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The Mandalorian: Chapter 21: The Pirate (2023)
A Far Cry from Season 1
I am happy for the folks who enjoy this, I can not. It's unfortunate that The Mandalorian has lost it's zeal, it's style and sense of direction. There remains no semblance of the lighting, camera work, badassery and storytelling that made S1 good.
I will phrase some issues I have in the form of questions. Why is this shot and written as a procedural? Why does Bo Katan suddenly change the Mando way and is granted the right to remove her helmet and not Din? Why are we being served up another, inconsequential battle with zero stakes in which none of our heroes face a any semblance of danger? Why are we getting so little development for our main character who has to be saved by Bo Katan far too often?
You and I are being taken for granted as fans of this franchise, and so little effort is being put forward to bring us a good product. Some of this is just as bad as the 80s B-Movie "The Book of Boba Fett." A collection of side quests and fetching missions mixed in with exposition will not cut it for me.
May the force be with you all.
Rogue One (2016)
Second viewing since release, I liked this quite a bit
This was a great addition to Star Wars, it felt grounded and real, and somehow had me feeling connected to the all new characters.
Let's get the cons out of the way first: While I liked these characters, I feel like some of them deserved some more backstory. I want to know Body's story a little more, as I love how he was portrayed by Riz Ahmed. I want to know where this guy came from, why he defected, his relationship with Galen. Ben Mendelsohn was awesome as Krennic, but I also wanted some more time with him. I like how I was actually pissed off on behalf of Krennic that Grand Mof was taking credit for his work lol.
Finally, Chirrut and Base were also intriguing, and just a short scene of how the came to be where they are would have served their stories quite well. I loved how Chirrut was like a half Jedi, he was able to use it and harness it in his own, unrefined way, and he got stoked when Jin referenced the force haha. I also want to see how Jin became such a good fighter and leader. She was great, and her inner struggle and fighting attitude was done proper justice.
I think this all could have been solved by either making this a 2h30-45 min runtime, or sacrificing a bit of the final fight sequence for more character development. Perhaps the studio cut some of these aspects out.. that's always a looming consideration.
Rogue One felt like an honest film to me, we were given themes of family, hope, morality, etc. While it remained fairly straight forward and not pandering to the audience. I thought the connections to previous films were not too heavy handed, and served the story in most cases. The visuals were stunning and creative. Those planetary rings at the start ending abruptly had me thinking.. okay what's that.. and the next shot reveals that a shadow casted down creates the abrupt cut off. Just a fun, unexpected visual language being used in this film.
I also applaud the creators for making everything VISIBLE. Which is an odd issue we have seen time and time again in modern film. I was happy to see a good piece of the movie take place on a bright, sunny and vibrant Scarif. That trading post in the first act was also great visually. Many of the shots in this film were just a pleasure to take in, including the miniatures of the Star Destroyers.
All in all, an enjoyable experience that was hampered a little bit by the lack of character development and mis-management of the runtime. Certainly close to an 8 but the potential for greatness almost makes me a little harder on it if that makes sense.
May the Force be with you.
Jurassic World (2015)
Ay man.. I really enjoyed this
Now I didn't have high expectations, moderate I'd say. Watched this for the first time the other day and I was on board almost the whole time (minus the moments I'll get to later), was genuinely surprised at how cool and real this movie felt. The pacing was great, I liked the acting for the most part, and each character felt natural and they had their reason to be there.
Respect to the two boys who did a great job, I believed their acting, and they were written with more depth than your typical "kid in an action movie" characters.
It payed off that the film makers had sets built, and locations to go to. It feels much more real than a lot of other flashy action flicks.
Now for one of my only gripes.. the anti-corporate messaging and moral grandstanding was like a dumb joke when you go on to watch gratuitous product placement strewn about this film. Really? That's the angle you're going to throw at the audience? And within the characters dialogue criticizing the corporatization of the names of their Dinos by listing off silly names, they are promoting products as they speak. I know I'm seven years late but do better guys.
The writing was good, although with a movie this big, you don't want things to get too intricate.
This film was a joy to experience, I give it a very solid 75%, with points lost for some phony messaging, moments of mumbling in dialogue scenes, and over all lack of ambition with writing something profound. I know that's not what it's supposed to be, and I love the film as is, just not going to sit here and claim it's a masterpiece.
Would 100% recommend.
Eradication (2022)
5/10 for an actually compelling little film
I did enjoy this film, but it lost steam after the first half. There were one too many twists for me to stay on course. I liked where it was headed.. then not so much.. liked where it was headed.. not so much.
For what it's worth (a lot), the cinematography was quite impressive, a breath of fresh air compared to the quick cuts and attention deficient manner in which so many films and shows are shot in these days.
In "Eradication", they actually decided to hold a shot longer than 2.5s to convey the beauty of the forest, or build tension in a scene.
