The Mandalorian & Grogu

We have never been more back!

To the uninitiated it has been a fat minute since new Star Wars has hit cinema screens, but to me it's just another Tuesday. But what did I think about the slightly basic titled The Mandalorian & Grogu? Now this might shock you but, I really loved it! Is it the most insanely awesome Star Wars movie I've ever seen? No, but the stakes feel appropriate for the jump from series to film even though it actually feels more in tune with season 1 Mandalorian while still keeping all the additions of the other seasons and even beyond the show in terms of time and lore. The plot while very centered on Din and Grogu going through links to capture imperial warlords gets a bit sidetracked with the gangster siblings of Jabba but it forms a coherent and even emotional tale that may not be the most dazzling pulse pounding grandiose story of say the main 9 saga films, but it works in it's own way. The main draw to the film really is the relationship and dynamic of Din and Grogu, no matter how many references and extended characters that us mega fans know by heart. And I hate to say it with every fibre of my being but I think they're setting up the eventual demise of Din, slowly and ever so slightly but it could happen sooner than later. Papa Pedro is committed as always and still really good but I can understand his possible thinking that he can't do this forever and it toys with that in the movie. Of course Grogu is still our sweet baby but shows remarkable capability and not only did he comprise my favorite scene of the entire movie but got me on the absolute cusp of shedding tears. A Star Wars movie has never quite hit me like this and it must be noted. Kind of an inverted duet with Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White, I thought we would see Rotta barely at all after a certain point and get more Colonel Ward but we stick with Rotta for a good bit and I gotta tell you man, never have I ever been so keen and down with a Hutt in my existence! He was rad as hell and not to mention the mind trip of seeing that little slug baby all grown up after the 2008 Clone Wars movie. Of course I'm a mark for Anzellans, Embo, dragon snakes, and Dejarik creatures so I was having a field day and every little nod and reference I caught was a treat. I think people kinda forget how deeply self referrential Star Wars truly is, I dare say it's at least half of the backbone of the entire franchise and the other half being combining so much culture and classic tales of fantasy and fiction to create something new. It's a very enjoyable fun movie that screams escapsim, with appropriately excellent special effects, a fantastic score by Ludwig Göransson that in my opinion eclipses the series soundtrack and stands toe to toe with the memorability of the John Williams score, a good bit of humor but never afraid to take it slow or serious, and makes me incredibly interested what could come of season four of the series. Just check your expectations at the door and have fun, it's a damn good time to be a Star Wars fan like every other day of the year and I'll be extremely happy to add this to the DVD shelf when that special day comes. This is indeed the way. 3.5 stars, 8.5/10, I'm a happy camper.

Gladiator II

To hell with your 6.6 IMDB!

I was way more invested and entertained in this movie! Set just 16 years after the first film we follow a soldier from Numidia named Hanno who has a proper revenge hard on for roman general Acacius after being defeated and put up as human livestock in the Colosseum, but what I like about this movie so much is as the plot progresses almost every main player in the story changes and holds different amounts of power. Paul Mescal is a fierce lead and to see the shift from soldier to slave to revolutionary is gratifying to watch and he does not hold back on the physicality or the emotion, taking the flaws of Maximus from the first film and swiftly remedying it. Denzel Washington as new gladiator conossieur Macrinus is easily the best character in the movie for my money, and you can tell Denzel is relishing this role and to see his political machinations grow and grow was super engaging for me. Of course our daddy of daddies Pedro Pascal is present and unfortunately he's not in the movie much and has only a smudge of stuff to do, an honorable roman he is and my God what a commanding voice he has in this movie so it was great to see him in something until I'm probably nearing the end of my rope and Mando hits the big screen. Connie is back and her storyline adds some dimension to the film and honestly she acts even better than the first film, and sweet Christmas has that woman even aged a friggin' day?? Incredible. I'm not entirely sure if Rome ever had two emperors cause that is a fascinating detail of history never disclosed to me, but the combined performances of Joseph and Fred while surprisingly more in the background were just that right amount of batshit and hedonistic, they did do proper good work but if you ever want a proper piece on emperors I would point to I Claudius or...Caligula if you're not a prude. Production wise it's definitely surpassed the first Gladiator obviously with advancements due to the 24 year gap in filmmaking, the sets and costuming are great, they knew how to up the ante in the Colosseum (even if probably not entirely accurate to history I loved it anyway), there's more political intrigue, the score is decent, the editing has thankfully calmed the hell down, and I easily can say this is one of those sequels that outdoes the first! May be blasphemy, may be heresy, but call me a fan of the sequel! I kind of feel like an ass honestly for not seeing it in the theater, and my main reasoning for not was well I haven't seen the first and while elements of the plot are brought up here you really genuinely can watch this and not miss much and still enjoy it. So I apologize right now for that blunder, this was a very very good film! 3.5 stars from me, 8.5/10, and next week is time at last.

