[REVIEW] Secrets of Sulphur Springs (2021-) Disney's Best Mystery Yet?

 

Just like the fictional town, Secrets of Sulphur Springs on DisneyPlus is so much more than what meets the eye. 

Have you ever wondered if you were born into the wrong decade? As if there were a time period that would have suited you, and your personality better than the one you're in right now? Well, I certainly have, and during my twenty-four years here on this earth, it's caused me to develop quite a fascination with the concept of time travel.

From shows like Quantum Leap to movies such as Somewhere in Time, there's something special about storytelling centered around this idea and I'm always eager for more.

Today we'll be discussing the DisneyPlus original, Secrets of Sulphur Springs, a new series that blends time travel with elements of the paranormal to create a compelling mystery about two friends who set out to solve the disappearance of a young girl who had gone missing 30 years ago, in the year of 1991.

The Positive

Secrets of Sulphur Springs follows Griffin Campbell, a 12-year-old boy who has been recently uprooted from his hometown of Chicago and moved to Sulphur Springs, Louisiana, where his father Bennett has purchased an old, dilapidated hotel known as the Tremont.

Based on that description alone, it'd be easy to assume that the show would be focused on the challenges Griffin would face with being the new kid in the area, and figuring out how and where exactly he fits in all while living in a spooky, haunted hotel. But rest assured, this series is not that same ol' broken record.

Shortly after his family's arrival in Sulphur Springs, Griffin meets a new kid at school by the name of Harper, a bright young lady who eagerly fills him in on the story of Savannah Dillion, a camper who had gone missing near the Tremont 30 years ago in 1991 and is now believed to be a ghost, roaming the halls of the hotel.

Soon Griffin and his new friend begin to unravel the mystery surrounding Savannah following their discovery of an underground bunker located down in the Tremont basement, containing a portal that allows the two to travel back and forth between various decades in time to see the hotel in its glory days, including the period Savannah went missing.

But as Griffin and Harper dig deeper into their investigation at the Tremont, the two find themselves staring down several suspects who could have been involved in Savannah's sudden disappearance, including Griffin's dad, Bennett, and Harper's mom, Jess, further complicating their quest to uncover the truth.

The use of the parents in this story added a well-executed element of conflict throughout the episodes as we see Bennett become irritated and visibly upset by Griffin's curiosity toward the case of Savannah, while Jess claims the Tremont is cursed and wants Harper kept as far from the hotel as possible; the two display various moments of suspicious behavior and it's made clear that the two of them are harboring a few secrets from their children.

Having the ability to change the past would place a big responsibility on anyone's shoulders but Griffin and Harper having their own parents entangled in this mystery makes it so much more difficult to solve, as one false move could result in some life-altering consequences.

From Left to Right: Elle Graham, Jake Melrose, Preston Oliver, and Kyliegh Curran

But Secrets of Sulphur Springs doesn't focus solely on time travel, it also blends the concept with a touch of the paranormal to keep you guessing whether or not there really is some kind of unexplained haunting going on back at the Tremont.

While Griffin and Harper spend most of their time back in the past, Griffin's younger twin siblings Zoey (Madeleine McGraw) and Wyatt (Landon Gordon) are determined to prove the existence of Savannah's ghost after experiencing some odd occurrences in their new home; the two seek out help from Harper's younger sibling Topher (portrayed by Bryant Tardy) who helps them to use an old camcorder to capture evidence with.

The subtle hints toward a potential haunting helped to create a more suspenseful atmosphere throughout the show that causes the viewer to wonder if what twins are experiencing back at the Tremont are indeed real, or if it's just the sounds of an old home playing tricks on the kids.

Speaking of subtlety, this first season also felt like the beginnings of a really sweet love story between our main characters; Griffin and Harper quickly develope a bit of a mutual crush on each other as the show progresses forward, which was not only handled in a very innocent and appropriate way, but it was also ridiculously cute and far from cringe-worthy like most young love is portrayed on television.

