The third episode of the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” (Chapter 3: The Sin) might be its best.
This time out we find the Mando (with ship fully repaired) headed back to the volcanic planet that seems to be a de facto home for bounty hunters in the galaxy... with “Baby Yoda” in tow.
A CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE
Despite some unspoken reservations, the Mandalorian turns the creature over to the client (Werner Herzog) and Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi). In return, he gets a container full of Beskar steel bricks (“the richest reward this parsec has ever seen”).
Werner Herzog is effectively creepy as the client (someone I assume is a former member of the Empire). At one point during the exchange with the Mandalorian he says, “such a large bounty for such a small package.”
WHISTLING BIRDS
The Mando takes his reward to the Mandalorian enclave and has most of it made into a new suit of armor (a full cuirass). Part of the reward will go to help fund Foundlings, and another part is made into a weapon called “Whistling Birds” (“Use them sparingly, for they are rare,” says the armorer).
Some of the other Mandalorians lurking in the underground enclave confront the Mando. This entire sequence is where we hear the term “This is the way” for the first time.
Much like the phrase “I have spoken” (uttered by the Ugnaught Kuiil), “This is the way” is sort of a mantra used by the Mandalorians — a phrase heard throughout the rest of the episode that emphasizes the belief system at the core of the Mandalorian code.
Outfitted in a shiny new suit of armor, the Mandalorian meets with Greef Karga (where he gets a new “bounty puck” for a Mon Calamari nobleman’s son). Our protagonist is all too happy to get off the planet and away from thinking about “Baby Yoda.”
RESCUE MISSION
But when the Mando returns to the Razor Crest, he sees a knob “Baby Yoda” removed from a control lever. In that moment, he makes his decision, leaves the ship, and sets out to rescue the infant.
This is the moment where our hero eschews the rules guiding bounty hunters in the galaxy, shifts to a more honorable path, and walks the “Way of the Mandalore” (making him both hunter and prey).
It goes back to the conversation the Mando had with the armorer in the first half of the episode. The armorer — trying to decide what the full suit should look like — suggests they use the Mudhorn (the creature our protagonist defeated in Chapter 2) as his signet.
The Mando says, “I can’t accept. It wasn’t a noble kill. I was helped by an enemy.”
The armorer replies, “Why would an enemy help you in battle?”
The Mando replies, “It did not know it was my enemy.”
“Baby Yoda” helped the Mandalorian in the fight against the Mudhorn. Despite that fact, the Mando turned him over for reward (which was stipulated by the Guild Code).
A HERO’S JOURNEY
It’s a classic dilemma faced in a hero’s journey.
This is the sort of mythology “Star Wars” is built on. What’s fascinating about “The Mandalorian” series (thus far) is how the hero’s journey plays out in a story where the Force and Jedis aren’t at the center of things.
I honestly think that’s part of the reason “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is preferred by so many fans of the saga.
EPISODE DIRECTION
Chapter 3 of “The Mandalorian” was directed by Deborah Chow. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced that she’ll be the sole director fo the upcoming Disney+ series focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi (which will star Ewan McGregor).
After watching the third episode, I can tell why they decided to give her full reign of directing duties on the Kenobi series.
The last half of the third episode features various shootouts and confrontations as the Mando retrieves — and makes his escape with — “Baby Yoda.”
You feel the tension as the Mando (like a lone gunfighter in westerns of yore) works his way out of the city with the kid. There is something inherently satisfying as the final shootout on a city street plays out.
I’ll be interested to she what she is able to with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
FINAL THOUGHTS
“The Mandalorian” continues to surprise me. At first I had reservations about the length of each episode (around 30 minutes apiece), but I’m liking where the series is going so far.
Stay tuned for my review of ”The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 4!
When “Frozen” debuted in theaters on Nov. 27, 2013, the girl power anthem “Let It Go” propelled the movie to $1.3 billion in box office receipts, and created a blueprint for Disney Princess movies in the 21st century.
In the past, Disney generally sent sequels for its animated musical spectacles straight to home video (less-than-stellar sequels to movies like “Pocahontas” and “The Little Mermaid” come to mind).
Here we are — six years after “Frozen” debuted — with “Frozen II” crystallizing itself at multiplexes around the globe (already breaking box office records).
