Category: movies (Page 1 of 3)

I recently watched the entire run of episodes from the first season of Andor, the new Star Wars show from Disney+. Overall, I have mixed feelings about the Star Wars universe. I watched the first movie in what I call a close-to-theater experience in the late 1970s. I lived in Zambia at the time, and though I may have missed the actual in-theater run, the movie was shown shortly thereafter in a large setting, so it approximated a movie-theater feel. It’s possible that some group or organization had gotten hold of the reels usually shown in movie theaters (I did the same thing a few years later, renting movie reels from a facility in Lusaka and showing a poorly attended movie at the local school). As for the 2nd and 3rd movies from the original Star Wars trilogy (which at the time was the only trilogy), I did watch these in actual movie theaters, both of them in Bergen, Norway. I enjoyed the movies, thought them great popcorn SF movie experiences, and stood in line to watch the prequels many years later based on that prior experience.

The prequels and follow-ups were disappointing, to say the least. George Lucas has always pandered to comic relief more than world-building, more to kids than adults or young adults. Some of the actors in the new movie trilogies were great, others poor choices. In terms of the “prequel,” the rise of Darth Vader took far too long, showed far too little, and in the end it seemed like he jumped from decent person to evil lackey in one swift move.

I watched the sequel trilogy with even great disappointment. So much nostalgia, so much destruction of prior heroes. Characters were wasted, though some settings were interesting. Rey’s grasp of the force was unreal, and the death of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Leia seemed forced.

After the Skywalker saga ended, a new set of movies came out to expand on the Star Wars universe, not just the Skywalkers. I actually liked the stand-along Solo movie, as I felt it was true to the flawed character of Han Solo. The other movie, Rogue One, a sort of prequel to the original Star Wars movie (aka A New Hope), was a great action movie, though ultimately dark and gloomy. With movies on pause, the Star Wars machine turned to streaming multi-episode shows. The Mandalorian, the first live TV Star Wars show of note, had a great first season. The second, maybe not so much, and one has to wonder where the third season will go, and how it will end. The Boba Fett series, reviewed in more detail elsewhere here, was a curious affair. And now, we have Andor, a prequel to a prequel.

Set five years prior to Rogue One, Andor spins a story about the spy from Rogue One. Before he was a captain in the rebel group that opposed the empire, Cassian Andor was a low-life scavenger. He’s very much like Han Solo, a sort of anti-hero who finds killing both necessary and easy; he doesn’t hesitate to shoot first. We’ve seen other rebels before, though not in live action shows. The cartoon series Rebels covered a great deal of ground that Andor barely touches.

Still, Andor shows various aspects not covered in Rebels, or in far more detail. Some of the characters that receive vibrant backstories include senator Mon Mothma, who struggles to help the rebels and also maintain a false front. There’s the new character of Luthen Rael, who coordinates many rebel activities, always in the shadows. Various lackeys and agents of the empire are made real, fanatical in their belief, much like the Nazis of Germany (and other abettors of tyranny and despots throughout history). Alongside these characters there are many other memorable ones, some of whom show up in later Star Wars shows, some who we’ll likely never see outside this show.

The arc of the first series takes the title character from his scavenger life to dedicated agent against the empire. The second series, likely a year and half away, is supposed to feature several time jumps leading up to Rogue One. Perhaps it will show Andor’s growth as a spy, as well as how the empire deals with the growing rebel movement, and Mon Mothma’s eventual break with the senate, and the personal cost of that break. Overall, it’s a great show, in part because the heavy hand of nostalgia is absent. We see new parts of the Star Wars universe. There are no force sensitive users here; save that for other shows, perhaps. The Jedi and the tales of the Jedi really need their own shows, and ones that shouldn’t always feature the Skywalker, or even the Sith. Hopefully the writers and creators of Andor will keep to their plans, avoid cute Ewoks and other distractions, and keep building a show with great characters and stories.

Disney+ released the new Star Wars series early, at 11pm CT on May 26th, a Thursday night. Initially they had scheduled the release for Friday, May 27th, but somehow bumped up the time slot. The new series is centered around Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, set 10 years after Order 66 and the ending of the movie, Return of the Sith. The character of Kenobi debuted in the original 1977 Star Wars movie, then played by Sir Alec Guinness. When the 2nd trilogy appeared, more than 20 years ago, the younger Obi-Wan was played by McGregor.