The acting was between fine and good, it was serviceable. The solitude of our main character translated pretty well and I liked seeing his rigorous days progress. I was very intrigued in this potentially being a story of betrayal and human experimentation but it turned out to be a kind of bizarre love story by the end. Foreshadowing of a third player never really materialized until it was an afterthought.
This picture falls victim to First Act Syndrome. First third of the film was good! Then it kind of falls off a mellow ravine.
At the end, I didn't quite understand why our main character crawls into a grave, then he's out and on the video chat at the end..
All in all a fine watch, D+
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor (2022)
Wow
I am in awe at how much of a mess this show has been. I liked a couple parts in this episode but it ended up being a disjointed affair.
Why is every character so incompetent? Boba Fett continued, once again, to take the back seat to Fennec at every opportunity, and I have no idea what narrative purpose this served. Fennec finally had a charming moment (arguably her first) of the series when she sarcastically congratulates the Cyborg Spy Goth on her manners.
So we begin with another boring shot of the burnt Cantina, Boba speaks in his suddenly more gruff tone about what's next to do, and is overturned by his team... again.
So, we're supposed to accept that these savvy Assassins, Bounty Hunters and warriors have no plan other than to split the whole team up, and count on the Pykes showing up in one place all together? Also they have no idea who is coming to the door as Mando points his blaster at the servant droid as he walks into their HQ uncontested . Every character here is dumb so things can happen.
I won't go on too much longer but I could not believe how boring the action was (for the most part) Boba and Mando use their jetpacks and kickass gear for a couple minutes, then they literally stand in the middle of the street with 0 cover trying to fend everybody off. Next, everyone joins them. To do what? Stand all bunched together in the same spot behind a land craft. These huge droids with shields then show up for a boring 10 minutes of our "heroes" banging their head against the wall (or forcefield in this context), trying to shoot through these shields with tiny blasters. The whole team (minus Fett and Mando) run away in a group... all together. Mando and Boba forget to use their Jetpacks to their advantage eluding these machines.
The group of wax museum statues then continues to blast at the droids shields as they are followed.
I thought the Rancor stuff was cool for the most part, seeing one of these creatures out of the pit was neat, though I didn't expect such athleticism from a beast of that weight. Felt a little light, but mostly awesome. Only a few shots were weird looking (due to lighting and camera angles.)
Also I liked the baby Yoda stuff, him and Mando are mostly great but I wanted to see Grogu as a Jedi.. maybe one day. Although, as was pointed out to me, there are very few consequences in this show, and Disney SW as a whole.
Luke comes to get Grogu at the end of Mando S2 in order to train him, how awesome! The sad part is the separation of Mando and his boy... but wait. 7 hours later they will reunite. We get 30 minutes of Grogu and Luke... and that's it.
Also, don't worry, Cobb Vanth is alive! What a deflating after credits sequence. Who cares? I'm guessing Cad Bane is not dead either... who knows.
This show was highly confusing and poorly executed in my opinion. Boring camera work, charmless characters and a lack of development really hindered any build up. I want to see some inner struggle, see what these people are thinking, how they feel. Only really get that from Mando, Grogu and Luke.
I hope others enjoyed this show more than me!
May the force be with you.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian (2022)
This is more like it
This episode was good. I'm returning after a couple negative reviews of past episodes to point out some things I liked.
Din kicked ass, while exhibiting some moments of weakness as well. Mando has his code that he sticks to, but is willing to get his hands dirty. The Darksaber was pretty awesome, it's weight and look really add to the action. It's fun to see some good 'ol Bounty Hunting and Mando's no nonsense attitude, as well as his affection for his little robot pals. He is kind to those he deems deserving, and punishing to those he deems undeserving.
I was able to feel like I was in the SW universe again, after feeling total detachment in the first 4 episodes of this show.
The lighting in the first sequence at the meat processing plant was really great, I bought in right away. I also appreciate that there was some movement and style to the way this episode was shot, another nice contrast to its predecessors.
The settings, over all were great and it looks like they saved a lot of the budget for this episode.
Where the show loses a couple points for me is when it gets reference heavy, and the Star Wars sayings get a little stale "faster than a ---" etc. Some of the Mandalorian history felt a little exposition-y, and there to get Clone Wars fans hyped by referencing it, but I understand it's there to set up the backstory a little more. Mind you, I loved seeing the Naboo Starfighter and how it was incorporated, it was cool to see Mando fly through the old Boonta Race course. I feel like I enjoyed that sequence more than someone who hasn't seen or enjoyed Phantom Menace, though. I only take issue with feeling like they dragged the fixing of the ship a little longer than necessary, although it was fun.
This is the direction they should go in, these characters in helmets showed more depth and emotion than Boba and Fennec, and any character so far in previous episodes. It feels like they put much more effort into this episode. This show lacked a visual style until this episode. This felt like the first wholly competent instalment.
In conclusion, this was a solid episode of Star Wars TV, day and night compared to the start of this show.
