Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part III

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Darth Vader, played by Hayden Christensen and voiced by James Earl Jones, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor, face off for the first time.

I think this series is getting better as it goes along, it isn’t perfect by any means but it certainly is finding its footing. The two things that irritated me about this episode up front before I get into the things I liked, firstly I don’t like that Reva, played by Moses Ingram is being written to be a mary sue, great at everything automatically with no knockbacks or challenges and secondly I don’t like that the Grand Inquisitor, played by Rupert Friend, has seemingly been killed off, though no doubt that will get changed by the end of the series.

That said, for the most part I enjoyed almost everything about this episode. I liked the secret underground resistance, before the resistance, rail road and all of the good things it could bring: including maybe seeing Quinlan Vos in live action. I also enjoyed Indira Varma’s Tala and thought she had great chemistry with both Obi-Wan and Leia, played by Vivian Lyra Blair.

Moreover, I also thought the fight between Vader and Kenobi was good and I applaud how brutal they got with it. I think a big issue with The Book Of Boba Fett was how bloodless everything was, so it is nice to see some gore and threat being shown in the Star Wars Disney + universe. I have seen some people complain about Vader letting Obi-Wan go at the end, with him not venturing into the flames to finish him off or even using his force powers. However, I think him doing this makes sense as he is probably going to be playing the long game and be tracking down not just Obi-Wan but also his helpers. Two birds with one stone as they say.

Overall, a pretty strong episode made better by Reva taking a back seat.

Pros

The Vader Kenobi fight

The tease of Quinlan Vos

Leia continues to have good moments

McGregor is on top form

Cons.

Hugely side-lining the Grand Inquisitor

Reva as a mary sue

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On The Count Of Three: It Is Never A Good Day To Die

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Two friends, played by Christopher Abbot and Jarred Carmichael, with suicidal thoughts decide that they are going to end their lives together.

My, my this one was bleak and hard to get through. I suppose the ending, whereby one of the two men finds a reason to keep living is nice, and does offer some hope but for the most part this is hard going. It is presented to us as a dark comedy and at times this can be seen, it made me laugh with the Papa Roach joke, however, more often than not the comedy missed the mark for me.

I appreciated that this film handled a lot of topics that are often not covered or at least not looked at head on. Whether it is suicide, suicidal thoughts or abuse this film is very up front about the troubles people have and their struggles to carry on and in many ways I respect that and think more films should follow this film’s lead and talk about these issues. They should be destigmatised so those suffering don’t feel so alone.

Though I think the film has its hard in the right place there are one or two moments were what the characters are saying just doesn’t seem right, doesn’t fit the scene and supposed character motivations, and I understand it is not a hard hitting drama film trying to send a message, but it is in these moments wherein I think the film lets itself down. The idea is very strong and very original the writing just needed to be tighter.

Overall.

A very dark film that is worth watching, though not one without its flaws.

Pros.

Carmichael

Abbot

A few darkly comedic lines that land really well

Cons.

It is oppressively bleak at times

Sometimes the writing doesn’t quite work

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Good Mourning: Machine Gun Kelly Is Talentless, A Guide To Over Indulgence

0.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Hot stinky garbage that shows that some people in this world have too much money and free time.

This film was only made as something to do in-between tours, and it shows at every turn. There is so much wrong with this film that I don’t even know where to begin, perhaps with a general warning that if you value your free time then don’t watch this.

I struggle to even call this a film, it is a series of barely connected scenes that read like the demented ravings of a habitual drug user. Clearly Kelly and his friends thought that they were funny so decided to make this as a monument to their self-love, however, what it is instead is a monument to how deeply unfunny and untalented they are.

This film has a series of toxic messages ranging from your stalker is the only one who truly loves you, to pressuring people into doing drugs in order to prove they are cool. Does Kelly care what impact these sort of ideas and themes will have on his young fans who folk to watch and then vehemently defend this film online? No, he doesn’t care, he thinks this film makes him look good. This is not true.

Kelly seems unable to act in this film at all to such a point that I question why they didn’t just write it so that he was playing a fictionalised version of himself, but that is giving this film too much credit. Worse yet is the series of washed up d listers who turn up for cameos, and perhaps the most sad are the friends and loved ones of Kelly who also star in this film perhaps as a means to satiate him.

The thing that annoys me the most about this film is the meta scene towards the end wherein the film acknowledges how bad it is and tries to get in on the joke. This does not make any of its other failings better and just makes it seem like the intent of the film was to waste your time.

Overall, perhaps the worst film of the year so far.

Pros.

It is not offensively bad

Cons.

