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Reviews
Andor: Kassa (2022)
Finally something fresh.
So with the long stream of Disney star wars titles and spin offs you start to develop an expectation for these shows. What we have come to expect is on full display in the sequel trilogy:
Fast paced, light on plot. Explosions, light sabres. Useless storm troopers, more explosions. Character development...nah don't need that. More explosions. New light sabre. Floating rocks. Callbacks callbacks callbacks.
With that In mind I set my expectations pretty low for Andor. But wow. This is completely different, in fact it's good, very good...
Andor sets the tone right out the gate. It's gritty and dark, it has a sense of desperation. This is achieved through the visuals but also through the very natural dialogue. (This is a massive step up for star wars) the characters in this show talk like real people. They seem to have real problems and motives. In terms of tone It sits somewhere between the original trilogy and bladerunner. The result of solid dialogue is that it grounds the show in a sense of realism. Real world, real characters, real consequences. This is a recipe for real tension! Which is great for fans. One of the pitfalls here though is we already know the main character survives. Which is difficult to work with as a director when your job is to put the audience on the edge of their seat. It will be interesting to see how they work with this.
In terms of story we get a basic introduction to a few of the characters. (New droid is pretty cool) Some will argue it's "boring" but that's not the case. What the sequel trilogy and many of the spin off shows lack in the extreme is proper character development. And that's what this show is building. It respects the audience's intelligence and it's taking it's time with a more mature approach. It shows a different side to the star wars universe. Something "Solo" touched on but was never fully realised.
Overall I'm very pleased to see them produce something with this level of care. The practical effects, the slick dialog and believable characters sure there are easter eggs mixed in there but it seems for once the characters and the story are front and centre.
It really is a massive step in the right direction. I look forward to more.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: A Shadow of the Past (2022)
Nice trip back to Middle Earth :)
A solid setup episode, beautifully filmed using a lot of Peter Jackson style shots to give it a familiar feel.
The budget for this show is clearly massive and it shows on screen. The setting feels as solid as the movies. Costumes are perfect and the music is excellent. I love that they haven't resorted to repeating previously used melodies from the Jackson movies.
The cast is solid and they play their characters seriously. The tone of the whole show is in line with the original lotr trilogy. A massive improvement over the slapstick tone of the hobbit movies.
The fuss made about the ethnicity of particular characters is simply ridiculous, and this change just feels right, in such a setting.
Overall this show has been a pleasant surprise, there's a lot for the fans here. Usually when a big company picks up a beloved IP they rarely handle it with the proper care (see star wars). So my expectations were pretty low going in. But it is very clear that in this case, middle earth has been handled with the care it deserves. And I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger (2022)
Not Impressed.
Not a terrible episode, less boba is a good thing for sure. But they really need to work on the human aspect of this show. Luke and Asoka's script writing was awful, very wooden very generic and dull. No life to Luke's character at all. Asoka did a better job with her lines but the script was still poor. The marshal is one of the best characters in terms of how he delivers his lines and makes it feel like he's a real person. But the cowboy showdown was a bit cliche.
This is basically the issue they have with the show. They rely too heavily on callbacks and popular tropes to carry the show. Rather than solid script writing and character development.
The thing with the training droid was so lame. How many times are we going to be fed the same thing. Being a jedi isn't about a training droid and a light sabre. Luke didn't tell grogu anything of worth. The whole thing just didn't work. But hey at least boba wasn't in it. Couldn't care less about his character at this point.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 16: The Rescue (2020)
Fan service episode.
Pretty solid episode, certainly had its high points.
But the dialog was a bit unnatural in this one especially in the Moff Gideon scenes. A few strange bits of fan service. The kids probably love it but for me it was milked a bit hard. Overall it was a fun episode though. Not as good as last week for me.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 10: The Passenger (2020)
Spectacular. Peyton Reed should be directing the movies
This episode is an absolute triumph, Peyton Reed should be directing the movies
Everything about this episode raises the bar for episodes to follow. There has been some criticism that the episode did not push the overarching plot, but I disagree. It does flesh out a few ideas (like sub light travel and the role of the alliance post empire) but really The Mandalorian is a classic "adventure a week" show, and as such this one stands out in terms of quality.
The music is diverse and excellent throughout. The editing is top drawer.
The visuals are the best so far a perfect blend of practical effects and CGI. The attention to detail is outstanding. Script is natural and very well done considering there are 2 characters who can't talk.
But the real surprise here is Peyton Reed just gets it, the episode is gritty and at times desperate, it captures that star wars feel in a way I have not seen since the original trilogy.
My only negative is the mechanic lady is a little too "extra" in her delivery for my taste. But overall this really is a high point of the series so far.