I enjoyed this episode, but feel a little disengaged when it gets into referencing other shows and events that I'm not caught up on, so I can definitely see an even more casual viewer having trouble connecting to parts I liked. Even so, there are some stand alone elements that can be appreciated by any SW fan I think, or just a non-fan viewer.
How do you all feel about it?
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm (2022)
Another bizarre instalment
I really want to like this show, and I like some small parts, but the flat acting, 0 character development and tension have me dishing out 3 stars once again.
I liked Boba interacting with the Bantha because we actually get to see some heart and emotion. I also thought the gadgetry was really great in this episode; the spy droid, bar cutters etc. That is what earns it's 30 percent mark for me.
I'm not sure why our heroes are not being looked at on a deeper level. Fennec has lost some vital organs and is 1/4 robot after waking up, but there is but a glimpse of emotion from her realization. I'd like to know how she feels.
Also, I can't really get on board with the story as we were told nothing new in this episode.
Boba watches Black Krrsantan rip a guys arm off and there are zero repercussions for the Wookie, he just gives him a job. He is not really a ruler at all. At this point I don't respect Boba Fett, he just watches things happen for the most part. I could buy him BECOMING a good guy, but he is a good guy from the start of the show so we so no development there.
I'd like to think these actors could do more with better material, but for now they have to regurgitate movie tropes and stare blankly.
I am really confused by the lack of effort to emotionally connect us with the protagonists.
All in all, I am left wondering how some of these decisions got off the ground. I hope for better material for Star Wars fans everywhere.
Cheers.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa (2022)
Ah well, another sub-par instalment
This is a concerning addition to the Book of Boba, demonstrating a lack of direction, suspense, and any semblance of realism. The 3 stars I give it here are for the street sets and the Rancor introduction.
I found this episode to be really weak. Boba continues to be jerked around by anyone he deals with, conceding in every encounter he has with the Hutts, the Mayor, the Pikes, an Assassin, etc. Boba seems to not be in charge of anything really. It seems like anyone else with power doesn't take him and his little gang seriously, nor do I.
His new Vespa gang seemed very out of place to me. From the design of their costumes to their "speeders" (AKA "Slowers") I could kind of buy something similar to those bikes on Coruscant or a similar time and setting, but it doesn't fit in this post-empire aesthetic they've been trying to deliver. I laughed at how silly they looked. Not sure how they can afford color coded matching bikes while not working. Perhaps the bikes were purchased with stimulus checks from Bib Fortuna before he met his demise lol. I'm not sure I'd trust these kids if I were Boba, they will steal if they are compelled to.
Furthermore, how did that Wookie sneak past Boba's whole entourage while he was at his most vulnerable? Why didn't he address this with his team? Did he give them the night off because he's the best boss in the world? It would be out of character at this point, but having him be mad at his crew for not doing anything to pre-emptively protect him would be cool to see.
And now, for the second time, he captures someone who almost took his life, then lets them run free. "It's okay buddy boy, no problem."
Finally, I know they want to market to young kids as well, but Boba getting beat up, bitten and crushed leaves not even a scratch on him. I'd say it's more harmful to not show the actual consequences of violence, than to dab a little blood or a cut or two on Boba after a beat down.
Thanks, I'll be watching the next episode hoping for better, and will return with disappointment.
Out of the Furnace (2013)
A well shot film
I thought this movie was pretty well done.
Some great cast and acting was hampered a bit by the story. I think these actors were capable of bringing forth a classic, but the story was a tad underwhelming.
Bale transforms himself into the character again. Harrelson does a good madman. Affleck nails the unstable war vet. Saldana was awesome as well.
The tone, style of cinematography and sound design had me going about the rest of my day, still in a sort of a trance. I was listening to the sounds of regular activities I did and watching them from a different point of view. The visual style and tone really translate to real life. Also I thought it was brilliantly edited. Some cuts used similar object placement to present seamless transitions. Also, some visual metaphors took place which were neat, and the slow parts of this film were actually the strongest in my opinion.
Recommend, not for all, but if you dig a slower, technically sound film with some excitement sprinkled in.
The Gift (2015)
Pretty Good
For the most part, the acting was pretty good in this film. Bateman and Rebecca Hall had some nice subtleties going on and I thought they were a believable couple.
The scene of their most heated argument was the only time I felt they could have used some different takes of Hall, as her anger didn't quite come across as well compared to her overall good performance. She is great at conveying a "regular person's" reactions and attitude toward different situations.
Bateman was quite believable as the a-hole husband and I believed every moment, although he was written to be a pretty over-the-top mean at times. It took away some believability when he goes to apologize to Gordo to appease his wife and drunkenly kicks his ass instead.
I thought The Gift had a nice balance of formula and some stuff that felt new as well, i.e. There being the birth of a child in the film, which wasn't all sunshine and rainbows like those scenes are in typical films. There were issues at hand between our main characters and they didn't magically disappear because they had a child.
This film did it's job well, though the tension throughout didn't totally pay off for me.
Over all I'd recommend, nothing amazing, just solid!