(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 10-12

 

I am not sure how to see these 3 episodes, other than 3 separate finales, or one big finale? However, whatever it is, and however you see it, this has been the greatest series from the Star Wars franchise. Each of these three final episodes tied up loose ends, although there were maybe a handful left hanging. These 3 episodes were spectacular.


Episode 10
The spy within the ISB, Lonnie, contacts Luthen to speak with him urgently, as he believes he has been burned, and it will not take long for the empire to find him.  The information he carries regarding the  Empire's new "energy weapon" is of extremely high importance, so he seeks safe passage/security from Luthen. Passing this information onto Kleya, Luthen is confronted by Dedra, but it is all to late, Mon got her speech out, and everything Luthen has been doing has triggered a chain reaction touching many different people around the galaxy. The flashback details the meeting and connection that both Kleya and Luthen had, so Kleya decides to continue with the plans and aids Luthen whilst still providing the important information to the rebel cause.

Episode 2
Having found out that there is a leak, Director Krennic interrogates Dedra for the information, but for all her work for the Empire and the leaking of top secret information make her come across as a rebel spy. Kleya manages to send word to Cassian, only for the Empire to track Kleya back to Corossant where Cassian, goes against protocols to rescue Kleya before it is too late and the Empire capture her.

Episode 3
This is the last episode and story plot point before Rogue One, so a lot of the time I kept thinking, "What happens to this character and that character". How does the Rebel Alliance get the information they need? I've seen Rogue One a handful of times, so I was trying to peace everything together for the lead up to Rogue One. We start off with the very paranoid Saw Gurrera having a conversation with Mon Mothma that understandably does not go over well due to their opposing views on how the rebellion is won. Saw is now placed on Jedha, paranoid, but still making a difference, which has caught the attention of the Empire. Cassian fights for Luthen's intel to be heard by the board, but struggles with this due to Luthen's methods which has rub the board up the wrong way, especially Bail Organa. Cassian travels to Tivik, and Bix is seen looking at a beautiful sunset in the fields.


These last 3 episodes were incredible. We had an entire episode with Andor's name even being mentioned, and the episode was great! These last three episodes were a nice tidy bow to bring us into Rogue One, and I absolutely loved it. I think what this show has done well is detail the atrocities the Empire was carrying out, and we were only concentrating on these groups of people. Such a great 3 episodes. That slow build-up was definitely worth it. If you have not jumped onto this show, please do, it may feel like a slog, but the pay off is very worth it. I'm going to re-watch Rogue One now.

(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 7-9

 

It is the back and forth between the rebels and the empire. Not even one-upping one another, but trying to outsmart or go against a system that has its grip on the entire galaxy, to most, if not everyone, you feel you can only comply. They are monitoring everything and everyone.  Nobody is free of this grip, hence the rebellion and Luthen, Cassian, Bix, Kleya, Mon Mothma, Saw Gurrera, they are all fighting, and these three episodes show you exactly how sinister the empire is and how any little thing can help. I look at these three episodes as the penultimate episode before the finale, before it all kicks off. Andor, although some may not like its slow pacing, as it brings you character work and spywork done like no other in the franchise, and it is done very well.


Episode 7

On Yavin and trying to recover from a war wound, Bix tells Cassian of a person who might be able to assist him with his injury, but upon meeting that person, that person presented themselves as a Force Healer, something Cassian does not believe in, but after a conversation between Bix and the healer, Bix is given the rebellion, Cassian and her role in it, some food for thought. The empire enacts the plan to clamp down on Ghorman while Wilman advises Cassian of the whereabouts of Dedra. Cryil receives some conflicting information.

Episode 8

While the Empire's plan takes place under the watchful eye of Dedra, Cyril realises the part he and Dedra have played in their company and becomes conflicted, until he is blinded by his motivations.

Wilman provided Cassian with accurate information, but that information led him to witness the might of the empire and what they are willing to do. Cassian is also confronted by an unexpected and unknown adversary. The Ghorman people stand strong, but it is a little too late, and the KX units are released.

Episode 9

Realising Mon Mothma is on her own, she tries to convince Bail Organa to leave with her, but he states his people are not ready. Luthen warns Mon Mothma about Bail and the people around him as well as the speech she wants to deliver. Mon Mothma delivers her speech, openly making herself the target. Cassian confronts Luthen, which leads to the rescue of Mon, but Bix makes a decision.

