Immediate Response: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

 I had to see this in a Theater.
This is the Way!

The Good

* The Film looks great.  All of the visuals are top notch, from the shiny beskar to the Hutt Base that looks like a rotting pumpkin.

* The Plot gives you the action you'd expect, the settings you like and a nice turn or two in the middle.

* Grogu is a delight. 
His little friends are great too.

* Now that we got Sigourney Weaver in Star Wars, is Predator next?

* The Hutts have never looked weirder and more gross.  Is this actually a bad thing?
* We finally get to see Zeb again, if only for a bit.

The Bad

* A simple mention of Carl Weathers' Greef Karga would have been nice.
* Likewise, there seems to have been an attempt to make this not feature/mention other Characters- like Bo-Katan or other Mandalorian fighters.
* Just looking at the Hutt Planet makes me feel like a need a tetanus shot.

All in all, a Film that feels like a bigger scale/Budget Story from the Show.  
If you're expecting something different, then, well, it's not for you.

Fans of the Show and Star Wars in general should certainly check this out for the loud, big screen experience.

'Holiday' Flix: Aldo Lado's Star Wars (aka The Humanoid) {1979}

 A long time ago, in a Country far, far away, a Movie was ripped off.

That Film was Star Wars.
That Country was Italy.
This Film- The Humanoid!

Directed by Aldo Lado (who I've covered a couple of times), this one is a bonkers sci-fi tale with some pretty blatant cribbing from Lucas' hit.

This seems to be a case of said ideas, visuals and designs being put into a completely different Story altogether.  So, it is less of a rip-off than other Films, but still clearly a rip-off all the same.

We've got a Dark Lord, an Empire and a big brute.
To see how similar and different this can be at once, read on...

The Dark Lord Graal- whose look is slightly similar to Darth Vader's- is trying to take over the peaceful Empire of Metropolis (which was once Earth).

He's joined by...I wanna say Crimson Fox, but 8 out of 10 people wouldn't get it.
No, it is Barbara Bach, who was married to an Italian man in the 70s and did this kind of stuff until she met Ringo and soon retired from Acting.

Our Heroine- right- is Barbara Gibson, which is just the most sci-fi name you could have!

She got a Scientist- Kraspin- working for Graal in trouble, so he wants her dead.
Not Luke here is this Tibetan boy with mysterious powers connected to Not The Force.

I won't SPOIL the actual reveal for him- it's nuts!

The original meeting of Luke and Rey?

Richard Kiel- another Bond Actor- plays a friendly Spaceman with a robot dog that rolls around like R2-D2.

He's chosen by Kraspin to be transformed into the titular Humanoid, which is done by way of sci-if bollocks.

Now he's invulnerable, super strong (or more, at least) and sent to take out the Leader of Metropolis.

However, this backfires when Kraspin spots Gibson and makes her the target instead.

The Tibetan Not Luke saves the day, freeing Kiel from the control.

Thankfully, he's still a nigh invulnerable Humanoid, because they'll need his help to take out this Not Stormtroopers and save the day.

They have to stop him from dropping a bomb full of his sci-fi bollocks and making an Army of Humanoids.
Wait- is this really The Creation of the Humanoids?!?

Not Han Solo- who dresses more like how Starbuck- is also here to help save the day.

Are they up to the task?
Can they somehow stop Kraal and his inexplicable laser hands?

Why does Kiel lose his fake beard when he's a Humanoid?

To find out, check out this Film now (on Rifftrax or slightly longer on Tubi)!

An enjoyable, if not all that original Film.

The Plot is all sorts of insane.

A wannabe Vader is going to conquer Metropolis with his Mad Scientist and Barbara Bach dressed as Sybil Danning.
He turns a giant into a giant monster.
A Tibetan Monk, randomly appearing aliens, Not Han Solo and Barbara Gibson save the day.

This one is both easy to mock- with its strange Plot and stolen Star Wars elements- but also enjoy to enjoy- with its strange Plot and stolen Star Wars elements.
Hell, Aldo Lado leaned into this with his pseudonym here- George Lewis!

This one is similar to other crazy Films like The Visitor (which is somehow about aliens and the Anti-Christ) for mixing ideas and Genres in a bonkers way.  It's not great, but it is fun- riffed or un-riffed.

I'm glad that I finally found this thing.
Now talk to the hands!

Italy is a Country with so many hidden gems yet to be discovered.  When a Film hit big, they did it about 60 times and always crazier!

Streaming Standard: Ahsoka- Season 1

 A Show that I went on a long journey to finally see properly.

I first tried watching this Show shortly after it first debuted.
I felt that I was missing lots of context.