Most people who have watched the Star Wars movies know the timeline: the original movie, which at first was titled Star Wars, then later renamed as A New Hope (aka Episode IV), started the trilogy. In 1999 came the prequels, another trilogy exploring the rise of Darth Vader (episodes I-III). Ignoring the most recent trilogy, as neither Vader nor Kenobi appear there, the only concern here is those six movies, plus the animated Clone Wars shows. The Disney+ series is set ten years after the end of Return of the Sith. Much has happened in the galaxy during those ten years, but there is also much ignorance in the outer rim. Obi-Wan has abandoned the way of the Jedi. He believe his former apprentice dead. Kenobi cares not about the Empire, nor does he concern himself with other Jedi, or even other people. He now lives a life of obscurity, watching over young Luke Skywalker on the desert planet of Tatooine. He has buried his lightsaber, suppressed the force and the ways of the Jedi.

The planet Tatooine is probably the most famous planet in all of Star Wars. Maybe it’s not the best place to hide young Skywalker, considered that his father is the feared Darth Vader, formerly Annakin Skywalker and Kenobi’s apprentice. Still, as far as Annakin/Vader is concerned (and the rest of the galaxy save a handful of people), Annakin’s unborn child died with Padme. So, he has no idea that the child survived (although there are two children). Still, he knows Kenobi is alive, and likely has been hunting him these past 10 years (and probably others, like his own former apprentice).

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series, scheduled for a mere six episodes, will somehow try to fill in some of Kenobi’s life between Return of the Sith and A New Hope (the latter being the original Star Wars movie). The first episode introduces Kenobi to the Inquisitors, former Jedi or dark force adepts who hunt Jedi. He ignores them until begged by his former friend Bail Organa to help rescue his kidnapped daughter. This girl is really Annakin/Vader’s daughter, the twin of Luke Skywalker. Few people know this fact, but it introduces us to Leia’s backstory. Few people would know that kindapping young Leia would bring Kenobi out of hiding, a strange plot device, but that’s what it does.

One of the inquisitors is gunning for Kenobi, and does everything and anything to lure him out, which happens in episode two. Here, Kenobi learns his apprentice is not dead, and it sends him into an emptional tailspin. What will happen in the next four episodes remains to be seen. This seems almost too short a time to tell a decent story.

The young Leia is a fiery, spunky character. At one point Kenobi tells her that she reminds him of someone. Many might see this as Padme, Leia’s mother, but I think he’s remembering Satine Kryze, from the Clone Wars. It might be too much to ask for live action flashbacks here.

At some point Vader will emerge from the shadows. How they resolve this and Kenobi returns to Tatooine to hide remains to be seen.

I’ve seen The Batman (2022 edition) twice now, all three-plus hours of it. With a few small exceptions, I think that this installment in the large and varied Batman movies stands as the best cinematic Batman yet. Prior to this movie, I used to think that, as a character, the first Michael Keaton movie turned both Batman and Bruce Wayne into an understandable being, not a joke like the 1960s TV show. In contrast, as a cinematic experience, the Christian Bale trilogy stood above all the rest. Meanwhile, the later movies in-between the Keaton and Bale, the ones with Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Ben Afleck in the leading role, all were forgettable. This is, as a reminder, simply my opinion.

The 2022 movie is a reboot (again), but it isn’t an origin story. Robert Pattinson’s Batman has been operating for two years in Gotham, but seems to have made little difference in the fight against crime and criminals. Crooks both large and small still operate in the city, the police see Batman as a vigilante, and Batman sees himself only as “vengeance.” Clearly, this movie sets up future sequels, although often sequels are victims of the predecessor’s success.

In terms of the supporting cast, I preferred Anne Hathaway as Catwoman to Zöe Kravitz (although Michelle Pfeiffer remains the best one yet). Hathaway had attitude and presence on the screen, while Kravitz seems almost laconic, too laid back, too invisible. In terms of villains, no one tops Heath Ledger’s Joker, but in this movie the Riddler is far more menacing than the comedic version in the earlier movie, the one played by Jim Carey. (I shudder to think of those earlier movies now, all with big name stars in various roles, and all acting as if they were in the 1960s TV version.) I’m not sold on Andy Serkis’ Alfred, and while I thought Jeffrey Wright was a decent Gordon, Gary Oldman is a far better actor and a far better Gordon. Robert Pattinson’s brooding version is much better than Christian Bale, which bodes well for future installments.

