It’s hard to accept that Picard Season 3 will be the final voyage for Patrick Stewart and this series, as it’s been such a source of comforting, high-quality Star Trek content. Sadly this revival was never destined to be a multi-season powerhouse. While the prior season was a welcomed return for fantastic sci-fi storytelling with movie-level visuals, season 3 instead pivots to capture the more classic feel of Star Trek: The Next Generation, with a greater focus on character development as the old crew of the Enterprise joins up for one more adventure.

Focused on the later life of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart), the series spotlights that after a long-standing career in the Federation, retirement isn’t a term that really exists. After surviving the time-traveling exploits forced upon him by Q and resolving the combative nature of the Borg, Jean-Luc is now attempting to finally settle down with his partner Tallinn (Orla Brady). But trouble is never far away, and when he receives an encoded distress call from Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), he jumps to action with the help of his old friend and trusted number 1, Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes). The pair quickly learn of the return of a species long thought lost to the deep recesses of space that now threatens the very stability of order in the galaxy.

While Picard as a series has never shied away from embracing its past stories and characters, season 3 is a no holds barred flashback to the old days with numerous cameos and references whichever way the showrunners can make it work. It’s a strange situation when you break it down to individual elements of where the show shines, and where it hits bumps. Season 2’s finale with Q had such a beautiful weight to it and the writing of the dialogue was superb. The series could have ended right there and I don’t think anyone would have had any qualms with it. Yet, while the third season doesn’t quite have a megalith of an overarching plot to back it up, bringing back the original cast and watching those character interactions unfold is the huge injection of energy the show thrives on.

This is really where the strength of season 3 is found. It’s the dynamic of these characters, these actors, coming together once more and immediately picking up where they left off. There’s a gorgeous line in the first twenty minutes of Episode 1 that subtextually epitomizes the very essence of why this story needs to be told. Picard turns to Tallin and says, “I’m not looking for a legacy, I just want another adventure.” I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it since I heard it. While the series could have ended with season 2, season 3 has almost the same level of warmth, excitement, and action, dripping with that sense of familiarity. The banter that flows between Picard and Riker left me with the biggest, stupidest grin. The interaction with these two— the delivery of their dialogue and their non-verbal cues—are worth the price of admission alone. It’s simply joyous.

I did find myself wishing for a stronger villain at times, but the direction to highlight the call to action of his beloved crew takes full focus. While the plot is sacrificed, I still found myself fully on board and just enjoying watching the cast interact once more and find their groove.

If you’ve seen the promotional social media posts you’re well aware of the litany of cast members returning for their swan song, but each of them brings a lot of baggage with them. These are not the same young mavericks who are willing to risk it all and dive into danger. While stories may end, the lives of these people in reality have length beyond their initial adventures. So it’s fascinating to watch these actors pick up where they left off decades ago and not only bring that wealth of experience and knowledge into their acting, but pour it into their characters as a way to mirror the changes around them.

Season 3 does seek to challenge its characters, particularly when it comes to Picard himself. It’s more of a commentary on the passage of time and how those experiences can not only inform decision-making but also distort it. When it’s revealed to Jean-Luc that he must find a way to cross the galaxy to save his old flame and colleague Beverly Crusher, he’s confronted with a decades-long secret that will turn his world upside down. Watching Stewart process this and handle the news is a series-wide event and puts him in a position we’ve never seen before. It’s similar with Riker, who went on to be a Captain of the USS Titan. He had his own successful career, but when Picard steps up to lead and take charge, there exists a power struggle over what is the correct course of action to be taken. Witnessing these two at loggerheads was actually very unnerving, but incredibly enticing to watch unfold.

Picard Season 3 is a testament to the fact that it doesn’t have to be one big cinematic event that leaves a last legacy on us as an audience. The legacy of the show lives in its characters and is composed of all of those moments and episodes that are carried with it still. It’s the need for one more adventure, not because it’s what this crew has always done but more because it’s who they are at their core as they continue to boldly explore where no one has before.

Picard Season 3 is a weekly series that will debut its first episode on February 16th exclusively available on Paramount+.

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Star Wars animation is back on Disney+ as The Bad Batch Season 2 lands on the streaming platform. Season 1 explored the landscape in the immediacy of Order 66, with Clone Force 99 fighting to survive while the Empire cements its powerful grip on the Galaxy. During the second season as the Imperial machine grows stronger, and its reach extends farther, the organization begins to question the effectiveness of its aging clone soldiers.

Created by Dave Filoni, The Bad Batch follows the exploits of an elite group of experimental clones, each with their own highly specialized and unique talents. After the events of Order 66 Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), and Omega (Michelle Ang) are forced to flee from the Empire. Matters intensify when it’s discovered that the young clone Omega, who is now in their care, is found to be an identical genetic match for their host DNA, Jango Fett. Meanwhile, the Empire grows bolder in its efforts to colonize the galaxy as a new wave of stormtroopers is introduced.

The Bad Batch is an incredibly unique vessel and I’ve been so impressed with how the show has been able to usher in larger narratives fused into untold periods within Star Wars’ chronological history. Season 2 begins to lift the lid post-order 66 on the Clone’s place in the Empire. After General Rampart destroyed the cloning facilities on Kamino during the Season 1 finale, and without a war to fight, it was only a matter of time before this topic came to the forefront. With their advanced aging genetics, they were the perfect weapon to fight the separatist droid army during the clone wars but, as they age out, what purpose do they serve?