On advice from a friend, I watched ALL of Star Wars Rebels and now I'm back to properly experience...

A pair of Jedis show up near a ship transporting a New Republic Prisoner.

She's the Witch from Season 2 of The Mandalorian.

In a somewhat familiar framing, they reveal themselves to be bad guys and free her.

Avoid people that look like Vader in long hallways.

This gets the attention of Ahsoka, who brought her into custody that Episode.

She's also dealing a MacGuffin that works as a Star Map.

It seems to lead to where Ezra Bridger and Thrawn were deposited at the edge of the known Galaxy in Rebels.

This brings in Sabine, Chopper and Hera from Rebels.

No Zeb though.

When the Map is stolen by the evil Not Jedis, the duo (with her robot tutor Huyang) follow in pursuit.

This means Space Battles!

Throughout the Season, they try to work on the divide between Ahsoka and Sabine, who was once her pupil.

Can they get on the same page if it means keeping a dangerous threat locked away?

A strange course of events (conveniently at the halfway point of the Show) sends our Heroine on a journey through her past, 'reunited' in a sense with Anakin Skywalker, who she was an Apprentice to.

Will this finally let her resolve her past and face her future?

After the first fight against Baylan Skoll doesn't go her way, can our Heroine do better the next time?

Can she do better this time when the fate of the Galaxy is on the line?

To find out, stream the Show now.

A Show that definitely is more enjoyable if you 'do your homework.'

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy all of Rebels.
That's not to say that you can't enjoy the Show unless you watch all 4 Seasons of said Show.

It definitely helps though.

The Show itself has all of the positives and negatives that all of these Prestige TV Shows have.
Things look great.  Things move slowly.

Slow and steady wins the race.

I won't SPOIL how it ends, but I was hoping for slightly more resolution.  It must be a case of them being guaranteed a second Season (which was stated in 2024).

If you like Dave Filoni's many attempts to connect the dots (and characters) in Star Wars lore, you'll love this Show.
Fans of Rebels should as well.

Hopefully they weren't holding their breath for a quick turnaround (apparently, they filmed it last April) like this guy was...

Based on your love/devotion of Star Wars, your mileage will vary.  It's a good, if prolonged experience for me.

New Streaming: The Book of Boba Fett- Episodes 5-7

 With more Star Wars talk recently involving a Film Spin-Off Show on Disney Plus, this seems like a good (and long overdue) time to talk about this Show.

In the first half, we see Boba Fett try to become a strong, but peaceful Leader.  When that didn't end well, the plan, and Show, took a slight pivot.

Let's see how that worked out in...

After 4 Episodes of Boba's journey, told through Flashbacks and in the Present, we now focus entirely on...

The Mandalorian.

That's...hmm...alright then.

Episode 5 is 100% about him, setting him up from where he left Season 2 and beginning to set things in motion for Season 3.

See him try to master the Dark Saber.
See him talked down to by a Forgemaster.
See him...finally connect this tangential Story to The Book of Boba Fett.

The Pyke Syndicate seem to know that Boba is getting help, so they get their own in the form of Cad Bane.

As someone who's not familiar with the Cartoons- save for The Bad Batch- I'm happy.

What evil will he bring?

Oh wait- we still can't wrap up the Pyke stuff since we need to meet, well, Super Deep Fake Luke Skywalker.

He's training Grogu aka Baby Yoda, but the latter is conflicted.

He's going to make the (not really a) kid choose between being a Jedi and helping The Mandalorian.

Back on Tatooine, the big battle between the Pyke Syndicate and their small Army & our Heroes takes place.

It's big, boisterous and full of shiny CGI.

Oh and a few surprises.  To find out how it ends, stream the Show now.

A strong, but definitely convoluted journey to the end.  The whole idea is just kind of strange.  I'm not saying that it's bad necessarily, but it is strange.

Build up a Story for 4 full Episodes and end on a tease.
Spend all of Episode 5 on a different Character before paying off said tease.
Pause final build-up to Finale with long diversion.

I'm not one of those people that apparently disliked Boba Fett and his story.  Those people were all 'yea- Mando is back.'  I was happy to see him too, but the complete switch to his Story for a whole Episode still feels odd.  The other diversion- creepy Computerized Mark Hamill aside- is less bothersome as it more directly builds to the Finale.

So yeah, I enjoyed the whole Show, but that pivot sure was odd.  I'm still smiling at the end though.

A good Show that had some curious issues with Pacing overall.  It's still a good Story that is more than just nostalgia though.

New Streaming: Obi-Wan Kenobi- Finale

 At last, the end is here.  This is the final Episode of...