Every episode has been a stepping stone to great storytelling, episode by episode. Strangely enough, I feel the weekly three-episode release has done the same thing and as this is the penultimate "episode" (well, set of episodes before the finale), I will definitely say that these three episodes were great and in some places, tragic and brutal.

(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 4-6

 

Having gone through the entirety of season one on a bit of fast forward (I did not watch in double speed, but at normal speed as a refresher, so I was not 100% focused), forgive me for stating Bix as Cassian's friend when in fact they are lovers or married, even...especially as she refers to him as her husband in the last 3 episodes. I thought she was honestly saying that to get creepy-bag magoo off her back, but seeing them kiss solidified that argument, if there ever was one. Anyway, these next 3 episodes are great. This is Star Wars, political intrigue, spies, and boffins. This is the drama behind the dramas, the fights and space battles. The last 3 episodes stood to show you different rebel factions and how unorganised they are, as well as trying to show you Mon Mothma's plight and all the things that are leading to her becoming the Mon Mothma from A New Hope. But these 3 episodes stand to show us the might of the Empire and the tactics they implore to get what they want to become what they become in Star Wars: Episode 4. Who do you trust when there are spies everywhere?

Episode 4
So we start off with Bix having nightmares due to the ordeal she went through back in season 1, and she is haunted by her actions in the last episode. Syril's mother buys into the Ghorman propaganda and thinks Syril has been demoted, but Syril is approached by Ghorman people, so he decides to be a spy for them. Dedra is still looking for Andor but decides to use Syril to get the upper hand on the Ghorman people. Mon Mothma tries to rally support and get votes while Wilmon is asked to create and teach his bomb making abilities to one of Saw Gurrera people.

Episode 5
The Ghorman spies try to devise a plan to but Luthen calls on Cassian to help with the assist. Kleya, listening in on a conversation about Luthen's counterfeit goods, also realises that the Empire may stumble onto their listening devices. Wilmon teaches his student, only to be shown his efforts were in vain because Saw Gurrera is very paranoid. Syril sides with the Ghorman people, but Cassian realises they are not efficient enough. Bix, trying to rest after her ordeal, gets restless.

Episode 6
Cassian gets angry with Luthen over his unexpected visit to see Bix. Cinta returns for the job with Vel and the Ghorman people whilst Syril watches on. Director Krenic arrives whilst Kleya does what she can to remove the listening device before the Empire finds it. Mon Mothma makes a decision. Bix seeks revenge.

These three episodes were a lot better than the last three. As each year goes by, we are given a part of the story that shows us the dynamics between the characters, the setups, the task and/or problem and how they are going to overcome them. In these three episodes, it is the empire that is pulling the strings, having the upper hand. It was mentioned by Cassian, "this is what the empire does" and he is not wrong, so these people are going to learn the hard way. The buildup to the double heist was great. It will be interesting to know what has changed in a year.

(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 1-3

I did not write a series review for the first season of Andor, likely because I was caught up on everything else going on, but I did watch the show and really enjoyed it. In short, Andor is about a man named Cassian Andor who, through oppression, joins a faction of Rebels to fight against the evil Empire. In a bit more detail, Cassian is hunted for the murder of two imperial troopers by two passionate and eager imperial officers determined to track him down, but when he meets a man named Luthen, he decides to work with him and his team of Rebels to take down an empire garrison to hopefully help ignite the passion of other Rebel forces across the galaxy with the funding of Mon Mothma in whom the Empire is monitoring.

The first season is excellent. There are some amazing moments with great characters, but the show is slow-paced and very political. It is spies and double-crossing. There are gunfights and space battles. A lot will say, THIS IS STAR WARS. For me, well, I guess I would agree. It is not what I grew up on, but it is, dialled down and heavily fleshed out. Star Wars is not just laser swords, blasters and explosions; it is politics, it is spies, it is good vs evil. So now that the second season is out, released 3 episodes at a time covering the span of 4 years before the events of Rogue One, the first 3 episodes were good.


Episode 1
Having now joined a Rebel faction under Luthen, Cassian is a spy working within the Empire as a test pilot. His plan to steal a Tie-Fighter goes horribly wrong when the Tie-Fighter he steals is a new prototype, and he lands on a planet to meet his contact, only to find a bunch of Rebels who do not trust him. Meanwhile, across the galaxy, Bix and Brasso try to keep a low profile while they wait for Cassian. Director Krenic has a meeting with other imperial officers to spearhead an anti-Ghorman whispering campaign to obtain their minerals. The three-day wedding celebrations have started for Mon Mothma's daughter, but she has an unexpected guest arrive.

