Tag: Reviews

REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Chapter 7 – In The Name of Honor

The Book of Boba Fett finale has arrived and I continue to struggle really getting a feeling for this series. We’ve spent so much time with Din Djarin in the last two episodes that it feels somewhat disconnected from its titular character. He does get moments to shine and Temuera Morrison made me like this once silent character quite a bit, but he never really gets long enough to fully realize an arc that wasn’t overshadowed by development hinted at in flashbacks. The Mandalorian’s open plotlines completely took over the series that it could’ve gone with a different title and I may have an easier time with digesting it. Yet, the finale left me with joy, confusion, and uncertainty about the various spinoffs in development from The Mandalorian.

I will jump into quite a few spoilers from the episode, as avoiding them would make it difficult to discuss the many aspects of this episode. So, only continue reading at your own risk if you haven’t seen the episode yet.

So, the strongest moments of the series from an emotional standpoint are primarily given to Din once again. Grogu made the decision we all kind of saw coming, but him jumping into his arms probably broke me way more than I ever thought it would. Pascal manages to sell the emotions once again even as he continues to keep the helmet on at all times – making Boba’s love of taking it off a funny contrast. The little guy actually gets some character development, as he easily utilizes his powers now that he is united with his father figure once again, which makes you wonder if Luke counted on it to some degree. I do wish we had some time with him looking back on letting the promising student leave, but the show doesn’t really give us much outside of R2D2 flying the X-Wing.

I think the highlight of the episode was seeing Boba and Din fighting alongside each other, especially as they took flight with their jetpacks early on. They did end up getting overrun, which was a little annoying but made sense given just how many people they were facing. It also gave the Freetown people a chance to come in and confirm they are here to help. I confess I didn’t care much for the Mods and was surprised they got as much focus as they did in the episode. Krrsantan, however, I was really worried about losing, as the character just got introduced in live-action and didn’t want them to just kill him off but alas he lives to see another day.

Can’t say the same about Cad Bane. Their first confrontation was great, as Bane started toying with him and just outright confirming what we all suspected with the Tusken Raiders. He’s a strong presence and the show knows how to make use of him, but it made me wish he was actually present throughout way more. Yes, the Pykes are technically the actual villains but did anyone really care when their leader was taken out? Outside of making Fennec Shand look awesome, it was more a way to close some loose ends, which highlighted just how disconnected they were from the actual narrative arc.

And then, in their final confrontation, Fett gets his ass handed to him after calling Bane an old man. It was a funny bit of irony considering Morrison‘s age, but it didn’t quite feel like a duel but rather a one-sided confrontation until our titular hero got his second wind. I will say that him defeating Bane with his Raider stick from earlier in the episode was great, it was such a shame they just introduced the character into live-action to kill him off the next episode. There are theories he may have survived, as his “you’re a killer” line was the core aspect of this conflict but it doesn’t add much to either character.

We finally got the payoff of Boba riding the Rancor. Was a great moment, especially love the shot of him on top, and the sequences were well-done if you consider that it’s a TV series. The Prequel-inspired droids added that extra level of detail and made the Pykes an actual threat outside of their numbers. I do wish they just embraced the original ones from the films, but the larger ones make sense given that it’s about showing off the Rancor. I still wish though that we spent time between Boba building a relationship with his newly acquired pet to make that pay-off sink in even better.

Speaking of, that kind of summarizes my thoughts on the finale. There are strong moments throughout but nothing feels very earned outside of Din’s arc given the least two episodes and two seasons of an entire show were dedicated to it. His reunion with Grogu is sweet but will be quite confusing for viewers of Season 3 that skipped on Boba Fett thinking it’s just a separate storyline. Some of the action was a bit wonky, even if I enjoyed the concept of Fett riding the beast – and even a tease of Din trying which might be another hint at his role within Mandalorian mythology – but it’s more spectacle.

I wanted to see Boba confront the Pykes on the death of those that were his family. Even one or two of them returning to give a glimpse of hope for the character would’ve gone a long way to avoid the trope that it already was. Offer us a hint that them stopping the Spice trade actually made a difference, cause we never really learn how it affects Tatooine’s climate. Water springing from a well that has been dry for ages would add so much more to this story that was stockpiled with cameos and a sincere lack of focus.

