The Hollow Crown: Henry V

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; or close the wall up with our English dead!"

King Henry V (Hiddleston) is preparing to wage war on France.  According to his advisers, he has a claim to the French throne through his great grandfather Edward III.  He asserts this claim, but is mocked by Louis, the Dauphin (Akrout) and the French court do not take his threats seriously.  He sends his uncle, the Duke of Exeter (Lesser) to France to negotiate with Charles, King of France (Wilson), but is ultimately rebuffed.

Henry leads his army into France.  The French continue to underestimate the English army, who are tired, cold, and ill.  As Henry rallies his army, they face insurmountable odds.  Can they emerge victorious?


This final film in the first series of BBC's The Hollow Crown miniseries.  The Hollow Crown miniseries features William Shakespeare's history plays from the Henriad (the first series is Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V.  The second series will feature Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3, and Richard III).  This film was directed by theater director Thea Sharrock, in her film debut.

This is my first encounter with this play.  I've never read it (I was reading a synopsis while watching), and I have never watched any of the iconic film versions (Laurence Olivier's 1944 film and Kenneth Branagh's 1989 version).  Most reviews I have read about this film mention how it stacks up against Olivier and Branagh's films.

Tom Hiddleston once again stars as Henry V, and brings charm and charisma to the role.  You believe that men would follow him into battle.  Unlike the previous films, he does not have anyone to spar with (he is still good).  The rest of the cast is populated by experienced British actors, and a few French actors.  They are fine, but not outstanding.

Sharrock chose to structure the film like a play, employing the Chorus to setup scenes and beginning the film with Henry's funeral... which seems like a strange start.  She also removed key scenes that further show Henry's transition from carefree youth to king.  It was nice to show what happened to Falstaff, but that part could have been extended.

It was enjoyable film, and inspires me to read the play and watch the iconic film versions.

The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012) 139 minutes
Director: Thea Sharrock
Starring: Tom Hiddleston as Henry V
John Hurt as The Chorus
Paterson Joseph as Duke of York
James Laurenson as Earl of Westmoreland
Anton Lesser as Exeter
Paul Ritter as Pistol
Owen Teale as Captain Fluellen
Melanie Thierry as Princess Katherine
Lambert Wilson as Charles, King of France
Edward Akrout as Louis, the Dauphin
Tom Georgeson as Bardolph
Tom Brooke as Corporal Nym
Jeremie Covillaut as Montjoy
Geraldine Chaplin as Alice
George Sargeant as Falstaff's boy

The Single Moms Club

"You don't have to be good at starting over. You just have to be good at letting go."

Five very different women are called to meet with the principal at their children's expensive private school.  Their children were involved in questionable behavior: the boys were tagging the walls with graffiti and the girls were smoking.  The mothers, all single mothers, are forced to work together to plan a school event.

• May Miller (Long) is struggling to raise her son, Rick (Massai Dorsey), as her ex continually disappoints.  She is also trying to get a book published.
• Jan Malkovitch (McLendon-Covey) is a talented publisher, trying to have it all.  She is trying to make partner at her firm, while figuring out how to raise her daughter Kate (Cassie Brennan).
• Hillary Massey (Smart) is in the midst of a messy divorce.  After letting her help go, she is trying to learn how to parent her 3 children, especially her oldest Jennifer (Katherine Shepler).
• Esperanza Luego (Henao) is trying to gain independence from her ex-husband (Eddie Cibrian), who continually undermines her decisions with their daughter Veronica (Vanessa Velasco), while hiding her boyfriend, Manny (Levy).
• Lytia Wright (Brown) is struggling to raise her younger 3 children and help them avoid the fate of their father and older brothers: jail, while she works as a waitress.

Can the women set aside their differences and support each other.

I discovered this film online and was interested by the premise.  This is the third Tyler Perry movie I have seen, and I liked this one the most.  However, the film still has issues.  It has a solid, intriguing premise, and a talented cast... but it never reaches it's full potential.  Nia Long is wonderful and elevates the material.  Her real son, portrays her son in the film.  Cocoa Brown and Wendi McLendon-Covey are hilarious.  There are too many characters and the plot tries too hard to force all of the characters into relationships.  The only one that really works is between Zulay Henao and William Levy.

Entertaining, but could be better.

The Single Moms Club (2014) 111 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual material and thematic elements
Director: Tyler Perry
Starring: Nia Long as May Miller
Wendi McLendon-Covey as Jan Malkovitch
Amy Smart as Hillary Massey
Zulay Henao as Esperanza Luego
Cocoa Brown as Lytia Wright
Ryan Eggold as Peter
Tyler Perry as TK
William Levy as Manny
Terry Crews as Branson

D2: The Mighty Ducks

"Haven't you guys been training in the off-season?"
"You know, I knew we forgot something."

