MOVIE REVIEW: STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU

 

The evil Empire has fallen but Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they enlist the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu.

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Blum, Martin Scorsese

Release Date: May 22, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action.

Runtime: 2h 12m

Review:

The Mandalorian and Grogu hits the big screen with decidedly lower stakes than most Star War films but it still packs in a hefty amount of action in this standalone story that leans heavily on mindless fun as opposed to dramatic heft.   The film is more of a series of smaller stories that almost makes the whole thing feel like an elevated binge of the show with more expansive visuals and action.  Jon Favreau delivers an easily accessible film that doesn’t require the audience know much about the show before jumping right into the bounty hunting action.  Favreau’s familiarity with the world and characters comes through as he easily sets up the series of planets and environments Mando and Grogu traverse from the snow covered opening to the Blade Runner inspired planet Shakari.  The action set pieces come at a regular pace, rarely letting up with the dramatic storyline taking a backseat to the overall spectacle.  The opening sequence has a fun Hoth sort of look and feels while the gladiator fight with a jacked Rotta Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White, answers the question how do worms fight.  The twin Hutts compound on Nal Hutt has a swampy Yavin feel that will feel familiar to anyone who grew up with the original films.  That setting does offer Grogu his best moments, first with the tiny mechanic Anzellans and then by him in a particularly inspired, nearly silent, segment that lets him take center stage.  That segment is the most impressive and memorable of the bunch as it brings something original to the board which is refreshingly creative and noteworthy something the film could have used a tad bit more of.  Those looking for some deeper expansion of Mando and Grogu’s story won’t find much here as the script offers little more than the reaffirmation of their surrogate father/son relationship.  Rotta Hutt, Jabba’s son, is a solid but rather one note as someone trying to move out of his father’s notorious legacy and forge his own path.  Jeremy Allen White delivers solid voice work as Rotta even though the quality of his character’s CGI strangely fluctuates from good to shoddy for some reason.  Pedro Pascal also provides strong voicework, he doesn’t show his face well over an hour into the film, with him easing back into the character like an old pair of jeans.  Sigourney Weaver has a supporting role as a Republic colonel but the film gives her pitifully little to work with as her character isn’t given much time to shine.  There could be more dramatic beef to the The Mandalorian and Grogu that would have made it stand out a bit more but it’s fun enough to keep fans and causal movie goers entertained.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LION KING

Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother -- and former heir to the throne -- has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, James Earl Jones

Release Date: July 18, 2019

Animation, Adventure, Drama

Rated PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements |

Runtime: 1 h 58 min

Review:

First and foremost, I have to admit that I’ve never seen the original Lion King.  It’s a film that’s become so ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist that it almost doesn’t feel necessary.  None the less, I understand it’s a much beloved property that many people have incredible affection for so it makes watching this remake a strange experience.  The film itself is a technical marvel, all the animals are beautifully realized throughout.  The film’s voice cast is a who’s who of big stars who all do serviceable work in their particular roles with nobody really standing out.  A handful of the legendary songs reappear with some strong staging but all of it feels strangely hollow.  Unfortunately the whole thing feels rather soulless much like most of Disney’s ongoing money making scheme of remaking all their animated classics.  Jon Favreau’s film isn’t a terrible film by any stretch but it’s strangely uninspired.  Some of that might come from the fact that by making the film photo realistic the animals lack any sort of real expressive features, something that’s much easier in an animated feature.  As such it feels like you are watching one of those old 90s Homeward Bound films with much better production values.


C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Spider-Man: Far from Home

Yesterday I took an (involuntary) break from back-to-back Rocketman screenings to check in with my friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

To no one's surprise, Peter Parker's plan to participate in a school trip like any normal teen goes awry.

Like almost all Marvel product, Spider-Man: Far from Home trades heavily on the capital of its star's charisma and real-life personality. Tom Holland is an absolute jackpot in this regard, having proved as charming off-screen as on, and--while Andrew Garfield remains my perfect Spidey--the more age-appropriate Holland carries a big franchise film with the ease of someone far more experienced. His supporting cast is fleshed out this time with the always-wonderful Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as recurring turns by Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, and Coby Smoulders. The movie's got flaws, but not a single member of this cast is among them.

Far from Home represents a sort-of torch-passing, following the events of Avengers: Endgame. The film features spectacular disaster and creature effects, yet somehow Spidey himself looks weirdly CGI-ed even when it's probably a live actor or stunt person performing. The movie is never boring, precisely, but it's too long before it even gets out of its first hour. There's a big "twist" that manages to serve its purpose while probably not being much of a surprise to most fans. Some great action sequences, an engaging cast, and spot-on humor make Far from Home a fun movie, but, ultimately, it's nothing special.

Spider-Man: Far from Home clocks in at an excessive 129 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi action violence, some language, and brief suggestive comments."