The Wild Robot

My headcanon is Roz became the robot in Castle In The Sky. Somehow.

I kinda forgot about this film ain't gonna lie. I saw the poster, absolutely zero trailers, and only until about 2 days ago added it to the calendar. I didn't even know it was based on a book until end credits. So basically walking in blind as a bat, how was it? Pretty good actually! The premise does grab your attention from the start, this helper robot who without any memory of what transpired before finds itself on an isolated island with no humans as it tries to follow it's programming. That is a really cool premise! But then a thought occured to me, will the animal inhabitants talk? Depending on the person you are that could be a good or bad thing, but the answer is yes. I feel that would have been way too experimental to have a robot speak but nothing else does and this is a family film from Dreamworks after all so what can you do. So we follow the odyssey of this robot as she learns the language, adapts, and quickly finds a purpose in raising a baby goose. Honestly when the goose grows up it starts hitting more clichéd writing, and indeed some would even argue that the movie gets a little too kid friendly and leans hard in the sentimental department. I had no severe issue and did still find myself emotionally invested but it certainly was something to take note of. I feel I could counter that claim however with how much death is in the movie, there is a clear difference between a Kid's Movie and a Family Film, family films have casualties in them! But anyway, onto performances. I'm a bit of a mark for Lupita Nyong'o, and I'll be damned I have a big heart for robots but she dang near takes the cake putting a lot of cheer and humor into Roz nailing the emotional punch throughout the entire picture. I was all in on her and never have I seen a machine go through so much physical abuse, so I got a bit defensive of her. Pedro Pascal of all people plays a gluttonous fox named Fink who pretty much takes the patriarchal image of this oddball family unit, I honestly couldn't tell it was him and I'm just thrilled they didn't pull no liar revealed trope with his character. Kit Connor as the runt of the litter goose Brightbill is a character we have seen time and time again, the acting was just fine no strikes against him, I do just wish we had a better story for him to play in. But whatever shortcomings the story has the animation almost makes up for it entirely, infusing 3D animation with water color backgrounds and rich color, this is a cool looking movie. It has moments even of just pure art! Dreamworks you may have landed face first with The Bad Guys but you did strong work here! Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Is it worth seeing? I would say yeah. It's been a good while since I saw a new animated movie so I'm happy. I give it 3 stars, 8/10, and you know what next month is but probably not what we're starting with.

The Mandalorian: Season 3

One more week.