The Negative

While I can't speak highly enough of this show, there was one little thing that I found to be a bit irritating and unrealistic about Harper and Griffin's trips to the past, and that's the effect that their actions had on the present, or in this case, lack thereof.

As you can imagine, Griffin and Harper travel back and forth between 1991 and the present day quite frequently throughout the season, and yet, their actions in the past never seem to impact anything in the present aside from Savannah.

When the show progresses forward the kids find themselves interacting with the childhood versions of Bennett and Jess much more often, and with each time Harper and Griffin would return from the past, I couldn't help but wonder when one of the parents would finally notice that the two of them bare a striking resemblance to two mysterious kids they once knew.

I kept waiting for some sort of indication that the parents remembered "Harry and Hermione" as the kids called themselves to protect their true identities, but unfortunately, it never came up, and it seemed strange that with the constant mention of Savannah, that nothing would dust the cobwebs off of those memories; I found this to be a small, but impactful detail that managed to slip through the cracks.

Conclusion

Just like the fictional town, Secrets of Sulphur Springs on DisneyPlus is so much more than what meets the eye. The show is a great watch for anyone looking for some wholesome entertainment with a well-executed mystery involved.

The show has thankfully drawn some great ratings since its debut and has been renewed for a second season which is set to come out at some point in 2022, and I'm incredibly eager to see what adventures Griffin and Harper get wrapped up in next!

Have you seen Secrets of Sulphur Springs? I'd love to know what your thoughts were on the debut season, so please be sure to leave me a comment below, and don't forget to follow me over on Twitter @RR_Everything, where I talk about all of the shows and movies that I watch and also provide updates on future reviews!

[FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW] Cruel Summer (2021-) Episodes 1 & 2 "Happy Birthday Jeanette Turner" & "A Smashing Good Time"

 

The first two episodes in this series both have quite a lot to unpack but everything was well-balanced and thankfully easy to understand.

Tuesday, April 20th, Freeform premiered the first two episodes of its original series known as "Cruel Summer", a new dramatic thriller starring Chiara Aurelia, and Olivia Holt that takes place over the span of three separate summers in the 1990s.

I've never cared much for Freeform or its original content. Quite frankly disliking what I have seen and having little to no interest in what I haven't, but admittedly the network did manage to deliver quite a compelling trailer for Cruel Summer, and I thought whether it would be for good or for bad, it might be something fun to talk about.

And don't worry, this review is completely spoiler-free so if you'd like to check it out for yourself, you can catch the show on Freeform or Hulu!

The Positive

Cruel Summer follows the life of Jeanette Turner, a seemingly innocent fifteen-year-old girl who appears to take the place of local popular girl, Kate Wallis after she mysteriously goes missing from their town of Skylin, Texas in the year 1993.

After her sudden disappearance, Jeanette finds herself gaining the popularity that once belonged to Kate by transforming from "geek to chic" and trading in her old friendships for Kate's former besties. Jeanette even manages to land Kate's old boyfriend, Jamie.

As I mentioned earlier, this series does consist of moments taking place on specific dates each episode in three separate summers, 1993, 1994, and 1995. Each year showing us a different version of Jeanette and a look into the aftermath of Kate's disappearance, and the impact the situation has had on those in their town.

From the producer of "The Sinner" Jessica Biel, this teen thriller has a long list of positives going for it at this moment in time. Cruel Summer features a ton of surprising twists and turns, loads of suspects, and of course, plenty of good ol' teen drama.

The first two episodes in this series both have quite a lot to unpack but everything was well-balanced and thankfully easy to understand, even with the three different timelines and shifts between them, which is quite the compliment coming from someone who doesn't always do the greatest job at paying attention to the little details in these stories.

The Negative

As of right now, my one issue with Cruel Summer is strictly, where do we go from here?

Each of these debut episodes really got the ball rolling for the show, but it also revealed a major plot point that I was not expecting to come to fruition so swiftly and it begs the question, did the writers play their hand too soon?

The series as of right now consists of ten episodes, which leaves plenty of time to further explore details and expand upon them, as well as plenty of time for us to find out if there's more to Kate and Jeanette's story than what meets the eye, which I certainly hope there is. However, if that doesn't turn out to be the case, it could be detrimental to the show's pacing.