This large-scale change takes on many forms and the perception and difficulty in processing it are present throughout the season. As has already been observed in Episode 3, certain characters like Crosshair can see the writing on the wall but refuse to adapt or change. Instead, they hold on tighter to what feels familiar. Even while everything and everyone around him is in a state of constant change, he refuses to accept that reality. He’s in too deep and thus leans harder on his programming mantra – “Good soldiers follow orders.”

What makes this whole narrative so ripe with potential is everything that spawns from it. It’s obvious that at some point the clones would be phased out as we know canonically through the movies that TK troopers were indoctrinated and forced to conscript at a young age. But to see it happen and explored is such a different experience. It immediately creates internal tension from within the ranks of the Empire in the form of a caste system, with the new Troopers receiving brand-new gear and clones being labeled as inferior.

A sidebar here, and a tip of my hat goes to Filoni and his creative team for utilizing the Ralph McQuarrie Stormtrooper concept art from 1975 as the basis for the Gen 1 TK uniforms.

Season 2 of the series does an excellent job of allowing some of the other ancillary members time to shine, such as Tech. An integral member of Clone Force 99, but more often than not he’s used as a plot device in order to affect the narrative when the team is in need of an intelligent suggestion. It was great to see his character receive more focus. Another character that gets some HEAVY plot time is Crosshair and I love how complicated he is; someone you love to hate, but hate that you love. He has proven time and time again he is unredeemable, and yet, he shows a flicker of something resembling decency and which sparks hope. It’s a great use of a character, not to mention his concept design with the tactical black trooper gear is incredibly striking.

Where The Bad Batch struggles is in its distribution system given it’s a weekly episodic show, and its use of longer seasons that utilize filler episodes. Now, this topic is often disputed amongst fans, and while I typically have no issues with filler content, I do find it irritating when I’ve waited a week for one episode that lasts 30 minutes. Filoni has been consistent with this style of storytelling, from Star Wars: The Clone Wars the animated series to Star Wars Rebels, and I wish they’d adopt either a two to three-episode drop rather than just the singular episode drop. Sandwiching filler episodes between stories that actually affect the larger plot points would result in a far more satisfying watch.

The quality of the animation itself is something that the show can really boast about. Not only in the depth of the detail, and the quality of its designs, but even in the vast color palette it employs throughout the episodes. It truly is such a high-quality animation, and sometimes I feel like this gets left behind the simple fact that it’s a Star Wars show.

Baker is naturally the heavy lifter of the show voicing every single clone, which blows my mind with the kind of vocal range that must require on a show like this. However, Season 2 also introduces some newer cameo roles with some fantastic voice talent that will debut later in the series. Keep your ears open.

Overall, The Bad Batch Season 2 is a high-quality, sci-fi action adventure that seeks to deepen the lore of Star Wars. The animation quality is so impressive and often overlooked, but take a moment to appreciate it! The caliber of episodes certainly varies throughout the season, but the ones that hit really land with seismic impact. Star Wars animation has proven its importance throughout the years, and it’s good to see The Bad Batch maintaining these standards.

The Bad Batch Season 2 is a weekly series that debuted its first two episodes on January 4th exclusively available on Disney+.

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After almost 3 years, the waiting is finally over as Hunters Season 2 returns to Prime Video. Executive produced by Jordan Peele, Hunters details the lives of a collective of ordinary Jewish people hunting down Nazis post world war II. Led by Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman) this unlikely cast of characters has fallen on hard times and gone their separate ways. But when news emerges that Adolf Hitler is in fact alive, the hunters reunite for one last mission.

Written and created by David Weil, Hunters first season captured within its story a tale of vengeance, sorrow, and deceit. When Jonah is first recruited by Meyer Offerman (Al Pacino) during the funeral of his Safta (or Grandmother), he discovers that she led a secret life of nazi hunting—buoyed by the cause and seeking retribution for his family he is consumed by the idea of vengeance at all costs. He seeks out the ultimate war criminal who plagued his safta during her imprisonment in the concentration camps, a german man named Wilhelm Zuchs, a.k.a. ‘the Wolf’. Only to later discover that the man who he’s come to trust this entire time, the man guiding him, was the wolf all along. Meyer was Wilhelm. The final post-credit scene was even more explosive as one of the hunters, Joe (Louis Ozawa) was kidnapped and taken to Argentina and revealed in front of the worst of worst, Adolf Hitler.

Entering the second and final season of the series, two years have passed since the initial events of Meyers’s reveal as Wilhelm leading to his murder. The team is now dispersed around the world after a mission in Spain went horribly wrong forcing the Hunters to disband. Jonah is living a double life in Paris with his fiancé and continuing the work for his safta. After he stumbles onto the news that Hitler is alive from one of his marks, he understands now is the time to bring the group back together one last time and bring the architect of the holocaust and the war to justice.

While the second season should feel larger in scope, because compared to the first season it is, it also fails to establish the proper stakes, or back it up with enough flare to really make it sing. The first season did such a wonderful job of fusing the history of its members and atrocities seen during the war with the mystery and violence of its current timeline. There was a significant amount of intrigue in the detective work that went into discovering where these nazis were hiding, leading to the ultimate goal of finding the wolf in order to avenge Jonah’s safta.

Yet, two years on and everything feels a lot larger, and this narrative suddenly has an expiration date. I understand that the point is to wrap everything up for the final season, but it doesn’t really flow and the pace of how the story moves results in an experience that feels rushed in order to get from point A to point D. All of the subplots have that air of hasty finality as they try to neatly package it up and for me, it just ends up in the show losing that element of what made it special.