Even the post-credit sequence had me scratching my head. We didn’t get a clear shot of Cobb Vanth in the Bacta tank – who knew that was a set-up all this time – but a clear hint he’ll be revived similar to Shand. So, that part of the flashback did get paid off here finally, but it still leaves you with questions. It seemingly is hinting that he might take over the role that Boba is currently holding, but there’s no clear indication of where his character is going. He seems likely to return for a future Mandalorian episode, but a second season primarily focused on Boba would really help this series in my opinion. I didn’t hate it, I quite enjoyed my time with it but it’s less a book and rather a footnote of the Star Wars mythos.

February 9, 2022
REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Chapter 6 – From the Desert Comes a Stranger

So, the third season of The Mandalorian is going strong. It’s just strange they decided to rename it The Book of Boba Fett and ignore the titular character after a few episodes to fully embrace a follow-up story for Din Djarin. After last week’s episode, Temuera Morrison once again takes a backseat while the series further expands upon the greater mythos that was initially set up with Grogu’s journey to becoming a Jedi. It’s a shame that such a great episode is bogged down by the fact that it feels like you’re watching the wrong show.

I will talk about spoilers in the review, so only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen the episode yet.

I love what Lucasfilms is doing with the Disney+ series, but I fear what this series’ pacing might mean for other spin-offs from the initial series that kicked off Disney+’s success. Pedro Pascal‘s Din remains one of the most compelling characters, but he also gets the most emotional arc throughout the entire franchise currently. Boba Fett at least shows up this time around, but barely even has a speaking line that makes you wonder if he’s even the protagonist of this story.

Still, what we have is a great episode that is riddled with great cameos that are certain to make many long-time fans gush. The episode starts with Timothy Olyphant‘s return as Cobb Vanth – a personal favorite that I hope gets more focus in the future – and a small insight into what the Pykes trade is going on. You’d think for a large smuggling ring they’d do more than exchange money in the middle of nowhere like that, but it does lead to a powerful moment showing who he’ll side on once the main conflict happens.

Yet, most of the episode is focused on Grogu, who makes his adorable return with some insight into his teachings by Mark Hamill‘s Luke Skywalker. They certainly learned from the previous appearance and the effect looks quite a bit better, even if still off at times. the performance is also quite subdued but works well for the Jedi way that he is trying to teach to his new padawan. It’s great to see the teachings, especially how Grogu echoes moves we’ve seen from Yoda in the prequels. That even gets paid off at the end of the episode.

Din not being able to let go of his little fellow, and traveling all the way to see him was great – even if I don’t quite get how he knew to find them. R2D2 returns for a brief appearance, which seemed like a given with Luke there. However, I never expected Rosario Dawson‘s Ahsoka to make an appearance. It made sense in how she built upon the words she mentioned in her last appearance, and her interactions with Luke were heartwarming for Star Wars: Clone Wars fans.

I do believe that the biggest moment comes at a later date for Clone Wars fans when bounty hunter Cad Cane arrived. Probably the best use of Tatooine’s landscape to build up his arrival and everything just worked incredibly well. Didn’t think the character would translate so damn well to live-action. The Western showdown matched his design so well, and he probably got the most intimidating introduction out of any character in this show yet. It’ll be a difficult one to top moving forward.

We only have one more episode to go, and I am having a hard time imagining all these pieces falling together as they should. Boba is a no-show in his series for the last two episodes. We spent most of the first five revisiting the past and any main threat vanished before they even had a chance to become relevant. The Pykes offer some intrigue but not enough to make the upcoming events feel relevant. Outside of Morrison‘s performance and giving Boba Fett an actual character, it feels like this series is just The Mandalorian 2.5 rather than its own fully fleshed-out show. Even when the show catches back up with Fett’s empire, the big moment towards the end is overshadowed by everything else.

I loved the episode, don’t get time wrong, but I wanted to spend time with Fett, as he raises the Rancor, takes down the underbelly, and sees the build-up to the final confrontation. They tease a big war, but we still don’t know why the Pykes are obsessed with the obvious Dune parallel. The problem lies that its main character was fleshed out in the past while nothing in the present is fully explored outside of fun cameos and Djarin’s story taking over. Perhaps they should’ve split it up into two series and just keep The Book of Boba Fett as a brief 5-episode mini-series.

February 2, 2022
REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Chapter 5 – Return of the Mandalorian

After what can perhaps be described as a rather lackluster series so far, The Book of Boba Fett has delivered not only its best episode yet, but probably one of the best Star Wars Disney+ episodes ever. It’s interesting how it managed that on an episode where the titular character doesn’t show up, even if the reasons for that tend to be pretty obvious. Let’s dive in.