I am prefacing this now. I don't wanna hear it, this was a good season, take your tribalism us and them, flawless or shit, all or nothing attitude and bugger off. Kay? Kay. Mando, new season, huzzah! No spoilers this time around, we'll save that for a later time, but I feel this kinda had to go the way it went. This is kind of an odd comparison but roll with me it involves a bit of Star Wars. Once Star Wars was released in 1977 space movies got big again, coming out of the woodwork in fact, and EON Productions saw this and set their next James Bond film in space titled Moonraker with space stations, lazer guns, and earth destroying globes of a different size, but after that they knew they had to bring Bond (pardon the partial pun) back down to Earth with a more serious and very unflashy follow up with For Your Eyes Only. The exact same thing happened for The Mandalorian. It got too big for it's britches last season, so much happened, so many big names entered the chat to where it got a bit crazy! And the writers and creators knew they couldn't keep that same level so they brought it back down a notch. We still have a fairly important story with Din and Grogu setting out to essentially reclaim Mandalore, and as the show progresses we get more and more mandalorians to assist in the cause. That's pretty much the overarching plot, but the individual episodes feel slightly akin to season 1's episodes where each new episode is a new adventure. There's quite a few standalone episodes that still have some expansive information and events occuring but they're more in the background. I equate this season to a very Arthurian source, the mandos feel a lot like knights, ownership over the Excalibur style Darksaber is brought into question, a quest to reclaim a kingdom, it really fits that style while of course being the glorious space fantasy opera it always has been. Just to highlight some of my favorite episodes for you without divulging every episode's plot, episode 3 The Convert. Kind of a no brainer coming from me and my Imperial ties, even if I did have to watch turncoat traitors support the quite frankly inept New Republic. Like seriously I could bitch about the New Republic all day and compare it to Fritz Lang's Metropolis and George Lucas' THX 1138 in just how dystopian it functions especially with former Imperial officers, but we don't got time for that today. Seeing Doctor Pershing and Elia Kane (Hello there new crush.) again was really cool and the progression of that story just wowed me! Episode 6 Guns For Hire I actually really liked, kind of a side mission with Din and Bo but the fact I get Jack Black in Star Wars is completely mental and stunning and I love everything about it, didn't strike me until later but we got some Blade Runner influence in that episode so that bumped the score up a good fair bit, and I know...I know. The Darksaber thing. I know. Deep breath. Din is not a ruler, he is not a leader type. I viewed that situation as him willingly giving up the Darksaber to have a better future for his people and to reclaim Mandalore, a selfless and optimistic act so that his people can band together once more. I knew certain folk were gonna jump at the jugular over that dispute in episode 2, but it's fine trust me. It's okay, we're okay. And of course the essentially two part finale, wow. They still know how to deliver and wrap things up pretty nicely. Too much to talk about, too much to spoil, all I'm saying is I very much enjoyed this season. And from the ending it feels like, to use another analogy, like a bell curve. You start with season one and it slowly starts ascending up the curve, then season two goes even higher and hits the peak undoubtedly, then season 3 starts climbing down and by the end settles down again, so naturally season 4 I feel wholeheartedly is gonna be street level Star Wars again, a return to form. You know it's like poetry they rhyme, each stanza rhymes with the last. Now onto production technicals! Cast still brings their A-game, lot of love given to Katee Sackhoff this season and I am all there for it! Pedro Pascal still being the best poppa in the galaxy and there is a sure fire character progression for him from season to season, he is truly an honorable man. All our supporting cast including our celebrity cameos were wonderful of course, Carl Weathers, Emily Swallow, Katy O'Brian, Omid Abtahi, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Giancarlo Esposito, Jack Black, Lizzo, Christopher Lloyd, and of course Ahmed Best, absolutely fucking marvellous work and thank you for being part of my favorite galaxy. Stellar visuals as always from planet surfaces, to jetpack flying, to starships, to creature effects, it's all 100% pure, top shelf, chef's kiss, certified gold production and effects work. With so many new details and beautiful nods, it's a feast for hardcore Star Wars fans and still just as accesible and fun for newcomers. Another fine addition to our collection. And oh my God, there's so much Star Wars to talk about both this week and in the months to come. Lucasfilm pulled the crank and dropped a metric ton of new material on us April, and all I can say for the future is more! MORE!! Throw me in a Snoke tank and hook it up to my veins, I live for this shit. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and tomorrow we jump back into the FiloniVerse proper.

In Retrospect: The Book Of Boba Fett

I was debating on watching Boba or Visions, but I feel Boba has much more to discuss and this is penance for no May 4th stuff.

It's always important to rewatch stuff some time after, especially if you've had some notes on certain things. Thankfully the problems I had were very minimal, and more touched on the overarching television series "universe" if you will but all in all it's still pretty good. I still say the best parts for me was getting more Tusken culture in this, I found that section of the show some of the most interesting and engaging storytelling in Star Wars. I'll bring another point up near the end about this period but let's move on. Seeing Boba lay the foundations for his status as Daimyo of Mos Espa was interesting, again kinda what I gathered from the trailers that this was almost a crime drama set in Star Wars and I did notice some Godfather elements for sure. I think that's the part people kinda missed about this show is it's called The Book Of Boba Fett, and this is just chapter one I feel people look at this as only a one season show and there isn't any continuation. I feel there is plenty more ground this show can cover and will gladly settle in for a 2 to 3 year long wait for it to return. I mean Dave and Jon have so many plates spinning and I know I went on a tangent about the live action shows intersecting, but I also understood the reasoning behind it. The Mandalorian spearheaded this era, it's a flagship for all future series to travel in it's wake. I don't have a serious issue with Din having essentially an episode and a half just to catch us up on what's been going on. After all, Boba had many moments to himself in season 2 of Mando and it wouldn't surprise me if they balanced it out and gave us a whole episode of just Boba and Fennec in season 3, before going to Mandalore with daddy Mando and little Grogu. I took some grievance with Master Luke also being in this show, but let that not fool you I still loved it and while some may say it isn't entirely pivotal for this show I also couldn't agree to leaving it out because it does do some groundwork for what we'll see next. Hell it sets up a teeny bit of the Ahsoka series, and while we're on that subject just the tiniest little interaction with Ahsoka and Luke was nothing short of mindblowing, and that line man...it cut me deep. Regardless of whether or not something is succesful in terms of Star Wars it's never a waste or superflous, they give new material to expand on and tell more stories. There's always something new. For example, I knew from years of being too nerdy for my own good that Tatooine was once a water planet and you see that in this show during the Tusken portions and that is something I guarantee not everyone who has watched Star Wars knows. So adding things like Ahsoka, Cad Bane, friggin' jedi swordmaster Cin Drallig, among others is great for us old fans who have read the books, played the games, went the distance, it rewards us for knowing so much. Yet it works for new fans as well, because it introduces these new things and garners intrigue. So even if someone was like "Oh the Book Of Boba Fett was a giant pile of nothing, it just seemed like an unnecessary spinoff of Mandalorian" it still does something for this universe and these characters we've seen for some time. It progresses elements and shows something we haven't truly seen before. So I can truthfully let go of the small complaints, it's just entertainment at the end of the day and if we keep getting awesome moments and interesting stories, I just can't ask for more. They did such a good job, even with similar directors this felt like a different show doing it's own thing. Outstanding applause worthy usage of practical effects along with CG which dat look gud! The cast slips effortlessly into the parts, Temuera feels like he just got done filming Attack Of The Clones he just embodies that character, Ming-Na Wen good lord do not get me started I have a century to shout praises of this woman she is a queen, some people would say the Mods are not important characters and are there to make the plot progress but that's not to say the performances are at all forced. It just works in all aspects, nothing feels slapdash or forced, I don't have bewildering questions, I just can enjoy the ride. Not all things in this wonderful galaxy have to be the next groundbreaking peak level of Star Wars goodness. It's very good, the score I'd say remains an 8/10 but it sure is a stalwart strong 8/10. For sure worth a rewatch and discussion. And here we go for the end, what did I think of Kenobi? Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent

Yet another contender so far for the top 10 list this year.

I knew I was gonna enjoy this movie before I walked in but honestly I loved it even more than I thought. The story is perfectly encapsulated in the trailer, with for real for real Nicolas Cage and not just a part where I just call him Nic Cage, is brought to a wealthy man's house who has supposed ties to a weapons cartel played by Pedro Pascal and is enlisted by the CIA to bring him down. Very rudimentary and basic synopsis cause a fair bit more than that happens. The best way I can truly describe the movie is this is Nic's Birdman, perfectly mixing reality with fiction and focusing on an actor who seems past his prime, throw in a bromance, and a surprisingly loving tribute to cinema as a whole and you have a damn good movie that I recommend to everyone. Needless to say the star power of Nic and Pedro is what hooked me, and it did not disappoint. The performances given are super funny, realistic enough but can be broad and fun, and incredibly endearing. The bonding moments were my favorite parts of the film, and while I can greatly appreciate and love the references to other pieces of cinema it wasn't distracting in a reference for reference sake but a delightful seasoning on top of an already great movie. I don't want to give much away, and feel the movie is best enjoyed if you go in with no real idea of the style and tone and just embrace the adventure as it unfolds. I got nothing but good things to say. Excellent cinematography at times, terrific cast, spot on humor that did the trick for me, an interesting and unique story that you can't fully anticipate, it's a wonderful time. I give it 4 stars, 9/10, and I hope it gets more recognition and love. But the cinema train is going through the whole weekend as well so stay tuned for more.

The Book Of Boba Fett: Season 1

Here at last.

I actually have a fair bit to unpack here and not all of it is friendly but I do bring tidings of good news along with it. The Book Of Boba Fett is a solid series, when I saw the first bits of footage of it I immediately thought, crime drama in space, it had a sort of Godfather-esque tinge to it's Star Wars goodness so it had my attention. I really like how the story unfolds picking up not long after the stinger from season 2 of The Mandalorian with Boba and Fennec Shand slowly setting up their criminal empire from Jabba's stronghold, mixed with a compelling and awesome story of how Boba escaped the Sarlaac and gained the trust of a Tusken tribe. That is really damn good stuff, just seeing him learn their traditions and aiding them to where he's kind of a merit adoptive to their people could be a series all of it's own. And when we get to seeing him build his operations, recruit muscle and followers, even though it's more talky than actiony it never got boring because I was interested where the story was going and how it would end. And all the additions both new and recurring to give us fans that wow factor certainly don't hurt the score by any stretch and it was a marvel to behold at times. It's a show made with the same level of love and appreciation as The Mandalorian, and one I will patiently wait for a continuation. Now here's where I start burning bridges. I knew, for a fact beyond any unreasonable doubt, that people were going to shit on this show. I saw it in my mind's eye so clearly that even Master Yoda would commend my vision. Because it's not as amazing or jaw dropping as The Mandalorian even though they are two seperate shows with two seperate agendas, I knew reviewers were going to flood the YouTubes with titles such as, "Was The Book Of Boba Fett A FAILURE??" and I'm already seeing it saying the show is broken, bland, and boring. Get f***ed and f*** off my lawn. Because if it's not great, amazing, spectacular, showstopping, that means it's garbage right? That's how it goes these days and I am officially tired of it. And I will go one step even further beyond and say I have a bone to pick with The Mandalorian, now don't get me wrong my reviews and ratings still stand as the truth. I love that show, however I do not like how it kinda went back on it's sort of main story point. When The Mandalorian was gearing up the creators stated that it would be a Star Wars story from the street level, no galactic politics, no Jedi, no giant space battles, just a story about a simple man making his way through the galaxy. Which is what it did....at first. When we see Moff Gideon with the Darksaber that was the beginning of the end, and now it's gotten too big. Now do I have faith in Jon and Dave as to why they are introducing these big names for hardcore Star Wars fans? Yes I do. Do I understand The Mandalorian is the flagship show that opens the doors to all other shows in it's wake? Absolutely. But people are getting the wrong impression and standard with Boba Fett, they expect it to be a larger scale show with just as much Star Wars fan highlights as Mando's show, when in actuality it gets back to street level Star Wars but still dips it's toes into the large scale stuff. But I feel it's more reserved here and is more or less for the purposes of setting up season 3 of Mando, and I even understand why they wrote it the way they did. I do not have a problem with it. I do still however have problems with the fan community, and I will fully voice my thoughts on that at another point in time. Bottom line, it's a fine show. The story works and is interesting to watch, the effects are still on top form, the cast is excellent with love abound for the king Temuera and Ming-Na Wen the stunning queen, the fanservice is appreciated and gets me excited for future projects, and I do strongly recommend this show. I give it 3 stars, 8/10, and May needs to hurry the hell up.