I think two other aspects that were found lacking from the series were the tonal focus that is placed on Hitler, and the effectiveness of the action sequences. Regarding the latter, the action was very poor. Throughout some of the later episodes, there are some big sequences were an armored standoff takes place and on paper, they feel incredibly creative and would look fantastic it adapted properly. Sadly, the end product fails to live up to the expectation and the use of the cinematography, and the weapons choreography comes across as repetitive and lazy. There were moments when those action sequences should involve a lot more suspense but instead it looks more like a playground interpretation of kids pretending to play cops of robbers as they stand two feet apart making a bang and pow noises arguing over who got who.

The former critique around the focus on Hitler is a more complex, and deeply personal topic that will likely cause division of opinion once the series airs. Ultimately my gripe with it is around the tone of finality, specifically making note of once Hitler is captured and brought to justice then it’s over and we won. Nazism has been defeated! Again, this is deeply personal for A LOT of people, and while this series is set in a fictional universe it’s based on actual events affecting a huge population of people. But it undercuts the point of the entire show for me which is what made season 1 such a success. Yes, Hitler being brought to justice would have been a historic moment, and while he led the party, and the hateful movement, it took many, MANY more people involved to carry out his wishes and the infliction of so much pain, and Season 2 just forgets that.

It has to be pointed out though, that Udo Kier who plays Adolf, actually does a superb job in the representation of the character and it’s extremely unsettling watching him bring this tyrant back to life.

Given the sole focus is on hunting for Hitler, there are a few episodes that tend to labor as the series lays the groundwork for the final conclusion. However the jarring jump from the season 1 post-credit scene to finally being in his backyard ultimately comes across as forced in order to close the books. So it’s a weird experience all in all.

Oddly enough the decision to bring back Pacino in the role of Offerman was a really great choice in the end as his story, and the explanation behind brings a much-needed reprieve from the main narrative as it’s just not strong enough to carry itself. It’s a far more interesting story, and Pacino always delivers in his performances.

Hunters Season 2 had a few good episodes but as a story that needed to be told, it’s not something we needed. It would have been easier to cancel this series than trying to wrap it up in the way they did. The final episode was a fascinating watch in a sense of “what if”, but it will absolutely cause division among viewers in the focus and the application of the story.

Hunters Season 2 will be available exclusively on Prime Video, Friday, January 13.

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Netflix has been a fantastic bastion for international films and series over the last few years. The service has championed a vast array of projects that have caught the eye of many a critic, and begun to make a massive impact in the western market. With so many choices at your fingertips, knowing which direction to go is difficult. Luckily, I’ve got your next recommendation hot of the press and ready to binge. Get ready to dive into the Netflix film, Hell Dogs.

Directed by Masato Harada, Hell Dogs follows the story of Shogo “Tak” Kanetaka (Jun’ichi Okada), a rogue ex-police officer hell-bent on seeking revenge and getting justice for the young girls murdered by a street gang that happened on his beat. After completing his mission and turning himself in, the police provide him an alternative to rotting in a jail cell. His objective, go undercover and infiltrate the Yakuza with to cripple their organization from the inside.

The undercover cop trope is one that has been done a lot. I’m sure that even as you read this sentence you can name at least one or two films in this subgenre. The narrative, however, if done well, can be incredibly compelling, because it’s the dichotomy of the lead role being caught between two worlds with the intent of destroying one in the name of justice for the other. That tension is palpable for the audience as they live vicariously through the protagonist knowing they must sell every lie, and endow themselves to the criminal organization they’re trying to tear down. Without a doubt, Hell Dogs does a fantastic job of extracting an immense amount of action entertainment from this story in the best possible way.

The film works for three very simple reasons: a killer lead, a fantastic supporting cast, and a strong plot line that doesn’t pander to the notion of justice being inherently compassionate. Okada being the film’s lead hell dog provides the framework from which everything else is built. It’s not to say he carries the film, because that would undermine some of the other excellent points that the project has going for it, but rather, his performance allows the film to really flex its presence thanks to his performance.

Action directors often search for that lead role that can project a level of gravitas on screen without the need for performative dialogue that needlessly spoon-feeds the exposition to the audience. Okada, brings this and so much more. He carries himself as this lone figure and embodies the personification of unforgiving justice. And Okada isn’t a big man. Even in the film itself he’s one of the smallest, yet his soft-spoken words carry an incredibly direct weight to them, and the fight choreography he adapts is swift and sharp.

The cast around Okada only serves to add to his legacy, as the offset to this stoic existence comes in the form of one of the more erratic and highly entertaining characters in Muro (Kentarô Sakaguchi). I unabashedly love Muro. Kentarô injects such an unparalleled amount of vigor and energy into Muro that results in him being such a compelling character. But it’s more than that, because the motive behind the psychotic behavior is a deeply broken, and emotional child starving for parental affection. Pairing Tak and Muro together is a fusion of a beautifully violent relationship that sings with as much intimacy as it does terror in their effectiveness to take down the enemy. Yet, it’s also a fated relationship and one that’s as cruel as it is kind. The two have such on-screen chemistry and I could watch them together in at least another two spin-offs.

For War Dogs though, it also just has a vast array of brilliantly conceived villains each with their own unique designs, that add to the overall back story of the film in an eccentric but exciting fashion. From the elusive Yakuza boss Yoshitaka Toake (Miyavi), to the boy toy gangster Tsutomu “Pops” Toki (Kazuki Kitamura), or Chuji Omaeda (Yasumasa Ôba) the mob boss with his nose torn off who wears a shark skin mask to cover his deformity. There’s a variety and diversity to the cast that invites you in.

