Important Fact:
Release Dates : 29 September, 2023
Genre : Drama, Fantasy, Live Action
Language: English
OTT Platform: Disney+
Season : 2
No. of episodes: 6
Launchpad Season 2 Ratings & Review:
- latestmoviesreview Rating : (3/5)
- IMDb Rating : (6.7/10)
Synopsis :
Disney’s “Launchpad” Season 2 is a collection of live-action shorts from a new generation of dynamic filmmakers. This season showcases six writers, five directors and one writer-director from underrepresented backgrounds who were given the opportunity to share their perspectives and creative visions. Continuing the goal of Disney’s first season of “Launchpad,” which was to diversify the types of stories that are being told by giving access to those who historically have not had it, “Launchpad” Season 2 is proud to present six new shorts for Disney+ based on the theme of “connection.”
Episodes List :
Episode 1 : “Beautiful, FL”
Director: Gabriela Ortega
Writers: Joel Perez and Adrian Ferbeyre
Cast: Dariana Alvarez, Lynette Coll, Eileen Galindo, Logan “Meatball Queen” Jennings, Wendi McLendon-Covey
A teenage girl asks her trailer park neighbors for assistance in developing the winning recipe when she is determined to win an ice cream competition with a flavor that pays homage to her late Tia Abuela’s Puerto Rican delights. Unfortunately for me, “Beautiful, FL” was the short I disliked the least because, in my opinion, it was the worst for being overstuffed. They could have easily cut it in half and still achieved the desired outcome. It’s a cute narrative about a young girl who wants to recreate her late grandmother’s recipe, but it felt needless to include some strange trailer park neighbors, such as “The Goldberg’s” Wendi McLendon-Covey.
(Rating- 2.5 out of 5)
Episode 2 : “Black Belts”
Director: Spencer Glover
Screenplay: Xavier Stiles, Spencer Glover
Story by: Xavier Stiles
Cast: Seth Carr, Tremayne Norris, Honey Robinson, Godderick Alucard, Smokey Campbell, Anthea Neri Best
An eccentric adolescent takes the family’s top-secret martial arts method to utilize in a well-known underground school because he is determined to become a Compton legend like his former fighter father. He rapidly discovers that being a guy is more than just throwing hands in the hopes of earning respect from his peers. Seth Carr from “The Mysterious Benedict Society” is the star of the clip, and he gives a really strong performance. Again, it might have benefited from some trimming, and after seeing several seasons of “Cobra Kai” recently, this one didn’t seem all that original.
(Rating – 3 out of 5)
Episode 3 :“The Ghost”
Director: Erica Eng
Writer: Kevin Jihyek Park
Cast: Hana Marie Kim, Andie Ju, Sook Hyung Yang, Eddie Shin, Ayvah Jordan Vasquez, Tania Verafield
Clarice Cheung, 12, feels insignificant, especially when compared to her older sister Naomi. But when there is a quarrel at the dinner table, a ghost appears and starts stealing the family members one by one. Clarice and Naomi must now collaborate to put an end to this tenacious spirit before their family is irreparably ripped apart.
This short is one of the best in the collection, and the subject is intriguing enough to have easily been expanded into a full-length horror film. The relationship between the youngest girl and her mother, who are having difficulty communicating since the younger girl’s Korean isn’t that good and the mother’s English isn’t that good, is one of the story’s most intriguing aspects. However, the elder sister is desperately trying to make things better. This would be one of the shorts you would watch if you could only watch one or two!
(Rating – 4 out of 5)
Episode 4 :“Maxine”
Director/Writer: Niki Ang
Cast: Margaret Cho, Elaine Young, Isabella Day, Kelvin Han Yee, Celeste Den, Nicole Jia
This is a truly endearing tale of Allie, who finds it difficult to meet her family’s reaction to her first girlfriend. Allie receives assistance from a long-lost relative, who has been forgotten by the family because she departed to be her true self and never got in touch with them because they didn’t understand, when the family is celebrating the Hungry Ghost Festival. It’s a touching tale of acceptance, showing how challenging it can be for Asian families in particular.
While Maxine enjoys jumping from one body to another, it is also distressing to observe how she experiences the same problems with her parents as Allie. The collection’s “Maxine” short, which required to be about twenty minutes lengthy to deal with the circumstances, is probably my favorite of the lot. It’s undoubtedly the collection’s high point.
(Rating- 4 out of 5)
Episode 5 : “Project CC”
Director: Cashmere Jasmine
Writer: Jasmine Johnson
Cast: Jessica Mikayla, A’lasia Simone, Jordyn Curet, Shelley Meche’tte, Rhomeyn Johnson
When an attempt to create a clone of her recently murdered closest friend fails, a talented young scientist must team up with her sister. This short, which I believe does a good job of handling the difficult subject of mourning, is also one that could air on the Disney Channel. Although the plot is heavy-handed, there is still plenty of family-friendly humor to keep you engaged.
(Rating- 2.5 out of 5)
Episode 6 :“The Roof”
Director: Alexander Bocchieri
Writer: W.A.W. Parker
Cast: Phoenix Wilson, Wes Studi, DeLanna Studi, L. Frank Manriquez, Landa Lakes, John M. Sneezy
A Northern Cheyenne teen finds a connection to their family and culture in a way they never imagined possible after being forced to live with their grandfather. This is a sweet tale about embracing generational differences as well as just general acceptance. In addition, it took far too long to get to the point.
(Rating-3 out of 5)