Far from Home is another fun-but-unremarkable outing from Marvel that you'll forget before the next fun-but-unremarkable outing from Marvel. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Spider-Man: Far from Home gets seven.

Fangirl points: My best boyfriend Jake (obvs.)! Martin Starr! The Ramones!

MOVIE REVIEW: SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal

Release Date: July 2, 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments

Runtime: 2 h 9 min

Review:

Spider-Man: Far from Home has the simple task of tidying up the events of Avengers: Endgame while also moving forward Spider-Man character’s story.  It’s a hefty task and the film’s only partially able to pull it off, even though it’s at the cost of other elements.  Jon Watts’ film is a light and breezy affair with nary an air of heft or weight to it. They’re never any moments where you wonder if the hero is in any real danger, which is a common occurrence is these single character films but here it feels even more obvious.  That’s not say to there isn’t plenty of superhero action to go around along with some impressively staged sequences, particularly in the third act.  Tom Holland is still excellent as Parker/Spider-Man but while he gives more angst teen drama this entry, it feels more inorganic and stilted than it did in Homecoming.  Zendaya is relegated to a more standard love interest role than she did before and no amount of snark can hide it.  Jake Gyllenhaal is an interesting addition to the film but he’s a retconned villain from Spider-man villain who could just wear a sign around his neck stating “Don’t Trust Me” during the first half.  His reveal is interesting and it’s hard not to see the screenwriters taking swipes at a certain someone in the current political zeitgeist with the villain’s primary motivation.  It’s an interesting take and something that would have been more interesting if it’d been explored more but as is it’s a solid film.  Ultimately, it does close out this “phase” of the Marvel universe but does so in a workman like function.  That being said there are 2 post credit sequences that actually have bearing on the film you’ve finished watching so it’s worth staying all the way through the credits in this one.   

B

[Trailer] Iron Man 3

First trailer for Iron Man 3 has been released and it looks to take the series in more serious and darker direction.

Shane Black takes over the directorial reigns and these early bits of footage look more impressive than expected.

Since Iron Man 2 fell into a lot of the traps that big sequels suffer from, including the extended set up for The Avengers, so it’d be nice to see a more focused entry from Marvel.

Movie Reviews: IRON MAN

Sunday, May 04, 2008
Movie Reviews: IRON MAN
IN THEATERS



IRON MAN

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a billionaire industrialist whose forte is building weapons of mass destruction. When he's severely injured while testing one of those weapons in Afghanistan, he's kidnapped by insurgents and has to build a suit of iron armor to escape his captors. After returning to the U.S., Stark refines his iron creation and transforms himself into a flying metallic repulsor-ray-firing superhero. When his biggest business rival, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), gets his hands on Stark's original plans, he creates an even bigger iron adversary to defeat Stark once and for all.


Cast Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Shaun Toub, Gwyneth

Paltrow (more)


Director(s) Jon Favreau


Writer(s) Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matthew Holloway

Status In theaters (wide)

Genre(s) Action/Adventure


Release Date May 2, 2008


Running Time 126 minutes


MPAA Rating PG-13 - for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and

brief suggestive content

Review:

Summer movie season starts off well with Robert Downey Jr. donning the red and gold Iron Man armor. Jon Favreau does the smart thing in this film and allows Downey Jr. to hold court; Downey Jr. repays him in spades. Robert Downey Jr. is just fantastic here and feels so naturalistic from the moment he hits the screen. Iron Man is at its best when Downey is on screen, his Tony Stark is perfectly charismatic and egotistical but he still has a sense loneliness and frailty. To say that Downey is a natural for this part is a massive understatement and he just keeps the movie moving at pleasant pace, rarely does this film ever drag even though it's a fairly typical year one superhero plot. The action is typical superhero goodness and the CGI is well done throughout the larger action set pieces. The only problem is that once Tony suits up were robbed of Downey wonderful banter. The rest of the supporting cast is strangely muted throughout. It's a bit of a let down mainly because the supporting roles are filled with great actors capable of doing more with their roles if given the opportunity. Paltrow's character gets the biggest amount of screen time but her character just feels more and more clichéd as the film heads towards the finale. Jeff Bridges character is typically evil, oh that shaved evil head, and it comes as no surprise that he double crosses Tony. Terrence Howard that's the biggest hit here as not given anything to do except react to Stark. It feels like a bit of a waste but given Downey brilliance I still notch it as a small complaint. Another complaint I have is that Iron Man isn't genre defying or tries to break any new ground on the superhero genre. It's truly a testament to Jon Favreau's talent that he's able to take such a standard superhero origin plot and make it thoroughly engaging and enjoyable for its two hour run time. Iron Man isn't going to change how we look at superhero movies but it does provide an extremely fun experience.

B+