What really gripped me most about Hell Dogs, as a film critic and movie lover who’s seen a lot of undercover cop films, was the narrative’s utter disregard for Tak’s honor. It was perfect. It’s my biggest gripe over this subgenre of the unrealistic expectation to send an undercover to infiltrate organizations as big as this and not expect them to earn their way in. This is the world-famous Yakuza, of course Tak is going to have to kill a lot of folks to get in. They’re a worldwide feared organization. To not allow Tak to get his hands dirty knee caps the story’s ferocity and its brutality. Thankfully, Harada takes the gloves off and unleashes his savagery upon this story.

The film does have some sticking points that held it back, however much I loved it. Oddly enough, I anticipated the run time was going to be the issue, and while it definitely could have been tightened up in certain areas it still did a great job of remaining enticing until the end. Where the film does lose focus however, was in the dialogue back story to the Yakuza family and its main antagonist. The pace of the script in certain scenes moves incredibly fast and isn’t intuitive. You eventually end up picking up on the context of what’s going on, and while the script was beautifully crafted in parts, this section felt rushed over and it does diminish the story overall.

Without a shadow of a doubt, I would fully recommend checking out the crime action film War Dogs. Jun’ichi Okada and Kentarô Sakaguchi absolutely steal the show and enhance every scene they’re in. It’s brutal, savage, and it also captures an unexpected level of intimacy through found family. Add this to the Netflix list!

Hell Dogs is available now, exclusively on Netflix.

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In the era of the cinematic superhero, we are inundated with a variety of compelling characters who are gifted with unimaginable powers overcoming the most unlikely of odds to save the world. It can all start to feel very repetitive. There is one crew, however, that can never be accused of being lumped in with the rest of them as right from the offset, they laid their marker in the ground, proclaiming that everything would be different and incredibly weird. Welcome back to Doom Patrol Season 4, making its way to HBO Max on a weekly basis starting December 8th.

Developed by Jeremy Carver, Doom Patrol tells the story of a dysfunctional group of metahumans that were the test subjects of a mad scientist on the quest for immortality. A less-than-ideal team, the Doom Patrol faces the most bizarre villains and the oddest obstacles that exist in the DC universe. Season 3 saw the team tested like never before as they attempted to function without the direction of Chief (Timothy Dalton) all while facing the Brotherhood of Evil, the Sisterhood of Dada, and some zombie butts. If you’ve never watched Doom Patrol, then the last reference might strike you as off, but it’s quite literally what it sounds like.

Now in Season 4, the team must face one of their biggest villains yet, Immortus. It is coming for the team’s immortal genetics so that it may rise once more and take revenge upon all who opposed it.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching six episodes from Doom Patrol Season 4 and I’ve been such a big fan of the series for these last few years. The show has always done a great job at giving a storytelling space for othered characters and allowing them agency to play a variety of roles. One of my favorite characters, in particular, is Danny, the non-binary magical sentient street that provides a safe haven for members of the LGBTQIA community, which resulted in some spectacular storylines. In addition to that, the show also pushes some very strange narrative boundaries that fuse together some newer concepts while still honoring the source material, which itself was very out there. Doom Patrol is unabashedly and inherently weird, and it owns every aspect of that.

With that being said, Season 4 is beginning to feel like the show is running out of gas as far as what it conceptually wants to achieve. From seasons one through three, the progression has felt as natural as it could, but the current narrative just lacks that particularly excited nuance of otherworldly and unnatural plot points that it’s known for. There’s a chance that the remaining four episodes tie some of the foundational work together for something quite explosive. But in the landscape of weekly episodes and the constant clashing of streaming shows and movies and their online discourse, I’d say this show would come out as the loser in that particular contest.

Doom Patrol is already an unequivocally strange show and will only appeal to a subset of audiences. Given the potential for buts in seats and eyes on screens is smaller, then it really needs to come out swinging to allow for the quality to speak for itself. but instead, it’s labored. The main storyline takes a significant amount of time to get going, and because of this, the season as a whole never really finds that hook for the audience to drag them along.

I still enjoyed what I saw, and I’ll forever have a soft spot for the show and these actors, but everything has an expiration date and it’s starting to feel like this franchise may be quickly approaching theirs. The larger problem here is that Doom Patrol has spent a significant amount of time retrospectively examining its main protagonists and allowing for some stunning dialogue to be born from those conversations. I will honestly champion the prior seasons for doing some great work. But when the bar is set so high for three seasons, trying to maintain that same depth, pace, and wow factor is difficult. For example, there are only so many times you can have these characters be forced to face their traumas and come out on the other side.

One element that does feel uniquely different from the past iterations is by challenging the team’s unquestioned lifespan. Looking back to their initial inception into the Doom Patrol organization, most of the members came from decades long past, and while the main narrative is supposed to run parallel to our current timeline, not one of the members has aged as they should. So witnessing Jane, Rita, Cliff, and Larry process and exam that news adds a fascinating element of motive. Rather than simply existing as they have done for so long, now without their longevity, what do they each want as the clock has begun ticking once more?

Doom Patrol Season 4 doesn’t have that same wow factor impact as it once did, as the season is somewhat strained and heavy. For long-time fans of the show, there are still those same elements existing for you to enjoy, but it doesn’t hit those same highs. The weekly episodic release will ultimately hurt this series significantly, and I fear that the creators may have run out of steam. Based on this performance, I’d be surprised if this misfit superhero crew makes it to a 5th season.

Doom Patrol Season 4 is a weekly series with the first two episodes coming exclusively to HBO Max Thursday, December 8th.

