ThaOGDreamWeaver

[WARNING:INCOMING RANTETTE] Other than the Jack Black episode ...which... had some fun bits, but was a really strange bottle episode to throw in generally, not just at that point in the story... ...I was most entertained by Mando, and it felt like a good place to park him and the small one's story for now. It played a little with canon but, IMHO, didn't add enough new things to the mix. Greatest Hits of Mandalore, sure, and great to see the old place in live action. Andor is very much Tony Gilroy's creation (who is determinedly not a fan of Star Wars, still less its fandom), where he's doing his own thing with the toys in the Lucasfilm toybox. And all the better for it. We saw new worlds, ideas that haven't been on screen before (like the corporation-states that happily allied themselves to the Empire, the shipbreaker world, the Eye, James Bond Q-Ships vs Imperial Traffic Cops, and that actual nightmare-inducing prison.) Most of all, with one or two exceptions, you got very detailed human characters, portrayed by fine actors. (PS: support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes if you'd prefer your spacey/capey content to have human created content in the future, and stick laxatives in the Huel of any passing techbro who says AI can do it just as well). I feel Rebels is much the same. It got a bit of stick early on and was dismissed as a kids' show, but Filoni patiently built a team you grew to bond with, didn't pull emotional punches and introduced some wild new ideas like Purgill, the World Between Worlds, and the Bendu (even though that seems to be mostly an excuse to get a legend like Tom Baker on your show. Can't blame him, can you?) Now that Dave has The Big Budget, yes he's got the band back together in live action. Which is gonna be fun anyway. But I'm hoping he can carry on creating, taking creative risks, show us something we ain't seen before and take us places we ain't seen before. Damn the critics. Because I still want that sense of wonder and terror I had age four when the big weird man with the breathing problem came out of the dark in the swamp tunnel.

I have a feeling that it might go wrong somehow as well. Either some actual side effects, or - the Evil Chocolate Cartel being what they are - feigned ones to get him and his sidekick nicked and off the streets. Or they'll just invent a law against Unauthorised Floating In A Built Up Area. It does seem rather disorderly. I don't get the Marty Stu vibe so much as someone projecting absolute confidence... as a potentially very fragile mask. That'd explain the need for a sidekick and a friend - as a mirror. It's not necessarily the nicest way of using someone: but having been that mirror role a few times in life, there are a hell of a lot worse people to be around. It's fun. But much as with chocolate, necessarily healthy fun or something you should do every day. Keep an eye on Liv Colman at 1'30". Who has she got shut in where and what exactly is she up to?

I've always thought of Tony as one of those irritating move fast and break things kind of bros who infest my industry, and it's always more fun to watch when the things break because they took shortcuts. Genius has limitations. BTW, this is also who the move fast and break things adage reminds me of:

If I were writing this...

You remember what I said about never messing with anyone's abuela? ...I got that right.

In theory, I should be all "oh no, not another remake/prequel/sequel/reboot/reimagining/deconstruction, nobody has original ideas". And yet the word I'm looking for here is... joyous. Especially Chalamet. It's going to stand or fall on his ability to project charisma, and I think the kid's got it. Plus there's a whole bunch of good people in it. Hugh, obviously, but also Jim, Paterson, Tom... ...and scuse me for being a regular stan, but Liv Colman looks like the kind of Dahl character who can face-heel / heel-face turn on a dime. Fine casting. But if there's a not particularly secret ingredient here, it's got Paul King and Si Farnaby of Paddington and Paddington 2 on script and direction. This should be a good time, repeatedly stomp on your emotions, and then bring you back for a happy ending. Long story short: if a trailer can put the biggest damn stupid grin on my face inside of two minutes, damnit, I'm in.

Ahsoka final_final_FINALCUT_trailer.mov has been dropped (well, there's still a month to go to release, so there'll be more stuff like TV spots and EPKs to play with.) Some new stuff - including Baylan getting more followers, another Jedi temple that appears to be a map room rather than a gate to the World Between Worlds, and what looks like an Inquisitor. Oh, and neat new 'do for Sabine. EDIT: one other thing. Baylan also wants to find Thrawn. Why do I feel that's bad news... for Thrawn? Whaddawethunkabadit?