After coaching the Ducks to the victory, Gordon Bombay (Estevez) started playing hockey in the minor league.  He is injured during a game, which ends his hockey career before he can climb any further.  He returns to Minnesota to stay with Jan (Rubes), Hans brother, and work in the hockey supply store till he figures out what to do next.  He is approached by Mr. Tibbles (Tucker) from Hendrix Hockey and invited to coach Team USA in the Junior Goodwill Games.  He agrees and takes the Ducks to begin training.  The team gets 5 new players: figure skating champion Ken Wu (Wong), speedy skater Luis Mendoza (Vitar), expert puck handler Dwayne Robertson (O'Neal), goalie Julie Gaffney (Jacobsen), and goon Dean Portman (Lohr).  The team also gets a tutor, Michelle McKay (Erbe).

The new team needs to figure out how to play together.  And Hendrix continually throws Gordon into the spotlight.  Can the team overcome their differences and celebrity to defeat the intense Iceland team, coached by Wolf "The Dentist" Stansson (Norgaard)?


After the success of The Mighty Ducks in 1992, Disney decided to make a sequel.  All but 5 of the original Ducks returned for the film; Dave Karp (Aaron Schwartz), Peter Mark (J.D. Daniels), Terry Hall (Jussie Smollett), Tammy Duncan (Jane Plank), and Tommy Duncan (Danny Tamberelli) did not return.  The film never addresses why those characters did not return, and they are not mentioned at any point.  Adding new team members was a good idea to still allow the writers to keep the basic format of the original film, without making a complete copy (with a different setting).  The new members work well with the original cast.

This film is ridiculous, but fun.  It was panned by critics, but still has a following today.

D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) 106 minutes
Director: Sam Weisman
Starring: Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay
Kathryn Erbe as Michelle McKay
Michael Tucker as Mr. Tibbles
Jan Rubes as Jan
Carsten Norgaard as Coach Wolf "The Dentist" Stansson
Maria ellingsen as Maria
Joshua Jackson as Charlie Conway
Elden Ryan Ratliff as Fulton Reed
Shaun Weiss as Greg Goldberg
Matt Doherty as Les Averman
Brandon Adams as Jesse Hall
Garette Ratliff Henson as Guy Germaine
Marguerite Moreau as Connie Moreau
Vincent Larusso as Adam Banks
Colombe Jacobsen as Julie Gaffney
Aaron Lohr as Dean Portman
Ty O'Neal as Dwayne Robertson
Kenan Thompson as Russ Tyler
Mike Vitar as Luis Mendoza
Justin Wong as Ken Wu

The Mighty Ducks

"Be careful man, it almost hit me that time!"
"Goldberg, you're the goalie. It's supposed to hit you."
"Does that sound stupid to anyone else?"

Gordon Bombay (Estevez) is a successful lawyer with a reputation for winning.  He is arrested for drunk driving and is sentenced to community service, specifically to coach little league ice hockey.  His team, District 5, is the worst in the league and do not have proper uniforms or gear.  Their first game is against the league champions, The Hawks.  As a child Gordon was the star player for the Hawks, and his missed penalty shot lead to the only 2nd place finish for the Hawks.  The teams is still coached by Coach Reilly (Smith), who was Gordon's coach / mentor until he quit hockey.

The Hawks claim a massive victory over District 5.  Gordon tries to teach the team to cheat, but ultimately realizes that he needs to teach them to love the game.  With a little help from his friend and former boss Hans (Ackland), can he take the new "Mighty Ducks" team to victory?


This film came out when I was in elementary school.  I remember loving it and watching it every chance I could get.  I didn't own it then and still don't now, but I love and continue to enjoy this film.  This film was successful enough to spawn 2 sequels (D2: The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks) along with an animated TV series also called Mighty Ducks.  It also inspired the AHL hockey team the Anaheim Ducks (from 1993-2006 it was the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim).

An entertaining sports movie that is predictable, but still fun to watch.

The Mighty Ducks (1992) 100 minutes
Director: Stephen Herek
Starring: Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay
Joss Ackland as Hans
Lane Smith as Coach Reilly
Heidi Kling as Casey Conway
Josef Sommer as Mr. Ducksworth
Joshua Jackson as Charlie Conway
Elden Ratliff as Fulton Reed
Shaun Weiss as Greg Goldberg
M.C. Gainey as Lewis
Matt Doherty as Les Averman
Brandon Adams as Jesse Hall
J.D. Daniels as Peter Mark
Aaron Schwartz as Dave Karp
Garette Ratliff Henson as Guy Germaine
Marguerite Moreau as Connie Moreau
Danny Tamberelli as Tommy Duncan
Jane Plank as Tammy Duncan
Jussie Smollett as Terry Hall
Vincent Larusso as Adam Banks

The Right Kind of Wrong

"Writing, and the pursuit of a woman, like any impossible dream, are not about immediate results. They're about telling the truth."