A two-part story wraps up this Series.

In one part, a vengeful Reva seeks revenge on an easier victim (and plans to kill continuity) on Tatooine

In the other part, Kenobi lures the Empire- specifically Darth Vader- away from his allies for a final battle.

Will Obi-Wan's mercy be his undoing?

Is he still too disconnected from The Force to stop Vader?

…or will he finally let go of the past for one last victory?

Even though continuity is pretty set here, you'll still want to see how it all wraps up.

To see that, stream the Episode.

A good, strong finish to the Show.  To some people, the pace was slow.  At worst, I'd say deliberate.

I've written before about Prestige TV and how they extend storylines- see American Gods.  I didn't get that from this Show.

The Show delivers a good payoff to everything set up.  Nothing is left unresolved.  It's all interesting.  It's all exciting.  The Kenobi-Vader Fight is worth it alone.  It's less ridiculous than in the Prequels- they spin, but don't flip- and it's more exciting than in the first Film.  It's a good balance.

Is this Show *just* Fan Service?  I'd say 'no.'  It has a Story, every character has an Arc and it's fully-fleshed out.  Now, is there Fan Service here?  Of course.  It's Star Wars.  It's 2022.

Can you watch this without seeing the other Films/Shows?  Yes.

Yes, it's Disney-produced Star Wars.  Yes, it's Kathleen Kennedy.  It can still, you know, be good.  So just...you know, enjoy it.  Let me see that happy face...

A strong end to a Show that was put into an awkward position.  In spite of that, they delivered a good Show that fit nicely into the Timeline.

New Streaming: Obi-Wan Kenobi- Episode 5

 As the Limited Series nears its end, what more do they have up their sleeves?

Let's see what kind of Jedi Mind Trick they can pull on people dealing with Star Wars Fatigue...

A siege takes place on a Planet as the Empire forces and The Path have a stand-off.

During the build-up, we see flashbacks- is Vader having them or is it Obi-Wan?- with the pair training and Kenobi explaining his Padawan's one weakness.

Keep out of that uncanny valley, guys.

Our Heroes are running out of time to find a back way out of the situation.

I love you, but you're also reminding of The Last Jedi...so be careful.

Reva is leading the charge and, yes, they confirm the Fan Theory about her.

Can she be reached though?
Is she really evil?

Does she have her own motives?

To find out, stream the Episode now.

Another strong Episode that nearly brings things to a close.  The Story continues to grow in scale and also get more personal.  It's easy to do one, but fail at the other.  You can make it a tale of revenge, but it falls flat.  You can make it a grand space battle, but nobody cares about anyone.

In this case, everything begins to come to a head nicely.  The Characters all end up in the right place for maximum dramatic effect- what are the odds?!?

Kenobi's journey from former-Hero to current-Hero is a nice one,  Reva, likewise, gains dimensions as you learn more about her.  She's more than just a new Big Bad.

With only one Episode left to go- no SPOILERS, Internet!-, can they stick the landing?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Next time, the final Episode.  It's the end, so...please don't suck.  See you then...

New Streaming: Obi-Wan Kenobi- Episode 4

 Ah yes, the Show that people either love OR love to hate.

I guess you can't be 'in the middle' on Star Wars these days.

Let's see who's angered/pleased with this Episode of...

Safely away from danger (for now), Obi-Wan is barely-recovered before he needs to go on a mission.

Rushing into a fight sure ended well for Luke in Empire.  Give him a hand!

Also you can check Holograms off of your Star Wars Bingo Card now.

The base he breaks into is very secure and very dangerous.

He had to swim (for the first time since Episode 1) to get in!

Can he avoid detection?

While he's looking for who he has to rescue in said Base, he comes across something very disturbing.

It's either a Sith thing or it is the comments that Racists are sending the Black Woman who plays the Villain.

Either way, yikes!

Can he escape a Base with Sith (and possibly worse!) in it?

Will he live to fight another day?
Can I pretend that he might die, even though I know he doesn't do so until A New Hope?

To find out, stream the Episode.

A good Episode that brings you to some new, crazy dangers.  I'm glad that we're off of Desert Planets, at least for a little while.  I enjoy the AC, even if it is on an Inquisitor Base.

McGregor does a good job playing a brave, but flustered Obi-Wan.  He obviously has plenty of practice in the role.  On this Show, things are quite a bit different though, of course.  He really stepped up here, which is nice.

Everyone does their part well, from the girl playing a brave young Leia to the Actress playing a sneaky and cruel Reva.  Even the half-CG voice of Darth Vader delivers.