Episode 2
Luthen's assistant Kleya has trouble trying to get hold of Bix, having not heard from Cassian. Held captive, Cassian tries his best to rally his captors together, as they struggle to work together whilst being strapped for food. Syril tries to instil confidence in a new recruit to be like him. The imperials visit the area, Bix and Brasso are held up as they continue to carry out immigration audits. Mon Mothma's husband shows his jealous side, and her beneficiary starts to get cold feet about the cause and his involvement in it.

Episode 3
Bix and Brasso realise they may not be safe as the imperials are closing in, and one officer approaches Bix in an aggressively violent manner. Mon Mothma has a misunderstanding with her daughter and realises she is on her own. Syril and Dedra have dinner with Syril's mother. Kleya is able to speak with Cassian.

These were 3 great episodes. Slow, building character and developing a story which is going to be around the Ghorman people, it would seem. Set 4 years before the Battle of Yavin, these 3 episodes are designed to show us how the Empire are trying to resource minerals for their Death Star project, where Mon Mothma is with the cause financially, how unorganised the Rebels are and how it will never be safe for Cassian, Bix and Brasso. The third episode had some dark scenes and imagery, but I cannot help but love the realism of the characters. Someone of a high rank will definitely abuse their power. And the last shot of Cassian was so upsetting. Let's see how far they go with the excellence of this show.

(series review) [STREAMING] - Secret Invasion

There comes a point where you simply throw in the towel. There comes a point where you reach great heights, but the "ceiling" of your own making prevents you from soaring to new heights. The MCU has gotten to a point where, while I would have stated, they are only competing against themselves in film, yes, but in TV shows, no. With numerous other TV shows from different IPs out there creating great content, the juggernaut of comic book movies' clumsy transition and decline in TV show production is starting to dilute the brand for the fans and we are very close to throwing in the towel. With that said, the MCU's movies of late have not been great also, so we fans are maybe, closer to giving up on the franchise because mediocrity does not enthuse us, the fans. This might sound harsh and it also might paint an ugly picture of how I ultimately feel about this show, but I kid you not, this show was actually, really really good, in places...but that is the problem, in places. I'll explain.

Secret Invasion picks up after the events of 'Endgame' and we are seemingly in the middle of a Skrull invasion. Skrulls are shapeshifting aliens last seen in the 90s when Carol Danvers fought off the Kree to protect the Skrulls. Nick Fury made them a promise to find a new planet for them to live on, but several years later, the leader of a group of rebel Skrulls decides to fight for his people and lead a group of Skrulls in a fight to take the planet for themselves.

A really good premise, excellently acted by Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Ben Mendelsohn and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Emilia Clarke was decent but was not given much to do. However, Charlayne Woodard was really good for the little screen time she had and Olivia Colman was absolutely superb. And here lies the issue. With a premise like the one it has, why were only some actors written great and had some excellent conversations and interactions where they were brilliantly acted, but other characters' dialogue and interactions were not as good or well thought out. It is the execution of the storyline and the setup of some of the scenes that are simply lacking. The show had the potential to be just like Captain America: The Winter Soldier but darker with more espionage and paranoia especially when you are dealing with shape-shifting aliens who could be anyone, but the show falls short of its potential.

There is a conversation between Nick Fury and Colonel James Rhodes which was excellently written and acted out. There was a conversation between Nick Fury and Talos on a train and that was excellently written and acted out. Every scene with Sonya Falsworth, Olivia's acting to dialogue was simply a standout and stole every scene she was in, so it begs the question, how come the show ended up being as lacklustre as it was? There is a conversation between Nick Fury and Gravik, but the whole scene falls a little flat in the end and does not really make any logistical sense. The climax in the end was simply nonsensical and has left us, the viewers and especially the fans with more questions than answers for the MCU going forward.

As I have stated earlier, it is a good premise, excellent even. Great actors in great roles with amazing scenes. The dialogue in some places was excellent and the special effects were great, although limited not to mention the climax. The show touches on some points and has something to say. The music, scenes and settings are all great. So with that said, this is not a show that is trash, but it is a show that was good but could have been great and it makes you wonder what is happening at Disney. If I am honest, the show was good but was a disappointment or it is quite possible that I wanted too much from the show because I saw the potential, but I did not get the tone of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and if anything, this show is more of a letdown, an enjoyable let down, unfortunately.