After the obvious hints on last week’s episode, it’s no surprise that Din Djarin finally made his debut on the show. And much like Ahsoka Tano’s introduction on Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, we didn’t have to wait long for that to happen, with the series putting aside an endless tease and going straight into it. By giving us an entire episode following Din the show cashed in on the growing expectations to see what was to come next in the journeys of Din Djarin, following Grogu’s departure and his acquiring of the Darksaber. By expanding his story and also tying it with Boba Fett’s it managed to deliver a compelling addendum to both The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian.

One might say that a few of the issues that have made The Book of Boba Fett pale in comparison to its predecessor might come to the (lack of) novelty of it all. Having a show not only set on Tatooine, perhaps the most uninteresting of the interesting planets of the Star Wars universe but also focusing half of your runtime on flashbacks that do little more than connecting dots one already knew existed doesn’t exactly invite the awe of discovery one often associates with Star Wars. With the flashbacks presumably ending in Chapter 4, given Boba Fett being finally healed of the injuries inflicted on him by the Sarlacc, it was now time to move forward and bring something new to the table.

This breath of fresh air is personified by the return of Din Djarin. His on-screen magnetism is perhaps best explained through the tracking shot set between 07:05 and 09:21. We follow him go up an elevator, delivering his bounty, collecting the information he needed, and then leaving, all on a single take, with the camera focusing on him at all times. The Disney+ shows have been known for doing something similar to what Peli Motto did with Din’s new ship when she states “Not a gram of fat on her!” in order to make it go faster. They always seem to be able to cut the superfluous shots and give us the bare essentials that the story needs in order to move forward at a more pleasant pace. So it is interesting to see an episode take its time with the reintroduction of a character so that when it’s done everybody had the opportunity to settle in and begin the episode on the same page. That can only speak of how much the character means to so many, even if it’s only been around for a little over two years.

By making Din Djarin the star of the show we managed to get off-planet and onto some new and interesting locations, one of the aspects where The Book of Boba Fett doesn’t really deliver. Elysium and Interstellar came to mind when we got to the city in space where Din delivers his bounty. But the references within the new and exciting location and action shots didn’t stop there as the flashbacks to the destruction of Mandalore was reminiscent of Terminator 2: Judgment Day with the KX-series security droids taking the place of the Terminators stepping on human skulls. All these references, combined with the connections to past Star Wars projects as seen when Din is testing out his Naboo N-1 Starfighter through Beggar’s Canyon, Motto’s BD droid, and a few more, could feel gratuitous but they all end up shining by flowing nicely into the plot and being used as an integral part of the story.

At the end of the day having a Din Djarin-centered episode also benefits his future endeavors. Besides setting up what is sure to be a transformative final act for The Book of Boba Fett, having Chapter 5 explore the present state of The Tribe, the group hidden in the Mandalorian covert in the sewers of Nevarro, first introduced and mostly destroyed in The Mandalorian, also perfectly sets up what a The Mandalorian season 3 might be all about by addressing the legacy of the Darksaber and how that impacts Din’s relationship with his fellow Mandalorians. With Din left on his own, and much like in his own show battling his teachings after realizing there were other ways to honor his Mandalorian background, his search for Grogu will now begin as he plans to deliver him his own mesh armor made out of beskar.

This chapter feels like one that jumpstarts the show from its lethargic state, giving it a much-needed energy boost as we get to the final two episodes with a greater sense of urgency, with more dynamic character dynamics on the horizon. The Book of Boba Fett might not be living up to the hype, but there is no reason why it can’t still surpass it.

January 26, 2022
REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 3 – The Fixer

Sophie’s love story continues. This time, Jesse takes the spotlight, as they both try and conquer their return to the dating world. Last week, I shared my thoughts on the premiere of How I Met Your Father and had some complaints about the series. Luckily, it seems those may have been answered. During the premiere episodes, I felt the humor was a bit lacking, and the connections to How I Met Your Mother were great, but I felt the feel was a bit off. In a way, it was almost like the show was trying desperately to recreate the atmosphere of the original, but wasn’t quite hitting the mark. Episode 3, however, answers these problems and then some.

As I had suggested last week, I feel the first two episodes may have only felt off due to it being a premiere and, therefore, needing to set up multiple different characters and relationships. One thing I did love last week was that I had already started to get a feeling for the characters and have grown to love a few of them already. That helped tremendously in the third episode, which is by far the best one out of the three. It follows Sophie and Jesse returning to the dating world, both feeling a bit defeated on their search for love. As romantic sitcoms go, the episode concludes with both characters hyping each other up, and having new prospects and views on their current dating life.