Just remember this as well- sometimes a guy is just doing his job.  Is this guy really evil?  Probably not.  Will he get blown up by Rebels and will they then cheer about it?  You betcha.

Next time, an escape is only as good as its follow-up.  Did they really get away or will the danger follow them home?  See you then...

New Streaming: Obi-Wan Kenobi- Episode 3

 Disney is spoiling me with 2 different Shows running (briefly) concurrently.

Let's check out the one who's farthest along first and see how it is...

After learning some bad news and escaping to another Planet, Obi-Wan (now Ben) and young Leia must avoid detection deep in Empire territory.

What are the odds that goes off smoothly?

They kept help from...this thing.

Yeah, whoever said Friendly Mole Rat Man can pay for future Therapy for anyone who stares at those dead eyes for more than a minute.

And yes, it's Zach Braff.

As teased in the Promos (literally on my Title Card), Darth Vader comes into the picture.

As evil as he is, it's cool to hear James Earl Jones again.  Sadly, it's still that weird Computer Programmed Voice thing from Boba Fett, but it works better here.

Also their holograms have gotten slightly better.  Nice.

It all comes down to a big showdown that we've been waiting for.

It's also very, very dark...so that's a shame.

To see how it plays out, stream the Episode now.

A nice Episode that feels like good Character Build-Up and not stalling.  That's a problem that these kind of Prestige Shows often run into.

Why make a good Episode when you can make it 3 alright Episodes instead?

Thankfully, I'm good with the Pacing here so far.  Will that stick though?

Aside from the nightmare fuel that is Mole Man's face, I enjoyed all of the new creatures and sights.  Seeing that Inquisitor Base was nice, especially for people like me who haven't watched the Cartoons (save for The Bad Batch- which was good).

Obviously, the big stuff near the end is great.  Seeing Vader in his prime (so to speak) is great.  Seeing Obi Wan somewhere between his Confident Jedi and Old Jaded Jedi is neat too.  Let's see if he can step up in the future.  Of course, young Leia is also totes adorable and nails the part.

Here's hoping they keep things up (especially because people seem to be annoyed at Episode 4) and get things in sync.  Now who told this guy that we were wearing hats today?  That's not funny.  He looks like a mushroom in that thing...

Next time, some recovery and planning are necessary.  Can Obi Wan be the Hero he needs to be?  See you then...

New Streaming: Obi-Wan Kenobi- Episodes 1 and 2

 After almost 20 years (thanks for making me feel old, me!), we see what happened to Obi-Wan...11 years later.

I thought it was a Long, Long Time Ago, but whatever.

After an open that will be less awkward when we don't have a School Shooting that week (please let there be a week like this!), we get to see what Obi-Wan is up to.

He's hiding out on Tatooine under his last name, which is somehow a good cover.

In the time since that last Film, we now have Inquisitors, evil Jedi/Sith combos that hunt Jedis(presumably we'll eventually get a Show explaining them)...and might have been them.

So Order 66 left a loophole in to save some Younglings?

One of them- Reva- is out to get Obi-Wan for reasons that we don't know yet.  I'm guessing we'll find out in Episode 5, if these Prestige Shows have a pattern.

We learn that Uncle Owen doesn't want Obi-Wan around.  I guess seeing him just...burns him up.

A mission comes up that requires Obi-Wan to leave Tattoine (aw, we need more Shows and Films set there!!!).

That means digging up his lightsaber.

Question- are we seeing his first attempt at this...or his 42nd?

As Episode 2 ends, he learns a big secret...well, a secret to him.  No SPOILERS.

On the plus side, he got to meet Kumail Nanjiani.  

Neat.

Let's see what happens next...

A good pair of Episodes that sets things up nicely.  It's definitely a bit complicated trying to follow things at this point, with this Show happening in the window between the Prequels and Episode IV, while the other Shows happen after Return of the Jedi.  At least I'm set until we get the Show that's a PREQUEL to the random Story that happens right before Episode IV begins.

Where was I?

On its own merits, the Show tells a good Story.  We see Obi-Wan as a reluctant Hero just trying to survive.  We see a new form of evil making a mess of things.  We see, as always, famous Characters at different ages than we did before.

Thankfully, the somber mood that permeates Episode 1 is lightened a bit in Episode 2.  There are still dark moments, but it's more about moving on than the last Episode.  Once we're off of Tatooine, things perk up- what a shock!

Can Obi-Wan continue to deliver (in spite of arguably-Racist Trolls)?  Here's hoping...

Next time, a big reveal will affect what Obi-Wan does next.  Will he make a big mistake?  See you then...