“Frozen II” starts off with King Agnarr of Arendelle (Elsa and Anna’s father) telling a tale to his daughters about their grandfather, King Runeard.
Runeard established a treaty with a tribe in Northuldra — resulting in a dam being built on their tribal lands.
(I realize as I’m typing this that the narrative of “Frozen II” already sounds way more complicated than the first movie.)
Anyhow, a battle occurs between the Arendelle people and the Northuldra tribe, and that enrages earth, fire, water, and air spirits. As a result, a magical wall of mist envelopes the forest.
Agnarr (a boy at the time) narrowly escapes with the aid of a mystery entity — living to tell the story so Disney can add more coin to their record box office take in 2019.
The movie then shifts to Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven enjoying a placid autumn in Arendelle. After the events in the first movie, the quintet seems to rule the kingdom with predictable spunk — a scene involving them playing charades in the castle is particularly cute.
Elsa — our pale, emo-like queen — starts hearing voices (a siren’s call), which unleashes the elemental spirits (meaning the Arendelle people have to evacuate the coastal town).
These events result in our heroes having to set out on a quest — to the Enchanted Forest — to figure out what the heck is going on.
That’s pretty much the “spoiler free” setup in a nutshell.
The original “Frozen” stands as one of my favorite animated movies (we have the soundtrack in our vehicle).
I know there are some out there who have declared “Frozen II” to be superior to the first. I’m not quite sure I feel the same way.
Let me start by analyzing where the new movie improves on the original “Frozen.”
The animation in “Frozen II” is superior to the first movie, and is rendered beautifully. That’s not surprising with the wizardry Disney employs in its wares.
The story is deeper and more fully realized than the first movie. It might not be J.R.R. Tolkien in terms of “fantasy tropes,” but it achieves an epic quality.
There is also a sequence I really liked where Olaf brings people up to speed on the “Frozen Saga” à la C-3PO in the Ewok village in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”
In my mind, though, the problematic aspect in the narrative is the lack of a clearly defined antagonist. “Frozen II” lacks a villain.
This sort of “fairy tale” needs an antagonist to realize its full potential.
It also needs an antagonist threatening our heroes so that when they make rash decisions (which certain characters do) it makes sense in the heat of the moment.
That’s where I think co-directors/screenwriters Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee stumbled a bit.
I also thought Kristoff was underutilized in the film. His character is whittled down into a one-note piano as he spends the film trying to propose to Anna.
But enough of me pontificating on the story. What you really want to know about are my thoughts on the music.
While the “Frozen II” soundtrack doesn’t feature an obvious hit like “Let It Go” in the lineup, there are some terrific musical stylings. As with the first “Frozen” movie, the songs in the sequel are penned by husband/wife team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
There is the Chicago-esque song “Lost in the Woods” (sung by Kristoff voice actor Jonathan Groff):
We’ve been trying to figure out what 80s pop song it reminds us of. As of this writing I’m leaning towards Chicago’s 1988 hit “Look Away”:
On Good Morning America, Groff described the song’s sequence in the film (which channels 80s music videos) as “a joke for the adults.”
Since most of the film focuses on the relationship between Elsa and Anna, we get plenty of vocal triumphs by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell.
Menzel — whose rough-hewn mezzo soprano is like nectar from the gods — is showcased gloriously in the power ballad “Show Yourself” (along with Evan Rachel Wood):
Her voice is also spectacular in the haunting track “Aurora — Into the Unknown” (a song that’s been rolling through my head for days):
One minor quibble I have with the integration of the music into the story is that I felt (at times) like the songs didn’t mesh well in the narrative flow.
It’s hard to describe without being able to pull specific examples from the film, but with certain songs in “Frozen II” it was like the filmmakers said, “Well, we need to put another song in here, so let’s break for a music video.”
That wasn’t the case with the first “Frozen” movie. For example, the song “For the First Time in Forever” intertwined so well with the story — it set the scene, gave you insights into Anna’s character, and moved the story forward to the next scene:
Therein lies the challenge with creating a sequel to a popular musical movie. The “Frozen II” filmmakers did the best they could to avoid being “Grease 2,” but it is hard to be as sharp as the original.
