‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is a fun ‘Star Wars’ adventure
Is “Star Wars” suffering from franchise fatigue? “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was a fun movie, but it did not do as well as expected at the box office.
Maybe it’s because it’s a sequel to “The Mandalorian” series which ran for three seasons on Disney+. Or maybe the “baby Yoda” craze has worn off, which is unfortunate because baby Yoda, I mean Grogu, is actually so great in this movie that you forget he’s a puppet. Well, a combination of puppet, CGI, and animatronics.
Writer and director Jon Favreau breathed new life into this franchise, and the movie version of his creation is just as good as the series, if not better. Pedro Pascal plays Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (aka “Mando”) and Grogu is his apprentice/foundling/adopted child. Their father-son relationship was established in the series, but if you haven’t seen the series, you won’t be lost – it’s a brand-new adventure/plot for our fearless heroes.
Sigourney Weaver plays a leader of the New Republic who gives Mando the assignment of tracking down an Imperial warlord, Commander Coin. Mando also reluctantly agrees to work with the Hutts (Jabba’s siblings), who supposedly have info on Coin, but in exchange, they want Mando to locate their nephew, Rotta, voiced (unrecognizably) by Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”).
The bigger budget and the big screen make for a more fun viewing experience for audiences. Grogu is more adorable than ever, and there are a lot of cute and funny moments with Grogu and the little mechanic dudes, the Anzellans.
It’s also sweet to see how Mando and Grogu take care of each other, because that’s what family does. Having said all that, it’s not that deep, and it’s not going to change the world, but it’s a fun Star Wars adventure that isn’t about boring trade wars, so I’m happy.
‘Spider-Noir’
This live-action spinoff of the animated “Spider-Verse” films features Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, an alternate-universe Spider-Man who is a detective in 1930s New York City.
Noir is not my favorite genre. Hardboiled detective, femme fatale, tragedy, corruption … yawn. I also am not a huge Cage fan. (And he’s 62. Only a man would be cast as the main character in a superhero series at that age.)
I am apparently alone in my criticism of the Amazon Prime series; it earned an impressive 92% on the Tomatometer. I found it boring and formulaic. Maybe it got better. I admit I could not stick it out to the last episode.
Sony had a great opportunity to create a series for one of the really cool Spider-Man alternates in the Spider-Verse. Gwen Stacy and Spider-Punk are reportedly getting spin-offs, but I don’t know if they will be movies or series, or if they’re animated or live action.
I also think the afro-haired, motorcycle-riding, pregnant Spider-Woman would be a great story to bring to the big or small screen.
I’m not sure why they picked one of the less spectacular iterations for their first Spidey spinoff. My theory is that they’re cheap, and noir costs less than the flashy special effects that would inevitably be a part of any modern-day setting. Or, judging by the reviews, other people like noir a lot more than I do.
‘Klara and the Sun’
I loved Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel “Klara and the Sun,” about a solar-powered android named Klara who is purchased as a companion for a sickly teenage girl. It’s dark and dystopian, and like most stories about androids, explores what it means to be human.
Should robots have rights?
It’s a timely question in this age of Artificial Intelligence. Humanoid robots are already being manufactured, and their mass production, for better or worse (my money is on worse), will likely come much sooner than we realize. But that’s a topic for another blog post.
I’m very excited that “Klara and the Sun” has been adapted into a movie, and that Taika Waititi is the director. I am a big fan and am interested to see his take on Ishiguro’s book.
Some of my favorite actors are in the movie too: Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne, and Jenna Ortega, who plays the robot, Klara. The film will be in theaters Oct. 23.
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After getting CBS All Access so I could watch “Star Trek: Picard,” I finally got around to watching “Star Trek: Discovery.” It exceeded my expectations. Admittedly, my expectations were somewhat low, due to the online hate for the series, which is part of the reason I took so long to watch. The other reason: I didn’t want to subscribe to yet another streaming service. My opinion is it’s totally worth it. You get “Picard” and “Discovery,” and the other Trek series are available as well.
This Facebook Watch series is a remake of a podcast. It stars Jessica Biel as a journalist whose uncle (Stanley Tucci) mysteriously disappeared, along with 300 others, from an experimental town. I enjoyed Facebook’s offerings “Sorry For Your Loss” and “Sacred Lies,” so I decided to try this one, which was a little creepier than I would have liked, but it was addictive and made me want to keep watching to see what new secret would be revealed in the next episode. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after the first season, so the 10th episode is a cliffhanger and we never get to see how the story ends.
You may remember a 2014 novel called “The Girl With All the Gifts,” by M. R. Carey. If you’re into zombie apocalypse stories, you’ll love it. It has since been made into a movie, which I haven’t seen. I can only tell you the book was crazy.
Netflix suspended filming on all productions including Season 2 of “The Witcher.” The fourth season of “Stranger Things” has been postponed. Filming wrapped on Season 2 of “The Umbrella Academy” in November, but post-production was affected by the shutdown. Release dates are still in limbo.
“Space Force,” which is being described as “The Office” in space, will premiere on Netflix on May 29. It stars Steve Carell, and is created by Greg Daniels (“The Office,” “Parks and Recreation”).
Coming to Disney+ this year is “WandaVision.” Remember Scarlet Witch from the “Avengers” movies? Her real name is Wanda Maximoff, and her boyfriend is that red guy – an android named Vision. He was created in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” after Tony and Bruce uploaded J.A.R.V.I.S. into a vibranium body powered by the Mind Stone.
I love that there’s a suspenseful, unpredictable story here, but also some really compelling characters. Eric McCormack (from “Will & Grace) is great as the team’s leader, and there is some great acting across the board, with an ensemble cast that includes Jared Abrahamson as an elderly engineer in the body of a high school kid; Reilly Dolman as the team’s historian, whose 21st century body is addicted to heroin; Nesta Cooper, the team’s tactician, who assumes the life of a young mom; and MacKenzie Porter, the team’s medic.
Earth to Shawna 