Episode 3 was both charming and funny. The humor that I felt missed the mark last week was dead on this time around, obviously not all jokes will land with everyone, but I felt that laugh tracks weren’t placed in humorless moments as often. The characters once again stand out, and the more I watch them – especially Jesse and Sophie – the more I am falling in love with them. I am invested in this journey. In my last review, I noted the clever approach to already hinting at who might be the father. Yet, this new episode defied expectations and introduced a new possible father, Josh Peck‘s Drew, as we learn he met Sophie briefly on the first night while asking for a charger. This new development not only adds another father into the mix but also opens up the possibility of many new men that could be the aforementioned father. I mean, it was a party that filled up a bar, after all.

On top of the love story, the supporting cast also made some leaps this week. Just like with How I Met Your Mother, the show followed Sophie and Jesse on their “main journey,” but also spent some time with the other members of the group while they live their respective lives. This week, we followed Valentina and Sid trying to improve their long-distance relationship, as well as Ellen and Charlie house hunting in New York. The character pair-ups were a bit odd to me at first, but as the episode continued, you immediately felt the chemistry between them. This cohesive friend group continues to impress me with how natural it feels.

From the character sitting around the apartment to the humor to the charming love story, this episode landed so perfectly in its attempt to capture the feeling of the original. How I Met Your Father had an uphill battle in trying to live up to one of the most beloved sitcoms in the last 20 years, and somehow, they managed to do it. Episode 3 had me truly feel like this was an extension of How I Met Your Mother and that it’s expanding the world of the original. I was quite impressed with how fast the problems seemed to just disappear, and how fast the show has managed to grip me.

How I Met Your Father is starting to line up as a great premiere in a crowded 2022 schedule. If they can continue to deliver as they did with this entry, they may have a stand-out new show on their hands that is worth your attention. As the streaming wars continue, IP is like gold. So, when a new show manages to deliver on its predecessors, it’s a true treat for fans. So far, How I Met Your Father is a good show worth checking out, but if they can keep up this momentum, it may just become a must-watch. I hope it continues on this path, if they do, I truly believe it may possibly live up to and maybe fix the problems of How I Met Your Mother.

January 25, 2022
REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 1 – 2

Everyone has their “ol’ reliable” show to fall back on. It’s that one show you can’t help but go back to, over and over again even though there are countless other things to watch. Some have The Office, while others Parks & Rec, and for me, it always ends up being How I Met Your Mother. I have watched my ol’ reliable over 30 times by this point. If I’m being honest, I watch it so much that I have started to leave it on while I fall asleep purely to function as white noise. You can imagine both my excitement and skepticism when How I Met Your Father, a spin-off set in the same universe as its predecessor, was announced. I loved the prospect of a new series with the same love and charm that made the original so great. However, I was also worried about the all too common problem of a sequel that either falls into the trap of trying too hard to be the original, or steers so far off from it that the only link is by name. Now, after a long wait since its announcement, it has finally arrived on Hulu. Does it live up to How I Met Your Mother, or is this another sequel disaster in the making?

Thanks to a two-episode premiere, we already have a start to the character and relationship development needed for a romantic sitcom. The show follows Sophie, played by Hillary Duff with Kim Catrall as her future self, as she tells her son the story of how she met his father. Similar to the approach of How I Met Your Mother, we follow older Sophie recounting her memories of the past. However, the show has made some changes to the original formula. Instead of being in the blind on who the aforementioned mother or father is, the new show lets us in on a pretty big secret as of the first episode: the father is one of the men we see her meet in the very first episode.

Another change is that instead of watching the kids react to the story in the future, future Sophie is instead seen telling the story to her son, who is the one kept a secret from the viewers. I feel this was pretty obviously done in an effort to not make it obvious who the father is, considering we are narrowing it down to four gentlemen from the start. I personally love this change. The original was very ambiguous, which made it so any lucky lady could be the mother during the journey. However, I feel like this new approach will make for some tense and emotional moments as the show progresses. We’ll be on the edge of our seats, as four possible suitors are in the picture, all being around Sophie and competing for her attention as the plot unravels.

