Marriage Story - Review: A Quiet, Riveting Story Carried by the Leads

Marriage Story - Review: A Quiet, Riveting Story Carried by the Leads

Release date (US): August 29th, 2019

Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern

**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind. 

The Review

Netflix has made quite the showing these past couple of years. With films such as Roma getting serious awards considerations, 2019 seemed primed to further Netflix's exploration into high caliber filmmaking. With the release of a film like The Irishman, which automatically looked to be a frontrunner for Oscars, the possibilities were endless. 

And yet, something peculiar happened. In August of 2019, a small film directed by Noah Baumbach dropped. It was called Marriage Story, and it starred two of the biggest actors in the world with Adam Driver (of Star Wars fame) and Scarlett Johansson (of Marvel fame). But this wasn't a flashy film. In fact, it fell completely under the radar for quite some time because many did not know it even existed until it was released. Slowly, it gained traction, until suddenly, it too stood tall with the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorcese. 

Marriage Story is a film that feels incredibly real. When people describe cinema as an immersive art form, this is truly one of the best examples. Certain types of films, such as 1917, need to be seen in a movie theater in order to fully capture the immersive nature of the film. But a film like Marriage Story relies completely on the characters and lead performances to drive the movie forward.

The film centers around an ex-husband and wife, Charlie and Nicole, played by the aforementioned Driver and Johansson. Throughout the film, as layers are unraveled, you begin to see exactly why their marriage fell apart and how each side is dealing with such a horrible event. In addition, their young son, Henry, is caught in the middle and while the film doesn't spend an exorbitant amount of time with him, his presence is always felt, especially by his parents.

Without hyperbole, I can say that these two leads give the best performances out of any actors I have seen, at least in a long time. Despite all the buzz that Joaquin Phoenix is receiving for his turn as Joker, Adam Driver crushes him with a grueling, real, gritty performance. Every look on his face, every line of dialogue is resolute and has purpose and emotion that carries so much depth beyond what is simply spoken. The scenes that require incredible emotion are executed immaculately. Johansson, for her part, is able to stand equal to Driver throughout the whole movie. I would wager to say that the movie, while split fairly evenly between the two, focuses more on Driver's character. Thus, Johansson's relatively mild performance compared to Driver has nothing to do with her acting, but more to do with her screentime. Nonetheless, she is able to match Driver line for line, scene for scene in what will undoubtedly be a career-defining performance. 

While I usually don't commend films for their set designs, I will say that the atmosphere that is created through setting in film is so critical and so well executed. Baumbach does everything he can to make this world feel so much like ours. This is Los Angeles. Not some fictional Los Angeles that is blown up by aliens, or a fictional New York. This is the Los Angeles where aspiring actors go to make their careers and fulfill their dreams. This is the New York where aspiring writers come to live out the Broadway life. 

And the design of the settings lends itself to the story. This story is not necessarily the strongest I've ever seen. But it's real. We as a movie-going audience are used to constant twists and turns, with the rug constantly being pulled from under us that we have become desensitized. A real divorce is not pleasant. There are a lot of legal procedures that need to be undertaken and there is a lot of hurt that accompanies it. 

What really drives this movie is the emotion that the lead characters bring out of you. There is a conventional courtroom scene. There is an argument scene. These in themselves are not interesting. But what brings them to life are Driver and Johansson. The argument scene in particular is one of the finest pieces of acting I've ever seen anyone accomplish. Driver pulls a kind of raw emotion out of himself that I have never seen before, and will seldom see again. 

Laura Dern has been receiving much awards considerations herself for her role as Johansson's attorney. Many have praised her performance, and she has been winning Golden Globes and is nominated for an Oscar. This is where I disagree. I do believe she gives a great performance, as she always does, but nothing about her character stood out to me. Really, she and the other members of the respective legal teams are background noise. They don't matter as much as the leads. Whenever they appeared, they were there out of necessity. Her character, Nora, is given very little screentime, and that's not a knock on her character, but rather a testament to the pacing. 

The other major pitfall of a movie like this is that it's incredibly hard to watch at times. As soon as the movie was over, I felt a sudden urge to never want to see this movie ever again. Perhaps someday I will. But not in the near future. It is so unbelievably hard to swallow some of the ordeals that these characters go through, and they were pounded day after day with new and harder difficulties. It is a testament to the difficulties of divorce, and how it can truly affect a person.