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Being a child of the 80’s I was surrounded by a wealth of fantasy, and sci-fi stories that left the biggest impact on my impressionable little mind. Now, most films in that generation didn’t always cater to their audience, especially when it came to kids and fantasy, however, one such story managed to strike that balance with the sword-and-sorcery theme and be family friendly as well. Of course we’re talking about Willow. It’s one of those films that holds a special place in my heart. So when I heard that Lucasfilm would working on a Willow Season 1 to debut on Disney+ I all but lost my mind. But does the sequel series live up to the original?

The series was developed and written by Jonathan Kasdan who in a recent press junket described he’s been pushing this project since his time on the set of Solo: A Star Wars Story. A major fan of the original film, Kasdan always felt like this story ended with far too many questions that he wanted to see answered. Which is where we find ourselves for Willow Season 1 as we welcome back Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood, and Joanne Whalley as Queen Sorsha Tanthalos while introducing a new cast of characters such as Kit Tanthalos (Ruby Cruz),  Airk Tanthalos (Dempsey Bryk), Jade Claymore (Erin Kellyman), Graydon Hastur (Tony Revolori), Dove (Ellie Bamber), and Thraxus Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel). It’s been decades since Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) fell in battle, as Willow found a way to defeat her and save the prophecy Elora Danan. But evil is never really gone, it just lays in wait, regaining its strength and waiting for the perfect time to reveal itself once more. Now is that time, and when someone from the palace is kidnapped Queen Sorsha must dispatch a team to rescue them and ask her oldest friend Willow to accompany them.

Nostalgia can be an incredibly overwhelming feeling especially when tied to a joyous memory. When I saw Davis enter the screen donned in his full Willow garb, I may have lost it a little bit. Davis was just 17 years old when he first starred in the 1988 film, and returning as a now 52-year-old he brings that same infectiously bright state of being to the project. While Willow as a character has that warm sense of familiarity, Kasdan and Davis have also developed his character to suit the needs of the story given there’s such a large passage in time. The nelwyn is now High Aldwin of his village, and subsequently, the lead role in this company sent on their rescue mission. Kasdan did a fantastic job resisting the urge to make his lead role the wise old teacher in the guise of an Obi-Wan and instead still displays the humanity in the character that there’s a lot within his life he’s still trying to figure out. Davis absolutely kills it, and I adored watching him bring that big heart to the project once more, because he really ties the series altogether.

What’s immediately different, and noticeable about the series is the humor. Kasdan has stated he wanted to rely on Davis’ comedic talent and timing to inform not only his character but the show as a whole. My larger issue with that though is that it feels heavily overused at times and it almost feels that when the dialogue is found asking that the response was to plug it with a gag or a joke. It’s not that the comedic element isn’t funny, because it is, but it just too much, and too frequent and it shifts the fantasy tone of the series out of balance.

Another aspect of the series I particularly struggled with was the modernization of the story as it pertains to the musical or the scoring of the story. Whereas the original film used an original score it also served as a way to support the tone of the story. Utilizing current pop-music removed that component of escapism I wanted to feel. It doesn’t happen often, but when it’s used it’s very offputting. It’s likely this was an attempt to capture the energy of a younger audience, and a new generation of fans, and whether it’s successful only time will tell.

Where Kasdan does succeed in the series is his desire to honor the backbone of the story while expanding the lore and the world of Willow and the chemistry he’s able to foster between his characters. While I have some critiques with the series, I still found myself really enjoying it as an overall product. This was largely due in part to Kasdan’s vision to get deeper into the fantasy element encompassing new villains, magic, and a host of potential dangers.

Willow Season 1 will return to some of the very same geographic locations used in the original film, and allow the fans a chance to encounter some familiar faces. It’s here where the show feels like a love letter to the story as a whole, while also taking the time to push things forward. It’s the type of series that ADDS to the original as opposed to just continuing it for the sake of it, or even trying to replace it completely. Beyond that, the series is visually gorgeous within certain episodes. The cinematography employed within Willow really adds to the myth of the world in a very ethereal way.

The current cast is another wonderful aspect of the revitalization of this narrative. The story makes use of an adventure quest and as such it’s able to leverage the ensemble dynamic but it’s able over the series to allow development for each character. I appreciated the time to get to know these characters, as opposed to simply using them as a nameless way to move the story along. Revolori had commented about his biggest takeaway for the fans and for him he hoped people would see the reliability of the characters that as you watch you can feel personality represented. Chadha-Patel echoed similar comments in that not one person in the group has anything figured out as they stumble their way through their experiences, but each of them carries their own insecurities and baggage. It helps lend an air of authenticity to each of them because they’re not just this group of rag-tag members with a specific skill that are inexplicably smooth as hell in taking out monsters along the way.

Willow Season 1 was an entertaining ride that I felt privileged to watch after growing up with the film. The series does rely too heavily on humor, and it loses focus when it comes to the fantasy theme at times. All that being said, Kasdan has managed to conjure a story that serves as a love letter the 1988 film and in the same breath expands the lore and world-building. In the end though I loved it and I’m hoping we get see more from Kasdan and his crew past this season.

Willow Season 1 is a weekly series and episodes 1 – 2 are available now exclusively on Disney+.

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It’s been 34 years since Willow first debuted in cinemas. The Lucasfilm fantasy story directed by Ron Howard was Warwick Davis’ first feature-led film alongside Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley and Kevin Pollak. While this sword-and-sorcery style film may not have landed with a big splash with critics, and even audiences at first, it grew in stature and became a favorite fan movie with a wealth of dedicated fans.

Decades later and the fans have been rewarded with a brand new series coming to Disney+ with both Davis, and Whalley returning to the realm once more. At a press junket, we got to listen as Head Writer Jonathan Kasdan, Warwick Davis, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Ellie Bamber, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, Dempsey Bryk told us why this franchise deserved to be resurrected and how it honors the original and expands the world as we knew it as well as some other fun little tidbits.