Leo Palamino (Kwanten) is a failed writer, turned dishwasher.  A year ago, his ex-wife, Julie (Hager), wrote a blog about his shortcomings called "Why You Suck."  The blog was a viral success and led to a book deal.  He is depressed and spends most of his free time at home with his depressed cat.

One day he falls in love at first sight with Colette (Canning), but it is her wedding day.  At the reception he meets Colette and asks her out.  Her new husband, Danny (McPartlin) is perfect.  With some help from his best friends, editor Neil (Sasso), Neil's photographer wife Jill (Baxter), chef Mandeep (Bhaneja, and his kids Ravi (Devji) and Pia (Samy), can Leo prove that he is the right man for her?


I discovered this film on Netflix.  It sounded interesting and I enjoyed Ryan Kwanten in Not Suitable For Children, so I added this film to my queue.  It is a quirky romantic comedy that probably won't be a big hit, but should be.

Director Jeremiah Chechik is best known for directing Benny and Joon and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  He has also directed several episodes of different TV shows (Chuck, Burn Notice, The Middleman, The Bronx is Burning, etc).

The cast is excellent.  The four leads are best known for their television roles (3 of the 4 had starring roles in popular shows with vampires): Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse on True Blood, Sara Canning as Jenna Sommers on The Vampire Diaries and Dylan Weir on Primeval: New World, Ryan McPartlin as Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb on Chuck, and Kristen Hager as Nora on Being Human (US).  Kwanten is a charismatic lead.  He has great chemistry with Canning.  I loved McPartlin on Chuck, so it was great to see him in this... same with Hager, who I loved in Being Human.  They are are joined by an eccentric cast of characters.  All of the actors are terrific in their roles.

A fun and entertaining film.  Apparently it is based on the novel "Sex and Sunsets" by Tim Sandlin.

The Right Kind of Wrong (2013) 97 minutes
Rating: R for sexual content, nudity, and language
Director: Jeremiah Chechik
Starring: Ryan Kwanten as Leo Palamino
Sara Canning as Colette
Ryan McPartlin as Danny
Kristen Hager as Julie Deere
James A. Woods as Troy Cooper
Raoul Bhaneja as Mandeep
Jennifer Baxter as Jill
Will Sasso as Neil
Catherine O'Hara as Tess
Mateen Devji as Ravi
Maya Samy as Pia
Christopher Russell as Troy Garnet

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part 2

"Heavy lies the head that wears the crown."

After defeating the rebellion, King Henry IV (Irons) is ill and weak.  He is plagued by rumors of another rebellion and the behavior of his oldest son and heir.  He is attended by his other sons, Prince John of Lancaster (Faber), the Duke of Gloucester (Attenborough) and the Duke of Clarence (Tennyson).

Meanwhile, Prince Hal (Hiddelston) is tending his battle wounds and spending time with his tavern friends.  His friend Falstaff (Beale) is still drinking and conning his peers.  When the Archbishop of York (Jones) and the Earl of Northumberland (Alun Armstrong) raise their armies to rebel against the king, Falstaff again joins the army.


In 2012, BBC Two brought several of William Shakespeare's history plays together for the miniseries The Hollow Crown.  The first series consists of Shakespeare's tetralogy, the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V.  The second series will feature the plays in Shakespeare's other tetralogy: Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3, and Richard III.  These kings and their lives would be common knowledge for Shakespeare's audience, who would understand the political maneuvering.  The producers of The Hollow Crown miniseries chose to have different directors for each play (parts 1 and 2 have the same director).

This play feels like a sequel... the setup is still the same and many of the characters are the same, and taking characters that were delightful in the original and expand their role.  I read the play on Sparknotes while watching the film. Director Richard Eyre cut scenes and characters from the play to keep a cohesive story and a 2 hour running time.  This film spends more time with Falstaff, but gives King Henry and Hal great soliloquies.

The casting is superb.  The majority of cast and crew from Part 1 return for this film.  Jeremy Irons delivers his soliloquies with power and conviction.  Tom Hiddleston brings charisma to Hal and commands the screen.  Simon Russell Beale, who won a BAFTA for his performance here, brings the laughs while still making you feel sorry for him.  The rest of the cast are good in their roles, but the main focus is on these three.

Of the 2 Henry IV plays, I prefer Part 1... but this one is fine.

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part II (2012) 121 minutes
Director: Richard Eyre
Starring: Jeremy Irons as Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff
Julie Walters as Mistress Quickly
Henry Faber as Prince John of Lancaster
Nicholas Jones as Archbishop of York
Geoffrey Palmer as Lord Chief Justice
Pip Torrens as Mowbray
Paul Ritter as Ancient Pistol
Maxine Peake as Doll Tearsheet
Will Attenborough as Duke of Gloucester
Matthew Tennyson as Duke of Clarence
Billy Matthews as Falstaff's Page

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part I

"Thou hast the most unsavoury similes."