But there are moments of hope. Without them, the film would be dour and perhaps not nearly as good as it is. The ending is tied off with the message and the idea that perhaps everything will end up alright. Baumback intentionally leaves this open-ended for the audience to consider. But there is still a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, which wraps a dangerously melancholy film up with a nice bow. This is a piece of art that deserves praise because of its execution. The idea, though not necessarily a novel one, was near-perfect in the finished product, and Driver and Johansson's performances are a testament to that. 

The Mandalorian: Chapter 8 (Redemption) Review - A Rousing Finale to a Proper Star Wars Show

The Mandalorian: Chapter 8 (Redemption) Review - A Rousing Finale to a Proper Star Wars Show

Initial Air Date: December 27th, 2019

Directed by: Taika Waititi

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

The Mandalorian was the reintroduction into Star Wars that we should have had instead of the sequel trilogy. Imagine a world in which the very first thing coming out of the Disney Lucasfilm regime was this show, set right after the events of Return of the Jedi, where a rogue bounty hunter is protecting a child.

Regardless, this show has lived up to every expectation and more. While it may not be the most groundbreaking show, this is exactly what Star Wars needed, especially right now. And the finale embodied every single bit of it.

The episode picks up with a couple different characters that we really haven't seen before. We get to see their interaction, and right away, you know that it's Taika Waititi. The off-kilter brand of humor is written all over the dialogue, which is absolutely fantastic. I was skeptical when I heard Taika would be directing an episode, but once I saw his vision on the screen, I understood immediately why Disney and Lucasfilm wanted him to direct this episode.

Waititi's strengths lie not just in his comedy, but in the heart as well. As evidenced by his recent film, Jojo Rabbit, Waititi knows exactly when to put emotion into the story and when to balance it out with ridiculous comedy.  This episode shows his master hand at work, crafting a story with incredible care and reverence, while also throwing caution to the wind sometimes and going for some great humor.

As for the story itself, the tension runs high throughout most of the episode. There are a couple moments where you feel the episode come to an abrupt halt as some exposition is given. But the exposition delves even more into the psyche of our main characters. Each one is given a role to play, and each one has more of their character developed as the episode goes on. 

And being a season finale, the primary goal is to wrap up the season while also exciting the audience about the potential future. And the last shot of the episode left me absolutely speechless. There were a lot of potential twists and turns that the show could pull off, due to the characters and the setting, but this had to be one of most exciting directions the show could take. With Jon Favreau announcing Season 2 coming in Fall 2020, I cannot wait until we get to see Pascal's hero once again.

The Mandalorian Chapter 7 (The Reckoning) Review - THIS is the Show I Signed Up For

The Mandalorian: Chapter 7 (The Reckoning) Review - THIS is the Show I Signed Up For

Initial Air Date: December 18th, 2019

Directed by: Deborah Chow

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

Forgot what I said last week. This is BY FAR the BEST episode of the Mandalorian that they've released. And it's not even CLOSE.

Deborah Chow returns to helm the penultimate episode of the Disney+ show, and she absolutely kills it. She nails everything; the action is spectacular and it's tense because it's purely character driven. She nails the character moments. She finds a convincing reason to bring back the entire cast for one last curtain call. And most importantly, she NAILS the ending. I could not be any more excited for the season finale in a few days.

From the get-go, you can tell something's bothering the Mandalorian. He receives a transmission and immediately his whole situation is turned upside down. The irony is that had he not received that transmission, he probably would have gone on another mission to get money. But Car Weathers's character calls him in for one last job. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That's the main mantra of the episode, and it works. 

The level of intrigue that takes place as the characters begin to realize what they've REALLY been dealing with all along is captivating. There are reveals, twists, turns, forced allegiances. All of this goes to create tension and drama that permeates beyond the last frame of the episode. 

Mando recruits of the help of his Ughnaut friend as well as Cara Dune for one final mission. He and the crew return, and immediately, you can tell we're entering dire straits. Because he is severely outnumbered and outgunned. Which hasn't been a problem for him before, so the fact that the episode conveys the dramatic weight of the situation is impressive. Ex-imperials litter the streets and all eyes are on them.

And the episode truly does provide surprises along the way as well. There are genuine twists and turns. You expect the episode to go a certain way and then when that derails, you're left wondering what happens next, until a figure comes and promises doom and gloom for our heroes.

The ONE problem I have with the episode really has nothing to do with the episode itself and rather with the placement. If the rest of the season prior had been this good, I would've thought this to be a fitting conclusion to the show, but the fact that I feel less strongly about some of the previous episodes gives me pause. It almost feels like Favreau took off a little too little too late.

