ponderthis-21666 Reviews

Star Wars: The Bad Batch: The Outpost (2023) Season 2, Episode 12

A look at the show's true potential

[10/10 · 25 March 2023]

Let me just preface by saying that I enjoyed the first season of The Bad Batch with its fun characters, beautiful animation, underutilized setting, and dope action set pieces, but I also felt mildly disappointed by its lack of depth.

Season 2 has blown that criticism out of the water, and every few weeks they drop a new episode that's thoughtful, mature, emotional, and even introspective.

This week's episode again focuses on Crosshair as he grapples with being an obsolete tool of the emerging fascist state that is the Empire. While I won't go into detail (you should experience it all yourself), this episode is a moving reflection on the injustice and dehumanization suffered by the clones in the wake of Order 66, as well as the price a soldier pays for prioritizing the orders of a nation over the wellbeing of those they love.

Miscellaneous notes: Kevin Kiner is doing some absolutely brilliant work for the score this season. The animation, particularly with the particle effects and raytracing on the lighting effects, looks outstanding. The visual variety of locations we've seen this season is also a nice improvement from the first season.

Also, one pedantic note of criticism: the show is still struggling to properly show the mundane evil of the Empire the way Andor did. Too many Imperial officers in this show are mustache twirling cartoon villains who would throw a baby in a woodchipper simply because they had the power to do so. The real evil of a fascist state is that it is unfeeling and uncaring. It strips its subjects of their humanity out of a detached indifference to anything beyond material productivity, not out of active malice.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Faster (2023) Season 2, Episode 4

It's fun for what it is

[6/10 · 25 March 2023]

First off: it is filler. It is pure, unadulterated filler. The characters do not progress in any meaningful way and nothing of consequence happens in relation to the long-term story development of the show.

That being said, it's a reasonably entertaining episode. It features some fun banter (especially between Tech and Wrecker), an interesting showcase of Tech's skills and value to the team, and some genuinely gorgeous animation on the racing side of things.

If you are in a rush to finish the show or simply don't have time to waste on non-essential episodes, you can skip this one without missing anything important, but it's not a bad watch if you have time to kill.

Becks (2017)

Refreshingly real

[9/10 · 20 February 2018]

One of the best LGBT movies of the year, Becks jumps right into the action with a montage of the titular Becks moving across the country to be with her girlfriend, only to walk in on her with another woman. Devastated and broke, she is forced to move back in with her Catholic mother in St. Louis. The pacing can be a bit messy at times, and it's not an uplifting story, but it's a heartfelt movie with some jaw-dropping performances, particularly from Lena Hall. The dialogue is realistically witty and the musical interludes are beautiful, reminiscent of Eddie Vedder's work on Into the Wild but woven into the story seamlessly. This is a movie that will resonate with anyone who's felt the pain of hitting rock bottom.

A Demon Within (2017)

Indie horror at its finest

[9/10 · 6 February 2018]

As a horror movie buff, I struggle to find modern horror films that are novel and engaging. Too often they recycle the same tired formulas and rely on cheap tactics like jump scares and gratuitous gore. At first glance, A Demon Within appears destined to fall into the same trap. The premise-a demonic possession threatens a family after they move into a new house-has been done before. But the beauty of A Demon Within is the gusto with which it treads this well-worn ground. Directors Ayush Banker and Justin LaReau have created a masterpiece of indie horror, fraught with tension and the eerie ambiance that only small-town America can provide. This gives Nefas, the film's titular demon, a terrifying presence even when it is not on screen, most felt in the lethargy and alcoholic depression of Dr. Jeremy Miller, whose family was previously victimized by the demon. The film features some very strong performances despite an inexperienced cast and a surprisingly thorough original score. I would strongly recommend it to any horror fans looking for something captivatingly terrifying. Just make sure you leave the lights on.