Before I go I want to make sure to mention the little salamander (named Bruni) who becomes a sidekick for Elsa in the movie:
The little guy seems to be inspired by Rapunzel’s chameleon companion Pascal in Disney’s “Tangled”:
While “Frozen II” lacks the icy-smooth goodness of the first movie, it helps solidify the saga as something more than your typical Disney Princess movie.
I think Elsa sums up my feelings about “Frozen II” best in the song “Show Yourself” — “Something is familiar / Like a dream I can reach / But not quite hold.” P.S. — Be sure to stay through the end credits of “Frozen II” for an easter egg scene.
The second episode of the Disney+ original series “The Mandalorian” debuted a few days ago. The episode — dubbed “Chapter 2: The Child” — comes in at a svelte 32 minutes and 55 seconds (that includes the end credits).
This is one of the often talked about aspects of the series — the fact that the episodes are shorter than most dramas on television today.
I mentioned this in my review of the first episode. The fact is that taking a “less is more” approach might not be a bad idea (at least for the first season).
BABY YODA IS THE BEST!
“The Child” is a fun little episode. When the film rolls and we see the “Mando” in the early moments of Chapter 2, he and “Baby Yoda” (yes, we all know it isn’t actually Yoda since that character dies in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” — and this show takes place roughly 25 years after “Jedi”) are working their way across the desert planet toward the Razor Crest.
They run into three Trandoshans — the type of creature Bossk the bounty hunter is in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Do any of you who grew up with “Star Wars” (in the 70s and 80s) remember sending off Kenner “proofs of purchase” to get the Bossk figure for free?? I do!
“I CAN’T ABIDE THOSE JAWAS. DISGUSTING CREATURES.” — C3P0
When the Mandalorian and “Baby Yoda” arrive at the ship, it is in the process of being stripped by Jawas.
The Jawas rank as my favorite of the various “Star Wars” creatures (sorry Ewoks!).
For my second grade Halloween costume, my mom and dad made me a Jawa cloak out of a rough, brown burlap, stitched in a sheer black material inside the hood to cover my face, and used a pair of Zany Zappers (minus the lens) to give me “glowing eyes.”
For those who weren’t around in that era, Zany Zappers were sunglasses with red lightbulbs behind the lenses. They were powered by a 9-volt batter (connected via cord) that you could run down your shirt, through your sleeve, and activate via push button.
Anyhow, the Mandalorian takes out of couple of a Jawa scavengers with his forked rifle, but the rest of the crew makes a getaway in their Sandcrawler.
The Mando pursues in a scene that feels like it owes a life debt to the tank scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”
FAIR TRADE AGREEMENT
Suffice it to say, the pesky Jawas prove to be a fairly cunning foe, and the Mandalorian walks away empty-handed. The parts are gone. That means the Mando and his asset are essentially stranded on the desert planet.
The Mandalorian seeks the help of Kuiil (who proved a useful ally in Chapter 1). The resourceful Ugnaught suggests a trade to help the Mando get the stripped ship parts and supplies back from the Jawas.
“The Jawas steal,” says Kuiil, “they don’t destroy.”
The Jawas ask for the Beskar armor and “Baby Yoda” during the barter, but the Mando is unwilling to part with his armor or the adorable creature.
The Jawas (in Jawaese) say, “We will require The Egg. Bring us The Egg.”
They all ride in the Sandcrawler to a cave in the desert. The cave is the source of a Mudhorn egg — guarded by a very protective Mudhorn (a furry rhinoceros-like creature).
The Mando has to do battle with the Mudhorn to secure the egg. This leads to a messy fight outside the cave. We see “Baby Yoda” (who is floating alongside in his carriage) use force-wielding skills to help save the Mandalorian from the charging beast.
With the egg secured, the Mando and “Baby Yoda” return to the impatient Jawas (who summarily cut open the egg and start consuming the yellow yolk). Ewww.
Our protagonist gets his parts back, and Kuiil helps him put the Razor Crest back together.
SATURDAY SERIALS
Anyone who has ever read the history of “Star Wars: A New Hope” know that creator George Lucas was attempting to channel the spirit of the “Saturday serials” he grew up with, like “Flash Gordon.”