Regardless, we got this episode and the finale to look forward. And if episode 7 was any indication, we are in for one heck of a season finale. 

The Mandalorian: Chapter 6 (The Prisoner) Review - Return to Form

The Mandalorian: Chapter 6 (The Prisoner) Review - Return to Form

Initial Air Date: December 13th, 2019

Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

If a show is going to go for a concept, it needs to go all in. It has no time to waste, especially because the audience members can click off the show whenever they so desire. And while I may not necessarily completely enjoy the idea of an episodic serial, where Mando and Baby Yoda jump from planet to planet doing little side-quests, if you're going to do it, THIS is how you do it.

"The Prisoner" is the kind of Star Wars that I expected from a show like The Mandalorian. The episode sees Mando meeting up with an old comrade. You feel that same kind of tension right away simply because you know you're in a room full of people that cannot be trusted. That's what made previous episodes work so well. You can trust absolutely NO ONE. 

This chapter takes that idea to the extreme. We see Mando with a group of people that he has no interest of working with. They're sent on a mission that sheds some very interesting light into the state of the galaxy after Return of the Jedi. This isn't fan service for the sake of it, like it was in last episode. Rather, the callbacks and revelation to Star Wars canon are relevant and shed light on some important aspects of the galaxy far, far away.

The supporting in this episode is interesting. At some points in the episode, they feel very Star Trek-y. By that, I mean that they feel like humans were essentially given prosthetics and told to act like aliens (or not given any prosthetics as the case may be). And that was extremely distracting. At other times, they act EXACTLY how I thought aliens in the Star Wars galaxy should.

And as soon as the main heist ensues, the show takes off. It has some of the most visceral action of anything Star Wars EVER. There are some brutal actions scenes and decisions that our hero and his accomplices have to make that left me shocked. 

This episode also uses Baby Yoda in the best way possible; he is left on the ship with one of the members of the crew. The crew are suspicious of the little creature, and a very interesting game of cat-and-mouse ensues underneath all the action. Famuyiwa, an expert director, knows exactly how to intertwine the two to where they both come to a head at the exact moment.

And to top all of that off, there is a rather brilliant action that Mando takes at the end of the episode that felt extremely fitting and satisfying. Again, is this episode moving the overall narrative forward? Absolutely not. But if it's not going to, then the quality of episode needs to be at this caliber. This episode is hands-down my favorite of the 6 thus far, and my interest and excitement in the series has been reinvigorated. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Review: Nothing You Want in a Film, Everything You Want as a Star War Sfan

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Review: Nothing You Wanted in a Film, Everything You Want as a Star Wars Fan

Release date (US): December 20th, 2019

Starring: Carrie fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran, Keri Russell, Lupita Nyongo, Naomi Ackie, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, Richard E. Grant, Domhnall Gle

**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind. 

The Review

"Long have I waited," croaks the Emperor in the final trailer to the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga. And yet, it seems as if the arrival of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has come with hardly any noise or fanfare. Perhaps it has to do with the lackluster performance of Solo. Perhaps it has to do with a fractured fanbase after the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Whatever the case may be, the lead-up to this film was not nearly as momentous as it was for the previous Star Wars films under the reign of Disney. 

And despite the familiar crawl and the opening fanfare that nearly everyone is able to immediately recognize, something felt unceremonious about this film. At times, it felt like the most Star Wars out of any of the nine films. And yet, I found myself wondering why sometimes this didn't feel like Star Wars at all.

The marketing for the film has hardly given anything away other than the return of Emperor Palpatine, and I will do the same here. The film marks the return of our three heroes, Poe, Finn, and Rey, as well as the now self-appointed Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren. In addition, the aforementioned Palpatine has returned, and an adventure ensues. 

To JJ Abrams's credit, he did everything he possibly could with the task that he was given. Undoubtedly, there were numerous board meetings and discussions where Abrams and President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy sat down to mull over the divided Star Wars fandom. Rian Johnson (director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi) made bold choices, most of which I enjoyed, but it consequentially divided the fanbase into warring factions. Abrams's task was to unite the fans and deliver on a conclusion to not just the sequel trilogy, but to the Skywalker Saga as a whole. And on TOP of that, he had to do it within the constraints of an Episode 8 that made choices he clearly did not agree with.