Continuing Where Ron Howard Left Off

With the original movie, fans have often felt there was a lot more left of this story to be told. When Elora Danan was saved from the wicked Queen Bavmorda, everyone just went on with their lives all while this child had this prophecy thrust upon her to save the world in very non-explicit terms. For Jon Kasdan who fell in love with the story as a child, he always felt like there was a further narrative to explore explaining, “The movie ended with a sort of bittersweet moment of Warwick kissing this baby and then saying, ‘okay, goodbye, I’ll never see you again.’ And as an eight-year-old I was sort of like, well … you mean, they’re not going to have a life together? And how is she going to find out about all this stuff that happened to her? And that felt like a great jumping-off place for a series”

The early exploration of the narrative for this series actually took place during the filming of Solo: A Star Wars Story between Jon Kasdan, Warwick Davis, and Ron Howard. Kasdan admits to being a huge fan of Willow and what his driving factors were, “there was the impulse certainly between Ron and Warwick and myself to continue this story, and return to this world. And I came at it as a fan, and they came at it both as the creators, and they found a champion in me, and I kept fighting and sort of hoping that we’d get a chance to go back here, and my ace was always that Warwick would be back”.

Throughout the series, there are many nods to the prior film, and connective tissue, that are handled in a very genuine and tender manner. These moments highlight the nuance of understanding not just the story at large, but the intricate relationships between the characters, and the environment to which the audience is having to become reacquainted with. As the story progresses there are a wide variety of references, characters, and landscapes for fans to latch on to.

Deeper Exploration of Magic, Wizards, and Sword Fights

Willow as a fantasy story always excelled in fusing various elements of action into one fluid throughline. The original quest felt very much inspired by a D’n’D campaign but with a George Lucas, and Ron Howard spin. Now with eight-episode series coming to Disney+, Kasdan and his cast had to find a new direction, while still honoring what had come before it. Kasdan wastes very little time even within the first episode by setting the stakes, world-building, and unleashing his new monsters upon the world as the call to action is sounded. For Kasdan, he explained how this fusion became his daily challenge, “with every episode you’re sort of walking the line between, between making it familiar and satisfying what fans expect from the brand ‘Willow,’ and then trying to push it forward and tell a story that’s surprising and unexpected. And you know, the great weapon we had with us was Warwick, who just lent the whole universe of ‘Willow’ credibility, and the moment you see him on screen, you suddenly believe these six other foolish kids could somehow fit into that world, and really inhabit it.”

That moment when Davis first reveals himself on screen is emphasized with such a triumphant declaration. There’s certainly no way that a Willow series would ever have been as successful without the involvement of Davis from the beginning and he really throws himself right back into the character encapsulating all of that heart, and the good-natured and quick-witted spirit of Willow Ufgood.

The series certainly doesn’t slouch on the action either as Davis told us about the obstacles of the physical aspects of shooting, which were hard for him at 17 and even harder now crediting his son Harrison Davis as his stunt double to help him through. The show really does dial up some of the aspects of the original film from the fantasy element in significant ways. The cast regaled us with some anecdotes of the boot camp they had to complete before shooting began. The fight sequences themselves vary in quality as there are some very high-quality shots, whereas there are others that you can feel where there was a need to utilize multiple sequences cut together to form the shot.  Visually, however, this show goes above and beyond and captures a variety of beautiful sequences that accentuates the world like the original film never captured. Truly stupendous stuff that draws you into the fight, the quest of these young characters.

Multi-layered Characters

Moving past the more fantasy elements of Willow, the story also introduces us to a host of new characters who we meet very early on. This rag-tag group is thrown together after a new evil has announced itself, and once more the realm is threatened. This is where Willow spends a significant time as it explores their backstories, and motivations. This is as much a coming-of-age story on multiple fronts, from multiple vantage points. When asked what the cast hope the fans take away from the series, Tony Revolori explained, “I think it’s the relatability of the characters, you know? Credit to, you know, Jon Kasdan, our writer … But he wrote every single character to have, you know, multiple layers, and we all got to play and have fun with them, and they’re very unique, and I think … that you can sit around with your family and watch, and point and go, ‘you’re like him, you’re like him, or her’ ”

Amar Chadha-Patel echoed similar comments stating, “One of my favorite things about the show is that no character has it figured out at all. And that is so true to life. The entire quest is not just a physical one to, you know, rescue someone, it’s also about us figuring out what the hell we’re doing.” Which results in a really charming, and authentic experience for the audience. That response embodied the very essence of Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan who routinely, and with an abundance of confidence, charged headway into a fight only to realize he was too hasty, or fall on his ass. Chadha-Patel really strikes at the heart of what Kasdan has created bringing truth to light that even the most heroic among us is still trying to to learn on the fly, and it’s brilliant to see that reflected on screen.

Erin Kellyman also voiced her love of Jade saying, “But Jade, I think has been the person that I’ve put the most work into. I think me and Jon had the time to like really go back into her past and, you know, created that space where we could make time and I could understand her a bit more. Yeah, I really can’t wait for people to, to see her.”

It was quite a positive sight to see so many actors speak so highly of not only the roles that had been created for them, but the agency they were given to explore them further over time and have such a positive experience.

Warwick Davis

Obviously, we had to dedicate some time to Warwick who took on this role at the young age of 17. The actor credits the fans and one person in particular for bringing the show into existence, “For years it’s been talked about, not by anyone official but by the fans. They’ve constantly pestered me, saying “when are we going to see a sequel to that movie?” And it’s a question that I could never answer. Until I met Jon Kasdan”.

