The Mandalorian The Series So Far

The Mandalorian is a science fiction television program set in the Star Wars universe. So this review/ discussion will serve as a general one for the show so far, rather than a review of either season one or two. The plot of the show centres around the life of a lone Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), as he travels around the Star Wars universe getting into trouble. The main through-line of the series is The mandalorian’s mission to find a home for a young jedi named Grogu (or as the internet has dubbed him Baby Yoda).

So, before we get into it, yes, I do believe Disney was right to axe Gina Carano from the show, as she has being spouting some heinous garbage on social media to try and chase clout and make herself a martyr of the conservative cause, and frankly I don’t want someone like that anywhere near my Star Wars content.

I’ve always had a strained relationship with Star Wars personally, I liked the animated shows, I like the books and comics and I like the games: the films not so much. However, this show a long with the new season of Clone Wars has got me back into Star Wars in a big way.

I enjoy how rich the world of this show is, and how characters return often. Do I think it is a bit lazy that the show has to rely on the team up mechanic for it’s season finale in both seasons so far of the show, yes I do, they should have tried something different with seasons two, but hey the finale was still pretty rad. I think the most interesting thing about Star Wars is the lore and this show really dives into that. It was fun seeing Ashoka (Rosario Dawson), again and I am excited for her spin off show.

I think the best thing about this show is its action, even in pretty standard middle of the season episodes we still get nice full on set pieces and action and it really helps the show to stand out from the competition and feel more like you’re watching a film then you are a tv show.

Overall, I won’t give it a score, as I don’t feel like that is where this piece was heading, but I will conclude to say this is a very good show, a show that restored by faith in Star Wars, does it play it too safe sometimes yes, but we are still very much entertained.

Pros.

The action

The lore

The characters

Making Star Wars interesting again

Cons.

It relies too much on team ups

Reviewed by Luke

The Reckoning: A New Action Hero Is Born

The Reckoning is a adventure horror film directed by Neil Marshall. The plot sees Grace (Charlotte Kirk) be accused of witchcraft after she turns down the sexual advances of her landlord, following her husband’s death. Needless to say she is horribly and violently tortured by the local Witch Finder General (Sean Pertwee), but Grace stays strong and refuses to confess.

I think the story is well done and fits nicely into the genre. It won’t win any prizes for writing though, as the Me Too metaphor is a little too on the nose and has about as much subtly as a Michael Bay explosion. I understand that Marshall and Kirk wanted to use this film to take aim at some of their Hollywood enemies, and that is far enough, but don’t claim that is has nothing to do with that when it very clearly does.

The costume design is strongly done and the scenes with the Devil in them, yes that’s right whilst on the inside Grace is tormented every night by the Devil demanding her soul, are easily the strongest from a design perspective of the film. Looking at the Devil character here reminds me that Marshal has always handled creature design well: with some of the best examples of my point being Baba Yaga (Hellboy), and the werewolves in Dog Soldiers.

Kirk is a strong lead, and a believable ass kicker. I thought from an empowerment perspective, that she was yet another sorely needed female action hero, with the final scene of this film begging for the sequel treatment. We need to see Grace reunited with her kid after all, or maybe just hunting down some more evil doers- I’d happily watch either.

Overall, top tier Marshal even if the metaphor is a little too on the nose. Marshal really is one of the most underrated directors working today.

Pros.

Kirk

The creature design

The ending and the sequel set up

Sean Pertwee

It is more of Marshal doing what he does best

Cons.

The Me-Too Stuff is way too on the nose, and obviously inspired.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Brotherhood: Nudity Over Transformative Life Experiences, How To Cheapen A Series With The Final Installment

Brotherhood is a crime film directed by Noel Clarke. The plot serves as a continuation of the previous films Kidulthood and Adulthood serving to be the final film in the series. The plot sees Sam (Clarke), brough back into the game for one final showdown after his brother gets shot.

So this film pushed things a bit too far, by that I mean the running theme throughout this series is how bad this life is serving to discourage people who want to pursuit this kind of lifestyle, however this film glorifies a life of crime and undermines the whole series.