Wonder Woman 1984

I would like to go on record and submit an apology. When I first saw the trailer I thought Nathan Fillion was in the role of Maxwell Lord and it was Pedro Pascal. I think this was significantly before I watched The Mandalorian so I did not know what he looked like, and I'm sorry about that.

Now that we got that out of the way, are you f***ing kidding me? Really? We're doing this again are we? You know what I am so sick of? I am so sick of hearing nothing but bad mouthing and shitting on a movie before I see it and when I finally do, it turns out to be a good, decent movie. Case in f***ing point, Wonder Woman 1984. I cannot tell you one thing good that was said about this movie when it first came out. Everytime. Every. Time. When this movie was brought up I heard bad things. Not specific things so nothing got spoiled in the slightest, but the ambiance was vastly negative even disappointing from people. What movie did you see in the theater, and how did it differ from the one I just rented? Did they pull a Snyder cut and re-edited the movie for the home video release, cause I got news for you I didn't see one goddamn thing that was bad in this movie, not even sub-par. You think I would be happy about that but really I am so aggravated and frankly pissed right the hell off. Like was the world just in a bad mood when this movie hit in 2020?? Jesus Christ, I mean yes some stuff was going down, bad stuff, but come on man. Not to say the movie was a masterpiece, nor would I say it's better than the first I'd give the first a 8/10, but there is not one aspect of this film's production that would get anything below a 6/10. The production design is quite good with ample various sets and locations, the music is very good both in Hans Zimmer's score and the pop tunes, the cast is excellent and in some cases you can see they are performing their heart out I mean they embody these roles for this generation, the action while less than the first was shot, choreographed, and produced well, the story while nothing ground breaking I felt was handled really good with Diana having a dilemma and Maxwell Lord rising to power. Sure there were off things, like how the invisible jet comes into play, Cheetah is really only in the film in the last 20 odd minutes, we don't get precise origins on the stone. And yet, it was nothing film breaking. I loved we got the invisible jet, the effects on Cheetah were not Cats quality (thank the lord), I could buy the stone was magic so you don't have to explain it. I got to see Diana and Steve reunited though with a consequence, and I have no issue they brought Chris Pine back. He has great chemistry with Gal, and I truly loved to see them be in the same movie again, and the dilemma Diana has to face in order to save the world is a decent one! Kristen Wiig pulled off the villain thing, starting off very Michelle Pfeiffer from Batman Returns, but you see the change gradually and while Cheetah kind of did pop out of nowhere, it didn't hurt her performance and I liked how she played it. Seeing Pedro Pascal have the time of his life in this role, played to the fullest extent with every shred of energy and emotion present from beginning to end was wonderful, marvellous even. Gal Gadot shows off her emotional range very well, she kind of acts her heart out in an important scene, and I felt she proved once again why she got this role, and I just got a wee smile on my face when I heard her speak her native language. That was a nice thing to see, plus that absolutely lovely cameo at the end. That was beyond sweet. I am just so stumped to pick bad parts out of this movie. Hell there were moments that stuck out to me so much, and not every comic book movie can accomplish such a thing which is odd because I'm a dork for this stuff. The jet scene with the fireworks was beautiful, such an good color palette throughout the film really, but the visuals were dazzling yet kept the emotion in the foreground. The scene where Diana flies was outstanding, I felt just like how I did when I saw Clark fly for the first time in Man Of Steel, that was done so well! Just...what am I missing? Either I'm a drooling moron who has no concept of what a good movie is and every other person speaks undeniable truths, or everyone is talking out of their stupid assholes and I'm right. And I am not happy I am thinking like that. At all. That is not a good mental state to be in ever. Even the most positive, affirming, beyond happy ending this movie has, that I have ever seen in my entire life, could not raise my spirits. The film is practically a beacon of positivity and hope for the human race, that the world could become the greatest nightmare ever imagined if you don't be truthful and just make decisions that only service you and not others. Sure it was a bit on the nose with Diana almost flat out speaking to the camera, but that does not mean that her words should mean less. I am just fuming, in virtual apathy for the world and it's inhabitants, and you know you wouldn't think Wonder Woman 1984 would be the film where I draw a line in the sand and marshall all the forces of darkness to descend hell upon my enemies and hound them to an assisted suicide, but here I am. I have no qualms burning bridges, even if those bridges have people on it. 3 stars, 7.5/10. If this horseshit keeps up I might just quit. Maybe even before the 1,000th review. I'm done.