It has toxic messages

It wastes your time

It only exists to stroke Kelly’s ego

The meta scene will deeply annoy you

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Dual: To Go To War With One’s Self

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

In the future a terminally ill woman, played by Karen Gillan, must face off against a clone of herself that she wants to decommission after making a miraculous recovery.

This one will not be to many people’s tastes. It is very oddly specific. If you perceive Stearns as an auteur director then you would say it is a very him film, his sensibilities are all over it. As I was watching this film I found myself thinking that it reminded me a lot of The Art Of Self Defence a criminally underrated Jessie Eisenberg film, and lo and behold it was made by the same director.

I found this film to be quite funny, I enjoyed both the tragic satire as well as the wider commentary on life and cycles of being. I wouldn’t say this film is a laugh out loud sort of film, it is more the occasional dry chuckle here and there kind of film, but I appreciated that about it.

Likewise, I thought Karen Gillan was great in the lead she really captured the spirit of the film, and made for a good straight man against the blatant absurdity of the futuristic scenario. Additionally, I also thought Aaron Paul was great in the few scenes that featured him and I really bought him as the trainer with the taste for domestic low budget horror movies.

My one issue with the film is that I would have liked to have seen the duel actually take place, as it happens Gillan’s character and her clone bond, only then for the clone to quickly kill her off with poison. A subversion of expectations. At first I didn’t like this and felt disappointed but then when the film’s finale had the clone ending up right back where the original character was, back in the same cycle, I thought the subversion totally worked and it all tied together nicely.

Overall, a film I greatly enjoyed though I am not sure if many others will.

Pros.

Gillan

Paul

The ending

The satire

Cons.

I would have liked to see the duel actually happen

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Flight Attendant Season Two: An Eight Episode AA Meeting

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The plot this time around sees Cassie, played by Kaley Cuoco, seemingly being framed for murder whilst also having to work through her alcoholism.

I enjoyed this season slightly less than the first, and though I do think there is still a reason for this show to exist and that the second season is not totally unnecessary, I do think that the show can do with improving if it is going to go onto a third season.

I liked that Max and Annie, played by Zosia Mamet and Deniz Akdeniz, were given far bigger roles and I thought it was a good idea to even give them their own side stories as well, it really helped to strengthen some of the weaker moments and to add some much needed comedic relief.

The darker tone and the more intense focus on Cassie’s alcoholism is an issue for the show as far as I am concerned as though it is for the most part good character work it does become a bit too bleak and hard to watch at times, and last I checked this was a comedy drama series. My issue is that this season spent a lot of time focusing on these sad elements and that made it less enjoyable to watch.

Overall, the darker tone and deep dive into Cassie’s alcoholism makes this show hard to watch at times and makes you question whether it is still fun to watch, however, there is still enough good elements to keep you around.

Pros.
Mamet and Akdeniz

An engaging mystery

Fun to be had

The ending

Cons.

It is bleak and hard to watch at times

They give the alcoholism stuff far too much focus

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Orange County: The Definition Of White Privilege

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A young man, played by Colin Hanks, has his college/university transcripts mixed up and so has to go to great lengths to try and get into his preferred institution.

Honestly, I think Hanks is the worst part about this film. He is playing the straight man throughout against everyone else’s craziness but he plays it a little too well and ends up coming across as stiff as a board. Jack Black, Catherine O’ Hara And John Lithgow all fare far better as his dysfunctional family, with Black particularly reminding me just how good he can be in the right role.

There is something so 90s about this film despite it coming out in the early noughties, it is very much of the Jackass generation and I think that is a huge part of why it works. Despite all of the zaniness going on at its heart is a story about a family that loves each other and I think it is this emotional centre that helps this film to be good.

In terms of the humour the film made me laugh a few times but was probably more hit than miss.

Overall, a fun breezy comedy film with a great turn from Black.

Pros.

Black

O’ Hara

The heart

The ending

Cons.

Most of the jokes don’t land

Hanks

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Emergency: The Responsible Thing To Do

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Two college students, played by RJ Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins, plan to go on a seven party tour, however, these plans are turned upside down when a drunken underage girl falls into their care.

This film really didn’t know what it wanted to be. The dramatic elements and the comedic elements worked against each other totally. The drama of the film couldn’t be properly developed as the film spent too long trying to be funny and takes breaks away from its seriousness to try and crack wise, and likewise the comedy is mostly ditched in order to try and make a serious point. Neither thing is done well due to the other.