Warwick not only lends the show credibility, and authenticity by being involved, but his presence on set was huge importance to the other actors as Ruby Cruz explains, “I think getting to just be around someone who’s so good at what he does, and someone who’s such a professional in what they do, like Warwick, you taught me, watching you be able to just switch it on and off, which is something I really struggle with, was a huge… honestly like I really admire you for that.” Davis doesn’t miss a beat either. He really poured himself into this role again as he’d done before and it feels just as impactful. It’s fascinating to watch him now as the elder character passing on wisdom to those around him as a contrast to when he was the younger character. For an audience that grew up with this film it leaves you with that sense of coming full circle, and appreciating what Willow as a character has done to get there.

Kasdan explained how his own experience as a showrunner was channeled into the humor of Willow’s experience as he steps into this leadership role, “You’re surrounded by people who are looking at you like, ‘you know what you’re doing, don’t you?’ And you’re just saying, like ‘yeah, no, kind of, maybe.’ And that, that was something I was able to channel”

Willow premieres on Disney+ on November 30th as a weekly series with eight episodes to sink your teeth into. The first two episodes will launch together, with the rest landing every Wednesday.

Go watch the premiere of Willow on Disney+ with our affiliate link.

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I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that up until watching A Man of Action I had a very distorted view of what an anarchist was. I had always equated anarchy and chaos as one and the same, and perhaps that stems from the upbringing that taught me to live within the framework, and how to adapt to be able to not only survive but to thrive. But for Lucio Urtubia, this was not his path, as he sought to overthrow the corporations and banks around him and reallocate their wealth to the people of France. Let’s dive into the Netflix film that documents the real life of an anarchist looking to make a difference.

Directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera, the film is loosely inspired by the life of Lucio Urtubia (Juan José Ballesta) a Spanish exile living in France looking for a new life during the 1960s. After landing a job, he falls in with a local crowd who sees the potential in Lucio and his personal ideals and recruits him into the anarchist association. After stealing from a bank, he quickly becomes infatuated with the prospect of anarchism spreading throughout the world. But, he realizes, for that to happen then their organization must find a way to disrupt the foundation of the wealthy.

The definition of anarchism from Merriam-Webster states, “a political theory holding all forms of governmental authority to be unnecessary and undesirable and advocating a society based on voluntary cooperation and free association of individuals and groups.” This is the very foundation for the entire film and Lucio’s driving motivation. The expositional narrative does a decent job of introducing you to the concept pretty early on, as well as spotlighting a few of the founding members of the group and some of the quotes attributed to them.

As the film begins, you learn that Lucio was born and raised in Spain, which at the time, and sometime after that as well, was a fascist country ruled by a dictator. By its very definition, fascism doesn’t allow for opposition of any kind, and the movement is built on outright control. As a young idealistic and angry man running from his homeland, it’s not hard to conceive how Lucio fell so deeply in love with the idea of a utopia that was built on the foundation of equality, community, and voluntary cooperation. It’s liberty above all.

The construct of the film is so alluring, with the perspective focused on the underdog bricklayer who seeks to take on the soulless elite and the bourgeoisie who’ve gotten fat off of the labor of others. It feels very in the spirit of Ocean’s Eleven as it captures that same ingenuity to pull off something so elaborate. However, where the film loses pace is the inconsistency of quality in the dialogue and the lack of depth in the acting itself. There are moments that stand out as good, but this topic is a powerful one with such a relatable message.

With a stronger script and a better delivery, these moments could have been immense. The dialogue falls very flat in certain scenes and then in others, it deals with such large-scale themes that should stimulate and rouse the audience. The acting itself elicited very few stirring moments in which I felt moved by the portrayals.

A Man of Action isn’t a film that will necessarily be for everyone, but it’s certainly worth a shot. Worst case, you enjoy a story in which you can root for the little guy with mediocre acting and scripting. And perhaps you’ll see the potential for what could have been a fantastic film. I enjoyed what Caldera delivered all in all, and I feel better knowing more about the loosely inspired life of Lucio Urtubia.

A Man of Action will be available exclusively on Netflix Wednesday, November 30th.

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Monster movies are such a fun genre of film, especially when it comes to Kaiju films (which I am very much a sucker for). So when I saw the trailer for Troll during Netflix Geeked Week I just knew I had to get my hands on this film to review.

Directed by Roar Uthaug, the Norwegian film tells the tale of a mining company unleashing an ancient beast after blasting a tunnel through the heart of a mountain. Free from its bondage after long dormant sleep, the monster now makes its way to the country’s capital, destroying everything in its path. The only hope for Norway, and the world, falls on the shoulders of Professor Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) a paleontologist whose father raised her on the fairytales of their ancestors.

Troll, as a Netflix movie, is incredibly entertaining, with the backdrop of the Norwegian mountain range providing stunning visuals, and the addition of mythology culminating in a brilliant, intriguing film that’s a great addition to the Kaiju movie pantheon. While the film doesn’t particularly move the needle forward in the genre it belongs to, it does very well at the core of everything it does.

With any large monster movie, you always need that tether to humanity, and that comes in the form of Nora (Wilmann), Andreas (Kim Falck), and Captain Kris Holm (Mads Sjøgård Pettersen) who the government individually tasks to investigate a mining incident and the subsequent earthquakes in the area. Each actor clocked in a somewhat decent performance, and other than Falck, there was nothing uniquely compelling there either.

Troll is Netflix’s Norwegian answer to kaiju.