Conclusion

Only time will tell whether or not Cruel Summer has more up its sleeve, will it turn out to be something that could have wrapped in a special, or will it continue with a consistent pace and deliver a few more shockers? At the end of the day, this is a teen drama, something that I can't say I always enjoy, but I'm enjoying it for what it is and it's definitely killing some time and satisfying that part of me that is always desperate for a mystery.

I've decided to rate these first two episodes an 8/10. While I do think the show may have moved a bit too quickly and revealed too much too soon, I am curious to see how things play out over the next eight episodes thanks to its writing, characters, and impressive time shifts.

Is Cruel Summer worth the watch? As of right now, yes!

How many of you guys have watched Cruel Summer? I'd love to know what your thoughts were on the first two episodes of the series so please be sure to leave me a comment below, and don't forget to follow me over on Twitter @RR_Everything, where I talk about all of the shows and movies that I watch and also provide updates on future reviews!

[REVIEW] Young Rock (2021) Episode 1, "Working The Gimmick" First Impressions of the New NBC Series!

 

I'm somewhat skeptical when it comes to the direction that Young Rock was taken in due to what I considered to be some rather odd, creative choices.

I remember February 14th, 2011, as if it were only yesterday. I was just fourteen-years-old when The Rock made his surprise return to the WWE after a seven-year absence from the company, and just the very thought of it still gives me goosebumps; no matter how many times I rewatch that segment, I'm always overcome with pure emotion.

In case you couldn't already tell, I have quite the strong love for the business of professional wrestling; I've been completely captivated by it since I was young enough to mistakenly call The Rock's signature move, "The People's Elbow", "The People's Elmo" instead and so naturally, the man himself has always held a special place in my heart.

Today, we'll be taking a moment to discuss one of NBC's latest sitcoms, "Young Rock" which is based on the earlier years of "The Great One", and I'll be sharing my first impressions of its debut episode in order to help you decide if it is worth your valuable time to watch!

 

The Positive

Set in the year 2032, professional wrestler-turned-actor, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has decided to run for President of the United States, and in an effort to appeal to the American people, he sits down in an interview with Randall Park to take a look back on his adolescent years to prove that he can still relate to them despite his massive amount of success.

The series explores The Rock's childhood in 1982, high school in the year of 1987, as well as his life as a young adult preparing to play college football for the University of Miami in 1990; the first episode of this brand new NBC sitcom takes us through what it was like for Johnson growing up in the business of professional wrestling, the complicated relationship that he shared with his father, Rocky Johnson, and everyday financial difficulties at home.

After watching this first episode of Young Rock, I couldn't help but notice what I thought to be a surprisingly melancholy undertone. Throughout the show, we're shown that Dwayne's father and hero, Rocky Johnson, appears to be rather unreliable at times. Whether it be skipping out on his promise to take his son out for ice cream after a wrestling show or just being away from home due to an autograph signing, it was made clear that Dwayne longed for his father to be a bigger part of his life in his earlier years.

As it turns out, "Soul Man" Rocky Johnson was pretty heavily wrapped up in the world of professional wrestling, mentioning his "work the gimmick" mentality throughout the episode, which would lead to some questionable parenting choices, but it's also made clear that the man will remain Dwayne's hero throughout his childhood flashbacks within the show.

Rocky Johnson passed away in January of last year, but The Rock has continued to express his love for the man who helped shape him into the person he is today, and I hope to see a bit more of what he considered to be his father's more admirable attributes in future episodes.

With The Rock's story bouncing back and forth between three different periods in his lifetime, three different actors were cast to play the part. In order of youngest to oldest, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, and Uli Latukefu were all quite impressive in their individual roles, between their appearances and performances, I had no trouble imagining that each of these actors really were Dwayne Johnson for those thirty-minutes the show was on.

The Negative

I'm somewhat skeptical when it comes to the direction that Young Rock was taken in due to what I considered to be some rather odd, creative choices. I thought the idea of "present-day" taking place so far into the future seemed a little bit strange, even more so when I realized that the beginning of the show featured The Rock out on the campaign trail.