In interviews, people involved with the film view the shift within it as some what of a subversion, going from what you would think of as a teen sex comedy into more of a political dramatic film with a message. However, it is not as clever as that makes it out to be, basically they have sex jokes for the first half of the film and then force in a bunch of politics in the second half to try and seem deep and to have a point. As you might be able to guess the message doesn’t really land and the whole thing just comes off as pretentious.

There are a few funny lines here and there, hence why the film doesn’t get lower, but for the most part this is a slog to get through.

Overall, nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is.

Pros.

A few funny jokes

A good message, though it is poorly communicated

Cons.

The message is poorly done and feels forced in

The film feels pretentious and smug

The opening scene about trigger warnings is cringey as hell

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The Valet: The Incredibly Tame Wilds Of Star On Disney +

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A starlet, played by Samara Weaving, pretends to go out with a valet, played by Eugenio Derbez, in order to cover up the fact she is having an affair with a married man.

Right from the get-go I felt like I had seen this film before, everything about it felt familiar. Some have praised this film for subverting rom-com cliches by not having the two actually fall in love in the end, but again I fell like that has been done before. Moreover, it is not a shock that the two don’t end up together as the film never really even hints at that, furthermore, in the current climate an age gap romance like that would prove problematic and there is no way Disney would do anything to be deliberately provocative.

Weaving has charm that is undeniable, and it really does feel like she is the only one who has turned up here. Derbez who was great in How To Be A Latin Lover feels flat and unenthused, he isn’t the only one either as the rest of the cast including New Girls’ Max Greenfield feel like they are just there for the pay check.

I thought the film was vaguely watchable as it allowed me to turn my brain off, but I would never really say I was entertained during my time with it.

Overall, below average but watchable.

Pros.

Weaving

It is watchable

Cons.

Most of the cast are sleeping walking their way through this film

It is not funny

It feels obvious and overly familiar

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Knowing: Nicolas Cage And His Piece Of Paper Are The Key To Stopping Climate Change

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Nicolas Cage finds a paper that when deciphered contains dates and revealing clues for global natural disasters.

You might have noticed above that I didn’t write the character’s name but rather I put that Nicolas Cage found the paper, that is because one can’t make an argument for Cage playing a role here he is playing full on Cage in a shoddy b-movie esque science fiction film complete with freak outs and random spurts of violence.

I found a lot of the ideas and concepts to be recycled, having been done better in other science fiction projects. Moreover, unlike other reviewers I didn’t think the ending saved the film but rather condemned it, that is because it is far too broad and open, though to some that can be a good thing I found it to be rather rambling and aimless.

The reason I have given this film mid marks rather than lower is because there is a lot of unintentional comedy here, which whilst clearly not what the filmmakers wanted, does make the film a lot more watchable and enjoyable. When I stopped looking at this film as a serious science fiction film and instead as a silly Nicolas Cage movie I enjoyed it a lot more.

Overall, Cage can be both a blessing and a curse to the projects he is in.

Pros.

It is unintentionally hilarious

It is watchable

Cage

Cons.

Cage

The ending

It feels generic

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Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1: The Netflix Issue

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Hawkins gang are back for a series that feels forced and altogether needless.

Personally, I believe that the end of the last season was the perfect place for the series to end, the big bad of the Mind Flyer was defeated, the kids were going in different directions and the whole things had a very conclusive feel to it that would have worked well if it had been the end of the show. However, Netflix realising they don’t have much else decided to string it along for two more seasons.

I won’t sit here and tell you this season is bad, because that isn’t true there are some good moments here and there, there are just now also a lot of issues. The worst issue in my mind is the double whammy of having each episode go on for far, far longer than is necessary and also splitting the season in two, in a desperate attempt to keep people subscribed for longer. The episodes are at times off putting in their length and the binge as a whole this time around really asks a lot of you.

I enjoyed the body horror and the clear Nightmare On Elm Street inspiration here, however, I thought a number of the sub-plots either didn’t work or made no sense. The satanic panic idea that the Hellfire club some of the boys join being viewed by the towns people as a satanic cult just makes them all look really dumb, I understand this was a genuine thing that happened but still it makes no sense that the kids parents would actually go along with it. Worse yet the early season sub-plot about Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, getting bullied just feels entirely needless. The first few episode progress incredibly slowly and the bullying subplot and several of the other teen angst directions they try and go in don’t work and feel like filler. You fill find yourself going please just get to it at times.

Overall, I am not saying it was a bad collection of episodes but I am saying this time around it felt far less needed and far more forced, which of course hurt the show.

Pros.

Steve and Robin

Some fun to be had

The more overt horror feel

Cons.

Needless subplots that feel out of place

The pacing and episode length