In general, superheroes are tragic figures. Most of them lead two lives. Alter-egos are necessary to keep loved ones from harm, and this means they can’t expect happy lives. Live Superman, they may be invincible, but their loved ones usually are not, and so exposing friends, family, and loved ones would lend their enemies significant advantages. Both Bruce Wayne and Batman remain cut off from happiness; Wayne as a billionaire is guarded less people take advantage of him and his wealth, while Batman must remain behind his mask. When Catwoman appear ( as she has in thee movies), there’s a hint of romance — the Cat and the Bat, as Kravitz says. Would it work? Maybe not. It serves as the typical sexual and emotional tease that’s part of movie and TV-making 101.

These are all fragmentary observations, but having sat through the movie twice, I think I would not mind seeing in a third or fourth time. I don’t think I can say the same for prior versions, though there are snippets here and there in each movie (except for the two Schumacher movies and the later Justice League movies) that are well-made, and if those snippets appear on the TV screen I’ll stick around for a few minutes.

And so this show comes to an end. Maybe it’s the end of the season, maybe it’s the end of the show. It was a strange show, ostensibly about Boba Fett the great bounty hunter. At times it wasn’t about Boba Fett, and rarely (if ever) was it about bounty hunting. It was a show about what might have happened to Boba Fett after his so-called death in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. For the fans (and the accountants at Disney) would never let Boba Fett die. Star Wars is a money-making machine, and every facet must be mined for lucre.

Writing this a few weeks after I watched the show seems weird. I enjoyed parts of it, but other parts seemed like it really didn’t fit. This was the battle-episode, with Fett’s forces fighting the Pykes (and everyone else, for many of his supposed neutral allies turned on him).

I won’t rehash the events of the episode, but things seemed to work out in the end. There seems nowhere for the second season to go, as the premise, with Fett taking over Jabba’s empire, is a closed-off premise, unlike The Mandalorian and other Star Wars shows, which can travel anywhere. If this was the show that brought back Boba Fett, I can’t say it did him credit. I think part of the problem is that he originally was an antagonist, and the folks at Disney tried their hardest to make him a likable character. There are few antiheroes that work—Dirty Harry, Eastwood’s The Man with No Name, the Mandalorian, maybe a handful others. Boba Fett did not work as such a character. Still, it was good to see more of the Star Wars universe, and only a minimal amount of Skywalker.

I enjoyed the first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, released on Amazon Prime back in 2017. The episodic tale of a late 1950s Jewish housewife turned comedian was fresh and funny, for the most part. It had promise, almost like a modern version of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. It would have worked as just a single season. But, success spawns sequels, or, in this case, additional seasons, as the show is around episodes long per season.

Sometimes sequels work. Sometimes they subvert and destroy the original material. In this case, the second season actually brought a freshness beyond the first. It introduced new characters new locales, and remained funny. However, the writers seemed unable to let go of the main character’s relationship with her cheating husband. This did not bode well for a third season, for it would seem that the creators didn’t give Mrs. Maisel enough credit to stand on her own.

True to expectations, this relationship issue was part of the downfall of season three. The show also telegraphed miserable decisions by multiple characters, as well as political viewpoints from the 21st century imposed on the 1950s, and I stopped watching the show after the third episode; I caught up on the plot by reading reviews and recaps, which confirmed what I anticipated. The ending was grim, a drastic fall from grace that deflated the very promise of seasons one and two.

I didn’t plan on watching season four, released in February 2022. Reluctantly, I read a brief recap, and it didn’t see too bad. Only two episodes had been released at that time, and I went ahead and watched them both. The misery of the last season has certainly left its traces, but there’s a bit of hope left in the show. I’m not sure what the writers have planned for the season of the season, or the final fifth season. I suspect Mrs. Maisel will return to her husband permanently at some point, thus defeating the very premise of the show.

What makes the show somewhat funny comes down to the characters. Mrs. Maisel, aka Midge, aka Miriam, has her moments. Her mother is annoying, her father unintentionally funny, her husband (or ex-husband), a strange jerk, her in-laws are definite jerks, her best friend is funny in an axe-sharpened way, her manager strange, and there’s an entire array of other characters who are brilliantly written and brilliantly cast.

What makes it unfunny really is her comedic act, and the seeming lack of purpose in her life. She changes gears from perfect housewife to so-called comedian (although she just riffs on views about men/women and religion) at will. She wants to be famous, yet torpedoes her own career. She has a terrible manager, and neither of them have any idea of how to manage money. She floats through life, a privileged life. Her New York is a fantasy. Her whole world is a fantasy.

