo his own helmet, the training begins. After a few practice runs, he is set across the sky aiming for his gong target when distracted by the lovely Meechee (Zendaya), daughter of the Stonekeeper. Shooting over the mountain, Migo lands in a snowy patch and tangles with an airplane where he sees the mythical Smallfoot!

Running back to the village to tell everyone, Migo is banished by the Stonekeeper until he tells everyone the truth – there are no Smallfoots. Deciding to find one Migo takes off but finds himself followed by Gwangi (LeBron James), Kolka (Gina Rodriguez) and Fleem (Ely Henry).

They take Migo to Meechee who is the head of the S.E.S. (Smallfoot Evidentiary Society). The group believes that all the rules set in stone for the yeti’s are not true, that there has to be something more. Migo still takes it upon himself to find a Smallfoot in the local town and meets Percy (James Corden), a television personality who spends his time discovering new animals but has lately fallen on hard times.

When the pilot of the downed airplane makes it to the town, he tells Percy that he saw a yeti which gives Percy a great idea. Trying to convince Brenda (Yara Shahhidi) to dress up as a yeti, he could get his ratings back and once again be a hit.

But Migo has other plans and after a verbal exchange of sorts, takes Percy to his village. Stunning that the yeti’s are congenial, Percy finds himself making friends and explaining any questions, well sort of, that they might have. Meechee realizes that something is wrong with Percy and that he needs to get off the mountain.

That’s when Migo discovers through the Stonekeeper that some things are better left untold to the people and making Percy go away is the best thing for them all. Not everyone agrees and when the two groups meet – someone has to bend!

Tatum as Migo is adorable and my three-year-old granddaughter is my proof. She was immediately drawn to Migo with his fast talking curious ways and when the singing began – that’s all it took. Laughing, clapping and cheering Migo on became her mission all through the film and it was as delightful as the film to watch. Thanks Channing for making our film experience so entertaining!

Corden as Percy is a fast talking personality who is losing his perspective and, according to Brenda, his integrity. Willing to do anything to bring back the fame he once knew, it takes a group of furry yeti’s to remind him of his humanity and ability to care for someone other than himself.

Zendaya as Meechee is charming and stubborn when it comes to doing what her father the Stonekeeper says. She believes that there is something more to their life and wants to be able to find out what that is. Common as the Stonekeeper is convinced he is doing the right thing by his yeti-people and is equally as stubborn to make sure the village is kept safe. Tatro as brother Thorp does his father’s bidding but does get an eventual wake up call.

DeVito as Dorgle comes from a long line of yeti’s who have made it their life (and flat headed work) to bring in the sunrise and enjoys knowing Migo will someday follow…or will he? Rodriguez as Kolka follows Meechee with no hesitation but is keeping an eye on Migo. James as Gwangi is another follower who believes with or without any proof. Henry as Fleem is the yeti that would drive me nuts always weighting the pros and cons of life until what he’s weighing becomes over rated.

SMALLFOOT is fun, musical and giggly mixed in with lessons of loyalty to both family and friendship no matter how big or small your foot might be. The fun comes in the slap stick comedy of snowy pratfalls and snowballs that I will even admit to enjoying. In a theatre full of children, it is easy to see the delight on their faces.

The music is fun, lighthearted, engaging and, I’m sure, will create a few hits that will be sung by children again and again. While the characters were singing the catchier tunes, the children would stand up and dance a little which always makes the adult laugh and smile.

Giggling is inevitable with this film as its jokes get the adults and the antics get the kids, or maybe it’s the other way around but does it matter? The antics are there and its meant for every age group.

The lessons of friendship and differences are what is wonderful and colorfully done with SMALLFOOT. Whether you are furry or have a small foot, each side saw the other as monsters and that is when the opportunity presents itself to either change that or continue to live in fear. I choose the change!

SMALLFOOT’s animation is colorful, vibrant and stunning which is just icing on the cake of a film, and I saw for myself, that everyone truly, truly enjoyed.

In the end – no every legend is a tall tale!