While a future presidential run isn't out of the question for Dwayne Johnson, I couldn't help but think this idea was a bit too much for a show that's supposed to be based on true events and the concept didn't seem to contribute anything of value to the show as a whole; it's too early to say for sure, but I think the show would have been much better off scrapping the presidential angle and going in the "Everybody Hates Chris " direction, where Johnson could have added commentary throughout each episode as he relieved significant moments of his youth.

While I hate to say it, this first episode was also severely lacking in the comedy department for me, personally. While some moments within the show did happen to make me crack a bit of a smile, I honestly don't recall laughing even once throughout my first viewing, and should that continue on throughout the rest of the season, that's a definite issue for a sitcom.

Conclusion

Young Rock is an interesting look into the life of Dwayne Johnson before he became the mega-star we now know him as today. Even though I feel the first episode of the show lacked a bit, it's rare that a series hits its stride from the very beginning, there's still plenty of room for improvement, and I'm willing to give it a proper chance before deciding how I feel about it on the overall.

If you're a fan of The Rock, whether it be of his in-ring career or his work as an actor in Hollywood, it's worth the watch for that alone. If you're only a casual fan of his, or if you have no interest in the business of professional wrestling then you probably could get away with sitting this one out. But those are just my two cents, in the end, it's up to you!

How many of you guys have watched Young Rock? Please let me know what your thoughts were on the first episode of the series by leaving me a comment below, and don't forget to follow me over on Twitter @RR_Everything, where I talk about all of the shows and movies that I watch and also provide updates on future reviews!

[REVIEW] Is The Hardy Boys (2020) Worth The Watch? I say YES!

Hulu's The Hardy Boys modernizes the classic mystery books while maintaining its family-friendly image.

The Hardy Boys have been no stranger to the small screen throughout the years as the two detective brothers have had two different series adaptations of their classic mystery books. Their first being, "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" which debuted on ABC all the way back in 1977, then came "The Hardy Boys" years later in 1995, a Canadian-American series, but both of these shows only ran for a combined number of four seasons.

Fast forward to 2020, it had been over two decades since we last saw this iconic duo on-screen, but popular streaming service Hulu has stepped in to give us a more modernized version of Frank and Joe Hardy, but you may be wondering, does it have the potential to outlive its predecessors? Step aside boys, I'm on the case!

The Positive

Following the events of a life-changing tragedy in their family, detective Fenton Hardy finds himself making the sudden decision to move himself and his two boys, Frank and Joe, to the small town of Bridgeport, where he has arranged for the three of them to stay for the summer.

Shortly after their arrival, the two brothers make a shocking discovery about the recent death in their family and find themselves in the midst of a dangerous investigation as they plan to uncover the truth behind the mysterious incident.

Season one of this new series serves as an origin story for Frank and Joe, allowing a new generation to familiarize themselves with the slightly modernized versions of the characters, as the show focuses on their very personal connection to their first investigation.

While I have yet to read any of The Hardy Boys books for myself, I'm thankful to have a basic knowledge of the characters through my recent fascination with their friend and fellow sleuth, Nancy Drew, which had allowed me to pick up on a few changes that the series made from the source material, starting with the most noticeable, the age gap between Frank and Joe.

According to my research, the two brothers are usually about a year apart in the book series, Frank and Joe are most commonly at the ages of eighteen and seventeen, but in terms of the show, they are now at the ages of sixteen and twelve, creating a four-year gap between them.

I thought this change worked as an opportunity for the writers to explore different levels of maturity between Frank and Joe, and bring in a bit of extra conflict. While the two are on the same page more often than not throughout the season, we do see the contrasting ways in which they react to certain experiences during their first investigation.

The Hardy Boys debut novel titled, "The Tower Treasure", was published under the pseudonym, "Franklin W. Dixon", and would hit shelves in the spring of 1927, the series was an instant success with a group of predominantly male young readers but would go on to gain a large fanbase of both male, and female readers of all different ages for years to come.