(trailer review) - Secret Invasion

There has been a few Marvel Cinematic Universe shows that have been really good, a very small few that have been brilliant and some, just ok. With that said, one of my favourite MCU movies as a standalone movie, possible the best out of the entirety of the MCU, is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Espionage Thriller. This looks like it is following in the same vein and I LOVE IT!

There has been some speculation as to when Nick Fury left earth and we might get a response to that now with this show. I call, since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Nick Fury has not been on earth, but it seems he has now returned, looking grizzled trying to uncover a threat and trying to stop a secret invasion by himself, because we do not know, who is who and who to trust. Looks EXCELLENT!

(trailer review) - The Outsider

So, I went looking for this trailer and 3 'The Outsider' videos came up and they were 3 different movies and/or shows dropping this year or next. Maaaad.

It's also funny that this trailer is a bit bitter sweet for me, now that I found it.  I like Jason Bateman and I like Stephen King novels or film adaptations, however, although this looks very interesting and I really do want to watch it, the bitter part is that I am still waiting on season 3 of Ozark.  I think it's meant to drop some time this year possibly, but I'm not 100% sure off the top of my head as there is little to no news on it, so this trailer just upsets me, but it also looks very interesting and I want to watch it. #sigh

From this trailer I can tell that this murder mystery is going to be really good especially with Cynthia Erivo cast.  I remember her from Bad Times at the El Royale, which didn't do well but was a good movie.  It also has elements of season 1 'True Detective' written all over it.  I'm definitely going to watch, but I just need to know or figure out how I'm going to watch this because I don't have HBO.

Directed by why I don't know starring Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivo.

(film review) - Captain Marvel

We are at a stage in our lives and in Marvel's franchise that an origin movie may now be out of place.  I mean our lord savour, Kevin Feige has mentioned no more origin movies, yet this one is a semi origin movie with a twist and ultimately, Marvel has stumbled with this one.  It's sad to say, but they have and although I will review the film, I won't go into all the details and spoil anything, but reasons as to why they stumbled but didn't fall.
Marvel have stumbled with many films.  Their way of doing something different and/or when they first started out, they were slowly piecing together what they wanted to do with the franchise.  The Incredible Hulk is good, Ironman 2 is good, Thor: The Dark World is good and Ironman 3 is Goodish (not one of my favourites at all), but Marvel have had greater and many more hits than misses and have made small ret-cons here and there.  One of the major ones of recent, by no fault of their own I guess, was with the Spider-Man: Homecoming movie, regarding the year.  But that came down to communication and "admin" error? However, this is something that has  been more forgiving by fans and helps with the integrating of such character into a grander story.  If the new and upcoming Avengers: Endgame grosses around 3 billion worldwide, we are looking at a 10 Billion Dollar Franchise.  10 Billion.  That's 9 zeroes.
But how does Captain Marvel's story fit into this? Well, any way Marvel can squeeze it in...for the women of the world!?

Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is a Kree operative for Starforce who goes by the name of Vers.  She is a confident, upbeat, determined, yet hard-headed woman who get's the job done at any cost.  She has a good moral compass but is plagued by dreams and visions of what seems to be another life.  On a mission to eradicate the Kree's sworn enemies, The Skrulls, the mission goes wrong and from that point, Carol aka Vers spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out the mysteries of her dreams and visions, who she really is and what and whom she is ultimately fighting for.

It sounds great on paper, but I personally feel that this movie could have been executed in a better way.  This is where I feel they stumbled, and not fell.  I felt that it was not fully fleshed out and that some of the characters could have had more depth as well as maybe, the film being a psychological thriller, a bit like how 'The Winter Soldier' was a 70's political thriller.  With the themes in the movie, this film could have touched on that in a big way.  What is real and what isn't.  Who am I?  Total Recall did that.  And for the most part, that movie is a classic for many reasons.  But they would still need to cater to the young ladies of the world to aspire to be Captain Marvel.

I didn't hate the film as I quite enjoyed it.  Brie is not miscast at all and their are some great visuals and some really quiet moments that allow particular characters to shine.  Lashana Lynch is great as well as Samuel L. Jackson.  But as I said earlier, some character development with some other characters would have made the story a bit meatier.  There are some decent visual gags as well as the many mid-nighties references.  With many easter eggs and visual references of movies from that era, this movie hits it out of the park, but ultimately felt like a Phase 1 Movie in a Phase 3 world.  Doctor Strange is a origin movie, even Black Panther, yet these movies feel like they pack more of a punch, especially with Black Panther...and this woman has glowing fists!  I felt that it was shoehorned into the MCU because DC made a Wonder Woman movie which was very good.  And these two giants are in deep competition with each other, so there is always a company trying to out-do the other and this is possibly another reason why Marvel stumbles.