Because yes, despite what Abrams and Kennedy have to say in front of the media, there are distinct lines of dialogue and clear moments that essentially wipe away a lot of the bold choices that Rian Johnson made. There's even a line of dialogue spoken by a character towards the end of the film that seems more directed at Johnson than at Rey. Some critics, however, have said that the film spits in the face of Johnson in a vehement manner. That's where I would draw the line. I do believe that Abrams would have made a drastically different Episode 8, BUT there are distinct elements and storylines that he deliberately, and considerately carried through to Episode 9. Keeping both of these things in mind, a lot of the narrative decisions that Abrams made seem like a course correction rather than having a creative motive. Even the fact that (**as seen in the trailers**) Kylo Ren's helmet is now repaired is a symbol that Lucasfilm was trying to appease those who did not enjoy The Last Jedi.

We do get to spend a little bit more time with Rey in the film and delve a little more into her psyche. And while the additional screen time with her does help to flesh out her character, the problem lies in the pacing of the film. Her storyline feels like it should've been stretched out between two movies instead of being crammed into half of one. Part of that is the aforementioned course correction, as Abrams tries to steer the wheel back to his direction. Regardless, there are hasty explanations given to Rey's motivation, her power level, and her backstory that feel as though they needed to be fleshed out further in order to be satisfying.

However, one of the strongest elements of the film are the group dynamics. In the original trilogy, specifically in A New Hope, we were able to see the chemistry between Luke, Han, and Leia. And, discounting some clunky pieces of dialogue, Rey, Finn, and Poe do feel like a team in this film. There is tangible chemistry between the three that wasn't there in the previous two movies. The film benefits from keeping the main characters together for the more than the previous two episodes combined. Boyega and Isaac give their best performances of the series by far; it just felt like too little too late.

Returning as well for her last onscreen role is the late, great Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa. As many knew going into the film, Fisher passed away before production on The Rise of Skywalker began, which put Abrams and his team in a predicament. The decision to use reused footage was perhaps the safest, but most respectful route that they could've taken. And for what they were able to achieve, they did a masterful job. This is one of the areas of the film that I soundly commend JJ for. He and his team were able to pull a performance out of cut footage that worked somewhat smoothly and integrated itself into the film. Granted, there are small moments where you can tell they didn't have enough dialogue from Fisher, and there were moments where they were clearly writing around her prerecorded lines. But for what they were able to do, they did a masterful job. 

A couple new side characters and droids were introduced in the film, but they were hardly consequential. The true highlight amongst the characters was by far Kylo Ren. Adam Driver acts circles around most of the performers in the film; he has since The Force Awakens. The amount of anger and angst he's able to portray with just his body language is incredible; in just one shot of him walking, you can tell the rage that's coursing through him at that given moment. And his character arc is the most interesting and most dynamic. Abrams delves deeper into his mind and tries to look closer at Kylo Ren as a human rather than "the big bad".

But speaking of "the big bad", Emperor Palpatine makes a return. I will not give away in what capacity, how much he was in the film (if at all physically), or what he/his presence does. But in some way, shape, or form, the Emperor is in this film. And unfortunately, he was somewhat uninteresting. There's only so much you can do with a character that hasn't been set up previously. All the set up for Palpatine in this film had to be done within these two hours and twenty minutes because episode 7 and episode 8 did not touch on him at all. And because of that, while Abrams's direction with the character was enjoyable AT TIMES, overall, the character was not as interesting as we had all hoped he would be.

And this is where we get to the biggest problem of the film. The story is an utter mess. As a Star Wars fan, I was able to walk out of the theater genuinely having enjoyed myself because there were enough moments and emotional beats that reminded me of Star Wars. But looking back and examining The Rise of Skywalker as a film, it is a mess. The first thirty minutes feel extremely rushed. Characters jump from planet to planet and scenes jump from character to character until you hardly know who you're following at one point. And then you begin to wonder what "X character" is doing because you haven't seen them in awhile. This is a problem that Avengers: Infinity War suffered from simply due to the sheer volume of characters, but the difference, I feel, is that The Rise of Skywalker's story is not nearly as compelling. The good guys have to do something, the bad guys have to do something, and somewhere along the way they meet (as seen in the trailers). The story itself feels largely like a vessel to get to specific character moments and beats that Abrams wanted.

