Review: The Great Chicken Wing Hunt
Director: Matt Reynolds
Starring: Ben Beavers, Al Caster, Ric Kealoha, Lucie Mayerova, Ron Wieszcyk
Is obsession the beginning of passion or is passion the lead into an obsession? There are two things that I consider myself to be very passionate about and maybe even obsessed with: Hamburgers and an extracurricular exercise practiced in private…Use Your Imagination! I mean who does not like a nice piece of meat. It would be so much fun to travel the world and find that awesomely thick, juicy, and filling piece of meat and stick it between a set of buns. Oooohhhhh… And add ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, pickle, and cheese to that order. As entranced as I am with my hamburgers, one man, Matt Reynolds is just as enthused about Chicken Wings.
THE MOVIE
The film is a documentary following Matt Reynolds and a group of wing enthusiast, in search of the “perfect” chicken wing in the state of New York… thus called The Great Chicken Wing Hunt. Unbeknown to me, the chicken wing originated in the state of New York and has become a staple in American culture. In the documentary, the hunt focuses mainly on the Buffalo Wing which is a deep fried, un-breaded wing, coated in a pepper-vinegar sauce and butter. Matt is obsessed with chicken wings and had even given up his job in Europe as a journalist to pursue this hunt. Pulling together five other people, one of which is his girlfriend from Europe, Matt sets out on a twenty-one day excursion across the state of New York to find the ultimate chicken wing. Now throughout this trip the team mostly only eats chicken wings all day and everyday stopping at an average of 10-15 places a day. Using a score card each member of the team would rate the wings they ate on a personal preference and the average score of the wings would determine the rating of the chicken wings at their location. Throughout the process we as the audience get to watch the meltdowns and the reactions of the wing enthusiast and we also get to meet some of the best wing creations to exist in New York today.
(9/10)
THE VIDEO
No clue what this film was shot in, but I will say the editing on this documentary is AMAZING! Love the opening sequence with the introduction to the first ever chicken wing and then the character introductions are just perfect. The hunt is so easy to follow and the way it was all pieced together kept me so engulfed into the story and hunt it did not even feel like a full documentary… No dull moment!
(9/10)
THE AUDIO
The audio was fairly clear, some parts could have been a little better but there was nothing major that distracted me from the story.
(8/10)
THE PACKAGING AND EXTRA FEATURES
N/A- this was a pre-screen movie… final document is not released yet.
(NA/10)
OVERALL
Of all the documentaries I have seen, this is probably the most interesting and enthusiastic one I have ever seen. I have never been so excited to eat or want a chicken wing so bad in my life. There was no dull moment to this and the people in it are all so fascinating. I love hamburgers so much I would love to do a great hamburger hunt, but the dedication of these people and the love of this food just seemed so appealing to me and very relatable. I suggest that if anyone has a time to spare or nothing to do, they should watch this documentary because it not only puts you in a weird but great mood, but it also makes you question passion versus obsession.
(10/10)
THE MOVIE: 9/10
THE VIDEO: 9/10
THE AUDIO: 8/10
THE PACKAGING AND EXTRA FEATURES: NA/10
OVERALL (Not an Average): 10/10