Moreover, this film moves fully away from the drama genre and tries hard to become an action film, which it does well, but it just shows how far this film has moved away from its roots. Personally, I enjoyed the gritty violence and one-upmanship in this film, it reminded me of great 00s crime films like The Business which is a pro for sure.

Likewise, I thought the ending of the film felt satisfying both as an ending to this film and as an ending to the series as a whole: it felt very much like Sam’s Character arc from the first film had gone full circle in a very real and believable way which was nice to see.

A final note about this film is that I felt the level of nudity in it felt too much at times, maybe even slightly exploitative. Clarke really does distract from the good points and clever writing of this film by having naked women constantly on-screen to keep the attention of every teenage boy in the audience, and honestly it really does cheapen the film.

Overall, a flawed but fitting end to the series.

Pros.

The ending

Closing the arc

The gritty violence

Clarke

Cons.

It glorifies while seeking to dissuade

The nudity

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Adulthood: Older And Wiser?

Adulthood is a crime film directed by Noel Clarke (who also stars). The plot continues on from the events of Kidulthood, we see Sam (Clarke), be released from prison after the murder he committed at the end of the previous film. During his time inside Sam, has become an entirely different person who just wants to live a quiet life and get away from the things he has done. This is made harder by the friends and family of the boy he killed putting a hit out on him.

I think this film really achieved the deterring nature that the series was going for, we can see how Sam is haunted by what he did and how everyday he lives with the consequences, wishing he could go back and change it. The Sam we meet here is far more reformed and wiser, he knows that the life he was living before is going nowhere hence why he wants to move on with his life.

This this time around Sam is our protagonist, and though he might not be a likeable lead as he is still a child killer/ teen killer after all, the emotional nuance of the film allows us the see the situation in a less black and white way making the characters reform seem more believable and allowing us the audience to root for him more.

The tension and the gritty, harsh action compliment the film beautifully and really help to make its message standout. There are a number of scenes where you are on edge waiting to see how a scene will play out. This film is definitely more action orientated then the last which was more drama focused, this does change the viewing experience somewhat, but the films still feel stylistically the same.

Overall, in many ways this may be the best film in the trilogy as it manages to show us this bleak world in a widder scale and harsher intensity then the first film, making us better understand the struggle.

Pros.

Clarke, both as a director and actor

The emotional beats and the character arcs

Really managing to push the deterrent angle

The ending

The tension and the action

Cons.

It can be very hard to watch at times

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Willy’s Wonderland: Perhaps The Best Nicolas Cage Film Ever Made

Willy’s Wonderland is an action, horror, comedy film directed by Kevin Lewis. The plot sees a man known only as the Janitor (Nicolas Cage) have to work off the debt of repairing his car, by cleaning an alleged haunted pizzeria, where the animatronics come to life and murder people. Basically Five Nights At Freddie’s, but not for legal reasons.

This is easily my favourite film of 2021 so far; it is one of the few films I have enjoyed so much that I preordered it on DVD immediately after watching. There is something so wonderfully weird about this film that makes it what it is.

I saw a review call this this something to the extent of the most ‘Nicolas Cage weirdness ever put into a film’ and it truly is that: this film was made without a doubt based on the internet’s love affair with the odd performances and behaviour of Nicolas Cage, and no one else could have pulled it off.

Nicolas Cage is majestic here, he truly sells the weirdness of a man who has to drink a can of soft drink every hour or so or face dire consequences. There are so many great weird Nicolas Cage moments here, such as him doing a fabulous dance after finally besting the arcades pinball machine, or just scene after scene of watching him rip apart animatronic machines.

Moreover, Cage does not say a single word in the whole of the film, yet he conveys so much emotion and character just from facial expressions that he doesn’t need to: it is a gutsy stylistic choice but one that works out for the film.

Overall, one of the best films of the last few years and maybe my favourite Nicolas Cage film ever, check it out!

Pros.

It is hilarious

It is cool

The action and the horror elements are both solid

Nicolas Cage

The ending

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker: This Is Going To Be A Long One

Star War The Rise Of Skywalker is an epic science fiction film directed by JJ Abrams. The plot ends the Skywalker saga that has been set up by the previous films and sees the final showdown between the light side of the force and the dark side.