So far, Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian” seems to be operating in that spirit. The second episode has little in the way of dialogue between characters, but the tone and feel are reminiscent of those short episodic serials that were prolific in bygone Hollywood era.
Take my money, please. Where are the toys? The plushies? The Funko Pops?
I’m fascinated by “The Mandalorian” thus far — looking forward to seeing where Disney+ takes the story.
While the first two episodes might not be the sort of meaty dramas viewers are used to from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime, there is something inherently satisfying about “The Mandalorian.”
MUSICAL SCORE
I also want to make mention of the show’s score by composer Ludwig Göransson. While it might not have all the atmospheric glory of a John Williams “Star Wars” soundtrack, it does a solid job setting the tone for the show.
There is a moment in Chapter 2 (the sunrise scene at the 5:22 mark) where the score feels particularly epic in scope as the music swells.
Stay tuned for my review of “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 3!
Many of my favorites tend to be sugary and sentimental. Some are just silly fun.
I’ve reviewed a number of Christmas movies on this blog. These days, it seems like most of the holiday fare released is either on cable/satellite channels like Hallmark or Lifetime, or on streaming giants like Netflix.
Last November I reviewed the Netflix original “The Christmas Chronicles” (starring Kurt Russell) and wrote of the movie that it “will never be mistaken for high art, but is likable enough that your family should have a good time with it this holiday season.”
Disney+ has entered the streaming wars, and one of their first original offerings on the service is the Christmas movie “Noelle” starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader (as Santa’s kids Noelle and Nick Kringle).
When the patriarch of the Kringle clan decides its time to think about the future — and time for his son Nick to start his Santa training — things don’t go smoothly.
Young Nick lacks the confidence to be Santa Claus — and the Santa hat he is presented with on Christmas Eve is too big. This concerns Nick, but his father assures, “it will fit you when you fit it.”
His precocious sister Noelle longs to be more than a player on the sidelines. Young Noelle wants to be like her father. “I would like to do what you do,” she says to her father (not being Santa, per se, but having a greater hand in the Christmas gift process).
Noelle’s father suggests her ability to make everyone jolly with her cards, Christmas cheer, and support of her brother is a noble task unto itself.
The narrative moves forward to Noelle and Nick as adults. Their father has died, and it is Nick’s time to become the 23rd Kringle to wear the red hat.
He is uncomfortable flying a sleigh and dealing with all manner of duties related to being Santa Claus. The big question is whether he’ll be ready for Christmas.
Noelle dutifully makes intricate pop-up cards and spreads Christmas cheer. She likes to eat waffles and has a small, white reindeer named “Snow Cone.”
Noelle’s mother (Julie Hagerty) insists her daughter do her job and give her “brother some Christmas spirit” — to avoid a Christmas disaster.
As a result, Noelle does a yeoman’s job trying to tutor her hopeless brother on the intricacies of Christmas gift giving (we learn, among other things, that what all kids want for Christmas is an iPad).
One day — when brother and sister are enjoying mugs of “double hot chocolate” at the Polar Express Cafe — Nick says, “sometimes I dream about getting out and finding someplace warm, where I can stretch and relax and just breathe, you know?”
Noelle says he should, and suggests, “you can’t be Santa if you’re having a nervous breakdown.”
So, she encourages him to look for a destination in an issue of “Travel & Leisure” and get away for the weekend — Noelle later discovers it is Phoenix, AZ.
The problem is that he decides he doesn’t want to leave Phoenix (where he becomes a yoga instructor) and Noelle (who has become persona non grata at the North Pole) heads to the desert to fetch him home — with her elf nanny Polly (Shirley MacLaine) in tow.
In the meantime, tech cousin Gabe (Billy Eichner) is put in place as Santa Claus.
Interesting setup, right?
The premise is sort of like a cross between Will Ferrell’s “Elf” and the brilliant Aardman Animation movie “Arthur Christmas.”
Unfortunately, the rest of the story is somewhat uneven.
Along the way Noelle and Polly strike a business deal with the manager (Diana Maria Riva) at the mall where their sleigh crash lands. They also become friends with a private eye (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his son (Maceo Smedley), who they “hire” to find Nick.