Without spoilering too much... multiverse being what it is, I'm not sure they've got the right Logan.

Peggy's one of us. For sure.

Spoiler theory responding to spoiler theory... I'm not big on Skrull lore, btw - so is it a two way process when working with a mind linked human? Do they experience or remember anything the Skrull gets up to?

I think so, but maybe not that one. Reynolds & co were aware of the "multiverse" angle before Quantumania died and The Flash had star power trouble... and given recent events, may need a rewrite both to downplay Kang and mock those movies.

Rezzing this thread for some surprising casting news... ]

Love a Venn diagram. The marvelous Don McMillan, everybody... pulling off the one thing you should never do - analyse a joke.

The comments I've seen/heard from actual humans who've seen it... ...it's a perfectly fine popcorn flick to spend an afternoon with. Not quite as good as the first three, but substantially better than Crystal Skull (mainly as it doesn't have Mutt in it - though his character's non-appearance is used as a solid plot beat.) You have to wonder if some critics are getting particularly nasty on editor instruction, because a B-movie can't be... a B+. Because that doesn't make good clickbait.

Not hugely impressed so far with this series still, except for...

Walken: elegantly ruthless since... well, forever.

It's a Sony joint, so it's the Morbius Cinematic Universe.

"In its conclusion, the report argued, "The wholesale condemnation of all comics magazines is one of the worst mistakes of some of the critics. The fact is both sides are right. The books are not all bad, as the more extreme critics say; nor are all good, as some of their publishers and defenders content. Like all other creative products, they must be judged individually. And that is what most critics, parents, and public officials have failed to do." Still, the city council found a third of published comics to be "offensive, objectionable, and undesirable," and, on February 2, 1949, it appointed a board to monitor news dealers' compliance with a blacklist of titles. When the Associated Press picked up the story from local accounts, readers of The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and dozens of other papers around the country learned how, just three years after the Second World War, American citizens were also burning books." -- David Hadju, The 10¢ Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare "I always wrote the stories for myself. I figured that if I liked this kind of story or that kind of story, there have to be some people out there who would too." -- Stan Lee "When Mick Jagger sings that he can't get no satisfaction after fifty years of being in the Rolling Stones... ...I'm guessing he's either lying, or not all that bright." -- Henry Rollins

Second trailer is up. More beautiful shots, Zendaya being extra fierce, and...

It's worth a look for Big Dave proving he can hold a movie together - a proper movie, not just an action flick or a comedy (though he's damn good in Glass Onion), or as a superior guest henchman/smarter muscle (Mongo only pawn... in game.. of life.) Plus little star Kristen Cui, Hamilton's Jon Groff stepping out of his kingly robes for some Big Drama, and quite beautiful cinematography. Oh, and Ron Weasley getting brutally murdered. Bonus! But - and if you wanna not read me being a movie snob b**ch here - skip this bit till you've seen it... Well, that's one way of ensuring immortality.

There's a whole section called "The Corman Film School" on his Wikipedia. I'm a serious film nerd and didn't know a third of them. (And maintained a sense of humour about it. Per Ron Howard, Corman said "do a good job on this movie, and you'll never have to work for me again.") I also didn't know he directed the OG version of Little Shop Of Horrors - with a young lad called Jack Nicholson on the cast. But the thing that makes me happiest to know of all - he's still alive, and still working, at age 97.

For a big guy, he's often very economical with his movement, voice and presence, which gives him this air of menace and power in reserve. And while I don't necessarily recommend you see Knock At The Cabin, Dave's relentlessly earnest and maybe-psychotic Len Brocht is the standout character.

Unless he's been ordered not to disclose the role, Prinze has said he's not really a fan of the idea. Kanan has one of the great sci-fi exit scenes and the guy should be left in peace. But. Maybe he's trying to conceal his involvement, or they hadn't waved a big enough cheque at him at the time. There's the obvious way that Caleb could reappear via timey-wimey stuff using the World Between Worlds (boo!). The other is that a Loth Wolf named Dume with oddly similar markings appeared to Ezra in a dream sequence. So Kanan may be quite capable of reaching out through the Force in other ways. Plus, who doesn't want a Loth Wolf around? Whoosa good boy? WhoosagooddeadJediOHYESYOUAREyesyouaaaarrree. 15/10.