Where to begin with this film? Is it terrible? No. Is it in any way good? No as well. There are so many things to unpack with this film, this might be a long one.

So firstly, the opening fight scene where Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), is slicing through rebels with ease and it looks awful. The choreography of this scene is clearly supposed to make Ren look scary and powerful; however it was somewhere around the moon walk stab that I laughed out loud; it does not open the film on a good note.

Secondly, when the final order is raised, it does not look impressive rather it looks cheap and it looks as thought they had skipped out on getting good visual effects. This is recurring through the film; this is not a one-off issue.

Thirdly, the humour there is something really particularly bad about the humour. Now, I am not saying every film needs to be direly serious, but it would have been better here than what we got. This film even more so then The Last Jedi is trying and failing to replicate the MCU. We have a deadly serious scene with franchise spanning implications and then before any of the emotional impact can register bam we get a quippy joke, it is irritating.

Before I get to my final issues with this film I just want to talk about a few things this film got right.

I enjoyed some of the new characters this film set up, even if they were severely underdeveloped, I would like to see some of them come back in future films/ Disney Plus series, there is potential there.

Personally, I thought the only moment of this film that actually worked was the final battle and even then all the stuff about Rey’s (Daisy Riddley), origins ruined it a bit. The final desperate fight in this film was the only thing that actually felt like Star Wars to me, having the Rebels effectively facing extinction and then just when all seemed lost help arrived- this was a cheer worthy moment, the only one of the film.

Now my two major issues with the film. Nearly all of the interesting characters from the previous films were blatantly ignored or reduced in favourite of focusing on Rey and Kylo Ren, and whilst I can understand that both of them are popular characters it just feels like a huge missed opportunity, poor writing and a slap in the face. Moreover, the reveal of Rey taking the Skywalker name at the end of the film did not make me cheer, it did not elicit any kind of positive emotion in me rather it made me cringe… and that was how the film ended, on a cringe.

Overall, this film single handed dealt more damage to the Star Wars brand than anything else in it’s history, at least The Last Jedi had guts.

Pros.

The one cheer worthy moment

A few cool new characters

Cons.

Doing nothing with most of the characters

The cheapness and the cringe

The bad and poorly done fight scenes

The eye rolling moments

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Bloody Hell: Don’t Try And Be A Hero, It Is Not Worth 8 Years

Bloody Hell is an action horror film directed by Alister Grierson. The plot sees Rex (Ben O’Toole), attempt to stop an armed robbery in his attempt an innocent women is killed, and he is sent to prison. When he is released from prison some view him as a hero others a monster, anyway his new found celebrity status proves too much for Rex, so he gets on a plane heading to Finland hoping to leave all his craziness behind: then he gets kidnapped by a family of cannibals.

I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would, and I have found over the days since I watched it, it has returned to my thoughts quite a few times. The greatest issue with this film is that the opening of the film, Rex getting to Finland is incredibly slow, however, once he gets captured things get much more interesting.

This film does a lot with a little, and even though only one or two locations are used, and the set pieces are not that elaborate or fancy, they still feel suitably tense and nerve-wracking. You are filled with dread hoping that Rex will be able to slip out of his restraints before the cannibals come to finish him off. Likewise in the final fight scene despite it being relatively small scale we are treated to a gore feast that is one of the best you way ever see.

My favourite thing about this film is its use of inner monologues, Rex talks to himself, no more than that he has full on conversations with another version of himself. I think both Rexs have great chemistry with the other and the banter between the two never leaves you wanting.

Overall, a strong B movie that makes the most out of what it has and has one of the best final brawls in recent memory.

Pros.

The ending fight

The final joke

Rex’s conversations with himself

The tension

Cons.

The opening is painfully slow.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Gemini Man: Technology So Good It Takes You Out Of The Film And Makes You Ask For A Refund

Gemini Man is an action film directed by Ang Lee. The plot sees best mercenary in the world Henry Brogan (Will Smith), go up against a younger version of himself, for reasons.