Part of me wonders if the “fish out of water” aspects of the story — where Noelle is searching around Phoenix for her brother — would have worked better in a more overwhelming setting — like, say, New York City?
It’s hard to say for sure (and a more urban setting wouldn’t have fit the notion of a “relaxing” getaway for Nick).
Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader are both likable in the film, and do the best they can with the material given. “Noelle” just has trouble mixing the ingredients together to make a frothy holiday concoction.
Don’t get me wrong, there are certain charming moments in the film — a particular scene where Noelle visits a young deaf girl is a prime example.
I honestly think they could have snipped and tucked a few things in the last 20 minutes to give the film a stronger ending. I won’t go into spoilers here, but the filmmakers probably could have ended the film at the 1 hour and 22 minute mark and achieved better results.
The message of the film emphasized the notion that anyone — with the right spirit in his/her heart — can be Santa Claus. That was a good message to build the film around. To amplify that message, sometimes a “less is more” approach is a more effective one to take.
While “Noelle” is a cute diversion for the holidays, it doesn’t quite achieve the quality that contemporary classics like “Elf” and “The Santa Clause” enjoy in the pop culture zeitgeist.
That said, it’s not often these days that studios release G-rated “live action” movies.
Check out “Noelle” on Disney+ and let me know what you think!
Disney (owner of everything we know and love) has finally unveiled Disney+ — the Mouse’s entry in the streaming wars.
The Disney+ debut finally means eager “Star Wars” fans get to see the first episode of the much ballyhooed series “The Mandalorian.” This is the first “live action” TV series in the “Star Wars” universe.
The studio is only releasing one episode at a time. The first episode — simply titled “Chapter 1” — was included with the service on launch day (Nov. 12, 2019). The second episode is set to drop on Nov. 15, 2019.
I’ll talk about some of the technical glitches I encountered when we signed up for the service in an upcoming post (giving my impressions of the Disney+ platform). Suffice it to say, everything is working splendidly now, and the first program I viewed was “The Mandalorian.”
“Chapter 1” runs ~40 minutes. That is a relatively short runtime for the first episode of a streaming series.
Part of me wonders if Disney eventually plans to air “Chapter 1” in an hour-long prime time slot (with commercials) on ABC to promote the series and the Disney+ service (somewhat similar to what CBS did with the first two episodes of the streaming series “Star Trek: Discovery”).
I watched the first episode three times on my Apple TV 4K to be fully versed to write this blog post.
I want to commend Disney+ for providing new shows/movies in 4K HDR to all subscribers — at an affordable price. Not only that, “Star Wars” aficionados will be pleased to note that “The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” “The Force Awakens,” and “Rogue One” are available in 4K for the first time anywhere (“Solo” and “The Last Jedi” will be included on the service when the current distribution deal with Netflix expires).
LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED
“Chapter 1” starts off with the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) walking into a bar on the hunt for a bounty. The “Mando’s” identity isn’t revealed in the first episode.
It has been suggested that the show’s creator (Jon Favreau) was going for a vibe similar to Clint Eastwood in the old Sergio Leone “spaghetti westerns.” You can see that throughout the first episode.
GALACTIC TOILETS AND THE “STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL” NOW CANONIZED!
The Mandolorian’s target is a Mythrol (a humanoid character whose face looks like a blue fish) played by Horatio Sanz.
I kind of found this character a tad bit “off-putting.” The Mythrol seemed like he’d be more at home in 1990s era “Star Trek.” Or, perhaps more apropos, an episode of the animated series “Star Wars: Rebels” (read my review of “Star Wars: Rebels”).
However, his presence in the show allowed fans to catch their first glimpse of a “vac tube” (what toilets are called in a galaxy far, far away) and there was also a reference to “Life Day” (the holiday Chewbacca and his family celebrated in 1978’s “Star Wars Holiday Special,” which — ironically, is not available for viewing on Disney+).
The Mandalorian tools around the galaxy in a vintage ship called the Razor Crest equipped with its own carbon freezing chamber — illustrating what a trendsetter Boba Fett was in “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strkes Back.”
The first half of the first episode was somewhat shaky. That said, it imbued the retro spirit that “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (read my review) had when it was released in 2016. Quite honestly, both “The Mandalorian” and “Rogue One” serve as terrific bookends to the original trilogy.
When the Mandalorian delivers the Mythrol (along with other assets frozen in carbonite) to bounty hunter guild leader Greef Karga (an ageless Carl Weathers), he is given a bounty that goes against the norm — a “face-to-face, direct commission.”
This is kind of a fun scene as viewers get to see different forms of galactic currency. We get to see what an Imperial Credit looks like, and get to see what Calamari Flan looks like, which I can only assume is the currency of Admiral Akbar’s home world. (What is flan? Hint: It’s not the dessert you’re thinking of…)
The Mandalorian accepts the chit, and visits the client (Werner Herzog) — a mysterious man who is guarded by four Stormtroopers. While there, he meets a man referred to as “Dr. Pershing” (Omid Abtahi) and receives an initial payment in the form of Beskar (an alloy used in Mandalorian armor) with the promise of more when the job is complete.
Details are scant on the target, but it is mentioned that the target is 50 years old.
The Mandalorian takes the payment and tracking fob with him, and heads down to some sort of underground conclave filled with other Mandalorians.
On the way we see him walk by a Kowakian monkey-lizard roasting on a spit, while another one watches from a cage. Made me wonder if either one was Salacious Crumb (Jabba the Hutt’s sidekick in “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi”).
ORIGINS AND MYTHOLOGY
The Mandalorian visits an armorer who melts the Beskar brick down, crafting the molten metal into an armor plate designed to go on our protagonist’s shoulder (called a Beskar Pauldron). During this scene we get to see some brief flashbacks of our protagonist as a boy.
It’s kind of nice to see the writers take a deep dive into some of the Mandalorian lore. It is suggested that the Beskar can help “foundlings” on the planet Mandalore (we see a series of flashbacks that tend to suggest the Mandalorian might have been a foundling growing up — but we’re not quite sure what that means).
It is a bold move to have a show revolve around a character who rarely (if ever) removes his mask — a definite challenge as it regards character development.
Yet there was something oddly compelling about the protagonist as he moved through the early stages of the first episode. To be honest, the Mandalorian story lines in “Star Wars Rebels” were among the most compelling in that series (and Sabine Wren was one of my favorite characters).
BLURRGS AND UGNAUGHTS
With payment and tracker in hand, the Mandalorian sets out for a desert planet (none of the planet names are identified in the first episode) that looks like it could have been set in the South Dakota Badlands.
He lands the Razor Crest in a remote area, and is soon attacked by a pair of Blurrgs (bulbous lizard creatures).
An owly Ugnaught farmer named Kuiil (Nick Nolte) rescues our hero. He decides to help the Mandalorian in return for one of the tranquilized Blurrgs (the creatures serve as de facto horses in this space western).
Kuiil is confident the Mandalorian can do away with the miscreant mercenaries in the area. The Ugnaught also has a habit of ending any sort of discussion with the phrase “I have spoken” (which felt to me like a nod to the Biblical phrase “It is written”).
(Hats off to the ILM creature gurus for crafting an Ugnaught that is the spitting image of Nick Nolte).
GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL
Our hero travels to a frontier town of sorts that is being patrolled by Nikto guards (a race featured at Jabba’s Palace in “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi”).
The Mandalorian spies an IG droid (said to be a “bounty droid”) entering the town.
The droid’s designation is IG-11 — and I was so happy to get to see an IG droid in action for the first time. I had the Kenner IG-88 action figure when I was a kid (that came complete with a blaster *and* a rifle), but we only had a brief glimpse of the character in “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.”
We finally see a live-action version of what these droids are capable of thanks to “The Mandalorian.”
IG-11 walks into town, spouts off some mumbo-jumbo about “Subparagraph 16 of the Bondsman Guild protocol waiver...” (as he searches for the same asset the Mandalorian is after).
When the guards don’t comply — and one draws a blaster — IG-11 starts dispatching the assembled Nikto left and right as he spins and twists, firing both his pistol and a rifle.
The Mandalorian heads down the hill to confront IG-11, and has to take the brunt of a blaster shot as a result.
But the two agree to work together (since they’re both in the Guild) and split the reward.
What ensues is one of the more entertaining shootouts I’ve seen in the “Star Wars” universe.