That's largely my frustration with the film. Because, with a few KEY (spoiler-y) exceptions, I felt that Abrams nailed a lot of the moments. There's a scene at the beginning of the third act with Rey that I thought was magnificent. John Williams (who, as always is absolutely perfect with his music) pushes the score to full throttle and you feel all the emotions that you felt as a Star Wars fan growing up, watching the original trilogy (or perhaps the prequels). 

Yet, because the story feels so overwhelmingly unsatisfying, and because this feels more like a course correction than a narrative film, those emotional beats don't last longer than the scenes allow because they don't make sense in the overall narrative. There are parts of this movie that JJ CLEARLY ripped out of other films, just as he did with The Force Awakens. But there are moments where he too makes bold decisions, most of which I like. 

I speak as someone who enjoys all three of these sequel trilogy films (which seems to be rare). I genuinely do. But the reason that this movie doesn't work nearly as well as it should have is because there is no narrative context for the decisions Abrams makes. There was no central plan when going into these three films. Each director (Abrams and Johnson) had their own vision for the story, and because of that, the story feels disjointed. Even though I enjoy all three of the films individually, I do not think they work as a unit. I think this sequel trilogy is a disaster. And it's not because any of the films are bad, in my opinion. It's because there was no plan going in, and it shows. 

All of that being said, this film has more than enough to fill my Star Wars-loving heart. I enjoy these characters enough to the point that I am invested in watching where they go. And while their journeys may not have been the most satisfying, I feel that Abrams was able to mostly steer the ship back to his vision and deliver on a story that mostly ties up the sequel trilogy, and attempts tie up the saga, though it does that with a smaller degree of success.

In Conclusion: In the end, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a film that seeks to please Star Wars. Abrams had a choice, and he decided to try to tie up the nine films in as crowd-pleasing of a manner as possible. It almost worked, too. But there's too much riding against him from the beginning, and by the time he steers the film back to where he wants it, it's too late. All he can do is tie up the saga with as pretty of a bow as he possibly can. Does it work? Arguably not. But this is the ending to the Skywalker Saga that we got. And for what it's worth, I'm happy.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 5 (The Gunslinger) Review - A Mind-numbingly Enjoyable, yet Purposeless Distraction

The Mandalorian: Chapter 5 (The Gunsligner) Review - A Mind-numbingly Enjoyable, yet Purposeless Distraction

Initial Air Date: December 6th, 2019

Directed by: Dave Filoni

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

It was at this point in the series where I began to wonder whether or not we were watching an animated series come to live-action. That notion was extremely disappointed, but after seeing this episode, I was all but resigned to that idea. I had hoped for a longer-form story with this series; perhaps an overarching narrative that translated from episode to episode, but it appeared that aside from a few loose threads, the episodes were simply "The Adventures of Mando and Baby Yoda."

So for what it's worth, under the new perspective and the new criteria, this episode is completely, and utterly average. 

At first, *MINOR SPOILERS* admittedly it was nice to see a familiar location Tatooine. It really was. I was excited to return to a location that was familiar and see how Jon Favreau decided to play in that sandbox. But after the episode had ended, I realized that a great deal of the episode was nothing but fan service. And not earned fan service either. Fan service in the sense that there was nothing else enticing about the episode, and the crew had no choice but to return to Tatooine to make the episode relevant.

We see Mando team up with a rookie bounty hunter, and while the show does make some decisions that are unexpected, ultimately it ends up the way you expected it to, and that's disappointing. There was very little originality that went into the episode. Essentially, this show has become a series of events in which Mando tries to get money in order to make himself and Baby Yoda safe. And while that is a good storyline to follow for an episode or so, it's hard to enjoy it if that's the ONLY storyline the show decides to follow for the majority of the show.

The episode does also introduce a new guest character, an assassin played by Ming-Na Wen. Wen is good in almost every role that she is in, but she provides almost nothing to an episode that had almost nothing to begin with.

In essence, the episode relies on your adoration of Baby Yoda and brand loyalty to this show and to Star Wars in order to keep you watching it. It has zero consequence besides ONE shot at the end of the episode. And even baby Yoda is left with a side character that felt like she was taken directly out of the prequels. 

Did the episode have good action? Absolutely, albeit not a lot. I wouldn't expect anything less from this show. But it provided very little else. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a loss. 

The Mandalorian: Chapter 4 (Sanctuary) Review - Quieter, Emotional, Different

The Mandalorian: Chapter 4 (Sanctuary) Review - Quieter, Emotional, Different

Initial Air Date: November 29th, 2019

Directed by: Bryce Dallas Howard

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

Had I written this review upon fist viewing, I would wager that this article would be extremely negative. After everything that Chapter 3 built up to, Chapter 4 felt like a complete dud. 