So, lets get a few things out of the way. Firstly, the writing is a mess (one of the guys who wrote Game Of Thrones wrote this, so I am not surprised), things just kind of happen and there is no real reason for it. Does it make logical sense to create an army of young Henry’s who are all inevitably going to rebel against their creator Clay Verris (Clive Owen), no it does not and that’s only the beginning of it. To think too hard about this film gives you a headache from the stupidity. Secondly, the visuals which were the big thing about this film are not all that impressive, they are fine that is about as far as I would go.

However, the de-aged CGI Will Smith does not look as horrible as I was expecting, yes the appearance is initially jarring and a bit too uncanny valley, but you get used to it over the course of the film until by the end it doesn’t really bother you anymore.

This film is made bearable by the charisma and charm of Will Smith in full on dad mode. Much like The Rock, Smith just has something about him that makes all of this films better (when he is trying), it is this special something, this spark that makes this film watchable and fun to a dumb degree.

Moreover, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in this film continuing her action hero trajectory and plays Smith’s side kick/ back up. I enjoyed seeing Winstead she always makes her roles memorable and I thought she brought a great physicality to the role: she easily held her own in the fight scenes and was a believable action hero. I thought she also had a great partner chemistry with Will Smith and the journey their characters go on together feels genuine.

Also very quick side note, Benedict Wong only has a minor role in this film, but he is awesome and steals every scene he is in. He is a magnificent performer in anything.

Overall, though it makes no sense and the gimmick tech adds nothing, there is still a lot of dumb fun to be had here and Smith and Elizabeth-Winstead stop it from being all bad.

Pros.

Wong

Smith

Elizabeth- Winstead

It is dumb fun

Cons.

The tech gimmicks don’t work and maybe even backfire

It is dumb and poorly written

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Outside The Wire: Captain America Has Changed

Outside The Wire is a science fiction action film directed by Mikael Hafstorm. The plot imagines a future were the Russia Ukraine crisis has spilled out and become an international war being fought by both human and machine soldiers. We follows drone pilot Harp (Damson Idris), as he is sent into this theater of war to help Captain Leo (Anthony Mackie), stop nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists.

All of these futuristic action films are starting to feel the same in my mind and I am finding it hard to tell them apart. There is nothing unique or particularly new or interesting here to sink your teeth into most of what we see is just recycling ideas from other works.

The plot as a whole is very eh, again it has been done better before. Furthermore, the twist (that I am not going to spoil as it is a fairly recent film, is obvious and predicatable and is utterly underwhelming they could have done so much more with it, but they settle for mediocrity.

The only pro I will say for this film is that the interplay between Mackie and Idris is on strong form. The two have a great rapport and the banter between the two of them is easily the highlight of the film; it made me smile several times.

Overall yet more bland, generic science fiction that even genre die hard will struggle to like.

Pros.

Mackie and Idris

Cons.

It is generic

The twist isn’t good

It is poorly paced

It is dull

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Jack Reacher: Closer To The Real Tom Cruise

Jack Reacher Never Go Back is an action film directed by Edward Zwick, based on the novel series by Lee Child. The plot this time around sees Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), become wanted for murder after a military contractor betrays his employer. Furthermore, a young woman called Samantha (Danika Yarosh), appears on the scene who has a personal connection to Reacher thereby making her a target.

This film is just plain boring, there is no other way to describe it. The coolest bit of the film is the dinner fight scene in the first five minutes after that it quickly plunges off a cliff, do yourself a favour and turn this off after the five-minute mark.

The action is all very humdrum nothing special or memorable as we have come to expect of Cruise in recent years, all the stunts and fight scenes seem very tame and safe and fail to illicit anything more than an uninterested shrug from you.

Cruise’s performance here lacks all of the charm that made the first film so good, the character seems aloof at best and cold and almost sociopathic at worst. The character is given an emotional journey, but he seems no different at the end to how he was at the start. It is very underwhelming.

Overall, deeply generic, and not worth your time.

Pros.

Cobie Smulders has a very good scenes, sadly she is wasted for the rest of the film

Cons.

It has been done better before

The action is not exciting

Cruise seems bored

The film is badly paced, and you lose interest quickly

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke