TV Show Review - The Mandalorian (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2023
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Jack Black, Lizzo, Christopher Lloyd

Description: The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

Review: Mandalorian Din Djarin has quite a bit to recover from after taking off his helmet against all rules. To save his honor, he must travel to his home planet for a cleansing ritual. Mandalore is badly scarred and now largely deserted. In addition having to care for Grogu, Din Djarin comes to the aid of an old acquaintance and former enemy in the fight against pirates on the planet Nevarro. Supporters of the old Empire are also still asserting themselves.

The nice thing about “The Mandalorian” is that while there is a large story arc that spans a season, each episode also contains a completed story. Often a mission. This continues on in the third season, but creator Jon Favreau gradually tries to tie in more and more to the larger “Star Wars” universe as well as characters from earlier seasons.

A major factor is Bo Katan Kryze, who has a large and important role in this season. I loved that. Despite the many contradictions Bo Katan and Din Djarin have, it makes for an interesting interplay between the two characters who are clearly matched but also complement each other. And Grogu, cute as ever, is also present. Can’t get enough of him.

Despite the familiar approach, this new season explores a number of separate side paths, the function of which is not always immediately clear. For example, an entire episode is devoted to two defectors from the former Empire trying to find amnesty on planet Coruscant. This episode only gains momentum towards the end . Later in the season, these Mandalorian-less events are given a bit more context.

Totally bizarre and even more self-contained is a trip to a strange planet called Plazir 15, where actors Jack Black and Christopher Lloyd and singer Lizzo make an appearance. It is the most bizarre episode in the series so far, even though I found it highly entertaining. But it’s not the show’s best. The last two episode on the other hand, make you quickly forget about that and are of the high level we are used to. And it has a heart-warming conclusion.

Even though this season wasn’t as good as the previous two, I still really enjoyed it and I can’t get enough of this amazing series.

80s Movie Review - Clue

Director: Jonathan Lynn
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 1985
Starring: Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp

Description: Six guests are invited to a strange house and must cooperate with the staff to solve a murder mystery.

Review: The movie “Clue” is based on the board game Clue. The setting is perfect: a remote, spooky mansion in New England, USA. In this gorgeous, atmospheric décor a true murder mystery takes place, where the characters from the board game come to life.
The guests are welcomed by butler Wadsworth. Every character that’s is invited, has a secret they are blackmailed with. Host Mr. Boddy will join later. What they don’t know, is that somebody is about to be murdered and one of them is the killer….
The ingredients are simple: a group of strangers locked in a remote mansion, a murder takes place and one of them did it. It’s a typical ‘whodunit’, but who doesn’t love a good murder mystery?
In this detective it’s all about the humor. It could be seen as a mockery  of the genre. To start with the characters names. The victim is Mr. Boddy, Mrs. White is dressed all in black and Mrs. Peacock is all covered in feathers. With that, the many comedy moments filled with screaming, falling and madness. The best thing about the film is the climax, where Wadsworth tells everyone what happened. But that’s not all, because there are many possible scenarios.
The humor is great, very classical comedy. I can watch “Clue” over and over again. It’s so much fun!

Rating: 5 / 5

Ranking the Franchise - Back to the Future

I believe “Back to the Future” is still one of the best, for some maybe even THE best, time travel movie ever made. And the entire franchise is fun. Ranking this series was not that hard, since I knew what my favorite and least favorites were. But overall I can say it’s a solid trilogy with not one bad movie.
 

3. Back to the Future Part III
A good last part of a fun trilogy, but definitely the least of the three. This one can be seen without the knowledge of the previous films, although it is filled with references to previous evens. Marty McFly travels to the past and ends up in the Wild West. There he meets an ancestor of his arch-enemy. In the meantime, Doc Brown has become completely absorbed in it. Beautiful images of the landscapes, good special effects and a strong soundtrack. That what make this a successful adventure film.
 

2. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
The story of this second film begins seconds after part one ends. Marty McFLy has to go back to the future, says Emmett Brown, because things seem to be going completely wrong there. To solve it, he will have to jump back and forth in time. The film is more complex, because timelines cross timelines and we also revisit scenes we saw in “Back to the Future”. There are people that say this is the best time travel movie ever made, and for me it’s a close call. But it’s a strong second. And for the people who haven’t seen the films, you can’t watch “Back to the Future Part II” without seeing “Back to the Future” first.
 

1. Back to the Future (1985)
Seventeen-year-old Marty McFly travels to the past using the time machine of the remarkable Professor Emmet Brown. There he meets his clumsy father and his charming mother. He will have to pair them up, otherwise he will never be born. The brilliant, witty script by director Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale of this now classic time travel film was only approved by the Universal Studio after a long hesitation.
 