Now? While I understand exactly what Bryce Dallas Howard and Jon Favreau were going for with this episode, and I applaud them for it, I am still conflicted. 

Simply put, the nature of television dictates that this episode would be absolutely perfect for a longer form series. But because the Mandalorian is only 8 episodes, this episode feels extraneous (though admittedly, not nearly as much as Chapter 2). Netflix shows, such as the Marvel shows like Daredevil, are around 20-22 episodes in length. And that serves the story well because the showrunners and creative executives behind it are able to take time to develop characters slowly and even dedicate entire episodes to a single character. That's exactly what this episode did.

This episode essentially aimed to peel back even more layers of Mando and his personality than all the other episodes had combined. Of course, we were treated to flashbacks of his backstory in previous chapters, but nothing that revealed WHO Mando was, and WHY he did the things he did.

In this episode, Howard, subtly and brilliantly to her credit, allows the show to breathe for a while as we begin to see Mando more as a person. If last episode gave Mando a heart, this episode gives him a personality. It gives him a complex, intricate motivation and morality. We begin to see the dynamic and bond between him and Baby Yoda grow into something more. Before, it was perhaps Mando's obligation as a good person, as a morally correct bounty hunter, that drove him to save the child. But now we see a level of intimacy between the two characters.

THAT BEING SAID; the actual story that is going on behind these character moments is rather dull. It's based off the classic Seven Samurai, where Mando and newcomer Cara Dune have to train a group of villagers to fit. I liken the story to something like Kung Fu Panda 3. And herein lies the problem; this episode, more than any of the previous ones, feels like it's animated.

I found myself wondering that if this episode was really an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, would I be more content? And the answer is a resounding yes. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an amazing show for what it is. You expect filler episodes, you expect side adventures where perhaps we get moments with characters. This is exactly what this episode feels like. 

We are introduced to the aforementioned Cara Dune, played by former MMA fighter Gina Carano, who also had a role in 2016's Deadpool. And while it shows that she's not entirely comfortable with acting at this point in time, her performance is serviceable, and in fact, rather good at certain moments. Her character introduction is rather abrupt, but she and Mando have a great action scene together towards the beginning.

Again, almost all of the content within the episode was good. I enjoyed watching the character interactions between Mando and Cara, as well as Mando and another female character that becomes important to "Sanctuary" very quickly. But as the episode finished, I couldn't help but wonder why this episode needed to exist, ESPECIALLY in such a small amount of real estate as 8 episodes. Throw this episode in a 22-episode-long season, and I'm on board. In this show? I'm not so sure. 

The Mandalorian: Chapter 3 (The Sin) Review - Beneath the Action and Grit, There is Heart

The Mandalorian: Chapter 3 (The Sin) Review - Beneath the Action and Grit, There is Heart

Initial Air Date: November 22nd, 2019

Directed by: Deborah Chow

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

After a short, and seemingly meaningless detour, Mando and his young compatriot are back to the A-storyline. Chapter 3, the Sin, picks up shortly after the events of Chapter 2. Thus far, the episodes have been fairly linear and have been close to each other chronologically. 

The third installment in the series was directed by TV veteran Deborah Chow. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, has entrusted Chow with the entirety of the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series, and I was curious to see what she would do with a show and a character like the Mandalorian.

Right from the get-go, you can tell this is a different episode from the other two. While the prior installments have indeed had their merits and have been enjoyable to varying degrees, what we find in this episode is something that this show sorely needed in order to succeed: a beating heart.

The entire thirty minute episode is about a decision that Mandalorian makes. It's a classic tale of heart versus brain. Where does the money lead? Where does my heart tell me to go? Mando wrestles with the question for the majority, and when he finally decides to act  and amend for his sins, he takes swift action.

That's yet another strength of this episode; the action underscores the internal conflict. Rather than being action for the sake of action, as it seemed in the previous two episodes, the action in this episode is driven by Mando's personal struggle and internal moral compass. Every single blaster shot feels intentional, and that's because they are all a a result of Mando making a choice. That choice, which we will all agree was the right one, still leads to disaster for him and for others throughout the episode.

In addition to the A-storyline, there was suitable intrigue that Chow and Favreau were able to intertwine within the story. There's a half-mystery element to some elements of the story, which make the motives behind each character all the more interesting. The fact that we are operating with a show in which almost no character can be trusted is what creates the highest level of tension.

However, while the vast majority of the episode was highly enjoyable and very meticulously, carefully crafted, I will say that the shorter runtime is EXTREMELY apparent in this episode. Because of the thirty minute running time, there is less of a slow burn to the finale, which by the way, is some of the action seen in any television, but rather a quick, quick buildup. Even the decision that Mando makes feels rushed a little. It almost felt as if Chow was trying to stretch it out for as long as she could before the budget dictated that she had to keep going and move the story forward. The action scene at the end could have been ten minutes ALONE, but again, because the episode had to be shorter, the action and the moment is undercut.

That being said, this is the type of episode that I believe the vast majority of Star Wars fans signed up for. There is tense action, great visuals, awesome character moments, and plenty of winks and nods to the Star Wars universe. But most importantly of all, this episode proves that the show, and Mando, have a heart. And that will serve Favreau and company very well moving forward. 

You Cannot Have a Good Film Without Good Music (Editorial)

You Cannot Have a Good Film Without Good Music (Editorial)

Name one feature length film that you absolutely adore that you remember having bad music. Chances are, either your favorite films have music so amazing that you can't help but think about it OR you simply forgot about the music altogether. And the fact that the vast majority of us don't even notice the orchestral movie score 90 percent of the time shows that we, as a society, have taken film scores for granted. You don't remember when it's bad because you simply don't remember it being there at all.

If you disagree with the title of this article, chances are it's because you simply don't remember the music. If you find yourself thinking of your favorite film and try to think about the music in it, you just don't remember. And that has nothing to do with the music itself but rather the fact that we just don't pay attention as much as we should.

The fact that films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park (coincidentally, or not, composed by the same person...) have such iconic, recognizable music is because John Williams is able to transcend the human consciousness and elevate any scene that is put in front of him. Recently, Avengers: Endgame, whose score was composed by Alan Silvestri, was much the same.

In order to fully illustrate my point, I feel the only way to do so is to think of your favorite movie, or even movie scene, and imagine that there is no music there. Perhaps it is a scene that does not have music underscoring it at all, but more likely than not, there's a bombastic, or perhaps quiet orchestral score that highlights the emotions of the character and the mood and tone of the film. 

Think of the epic Portals scene in Avengers: Endgame. Think about all the Avengers assembling together, appearing out of the portals, returning from their momentary deaths. Think of Captain America saying "Avengers Assemble" and the entirety of the MCU charging at Thanos and his army. Think about all the raw emotion that that scene conjures up within you. Now imagine it without music. Perhaps you don't even remember what the music was. In which case, you truly have been taking the music for granted. But the score from that scene has become synonymous with the scene that chances are, you at least vaguely remember the music. Imagine if that bombastic, energizing, high-octane orchestra had been replaced by something mediocre. Something that was just noticeable, but just barely. 

The reason that John Williams has become so iconic among the film composers is not just because he composes wonderful music (which of course, he does). It is rather because he is able to infuse his music so seamlessly into the scene, but then elevate it and take it to the next level. Perhaps we also have Williams to blame for taking music in film for granted. Because his seamless integration allows to experience the scene holistically while also appreciating the music.

Music is integral. it permeates our culture, it reaches our souls. It has the power to change how we feel on a dime. There is no doubt that music is one of the most powerful tools in the hands of a director. And how the director and composer decide to utilize it can make or break a scene, or even an entire film.

The next time you watch a film, I would challenge you to listen for the music and see how it integrates itself into the movie. Is it so mediocre that you barely notice it? Have you heard that "musical phrase" thousands of times before? Or perhaps do you begin to realize that you feel a certain way because of the musical notes playing underneath.

Either way, whether or not you realize it, music in film is manipulating you to feel a certain way. And that is why film cannot exist without music. 

The Mandalorian Chapter 2 (The Child) Review - A Mildly Entertaining Detour

The Mandalorian: Chapter 2 (The Child) Review - A Mildly Entertaining Detour

Initial Air Date: November 15th, 2019

Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

Let's clear one thing out of the way, right off the bat, shall we? Baby Yoda is without a doubt one of the best things to happen to Star Wars in recent memory. Not only has he single-handedly reinvigorated the popular culture's interest in Star Wars, but in the show he is such an adorable character to watch and look at.

On with the review.

After a solid start to the show, episode two picks up right where episode one left off. With all the excitement and energy that came with the pilot, I was ready to see where the show would take me next. 

