Honestly, anything that brings a bit of positivity to this world is always worth checking out. Tab Edwards and Saint Martin’s pilot, The Kingfish, follows the story of three youths bringing smarts to the street.
X (Xavier Edwards), Flip (Britt Starghill), and Bobby (Taylor Myrick) are friends enjoying a day to goof off. While Flip and Bobby are playing video games, X is intensely studying quantum physics. Hoping to get ready for a string theory lecture that night, Flip and Bobby coax X to head off with them to North Philly to pick up a package. Once there, our trio must use their intelligence and knowledge of vector theory to escape an encounter with Big Homie, engage in a smart-off competition, and avoid meeting the mysterious Kingfish.
“…must use their intelligence and knowledge of vector theory to escape an encounter with Big Homie…”
The Kingfish is a television pilot that harkens back to the days of Saturday morning kids’ adventures. The show plays against the stereotypes and prejudice that urban teens face today. X, Flip, and Bobby are likable teens using their minds to get them to rise above any obstacle in their way. But will that translate to them falling in love?
This initial episode does what a pilot needs to do. It sets up the basic idea of the series focusing on the travails of our three heroes. I personally might have spent more time getting to know X, Flip, and Bobby. But, it demonstrates to us the trouble they could get into and stresses a good educational foundation as a way to solve problems.
As it is, this low-budget indie is a bit raw from a production standpoint but shows good potential. Here are some initial thoughts. First, I’d change the title to focus on the three teens. The opening title sequence is fun to watch, along with the scene transitions. There is also great potential for some clever stories which lend themselves to some intelligent and funny adventures for our stars. Overall, The Kingfish is worth checking out.
For more information, visit the official website of The Kingfish.
"…worth checking out."
Quite a coincidence! I always watch Chris’s take on the film industry in his Film Courage interviews, and I read the reviews here, which I think are industry-leading. After watching your Oscars preview today, I came here to read the reviews of some of the nominees and saw THIS. The coincidence is that I actually saw this show at a screening in Philadelphia last month. Small world. I thought The Kingfish was clever and fun. It was great to see an urban film without all of the negative stereotypes. It really is very creative and enjoyable.