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.

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: The Mandalorian- 'The Jedi'

 Before I take in the new Episode like everyone online who watches it the second it appears online, let me refresh myself (and you) on what happened last time...

Now with a destination in mind and a working ship, our Hero goes to where he needs to go.

That Planet has some dangerous company though...

Not knowing anything about the woman (and not trusting Jedis), he meets with the bad people in charge of the Town.

They want him to kill her.  Will he?

Instead, he needs her help to understand The Child/Baby Yoda.  She can help him...to a point.

Of course, she wants something in return.

All-out battle ensues (of course!) and sides are clearly chosen.

Who will come out on top?  Will The Child find a new home?

To find out, stream the Episode now.

A good Episode sure to please lots of fanboys, fangirls and fan-people.  See- I'm inclusive.  As someone who didn't watch The Clone Wars, this isn't quite the same deal to me.  I get why it is, of course- I just don't have the same connection.  That said, seeing a bad-ass Jedi is still always good.  Fans were a bit wary of Rosario Dawson here when it was announced, but I like her here.  Again- I can't compare her to the Show.  On its own, this performance is really good and she really has that atmosphere.  It is helped by the great make-up work and special effects here.  One thing that I think really helped is having Dave Filoni on hand as the Director.  He's worked on much of the ancillary Star Wars stuff like Rebels, The Clone Wars and the like.  He's got a feel for everything, so it all works.  The Plot sets up a nice Samurai Film-style Duel which is one of the things that the Star Wars Series emulated early on.  Seeing it done so well, especially on a Show that blurs the lines between Genres a bit in each Episode, is really nice.  Lastly, how about a shout-out to Michael Biehn.  He's now been in a Terminator Film (the first), an Alien Film (the 2nd) and now in Star Wars.  Good on you, man!

Next time, a new destination and new dangers.  That Title sure is foreboding.  See you then...

New Streaming: The Mandalorian- 'The Siege'

 As you wait for the Holiday malaise to pass, remember what happened last week on...

Seeking repairs, The Mandalorian returns to a familiar Planet and some familiar places.

Here's a Game- Spot the Director!

Here's a hint- it's not the person who's hiding on Parler and posting Nazi Pics...

While they're away, The Child will just steal another Scene...

Can our Heroes find out what secrets are in the Base?
Can they escape even if they do?

As a bonus, here's some Stormtroopers on Speeder Bikes.

Neat.

To find out what happens, watch the Show.

Another good Episode that manages to work a Plot into a Pit Stop.  

Did we need this Plot?  Yes and no.  

Yes, they are stopping before they get to the main Plot.  They are doing so in a logical way- they did beat the crap out of that ship, after all.  

If you're in lots of trouble and things aren't going great, wouldn't you stop to see some friends?  If your car is held together with half a roll of duct tape, all the more reason.  

They acknowledge that this is a diversion in the Episode too, so points for lampshading.  Said Plot is a good one as it gives us some immediate action, sets events in motion for the rest of the Season and teases something big.  

Giancarlo Esposito shines yet again as the Season 2 Villain in a Prestige Show.  

Is there an Emmy for that?  If so, he's got it in the bag!

Next time, the Plot thickens and the action ramps up.  Will our Hero find the people he's looking for?  See you then...

New Streaming: The Mandalorian- 'The Heiress'

 As you can imagine, I didn't wait too long to watch this Episode.  After all, the Internet moves fast and so must I...

After all of the drama and action in the last Episode, The Mandalorian's Ship is not doing great, so he finds a safe port to recover.

Meanwhile, he is being watched by a mysterious woman.

After the Teaser for this, I sure hope it is as good as we're all building it up to be.

Our Hero finds some new allies in a dark time.  

Is there a catch to the help they offer though?

Can they deal with a small group of Imperial Soldiers between them and the information they need?

Oh hai Mr. Bosch!

Will they succeed on their mission?  Will that damn Baby Yoda get even cuter?

To find out, stream the Show.  I mean, it is Boss Time, after all.

A strong Episode- naturally.  

Right off the bat, I will mention again that I won't go too far into SPOILERS.  

I don't want to be that dick who ruins the Show for you.  I like to ruin other things- like your childhood and Movies that are actually kind of Racist- but not that.  So yeah, I'm going to be a bit vague here- as always.  

The first thing to note is that Bryce Dallas Howard does another good job here.  If you recall, she did Episode Four of the Series and was quite good.  That one made an AT-AT into a new, scary threat and got Gina Carano to emote (a little bit).  

In this one, she gives us a great Intro with the Ship's let's just say inelegant landing on the Planet.  We also get some nice Aliens, more Mandalorians (of a sort) and some classic Star Wars feel.  

The last Episode was a Horror Film and the one before that was a Western (meets Creature Feature).  This one is a closer to the classic Action-Humor Formula that has worked so well.  

Hey, if Films like Terminator 2, Waxwork 2 and Aliens can pivot, why not this Show?  While she doesn't do all that much, it was also nice to see Sasha Banks here.  Doing more is 'Starbuck' (see below) and she does a nice job here.  I guess redheads stick together.  My only critique is that the Show is edging closer to being something that is just there to sell you on other things.  

Case in point: I guess I have to watch Star Wars: Rebels now?  Okay...

Next time, more Space Western action.  Who's going to show up next time?  See you then...

New Streaming: The Mandalorian- 'The Passenger'

 In order to avoid SPOILERS online, I just might keep watching this when they come out.

As such, here's a SPOILER-FREE Review of Episode 2.

Things don't go well on the way back to his Ship.

If you haven't seen it, watch the Lone Wolf & Cub Series.  There's alot of fair comparisons to make, especially when you get intros like this.

Desperate to keep his ship running and low on funds, he agrees to transport a paying passenger.

Will he regret it?

They run afoul of some trouble- calling back to Episode 6- and end up on an Ice Planet.

Sure are plenty of those in Sci-Fi, eh?

Can they escape the Planet or will a new threat rise up to end their trip early?

To find out, stream the Show.

Wash away the stain and stink of that last Film with this good Show, people!

Another good, fun Episode.  Do I need to say more?  The Mandalorian is a good Show.  It was good then.  It is good now.  That's all I need to say, right?

Oh, fine.  The Show used Amy Sedaris again- great.  She's a nice, grounded addition to the Star Wars Series.  

Keep it up!  More of her- yes, please!  

Seeing Tatooine again is nice and it makes you happy.  One thing I really liked is that they set up how bilingual our Hero is, which totally makes sense when you consider how many Races he must meet.  

In the last Episode, he spoke Sand Person- how many people in Star Wars have you seen?  So now you see him with a new Alien and he doesn't speak a word- great.  

Oh and Sedaris does- double great!  

I won't go into any more about the Plot since it verges into SPOILER territory.  It's great.  Watch it.  

Since they hired the Director of Ant-Man, here's a Giant Ant, who joins the Giant Praying Mantis in Star Wars.

Next time, we get more adventures in Space and more adorable Aliens.  No, I didn't mean Dr. Mandible.  See you then...