In the two-episode premiere, I was surprised by how fast I was getting emotionally invested in the characters and their relationships. Jesse (Chris Lowell) is an emotionally damaged character that immediately takes a liking to Sophie. He is charming but awkward, which makes for a great character to cheer for. Sid (Suraj Sharma) seems to be a fun and loving man, who gets engaged to his fiancee in the first episode. It’s a similar scenario Lilly and Marshall’s from the original, but with a twist. Unlike the original, Sid’s fiancee has to leave to work in another city, seemingly not a part of the main cast. This dynamic has led me to believe that while he is engaged now, he is definitely not out of the running to be the father.

Other characters include Valentina (Francia Raisa) who is Sophie’s best friend – a character that immediately made me laugh out loud – and her date Charlie (Tom Ainsley), as well as Ellen (Tien Tran), Jesse’s adoptive sister. I felt the cast immediately had chemistry and seemed like a very easy to imagine as a group of friends. This is largely why I am excited for the future of the show, a lot of shows struggle with introducing a new cast or building them into a cohesive friend group. With this largely already out of the way, more time can be focused on developing the plot.

While the relationships and characters are lovable, the humor felt a bit forced. Multiple times I heard a laugh track and couldn’t help but feel that it distracted from the show rather than back up an actual hilarious moment. I’m not particularly fond of laugh tracks in general, but I will never fault a show for using them considering it is such a standard practice in the genre. However, using them to force a boring moment into being a funny one is never fun. That isn’t to say the show doesn’t have its laughs, there were many times when my fiancee and I audibly laughed out loud. While this was a negative thing for me, I also feel this is a problem with a lot of shows as they start out, so I will reserve judgment on this until the full season is completed.

All-in-all, while I feel like the humor could use some work, the groundwork laid out in the first couple of episodes has me excited for the future. So far, I feel the show lies firmly in the “fans of the original should check this out” category. Sitcom lovers will also probably feel right at home. However, so far, I think the show is not for everyone, but we will see how that changes over the course of the season. Considering the emotional moment at the end of the second episode that ties How I Met Your Father to How I Met Your Mother, I think we are in for a real treat when we see what’s to come.

January 22, 2022
REVIEW: ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Is Raunchy, Violent, Fantasy Fun

The world of animation is home to a rather wide variety of genres, and most of them are designed to cater to a very specific audience. Those with a flair for the theatrical tend to love an action-packed anime, filled with an ample amount of drama and enough fast-paced violence to make a vampire blush. Escapists will frequently stray towards fantasy epics, which transport them away from the realities of life and towards a more magical land of adventure. Late-night crowds love adult comedies, which typically go to great lengths to make their raunchiest jokes an auditory and visual experience. Pleasing an audience is no easy task, so it’s impressive when a show can hit the mark on any one of these concepts. It’s even more impressive when it succeeds in hitting on all three.

The Legend of Vox Machina is Amazon Prime’s latest animated offering, based on a long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaign played by some of the industry’s most talented vocal performers. The group, who initially presented their journey in the form of a web series called Critical Role, all return to voice their respective characters in a new adaptation that entertainingly balances the earnestness of good storytelling with the jolly aura of nerds just messing around. Though the humor may sometimes be a bit on the nose, its honest bluntness makes it hard not to laugh. For example, when one of our protagonists is confronted by a monstrous demon beast, he appropriately exclaims something along the lines of ‘What in the actual [insert expletive] is that!?’ This, being probably exactly what the viewer was also thinking, makes for a good reminder that the majority of the show’s jokes stem from someone sitting at a table and reacting to plot twists with as much humanity as any viewer.

As hinted above, however, it’s not just the R-rated comedic material that makes Vox Machina so charming to watch. Jokes hit harder when an audience is engrossed in the plot, and more so when the characters involved are actually made to be interesting. Throughout the series’ first six episodes, those ready to observe will be introduced to a seemingly expansive world of magic and monsters (or rather, dungeons and dragons). None of the concepts presented are especially new or groundbreaking, but a handful of genuinely fun-to-watch sequences and the sporadically very cool character design will surely be quick to convince viewers of their right to exist. The exaggerated nature of animation, paired with the occasionally brutal nature of fantasy, serves to make the action scenes sometimes shockingly violent. It’s most definitely not a show for children, and some moments may even be too grotesque for grown adults, but fans of a satisfyingly choreographed fatality should be pleased by what the series has to offer.