In Retrospect: The Mandalorian (Season 2)

Mmm! It's a bit special.

I do not envy the people working on season 3, cause they did such a good job here. I know people will just shriek this season is nothing but fanwank and quite frankly you can get off my planet, because there is no way in all the circles of Hell itself that the creators and writers took these steps lightly. I mean this is the season with Bo Katan, Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, and Master Luke, you do not bring in such heavy hitters willy nilly and I find they did a good job incorporating each throughout the season. I mean yes I called Boba popping up, cause no one else in Star Wars has the sound of spurs when they walk, but I didn't know how they would handle him. Quite well is the answer. Temuera Morrison never lost his touch in the role of mandalorian bounty hunter, and they give him good action beats without overusing him. I'm beyond happy him and Rosario Dawson got to do these parts, because she lobbied hard for Ahsoka and did the character proud taking a more subdued but even more powerful iteration of a fan treasured character. You have to show a lot of tempered restraint with such characters, even though Ahsoka got an entire episode whereas Bo Katan got parts here and there it never once felt like it was there just to have that big gasp reaction from fans. Nor does it take anything whatsoever from Din Djarin's tale, searching for any answers he can about mandalorians, Jedi teachers, and the safety of his son. You can keep lying to yourself all day it makes little difference to me, but Grogu is his heir, his son, his reason for living. He shows in just one scene, where he takes the helmet off he would do anything for his kid and that he could not be more determined to get him back. It was striking, kinda powerful, and showed good emotional writing. And I will fully admit how they handled Grogu made sense as to where this season ended, you don't get a lot of cute baby moments like you did in the first season, granted he was still there but a more laxed focus was on him, gauging the audience for that moment. I noticed that about midway through the season but it didn't bother me. Yet I do fear somewhat for the third season, they took the kid out of the picture which could have been the most fan upsetting thing since whatever nonsense they were bitching about 5 minutes before, it took guts to remove a very big reason why people watch this show. And now I must speak on Gina. I am here without witness, without hope, without reward, devastated she isn't on the show anymore. I don't even fully know why, just something to do with a tweet, and frankly Twitter is the most toxic shit pit that is rivalling 4Chan in terms of f*** off and die horribly. I really have no idea why she isn't there anymore, and she was a solid reason for me to stick around. I digged the hell out of her character and knew she could be an ass kicking auntie for little Grogu, and my admiration and shameless crushing on Gina Carano didn't hurt at all either in that equation. So that's two big losses on this front in my eyes, of course I'll still watch the next season to see where the story and characters go from here because I do love the show, but that is like a strike and a half in my books for Disney. I was fine with 95% of the movies, besides small squabbles that quite honestly were nitpicks mostly, and really liked what they did and enjoyed it. But here, I'm not terribly happy about that. Will it affect my views on the show? Not much, but it would be nice to have her back. All that aside, the writers, directors (Love you Carl, you did great.), actors, and effects crews brought top form for this show, and it truly does deserve the love from fans. I still say to this day Star Wars is still my favorite thing in the world, in so many of it's different aspects and mediums, I love it and hold a lot of appreciation and respect for it. I'm happy it's still here and we're still getting cool new stuff from it. This is the way, and I have spoken.

In Retrospect: The Mandalorian (Season 1)

Never fails to impress.