The show has been renewed for a fifth and final season. This, in a way, is a good thing. Having it continue past it’s use-by date would be a disservice. One can only hope that there remaining episodes of season four shows her the path to success, either professionally or personally, and that it doesn’t end with her wedding her ex-ex-husband for the third time.

I’m somewhat tardy writing this, as chapter 7 appeared a few days ago, a full week after this one. Chapter 6 is another strange installment, in that the titular character appears only near the end, and contributes nearly nothing aside from a few words.

Instead, this episode continues from the previous one, with the Mandalorian off to bring his beskar gift to young Grogu, that terrible name for the Yoda-like creature he adopted in his own show. Grogu is currently training to be a Jedi under Luke Skywalker. First, however, the Mandalorian must cool his heels until someone can arrive to take him to Grogu. That emissary is none other than Ahsoka Tano. She’s on the same planet as Luke, though in her mind no longer a Jedi. We get a montage of Grogu’s Jedi training, and witness the Mandalorian’s pains as he’s unable to greet Grogu in person, but must leave his gift with Ahsoka. The Jedi, as we know, must foreswear all emotional ties to others, and the feeling is that if Greg sees the Mandalorian, this will taint or ruin his Jedi path. This lack of emotional ties goes against the Mandalorian creed, and seems to be the downfall of the Jedi time and time again. Why, also, does Ahsoka adhere to this view? Didn’t she see what happened to Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s father? At the end, Grogu is given a stark choice: return to the Mandalorian, or remain with Luke and train as a Jedi. We probably already know the answer, but that’s left for another episode.

The episode then concludes with Boba Fett’s forces preparing for war against the Pykes. Who will be on their side? How will they defeat this force? How will this not only end in the 7th episode, but what are the implications for potential other seasons, or even the Mandalorian?

Again, a somewhat strange episode, with the focus not on Boba Fett. It also witnessed the arrival of a Clone Wars character (the animated show), another bounty hunter called Cad Bane. I didn’t watch too many Clone Wars episodes, and Bane seems such an affected character. It’s strange how these characters just never die, but keep popping up decades later, almost merely as a fan service. But isn’t that what The Book of Boba Fett is all about? Fan service. For why else resurrect a character that supposedly died back in 1983 or so?

Note: This is more of a summary for myself, so anyone reading this who cares about spoilers: stop now.

This was a strange episode of The Book of Boba Fett, as the titular character didn’t even show ups aside from being name-checked at the end. Instead, it was all about Din Djarin, aka The Mandalorian, who so far has appeared in two seasons of his own show.

At the close of season 2 of The Mandalorian, Din Djarin had completed his mission. He had delivered Grogu, or Baby Yoda as some people still call him, to the Jedi—in this case, to Luke Skywalker (whose Jedi legacy the present regime in charge ruined in the most recent trilogy). He also had earned the Darksaber in battle, by defeating Moff Gideon, and thus thwarting Bo-Katan from reclaiming what once had been hers, though not properly earned.

The episode opens with the Mandalorian on a bounty hunt, where he wields the Darksaber and manages to burn himself as he’s not properly trained in its use. He secures some information, making this a side quest like many of the episodes in his own show, and with that information finds the surviving cohort of Mandalorians who he previously met. Only two remain from that original cohort: the armorer and a massive dude whose ancestor forged the Darksaber. While the armorer trains the Mandalorian in the use of the Darksaber, she finds him wanting almost immediately (apparently, they have not heard of practice makes perfects in the Star Wars world. Here it’s become a master at once or you’re a failure). Because of this, the other guy challenges Din Djarin, loses the battle, but after both being asked whether one has ever removed his helmet in front of others, Djarin is evicted from the cohort. It’s a question out of the blue, but maybe a traditional question after Mandalorian duels. Who knows.

Din Djarin then heads over to Tatooine, hoping his contact there has found him a replacement for the Razor Crest, his previous ship that Gideon’s crew destroyed. What follows is a strange montage as they assemble a Naboo starfighter, one not really suited to bounty hunting work. Shortly after a test flight, Boba Fett’s associate, Fennec Shand, shows up, hoping to hiring him as muscle for their war against the Pykes. Whether the Madalorian joins them or not remains to be seen, for he has another mission he first needs to complete.

Although a great episode, it didn’t do much to further the book of Boba Fett. Instead, it seems to set up season 3 of The Mandalorian. Where tat season goes remains to be seen, but one can speculate: Will he return to Mandalor? Will he try to rule that world, or find a way to pass along the Darksaber?