King Henry IV (Irons) is surrounded by problems.  He is facing an uprising by the Welsh and the Scots and his heir, Prince Hal (Hiddleston) chooses to live away from court and consort with low people.

The rising star of the skirmishes is Henry "Hotspur" (Armstrong) Percy.  Hotspur is a skilled fighter who has claimed many victories and prisoners in the kings name.  However, he refuses to give the prisoners to the King, until the King ransoms his brother-in-law Edmund Mortimer (Harry Lloyd) from the Welsh.  The King refuses, which causes the Percy family to begin plotting with the Welsh to overthrow the King.

Hal spends most of his time with his surrogate father Falstaff (Beale), an old and fat knight who is a petty thief and mooch.  Hal enjoys mocking Falstaff, but knows that soon he will be forced to return to court and assume his position as the future king.

As the Percy family join with the Welsh, Hal and Falstaff are called to join the battle.


As I mentioned in my review of The Hollow Crown: Richard II, I love William Shakespeare plays but I have yet to read any of the history plays.  Henry IV, Part 1 is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy, the Henriad, and sets in motion the events of the subsequent history plays.  BBC's The Hollow Crown will cover all of these plays (the first series is Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V).  These kings and their lives would be common knowledge for Shakespeare's audience, who would understand the political maneuvering.

The producers of The Hollow Crown miniseries chose to have different directors for each play (parts 1 and 2 have the same director).  Under the direction of Richard Eyre, this film sticks closer to the play than it's predecessor.

Once again the casting decisions are perfect.  Jeremy Irons is impressive as usual and makes the role of King Henry stand out (he is not the main focus of the play).  He is matched by Joe Armstrong, as the headstrong Hotspur.  Armstrong's Hotspur is passionate and compelling to watch.  Michelle Dockery, best known as Lady Mary on Downton Abbey, plays his wife.  They are either arguing or kissing every time they are on screen together.  But the real focus is on Tom Hiddleston's Hal and Simon Russell Beale's Falstaff.  Hiddleston is a charismatic and commands the screen.  Beale won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) TV Award for Best Support Actor for his performance.  Beale and Hiddleston have great chemistry when they are on screen together.  Their characters are the comedy elements in the play.  Their best scene is at the tavern when they act out what will happen when Hal goes before his father.  It is a brilliant scene where both actors shine.

I look forward to watch Part II.

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part I (2012) 120 minutes
Director: Richard Eyre
Starring: Jeremy Irons as Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff
Joe Armstrong as Hotspur
Julie Walters as Mistress Quickly
Alun Armstrong as Earl of Northumberland
Michelle Dockery as Lady Percy
David Hayman as Earl of Worchester

Not Suitable for Children

Jonah (Kwanten) is a care-free, charismatic guy.  He and his best friends / roommates Gus (Corr) and Stevie (Snook) are trying to throw epic parties every week at their home.  Their dreams change when Jonah learns that he has testicular cancer.  The doctors feel he will make a full recovery, but the treatment will mean that he can never have children.

He becomes obsessed with having a baby and starts approaching all of his ex girlfriends.  When that doesn't work he looks into other options, without success.  As his surgery approaches, can he find a woman to have a baby with him?


I discovered this film on Netflix.  I had never heard of it... but it was suggested for me so I decided to give it a try.  The film is an Australian romantic comedy (it's not rated, but be advised it features strong language and nudity).  The most recognizable name in the cast is Ryan Kwanten, who starred on HBO's True Blood and has made several American films.  Kwanten is a charismatic lead and should have a great career in movies.  However it is Sarah Snook that steals the show.  Snook is an Australian actress who is best known for the telemovie Sisters of War.  She hasn't appeared in many films and TV shows, but hopefully that will change soon.  Ryan Corr is hilarious as Gus.  Corr is also an Australian actor.  He is best known for his role on Australian TV Packed to the Rafters and has had minor roles in movies.  Corr gets to utter the final lines in the film.

The premise feels original and the script is decent.  The film was nominated for 4 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards (Leading Actress, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, and Original Music Score) and won Best Original Music Score.  Sarah Snook and Ryan Corr won Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards for their performances.  It was an enjoyable film, with great performances... unfortunately this film probably won't reach a bigger audience.  I enjoyed it, but it won't appeal to everyone.

Not Suitable for Children (2012) 97 minutes
Director: Peter Templeman
Starring: Ryan Kwanten as Jonah
Sarah Snook as Stevie
Ryan Corr as Gus
Bojana Novakovic as Ava
Belinda Bromilow as Claire