Even after all this time and so many new things coming to Star Wars, The Mandalorian has not lost an ounce of it's charm, appeal, intrigue, or quality. It was kind of a trip to go back and that's really saying something considering it's only had two seasons but it just goes to show the testament this show has crafted over such a small stretch, and it does still raise questions even though we do have some of the answers. Why did Werner Herzog want the babay, and who is he besides "The Client"? How did Fennec Shand survive and how is she on good terms with the best bounty hunter in the galaxy? Who's that very pretty lady who wanted some hey hey with Pedro, and how was she such an excellent shot? I do not consider these contrivances or plot holes but it makes me want to know so much more about this world that Favreau and Filoni have made together. They do such a wonderful job introducing new characters that have familiar concepts behind them, and the cast hasn't been this well picked since the original trilogy. Pedro Pascal is quickly becoming a man after my own heart, I mean we are talking near Mads Mikkelsen levels here people. I'm so happy Carl Weathers got to expand upon this and wasn't just a small bit character in this series, cause he really is grand. Oh Gina, oh my dearest, I will come to you tomorrow and really say my piece. The attention to detail in the worlds, species, and tech is glorious giving us so much more tidbits in this universe. I just, ohh, it's muy bien. Magnifico. Wunderbar, he exclaimed with great relish. I almost am quite sad I never watched it weekly like I did with the second season cause I know it would have firmly grasped my attention and kept me guessing about what would happen next. Which is odd because like 90% of the episodes are pretty much singular adventures, you could almost watch it out of order and it would still work which is something I greatly admire with shows or hell even movies for that matter when you can just dip in and out but not lose the experience. I actually heard some people give good grief over that but I suppose it's greatly common nowadays in television that shows are neatly tied together with strong continuity. I say that because I watch nothing but old shit, I can't wait to review The Andy Griffith Show when I'm 87 and nobody will know what I'm talking about. Good times! But anywho, still just as great when I first saw it I may just say screw it and bump my rating up to a 9/10 cause why not it deserves that kind of love. This is the May, I mean the way. And if somebody could let me know when that disintegrator Nerf rifle hits, you'd be a darling.

The Mandalorian: Season 2

That certainly was a season. So....yeah. Season 2! Easily a better season than the last, I would say! I actually have to admit I like that the chapters are continuous and rightfully so since we follow up immediately with Mando and the Child as they search for not only other mandalorians but also Jedi to train the young baby, leading to quite an enormous series of events. Needless to say we meet with several familiar faces, and I'm arguing whether or not to divulge here so we might as well give the best of both worlds. Spoiler free, this series is excellent. The production values somehow look even better and the story goes in a satisfying and incredible direction. I love we get a bit more of the bond between the baby and his poppa, I think the adventures are paced incredibly well, the inclusions of further previously Legends material has nothing but love from me, this is a grand season. But...is this really a review? When it comes to something this immensely popular, am I changing anybody's mind when I say go watch it? Possibly, but most people who got hooked on the first season are of course gonna stick around for the second, and really when we talk about Star Wars here it's more of a discussion than a review. I don't have to tell you to go watch it because chances are you were there from the start, and great job on that! Usually I detest having to wait week after week for a show, and really only this and Gotham have made me watch a show weekly but yeah. So let's get into spoilers now. Loved the first episode, I thought the Krayt Dragon was more Tremors than actual reptile but I digged it, I liked the Jaws style climax, I kinda flipped when I saw the pearl, and Timothy Oliphant proves he can be a gunslinger in any genre. Second episode was good, but boy howdy was the baby a handful in this one, on a lighter note it was cool seeing those weird spiders from Rebels and it was a decent adventure. Episode three kicks off this season truly, seeing Bo Katan in live action was a great treat, and I always enjoy any episode with Imperial elements. Episode 4 was a great adventure, and as far as my knowledge goes this is the first thing I've seen directed by Carl Weathers and he did an outstanding job, giving that well shot action with my forever Star Wars beloved Cara Dune. Brilliant. Episode 5 was a bit dull, nothing seemed to happen except the fact that Ahsoka Tano was in live action and they name dropped motherf***ing Grand Admiral Thrawn, and I think I screamed like a ten year old girl at that little moment! Episode 6, what an appropriate episode title, glorious but a shocking end. Boba Fett and Darktroopers what more do you need or want, and directed by Robert Rodriguez?? Yes please, I'll take it all! You my have triggered me something fierce at the start of epsiode 7, but you gave me some triumphant and wholesome Imperial moments and for that you have my love forever. Final episode.....wow. I mean yikes. Will however say, because there never can be too much positivity in the world, I am willing to hedge my bets season three's viewership is gonna drop a bit. It's bullshit but you took away half if not 75% of the reason people watch the show, so it is possible to happen. I don't hate it in the slightest but others will. But then again, they have proved their salt at this point and can take big risks like that not just for the story but the experience of watching the show. And before I go I would like to go on the record once more, by laughing in the faces of the dipshits who said Star Wars was dead and I would further like to give them this holiday greeting, may the yuletide log slip from your fire and burn your house down. 4 stars, 9.5/10! There's so much more goodness to come out of Star Wars before I'm dead and buried, and I am here. I am waiting. See you next year everybody!

The Mandalorian

It's not The Baby Yoda Show, it's The Mandadlorian because best dad ever. You know in your heart it is!

So I finally watched The Mandalorian over the winter break and I must say I was very entertained but not surprised. To take such a more ground level view of Star Wars that we sort of got in Solo and Rogue One was a wise choice and the fact that each episode marks around 30 minutes, it can focus more on characters and world building and not overblown series arcing situations and battles. This is the show Star Wars fans need, and it sets a good step forward for Disney to make future series of the same caliber. When I first heard of a show focusing on a Mandalorian bounty hunter making his way through the galaxy, I was on board for the idea. Granted we don't get an awful lot of bounty hunting but I don't see that as a bad thing, I was expecting a Cowboy Bebop/Firefly dynamic to the bounty hunting but it goes it's own path and crafts something new. So Mando (yes I know he has a name but I like Mando) is collecting on bounties when he is tasked by our good friend Carl Weathers to bring in a special individual to an Imperial client with ties to a Moff, but once he sees those big bright eyes of the entity that bears no name but a strong similarity to Force users of the past says screw you guys this is my kid now, and he spends the rest of the series making allies, facing problems, and raising a small child at the young age of 50. I have no problem saying best dad, because honestly that is his kid and I'll be damned if he doesn't raise him! I will admit for some reason I kept thinking this series to be during the original trilogy but it takes place 6 years after the battle of Endor and the defeat of The Empire, but it works and is our first gateway into the 30 year gap before The Force Awakens. I think why this show struck so much with casual and hardcore fans is because of the characters and the worldbuilding. It brings several elements of the Expanded Universe into play, thanks to our golden boy Dave Filoni, but the way they introduce and handle each character makes you get attached to them quickly. Something I noticed especially is you can tell so much from a character simply by how they carry themselves, now obviously this comes into play with Mando heavily since Pedro Pascal never takes the helmet off so he has to work with body language and it says a lot about his past and who he is now. The casting is great, I mean it's always super nice to see Carl Weathers in anything, but then you bring in Gina Carano as an ex-Shock Trooper who it took me forever to remember where I saw her but yeah she's the second best part of Deadpool (the first and last part being Colossus)  and she really has a knack for playing supreme asskickers and let's be honest she is a friggin' queen, and I hope to see more of her in the future. We also get a strange but really nice addition with director Werner Herzog in a small role which is odd because you just don't see many acclaimed directors in even a supporting roll, and another director comes into the fray with Taika Waititi taking up the role of an IG assassin droid and best nanny ever which is pretty spectacular to behold, Nick Nolte is great as Kuill and has already cemented a legacy for himself. Plus with episode 6, you get more cameos than you can shake a stick at, I mean seriously it's crazy how many actors they squeezed in that. The production values are high, the cinematography and visual style is all great with a much more old west feel to it which I can appreciate a great deal, and the fact they use practical effects more often than not gets you brownie points and even the CG is done really well. There's a lot to love and appreciate actually through the whole series, whether it be characters, settings, action sequences, bits of lore thrown in from The Clone Wars series to the friggin' Holiday Special, they knew how to craft a show and lay the foundation for a strong first season. In fact I could only really say superficial bad things about the show, like why is the flamethrower the most useless weapon in Star Wars since R2's little taser thing, why are the Death Troopers not a more imposing threat, I don't see people up in arms over the green Mogwai as much as they are Rey. Does it hurt the show? Not at all. Does it really matter? No. There's no such thing as a perfect show or film, but the positives practically outweigh the negatives by a metric ton, and I am very interested to see what's next not only in the next season but the next show. I greatly enjoy this first season, I give it a solid four stars and a 8.5/10. This is well worth watching at least twice, and since the show clocks in at a little over 5 hours in 8 episodes you can easily knock it out over a weekend. Check it out if you haven't already and don't let the memes fool you, it's worth your time. I really hope we get the Kenobi series soon, and I will raze Lucasfilm to the ground with an orbital bombardment from a Star Destroyer if we don't get that Darth Bane series. But I hear tale The Clone Wars is slated to return in a month's time and I am endlessly happy over that. So until next time my friends, this is the way.