Perhaps I was mistaken in thinking that this show would have a centralized story. Because instead of moving forward, the show moved laterally. And in my opinion, that was for the worse. 

Do not mistake me; I still believe that this episode was a highly, highly entertaining piece of content from the Disney/Star Wars team. But when I look back at the episode, I realize that the purpose of this episode was to reveal one specific thing about one specific character. Which, fine, because this is television perhaps you feel you have the real estate to do so. But the pilot set up an intriguing storyline that I felt should be pushed forward in some capacity. And instead, Mando and his new friend are stranded on this planet for the vast majority of the episode.

Mando continues to be such an intriguing and mysterious figure. The show is careful to put just the right amount of aloofness around him while also slowly but surely peeling back some layers to his character. We begin to see his humanity a little bit when he interacts with Baby Yoda, or Nick Nolte's character. He has a sense of respect and honor about him that other bounty hunters don't seem to have. 

As far as the action goes, it's a great homage to Indiana Jones and other adventure films and media of the same kind. We see the return of some of the more infuriatingly annoying Star Wars creatures, as they make Mando's life miserable throughout the episode. While their inclusion is welcome and a fitting callback to the original trilogy, they only furthered the idea in my head that this episode did very little to move the story forward.

As a matter of fact, had it not been for that one reveal that comes late in the episode, and I would've said that the entirety of this week's content was a waste. But, that one little snippet of pivotal information, mixed with some entertaining action and character interactions, leaves me wanting more from this episode, but also looking forward to next week as well. 

The Mandalorian: Chapter 1 Review - Welcome to a New Star Wars

The Mandalorian: Chapter 1 Review - Welcome to a New Star Wars

Initial Air Date: November 12th, 2019

Directed by: Dave Filoni

**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**

The Review

When Disney+ was first announced, fans were not completely ready to give their lives over to Disney even more than they already had. While the idea of being able to see all your favorite Disney shows and movies was enticing, there wasn't an "it-factor" that had fans clamoring to sign up for the service.

Enter the Mandalorian. 

Disney was quick to announce an all-new, live-action show produced and overseen by Marvel legend Jon Favreau. The story was to take place a few years after Return of the Jedi and was set to explore the adventures of a rogue bounty hunter. Immediately, and especially after the first few trailers, fans immediately bought into the streaming service. With the launch of Disney+ on November 12th came the first episode of the Mandalorian.

And while the episode was not necessarily everything that I had expected, which admittedly caught me off guard for a moment, it was truly a fulfilling experience as a Star Wars fan.

Right away, the episode establishes the silent warrior that everyone refers to as Mando. And right away, we begin to see why Mandalorians are so revered throughout the galaxy. There is an action set piece that takes place relatively close to the beginning of the episode where Mando gets to showcase all of his tricks and skills. And through simple body language and subtle acting, Pedro Pascal is able to reveal little bits and pieces about the Mandalorian's character.

As we journey through the episode, we begin to see glimpses of a world post-Return of the Jedi, where the Empire has fallen and the New Republic is beginning to take shape. Mando journeys across a couple different locations where we're able to see what life is like outside of the Core worlds that we mostly experience in the feature films. Dave Filoni is able to bring his Clone Wars sensibilities to the episode and showcase some new and interesting planets.

The episode though is not without fault, in my opinion. There are two side characters that appear towards the end of the episode, one an alien and the other a droid. Both were absolutely fantastic (one voiced by a rather notable person in the entertainment world). But there was one towards the beginning that felt extremely un-Star Wars. He talked in a semi-Southern accent that felt like he was a person from Earth pulled directly from the US onto a Star Wars set. That was jarring. Some of the lines he spoke as well were rather prequel-esque.

There is also the runtime. Thirty minutes is not a long time in terms of television. Granted, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a thirty minute episode. Absolutely not. But with such a short run-time, there's absolutely no time to waste if the scene does not service the story or the characters. And I have to say that there are some scenes that feel that they are there to pad an already short running time. There are moments in the show that are quick, and build tension quite nicely, but there are moments that release all of it. It creates this wavering feeling of being unsatisfied. 

However, overall, the first episode did exactly what it needed to. It introduced to a different side of Star Wars that we will be exploring for the next couple months. The Mandalorian is an intriguing character, and ESPECIALLY with the twist at the end of the show, I'm excited to see what new directions Favreau and his team decide to take the character.