It’s not to say the performances were bad by any stretch of the imagination, but whether through the script itself no one particularly imposed themselves in the role. Other than perhaps Falck, who had some of the better lines and really leaned into his part of breaking the moments of tension with comedy. Through timing, tone, and facial reactions, he tends to steal those scenes, and the humor lands quite nicely.

While the acting is subdued, the cinematography, the special effects, and the lore that props up the plot are the really enthralling parts of Troll. In fact, on the latter, I really wish that Uthaug had leaned into that so much more. As far as Kaiju films go, the very essence, the draw of the story itself, is the monster itself.

Whether it was through a lack of budget or creative vision, the mythology is crying out for more screen time, and I would have loved to see them use some local animation to illustrate those few moments of exposition. Those few sequences we did get were very tantalizing, however, and left me craving more.

The special effects on the monster itself were fantastic and highly impressive. As the film progresses and the troll itself has been revealed, it definitely gets plenty of screen time and a few different sequences of action. The detail, movement, and audio of the beast are of very good quality.

Troll’s action is absolutely stellar from start to finish.

The violence is rather minimal given the topic, and that’s likely going to be an element looking back that the film could have explored deeper to extract more intensity from the threat of the villain. The location that was used in Dovre, Norway, and the surrounding mountain range was spectacular, and they really leveraged it to their advantage when pairing the troll with its environment and just adding that component of scale and enormity.

Where the film struggles is in its comparison to other large monster movies and how it differentiates itself from its peers. If you’re you’re a fan of this genre then you’re probably incredibly familiar with the layout and will likely see where the ending of the film will land.

Troll doesn’t really add anything new when you strip the narrative down to its raw film of what you expect from any Kaiju-inspired film. It follows a pretty established pattern throughout. For some viewers, this level of predictability will likely drain the intensity from the story.

In the end, I enjoyed the hell out of Troll. The film is a large-scale, big-time monster movie that will leave you thoroughly entertained. While it certainly had room for improvement, the debut Netflix film fully grabbed my attention, and now all I want is a sequel or a series of connected films from this studio. With a perfect run time, some superb visuals, and a throughline of some brilliant mythology, Troll deserves to be watched.

Troll will be available exclusively on Netflix Thursday, December 1st.

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The Holiday period is fast approaching, which can only mean one thing for Marvel fans: it’s time for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Marvel is not one to miss an opportunity to expand its ever-growing universe of superhero stories, and we all know James Gunn loves playing in this sandbox! So get ready as Peter Quill, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Mantis bring Christmas cheer in the only way they know how—with utter chaos and a smile on their face.

The special, written and directed by James Gunn, initially takes place on Nowhere following the events of Thor: Love and Thunder. If you’ve not seen the film, don’t worry, as there’s very little connective tissue from one to the next. In fact, there’s very little connective tissue to the MCU as a whole and instead, it serves as a self-contained one-shot narrative in which the Guardians want to bring some Christmas magic to Peter to be able to give back to the man who gave them so much. As such, Mantis and Drax return to Earth to acquire the one man that can save Christmas, Kevin Bacon. The special features the talents of Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, and yes, Kevin Bacon himself.

The Guardians special runs around 42 minutes and has incredibly low stakes, so if you’re heading into this expecting Kang the Conqueror or something that’s going to blow your socks off, maybe check your expectations before pressing play. This is not to diminish the quality of the story, because what Gunn delivers is a highly entertaining, hilarious narrative that adds another level of depth to these characters and above all, gives us an excuse to hang out with this crew for a short while as we witness the hijinx they cause.

The special primarily focuses on Mantis and Drax as they sojourn to Terra/Earth in search of the legendary man who saved a town with his dancing skills. The story is just so entertaining, and funny to boot. Klementieff and Bautista steal every scene they’re in, as their playful duet continues to yield some fantastic comedic results. Klementieff in particular really dialed up her physical comedy and the delivery of some of her lines far beyond what we’ve seen from her in the past. It lands with such gusto here. It’s all in the way she approaches Mantis’ interpretation of what command looks like and how she over-exaggerates the action paired with her over-the-top facial expressions. Yet, she has these moments where she slips from the task and lets loose and it’s just ridiculously hard not to smile. Bautista at this point in the game understands his role as Drax inside and out, so if you’re a fan of his past performances as the destroyer, you will not be let down.

Similarly, if you’ve been a fan of what James Gunn has brought up until this point, you can fully expect to head into this special with one element being more present than most, which is the musical aspect. Once again, he kills it, finding a unique library of songs to pair with this story that highlights the tone all the way through. One particular song he uses that really stuck out for me was Fairytale of New York by the Pogues. A famously depressing, yet catchy song and one that for me is the best Christmas song around. The special actually opens and closes with the same tune, which I loved for its capturing the quintessence of this group of intergalactic misfits who stumble through their assignments and make a mess of the situation more often than not. Yet, when push comes to shove, they’re all in it together. For better or worse they find a way to pull together.

Leaning into these special feature presentations is a very interesting trend and one I hope that we see more of in the future. Whether it’s used to highlight existing characters or to introduce newer ones, the special feature space allows for a very specific story to be told without the need for it being a spectacled event in the cinema, or a weekly drawn-out episodic story.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is an absurdly comical take on a Christmas special in which we get to officially welcome Kevin Bacon to the MCU. I love how this self-contained story has a specific message to deliver and doesn’t attempt to do literally anything else. The stakes are low, the music is brilliant, and the jokes and comedy are flowing. Sit back and let the Guardians hype you up for the holiday season.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be available Friday, November 25th, exclusively on Disney+.

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