Eventually, the two bounty hunters dispatch with the gunmen and use the tracking fob to locate the asset.
The fob leads them to a round container that is holding what looks like a baby (remember, the asset is 50 years old) of the same species as Yoda (whose species hasn’t been identified in the “Star Wars” universe).
The IG droid says it is under orders to kill the asset. As IG-11 levels a blaster at the creature, the Mandalorian shoots the droid.
The episode ends with the asset reaching out its three-fingered hand toward our protagonist.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I enjoyed the first episode of “The Mandalorian.”
The show was created by Jon Favreau, and the writers did a good job setting things up for future episodes.
You have to believe that the diminutive “Yoda-like” creature will figure into the story arc during the rest of the first season (which will run eight episodes). The question is whether there is some sort of Force-wielding significance to the asset.
I’ll be interested to see if future episodes run ~40 minutes like “Chapter 1.”
It is hard to tell at this point if that would be a good thing or not. I was left wanting more after watching the first episode of “The Mandalorian.”
The current scuttlebutt is that Disney might be eyeing a feature film for “The Mandalorian” in the future. John Campea was talking about this on his show today:
It’s hard to say what the future holds at this point, but Disney+ signed up 10 million subscribers on launch day. They are reportedly at work on the second season. If the show proves popular, you can bet Disney will (blue) milk the property for all it’s worth...
Stayed tuned for my review of “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 2!
“Terminator: Dark Fate” has been promoted as being something of a “direct sequel” to “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”
I guess it is.
Movies that involve time travel as their impetus for being tend to become a convoluted mess after a few films.
Truth be told, I stopped watching “Terminator” films after “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” That wasn’t an intentional choice (I actually like the third film pretty well).
Nothing looked particularly compelling about “Terminator Salvation” and “Terminator Genisys,” but I had planned to see them.
The plot of “Terminator: Dark Fate” is set 25 years after the events in “Terminator 2.”
In this movie an evil “Rev-9” Terminator (aren’t they all evil?) is sent back in time to eliminate a young woman named Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes).
Her fate is tied to future events (the plot of every “Terminator” movie) and an “augmented soldier” (think a “The Six Million Dollar Woman”-type character played by Mackenzie Davis) has to travel back in time to save her.
There you have it. That’s the plot in a nutshell.
I mean, I guess I can go into more details.
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) shows up during a key action sequence in a Toyota Land Cruiser. That should have been a plot point that brought “gravitas” to the film, but the role fell flat.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as the T-800 Terminator unit that killed John Connor. He lives a quiet life, goes by the name “Carl,” has a family, and installs carpet and drapes for a living (for real... I’m not making that up).
Despite the ridiculousness of Schwarzenegger’s character in the film, the well-worn Austrian actor does a pretty decent job with the material (and delivers a few dead-pan remarks that made me laugh).
But the movie is dull.
For me, the first “Terminator” movie in 1984 was a horror/sci-fi delight. It is essentially a B-movie that combines a John Carpenter-esque aesthetic with some terrific thrills and chills.
James Cameron’s visionary film is one of the best the 1980s had to offer.
While I liked 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” I thought it was bloated — and also thought Schwarzenegger’s “kinder and gentler” Terminator didn’t ring true to the style of the first film.
(My friend Jason and I saw "T2" at a midnight showing in 1991, and both wished it had better captured the spirit of the original).
The liquid-metal T-1000 effects in “Terminator 2” were truly groundbreaking. I honestly think those effects (produced by ILM) are largely responsible for the mega-box-office success that film enjoyed.
Such effects are routine today.
Every iteration of a Terminator unit is inevitably more indestructible — and defies the laws of physics to the point of silliness.
“Terminator: Dark Fate” is — for all intents and purposes — a remake of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”... and not a very good one at that.
No matter how valiantly our heroes fight to save the future, it always seems to become a dystopian mess. So why do they keep trying?
With Schwarzenegger and Hamilton back (in a story developed by James Cameron), I was hoping they would deliver something truly special.
I wish I had more complimentary things to say about “Terminator: Dark Fate.”
Unfortunately, I don’t.
It might be time for all those involved to say “hasta la vista, baby” to this franchise.
