What We Are Watching Vol. 19: December 2021

After Rendell Locke is murdered under mysterious circumstances, his three children and widow move from Seattle to the Locke family home in Massachusetts. The youngest Locke, Bode, soon discovers magical keys hidden in the house that each has a unique magical ability. He also unwittingly awakens a dangerous demon who is bent on possessing the keys. The teenage Lockes, Kinsey and Tyler, are quickly drawn into the plot. Soon, they discover a secret door hidden in caves beneath the house that the demon is determined to open.

In the second season, the Lockes have seemingly found a moment of peace but they soon learn that the evil is still there, looking to build an army. The fate of the world is literally at stake. Tyler and his uncle Duncan learn how to forge their own keys in hopes of ending the evil demon’s quest once and for all. But they also must make terrible sacrifices to save their friends and loved ones.

Based on a series of graphic novels, Locke & Key is a story in the same vein as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Maze Runner. The fate of the world is in the hands of young teens and children and they must grow up fast and make some hard choices if they and their families are to survive. Locke & Key sticks to the small town that it takes place in which makes the story easy to follow. The pace never lets up and there is action and suspense in nearly every episode. And surprise! The second season is better than the first. Both are totally bingeable and I found myself hooked right away. The characters are completely believable and strike a good balance between youth and wisdom. They don’t cause too many eye-rolling moments which is always a good thing. One unique story element is that adults can’t remember magical events for more than a few minutes. That truly leaves the kids in charge. Even their mother is completely unaware of what’s going on right in her own house. And what a house! Netflix created a beautiful but creepy Victorian mansion in the middle of a beautiful clearing. My research says they built the entire set from scratch, interior and exterior. When you see it, you’ll be impressed at the achievement.

Locke & Key is presented in Dolby Vision HDR with Dolby Atmos sound. Watching it on an LG OLED TV was a superlative experience. Extended color and dynamic range are used to full effect. Sunsets have a warm glow that almost looks like fire while the clouds and foreground stay richly detailed. Interior shots are equally loaded with detail in every shadow and every brightly lit room. The textures of old wood, carpet, and canvas paintings are clearly visible. Flesh tones are completely natural and never too red. Other surfaces like asphalt and snow look incredibly lifelike. Though you can enjoy it in 1080p and SDR like I did when watching the first season last year, this show really comes to life on a Dolby Vision capable display.

The audio is as good as any movie presented in a cinema. Dialog is crisp and clean in the center position with ambient effects from the mains and surrounds that create a true sense of space. The world of the show sounds much larger than my living room or theater spaces thanks to that object-oriented soundtrack. Bass effects pound from the sub when appropriate and are perfectly controlled to provide impact without overshadowing other elements.

Locke & Key has a few violent scenes and the occasional S-word but unless your family includes very young children, it is a show you can watch together. The premise of kids driving the story isn’t new, but this show has a fresh take on the idea. It’s a visual and sonic feast and good solid entertainment for a wide range of audiences. Highly Recommended. And yes, a third season is not only confirmed but has wrapped photography. My guess is it will drop sometime in the Fall of 2022.

The tension in this movie is unremitting. It is constant. The acting, film score, and cinematography are superb. McTiernan brilliantly pans the camera during each scene to give the effect of the submarines moving through the ocean depths. It is based on a 1984 novel by Tom Clancy.

An absolutely fabulous movie. Free on YouTube.

This was something of a pleasant surprise. Gerard Butler often winds up in a bunch of straight to video releases, but he’s very good here in a twisty story of a crook (Frank Grillo) who gets himself sent to jail to avoid a hitman. The hitman (Gerard Butler) slyly gets himself into the same jail so he can kill his target, and that sets up a pretty unique and interesting story. There’s a tough lady cop (Alexis Louder) in the way of the plot, and more than a good share of surprises.

Director Joe Caravan provides solid entertainment for the entire running time, and he’s helped make the script witty and compelling.

I did enjoy this film because it exceeded my expectations. It’s not great art, but it made for a good evening as I enjoyed the craftsmanship and the actors. Is it a bit over the top? Sure, but I wasn’t interested in spending the evening watching a bunch of actors sitting around chatting.

Video: Very nice looking on this Blu-ray, which Is taken from a 2K sourced digital intermediate. There’s some day-for-night photography, where everything sort of turns blue, but I wasn’t troubled by the shortcuts. The color palette of the movie tends towards cool colors, certainly appropriate for the story. The image is quite sharp, so video-wise, it’s all first class.

Audio: Copshop’s 5.1 DTS-HD MA Audio is pretty laid back for about the first hour, but then things begin to pop, with directional bullets being fired, some deep bass explosions, and dialog is clear and well centered.

Extras: Not a one

Copshop is a wild E-Ticket ride. It’s no French Connection, but it’s much better than the average shoot ‘em up, and I enjoyed Copshop a lot. It will keep you guessing, and it’s a dynamic audio-video experience.