A lot of people are saying Carol is over powered and personally, although that is somewhat true, I feel we should have more powerful characters in the MCU, because this is how we will separate the many different tiers of these heroes and be able to tell a variety and multitude of different stories.  Phase 4 is looking to be great and varied, especially with the conclusion of the Fox Deal, I'm very interested in seeing what Carol will be doing in Avengers: Endgame and after.  A sequel and the many prospects it has is great fore the future of the MCU as well as the many women and little girls who will feel empowered by Captain Marvel.

(film review) - Ready Player One

If I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, I've not seen a Steven Spielberg movie in a while.  Well directed by anyway, as he does produce a lot of movies.  The last directed movie I saw was The Adventures of Tintin and the last produced movie, well executive produced anyway, Transformers: The Last Knight.  While I fell asleep watching Tintin (but I did like it, I was just exhausted), I can say I didn't really like Transformers: The Last Knight because although it was the usual Transformers fun, it was essentially not that great.  So, seeing the trailer for this movie and all the easter eggs, I knew this was going to have, made for a really interesting watch.  And having seen the movie, I can tell you exactly how it was.

In the real world 18 year old Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), otherwise known as his avatar handle Parzival in the virtual world is known as a Gunter.  He lives in Columbus Ohio with his Aunt and does what most people do in their living conditions, escape reality to enter the virtual world of the Oasis.  The Oasis (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation) created by James Halliday and Ogden Morrow is a place where you can do whatever you want, go wherever you want and be whomever you want to be.  Wade aka Parzival is an avid gift hunter and spends his time tracking gifts and collecting coins, but when James Halliday dies, a prerecorded message went out to all users enabling them to own and control the Oasis if they are able to find the 3 keys hidden in the Oasis.  But with power, comes corruption and corporate.  Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), the CEO of Innovative Online Industries also wants to seek out the 3 hidden keys to control the Oasis himself, so the ultimate hunt and a game of cat and mouse ensues as everyone in the Oasis tries to track down all the clues to finding the hidden keys with a powerful and hungry Nolan who will stop at nothing, even if it means real world crime, just to achieve his goal.

I tried not to spoil this movie by giving too much away, but with that said, the plot it straight forward, but the fun comes with the chase, the tension and of course, the many many many easter eggs littered throughout the movie.  An Easter Egg is a item/object that represents real life or universal pop culture.  It is a message, image, or feature hidden in a video game, film, or other, usually electronic, medium and it's sole purpose is to be found but may represent, ie. real life or pop culture.  A lot of films will do this, but if you are still unsure and you have played video games or have watched TV/Movies over the years and still do not know what an Easter Egg is, THIS movie will DEFINITELY have you understand what one is before the movie is even quarter of it's way through.  Another reason as to what makes this movie fun to watch is EXACTLY this and how many you can find.  Steven Spielberg (and just like the book this movie is based on) uses all the references he possibly can grabbing from past directing work, games and Warner Bros. content.  This means that, not only is the DeLorean time machine from the film Back to the Future franchise directed by Robert Zemeckis in it, a film which is under Steven Spielberg's production company and Spielberg being the mentor of Robert, but there is a very brief Batman cameo, a Warner Bros intellectual Property and a prominent Iron Giant cameo among many many more.  Not to give too much away but you will see popular game characters and as we are in the world of gaming, a lot of things you will come to recognise as a gamer, like a lot of things you'd come to recognise as a watcher of movies.  Wreck it Ralph did something similar.

Spielberg will have you rewatching this movie over and over again because not only is it fun, but the easter eggs alone will keep you busy.  The acting is superb although cheesy in some places and if i'm honest, I didn't realise the film would have more than a few curse words, but if you are a gamer, curse words are apart of your vocabulary.  Although I had only seen Tye as Cyclops of the recent X-Men franchise at this point, he was very good in this movie and acting along side Ben, made for good tension and drama.  It was also nice to see, Hannah John-Kamen, who I had recently seen in Tomb Raider and is in the up and coming Ant-Man and the Wasp.

If you like Nostalgia, movies, gaming and that classic Steven Spielberg directed movies such as Batteries Not Included or anything else you found fun in the 80's, this movie is definitely for you!  Plus, there is no way you will see EVERY Easter Egg in one viewing, have a re-watch.