So far, The Mandalorian has been the best thing about the Star Wars universe since The Empire Strikes Back, which makes me wonder whether such magic happens only on rare occasions, and if so, why? I’d like to think that the no one knew how to bring the mystery of the rise of Darth Vader to life, or what the aftermath of the fall of the Empire would look like. But create a character in this universe like Clint Eastwood’s The Man with No Name, and you have magic on another level.

I generally resist comedy shows. I find most comedic efforts strained; they tend to mug for the camera and are rife with canned laughs. There are small number of comedy TV shows I’ve liked: Seinfeld, MASH…Okay, I think that’s it. Where I’ve enjoyed comedy has been in unintended shows, small snippets. I did watch shows like Frasier and Cheers and Friends, The Big Bang Theory (well, it seems that I mostly stopped watching TV after the 1990s, I guess). Some of these had funny moments. Seinfeld had great characters, unique. The best shows have those types, more so than the series as a whole, you have great individual parts.

I’m sure a few years ago I caught a clip of the opening of Derry Girls and dismissed it as juvenile mugging. Yet somehow I watched a clip somewhere again this month, and it resulted in binging both seasons of the show on Netflix. Not only that, but I on occasion watch clips from the show just to keep the laughter fresh.

Derry Girls is a show about Northern Irish teenagers in Derry, set during the midst of the Troubles in the mid-1990s (a period that warrants its own Wikipedia entry and a capital T, the Troubles was a conflict between Protestant and Catholic, Irish and English, where thousands were killed and many more injured; it was not a good time). Rather than focusing on the Troubles, the show focuses on teenage who happened to live during those times. The actors in Derry Girls are older that the 15 and 16 year olds they portray, which lends them a skill far beyond people that same age. There are currently only two short seasons of Derry Girls, although a third and final season has completed production after a COVID-imposed delay.

There are five main teenage characters in Derry Girls, and one of them is a boy. Other teenage character appear, as well as adults (parents and other authority figures, for the most part). It’s through and through comedy, with tinges of realism such as the IRA, Orange marches, bombings, peace talks, rifts between Protestants and Catholics, and Irish and English. While I’ll never fully understand the two last parts, not being either Irish or English, or fully Protestant, I’ve always found myself deeply in love with most things Irish. Both my children bear names that trace back to Irish roots. I’ve been to Cork, albeit briefly (side note: I once found myself in a rough Cork pub bathroom, where I did my best Irish accent imitation in a discussion as I tried to extricate myself from a nasty stall). There’s Irish slang that required some research (boke, for example), and uniquely Irish traditions such as Rock the Boat at weddings. There’s also drugged scones, fish n chips, and a huge variety of shenanigans (if that isn’t an Irish word, it should be an Irish word).

In Derry Girls, the five main characters try to navigate teenage life in the 1990s. They’re in a strict Catholic girl’s school, though one of them is a boy. Each of the main characters are wildly different, from the artistic Erin, the somewhat on-the-spectrum cousin, Orla, the nervous (and lesbian) Clare, the booze/drug/boy/swearing Michelle. Then there’s the unfortunate English-born cousin of Michelle, James, who is dropped into the girls’ school because it’s supposedly safer. I guess one has to appreciate the Catholic-Irish hatred of the English to understand why.

As mentioned, I tend to stay away from comedies, but I found myself laughing quite often during Derry Girls. I wasn’t able to watch most of it without subtitles, though a few phrases skipped past me the first time (much better than when in Cork and I could don’t understand my taxi driver at all). The escapades of Michelle, with her constant raging at her cousin and her boy-crazy efforts, mixed in with her wild boozy side, seemed at times over the top, but looking back on my teenage years I do remember people like this (and this was not in Ireland). Then there’s Clare, the nervous, serious one; she has many funny moments. Orla seems a little spacey, in contrast to her more serious cousin, Erin, my favorite of the bunch. She tries too hard at everything, but has the best facial expressions. The main male character, James, an English actor, suffers throughout the series, but has the purest heart of the lot.

With the third and final season due out (maybe) in 2022, it will be interesting to see how they end this show. It’s a series that I almost wish never ends. I really wish it had more episodes, and I look forward to seeing when it comes out, as no doubt it will have many funny storylines. Derry Girls came out of nowhere (to me), and I didn’t expect to like it. This goes to show that surprises can be found anywhere and everywhere.