Movie Review - Nobody

Director: Ilya Naishuller
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, RZA, Billy MacLellan, Ayara Mengesha, Gage Munroe, Aleksandr Pal, Humberly González, Edsson Morales, J.P. Manoux, Adrian McLean
 
Description: A docile family man (Bob Odenkirk) slowly reveals his true character after his house gets burgled by two petty thieves, which, coincidentally, leads him going to a bloody war with a Russian crime boss.

Review: Bob Odenkirk, mostly known for his role as Saul Goodman in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”, is not you typical action star. Especially given the fact that Odenkirk is already in his late fifties and he hasn’t done anything action-packed like this before. And it can go wrong, making an actor do something completely different. In “Nobody” it really works and Odenkirk is utterly convincing as the jaded family man Hutch, whose life contains very little tension. But then one night his house is broken into and he sees an opportunity to overpower one of the burglars. But Hutch is smart enough to refrain from such unnecessary provocations. But no matter how well he managed to de-escalate the situation, the experience does something to him. He eventually goes after them, but ends up in a fight with a Russian crime boss.
“Nobody” does remind me of movies like “A History of Violence” or “John Wick”, and it clearly took some inspiration from them. But in the details, you can tell that the filmmakers have thought about the subject matter just a bit more than is usual for this kind of movie. Because it’s mostly an action film, for the most part very serious.
The strongest asset remains the casting of Bob Odenkirk. It seems like a movie for action stars like Bruce Willis or Liam Neeson, but with Odenkirk we actually have someone who actually looks like a normal civilian instead of a born action hero who has to act against his image in the first act. And when Hutch’s true nature is revealed, we see him taking at least as many punches as he gives out. The result is a character for whom it can be rightly feared that he will lose out. The lesson is not that Odenkirk should get every action role from now on, but that ore roles like this would enrich the action genre.
I really loved “Nobody”, and with a standard action star this movie would be a ‘nobody’ film. But by choosing someone like Odenkirk, this movie is given something that makes the film stand-out from others in the genre.

Rating: 4 / 5

80s Movie Review - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Crime/ Adventure
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 1988
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleisher, Stubby Kaye, Kathleen Turner, Alan Tilvern

Description: A toon-hating detective (Bob Hoskins) is a cartoon rabbit’s only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.

Review: In 1988, director Robert Zemeckis brought us a very special film where people and cartoons live in the same world. The movie is set in 1947. Private detective Eddie Valiant is hired by cartoon boos R.K. Maroon, to spy on Jessica, wife of cartoon character Roger Rabbit. Eddie follows her in a nightclub and catches her with funny guy Marvin Acme. Roger Rabbit is completely devastated when he finds out the news about his wife. The next day, Acme is found murdered and Roger Rabbit is the main suspect. He asks Eddie for help to proof his innocence.
The great this about “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is the wat the cartoon world and the real world are put into one film. You van see that a lot of work went into this movie. As a result we get a modern film-noir, with comedy and sympathetic characters.
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an unique film, with both animation and live-action. Even today it still holds up and is a guarantee for an entertaining movie night. Loved it as a kid, still love it today.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 111: Going in Style

Director: Zach Braff
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Matt Dillon, Christopher Lloyd, John Ortiz, Ann-Margret, Joey King, Peter Serafinowicz, Kenan Thompson

Description: Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

Review: Joe has trouble keeping up when his bank tells him he loses his house in 30 days, when he doesn’t pay his mortgage. His friend Willie hardly sees his daughter and granddaughter, who live on the other side of the country and hides a serious kidney problem. And their friend Albert fills his days teaches music class to untalented kids. The three know each other through their work at a factory and are currently enjoying their pension. At least, they are supposed to. Because their former bosses decide to pause their pensions. Joe, Willie and Albert have had it and decide to rob a bank.
“Going in Style” is directed by actor and creator of “Garden State”, Zach Braff. He must have thought to have gold with three actors of this standard. It doesn’t even matter what you let them do. And that’s the power of this film, the comical interaction between the three main characters.
The sentimental part is kept to a minimun. “Going in Style” shows men who can be themselves, love their families. The main characters are all likeable in their own way, I don’t think this movie would have worked as well as it did, if it where three random lesser known actors. It’s Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin that make this movie. With that, there are some fun supporting roles, especially Christopher Lloyd is worth mentioning.
The part where the three men are planning their heist is the most fun. Testing their criminal capacities, trying to rob a local supermarket, it’s so hilarious. This comedy really made me laugh out loud, something most comedies nowadays can’t even do. Most people wouldn’t call “Going In Style” a great film, but it’s mostly the sympathy you have for the characters and the interaction between the three gentlemen that win you over. It’s one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in the past years. And that’s thanks to Caine, Freeman and Arkin. Highly enjoyable movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 37: The Addams Family Values

Director: Barry Sonnefeld
Genre: Comedy/ Fantasy/ Horror
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 1993
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Joan Cusack, David Krumholtz, Carel Struycken, Christine Baranski, Peter MacNichol, David Hyde Pierce, Nathan Lane, Tony Shalhoub

Description: A comical Gothic horror-movie-type family tries to rescue their beloved uncle from his gold-digging new love.

Review: If you love macabre humor, this sequel to “The Addams Family” is right up your alley. And “The Addams Family Values” manages to keep the magic of the first film intact.
The family welcomes a new member, baby boy Pubert. Gomez and Morticia are very happy with their new baby, but his siblings Wednesday and Pugsley aren’t. they are trying to do everything to get rid of him. The Addams family decides to hire a nanny, in the form of Debbie. In real life she is a serial killer, who marries rich men to then eventually kill them and take their money. Her eyes are on Fester this time. And Wednesday and Pugsley are send to summer camp.
Probably the best parts of the film are set on Camp Chippawa and Wednesday, played by Christina Ricci, steals all the scenes.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld is energetic and inventive. Great eye for detail and a wonderful way to bring this family to life. Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston and Christopher Lloyd are again great in their roles and Joan Cusack is a lot of fun to watch.
Again the story isn’t that complicated, but it’s a good move to let the kids of the family have their own adventure. “The Addams Family Values” is not as good as the first film, but it’s not very far from it.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 36: The Addams Family

Director: Barry Sonnefeld
Genre: Comedy/ Fantasy/ Horror
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Dan Hedaya, Carel Struycken

Description: Con artists plan to fleece an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost uncle.

Review: In this satirical film, we meet the Addams family, an eccentric family with an extraordinary lifestyle and interested in death and destruction. Most people find them weird, but they are a surprisingly loving family. Father Gomez has been looking for his long lost brother Fester for years. Con artists see this as an opportunity to get money out of them.
Actor Raul Julia plays the role of Gomez formidable. He is a decadent gentleman who loves his wife to death. Angelica Huston plays his wife Morticia. Calm and collected, with perfection. Christoper Lloyd plays Uncle Fester, and it shows that he had a lot of fun doing it. A very young Christina Ricci portrays daughter Wednesday, a very down and morbid girl with intelligence. She is probably my favorite character of the family.
The story isn’t complicated, but the execution is done very well. The cast rbings the family to life and the décor and costumes are amazing. “The Addams Family” is a timeless comedy that is now just ast entertaining as it was in the nineties.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 5: Anastasia

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
Genre: Animation/ Drama/ Musical/ Adventure
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Kirsten Dunst

Description: The last surviving child of the Russian Royal Family joins two con men to reunite with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, while the undead Rasputin seeks her death.

Review: The Romanov family flees during their royal celebration, when they are being cursed by counsel man Grigori Rasputin. Short before he predicts that the entire Romanov family will die within two week, the Russian revolution starts. The 8 year old Anastasia and her grandmother manage to escape, but get separated. Years later, Anastasia leaves an orphanage, with no memory of the past, trying to find out where to go.
The film is inspired by the real life story of the Romanov family and their missing daughter Anastasia. The animation is beautiful and the songs have depth. I really liked Anastasia as a character, but also Dimitri. The villain is a bit flat, we don’t really get to know much about him. Which makes him less scary than intended.
The story also has depth and the ending is not typically Disney. “Anastasia” is a overlooked and underrated Disney animation. One Disney princess they always forget about.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 105: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Lloyd, Jamie King, Juno Temple, Stacy Keach, Marton Csokas, Jamie Chung

Description: Some of Sin City's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants.

Review: “Sin City”(2005), the original adaptation of Frank Miller’s successful graphic novel, was a dark telling of the underworld of the society in the fictive town Basin City. Especially the style of the film caught everyone’s eye. The sequel adds the 3D effect and makes it an experience again.

Like the first movie “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” is a beautifully made movie. The film noir style is clearly present, the contrast of the black and white and sometimes the color of green eyes, golden blond hair and red lips looks amazing again. The violence is grotesque and the narration feels gloomy and raw, filled with memorable one-liners. Animation and live-action are combined. The 3D effect gives more depth and it really adds something extra to the movie experience. Everything together makes this movie a joy to watch.

Some might feel that the story is much of the same, but to me there was never a moment of boredom. I never expected it to top “Sin City” but it came damn close. Exactly what I expected from “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”.

Rating: 4,5/ 5