But in order to appeal to a new generation of potential fans, there were a few adjustments to be made before bringing these characters back to the small screen. For example, this meant bringing in more diversity, and allowing females to play a larger role than they originally did in the books; these are welcomed changes that help to modernize characters and stories that were created so long ago and allow the show to better fit within today's culture.

But what I admired the most about this show, was the fact that its creators chose not to ditch the wholesome, family-friendly nature of the original book series, and decided to embrace it instead, allowing us to have something that just about anyone could enjoy; The Hardy Boy's TV-PG rating makes the series safe for a younger audience, but impressively, the show is still an interesting watch if you are a grown person who happens to be on the hunt for a good, clean mystery that won't contain any unnecessary adult themes.

It's become increasingly more difficult to find a family-friendly show to watch these days, as more often than not, our choices seem to go from one extreme to another. Children's shows have become mind-numbing, while most shows created for adults contain violence, strong language, and other explicit themes. And speaking as a grown woman myself, who doesn't particularly enjoy all of those things in entertainment, it was beyond refreshing to watch a show with a solid story that was clean, and yet not insulting to my intelligence.

I also really enjoyed the casting of both Frank and Joe. Canadian actors Rohan Campbell and Alexander Elliot played the two brothers this time around and were able to portray a realistic sibling dynamic between the characters with moments that just about anyone with a brother or sister could most definitely relate to.

When tragedy strikes in their family, the two of them are forced to move somewhere new and leave behind everything that's familiar to them. Frank and Joe are devastated by their loss and frustrated leaving their town behind, both actors were able to convey a wide variety of emotions in very convincing performances, each one of them feeling very natural and real. 

The Negative

While I did find The Hardy Boy's first investigation to be interesting, it's worth mentioning that this first season was a very slow-burning one. The mystery gradually unfolds throughout each of the thirteen episodes, allowing us to get a small piece to the puzzle each time but the show generally runs at a slower pace, and if you're someone who doesn't have the patience for that, this show may not be for you.

Personally, I didn't mind the slower pace too terribly much, but I do believe the show could have benefitted from the episodes being a tad bit shorter. Considering that each episode was around forty minutes long, there were a few forgettable scenes that didn't seem necessary, and cutting off those extra ten minutes, I believe could have helped the show's pacing a bit, and potentially it could have allowed the episodes to feel a bit more eventful.

Conclusion

I've been quite vocal when it comes to my strong dislike of The CW's Nancy Drew series and how I feel the show taints the image of a beloved character with distasteful writing, but Hulu's adaptation of The Hardy Boys thankfully goes in a much different direction and delivered in their attempt to revive the two detective brothers in a way that stays true to the wholesome nature of the original book series.

Of course, having limited knowledge of the characters I can't say how well the show stuck to the personality of each character but keeping it family-friendly is a definite win in my opinion, and the show had me excited to read some of their original stories in order to have a better understanding and knowledge of the characters should we get a second season, and I've certainly got my fingers crossed for that!

How many of you guys have seen the new Hardy Boys? Please let me know what your thoughts were on the first season of the series by leaving me a comment below, and don't forget to follow me over on Twitter @RR_Everything, where I talk about all of the shows and movies that I watch and also provide updates on future reviews!

And be sure to click here for my video review of the Nancy Drew series, and here for my written review of the Sophia Lillis movie, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase! 
  

[REVIEW] Godmothered (2020) Redefines "Happily Ever After"

Godmothered is reminiscent of popular films such as Elf and Enchanted but where those two had found success, is where Godmothered failed.

About a week ago now, my state of Maryland saw its first snowfall of the winter. In the beginning, it felt like quarantine all over again, even though I don't leave the house much at all these days, the snow took away the possibility of even getting out for essentials. 

But believe it or not, the moment I stepped outside that first snowy morning and saw all of those little, delicate snowflakes flowing down from the sky, I couldn't help but feel a sense of calm, and this snowfall suddenly turned into a much needed mental refresh for me.  

Soon I ended up back in my house with a cup of hot chocolate, ready to use this storm as an opportunity to take it easy and watch something new so I turned to the film "Godmothered" on DisneyPlus which had just come out earlier this month, and after watching it on two separate occasions, I have a few thoughts on it that I would like to share with you. 

The Positive

An inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training named Eleanor (Jillian Bell) sets out to find Mackenzie, (Isla Fisher) a troubled 10-year-old girl, after discovering her misplaced letter in which she requested the help of a fairy godmother. Soon Eleanor tracks the young girl down and is shocked to find that Mackenzie is now a 40-year-old single mother with two girls of her own, and no longer believes in the idea of living happily ever after.

Godmothered isn't your typical fairytale. Instead of the story being focused solely on finding Mackenzie her prince charming, the film flips the script and redefines what it actually means to live happily ever after and how our true loves can come in various different forms.

At the beginning of this movie, you are lead to believe that they are heading in the same old direction as most of these stories do, but instead, it managed to do a decent job of putting a creative twist on outdated fairytale concepts, without sucking too much of the magic out of it.

"We think that love needs to look a certain way, a prince, a castle, a gown, we're trapped in the fairytale when the real world is full of so much more." - Eleanor 

Eleanor was a fun character for this movie, I liked the fish out of water storytelling, and watching her reactions to what she encounters out in the world during her experience with Mackenzie made for some fun moments, and that's thanks to Jillian Bell, who portrayed this character with such a delightfully playful personality and charming innocence.

The Negative

As much as I wanted Godmothered to become a welcomed addition to my lineup of favorite Christmas films, unfortunately, there were several issues that I personally had with this movie, starting with the fact that for a story that was centered completely around the idea of magic, magic was what I found the film to be lacking in the most.

The concept sounds great in theory, the idea of pulling an ambitious, soon-to-be fairy godmother out of her fairytale environment and placing her into our world is reminiscent of popular films such as Elf and Enchanted but where those two had found success, is where Godmothered failed, with its underwhelming script.   

Now, when I tell you that I thought it was lacking in the magic department, I don't mean that Eleanor didn't do enough waving of her wand for my liking, or that she neglected to show off some of her fairy godmothering skills, it's that everything in this movie was just completely and utterly forgettable, there was nothing special enough to have left a lasting impression on me. 

One of my biggest complaints is that Isla Fisher's Mackenzie Walsh felt very one dimensional, and it seemed clear that writers didn't put that same amount of thought and effort into crafting this character that they put into Eleanor and as a result, she came off as nothing more than a prop to progress Eleanor's story, and I wasn't able to form a connection with her.   

The first time I watched Godmothered was while I was doing a little bit of Christmas themed crafting and I had it on in the background for something to listen to. I hadn't been paying as much attention as I could have, so I decided to watch it once more, but during both of those viewings, I thought the same thing, this film is much too long for the story it's trying to tell. 

Truth be told the entire thing could have been wrapped up nicely within an hour but instead, the story was long and drawn out in order to fit its almost two-hour runtime and for the most part, it was filled with a whole lot of nothing. 

And what I may have despised the most about this movie was the lack of creativity when it came to the subplot of Mackenzie's oldest daughter. Of course, this is a spoiler-free review, and I'll just say that the direction they went in with her character has been overdone when it comes to Disney, and it's frustrating to see them create the same characters with the same talents and desires, it gets old and the company has to come up with something new. 

Conclusion

Godmothered is one of those movies where I wouldn't feel comfortable saying it's bad necessarily but at the same time, it didn't do much for me. I liked the concept, but the script was average at best, which shows that a good idea is nothing without the proper execution. 

The overall message of the movie was better than I had anticipated, and I did enjoy Jillian Bell's performance but in the end, Godmothered was uneventful and somewhat predictable, I've given this one a 4/10 rating, and that's being generous for the holidays. 

 

How did you rate Godmothered? Please let me know your thoughts on it over on Twitter by tweeting me @RR_Everything! That's where I talk about all of the latest shows and movies and also post updates on my future reviews. I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say and having a discussion about it!