The likability of the story’s titular band of misfits also helps to keep a potential fandom wanting more, whether it be to see further evidence of the easy chemistry between actors or simply because they’ll want to know what happens to their sort-of-heroes next. By the tradition of role-playing games, all protagonists are a bit of a stereotype. Yet, the dualistic authenticity with which each is portrayed in Vox Machina helps to inject a certain amount of lifeblood into the plot. Travis Willingham‘s Grog Strongjaw is your typical meathead barbarian, but the actor delves into the role with enough heart to make him one of the team’s softest members. Laura Bailey‘s half-elf ranger Vex Vessar is as independent as they come, and Sam Reigel‘s Scanlan Shorthalt is a musical gnome with a penchant for sex and self-obsession, yet somehow both keep finding themselves in danger for someone they care about. Some of the more prominent character developments can’t be discussed without giving away some really intriguing spoilers, but suffice to say the rest of the cast has a lot of fun as well. Especially when the story deviates from the expected.

Ironically, a final bright spot worth mentioning is just how gleefully dark the series can get. With old-fashioned villains who are bad for the sake of being bad and cherish the idea of causing others pain, it sometimes feels like nothing is off the table. Despite a generally jovial tone, any show with evil books, giant wolves, and mustache-twirling bad guys is sure to make it to some scary places. What’s surprising is just how willing Vox Machina is to embrace the chaos.

While every minute spent watching The Legend of Vox Machina was thoroughly enjoyable, it does seem like the series is meant to flourish with a very specific niche. Those who love the original web series will flock to this new take, and they’ll more than likely fall for it quicker than most. However, anyone unfamiliar with the source material should prepare themselves for a ride that pulls out quite a few stops. If you’re expecting a straightforward show that commits to any one style, you might want to look elsewhere. If you’re willing to let yourself be open to anything, then you just might find yourself a new favorite adventure on Amazon Prime.

January 21, 2022
REVIEW: ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ is Missing That Zing

Sony Animations was once at rock bottom with critically-panned projects like The Emoji Movie. Yet, there was a charming trilogy that managed to pull on your heartstrings even though there was a lot against it. The Hotel Transylvania trilogy somehow worked even some were worried that Adam Sandler and his usual group of friends were cast to voice most of the characters. Yet, the addition of animation veteran Genndy Tartakovsky, the mind behind Primal and Samurai Jack, became a beacon of light for many. It turned out, that it was a combination of Tartakovsky‘s fluid animation style and a heartfelt performance by Sandler and the cast that made the project stand out. So, can a fourth entry manage the same without their involvement?

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was quite unlucky in its release, as it originally was heading to theaters before being sold to Amazon Prime for a streaming exclusive release. Sadly, I believe that was for the better as this film does not live up to the originals in many ways. There’s a spark that is missing and it shows that this entry is more of an addition than a true sequel. In some ways, it felt like a direct-to-DVD film that tries to replicate the original but something is off.

Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon take over directing duties this time around and try to replicate Tartakovsky‘s directing style. It still has that fluid animation that made the series stand out from others in the animation industry, but there seems to be a habit to over animate. Andy Samberg‘s Johnny is constantly moving in the opening, but it gets to a point where it’s almost exhausting to watch. The whimsy of that fluid animation ends up lost, as you never know where to look. Summer Vacation did start the stronger focus on zaniness in its animation, but it feels like it’s truly unhinged this time around.

What will stick out for many fans of the franchise is that some of the voices haven’t returned for the latest entry. While Samberg and Selena Gomez returned to play Johnny and Mavis, the same cannot be said for others. Brian Hull takes over the role of Dracula from Adam Sandler while Brad Abrell has to replace Kevin James‘ Frankenstein. They both did their best to replicate the previous actors’ voices, but it sadly feels off at times as it feels more like they’re trying to replicate the original voices rather than bringing the characters to life. Hull‘s performance especially sticks out with a more over-the-top performance, which s likely due to how his character was written this time around.

This sounds odd because it is Hotel Transylvania but there’s an odd lack of subtlety. Yes, the franchise was always known for its over-the-top animation and quite childish humor, but there was always a soft spot that brought it together. Mavis and Dracula’s relationship was heartfelt and given a lot of attention. It seemed like they wanted to do the same with Johnny and his father-in-law, but it just doesn’t work. They go on this trip together, but we spend more time on jokes than actual character development, especially because they already had the bond they end up with during the film. It felt like we were retreading old ground for the sake of the plot rather than character progression.

Speaking of plot, the “Transformania” part of the title is a fun gimmick. Johnny’s monster design looked great and did let them have some fun with the way he moved or interacted with his environment. His want to become a monster to impress Drac is a nice touch, even if the reasoning is really forced. Also, the twist that it’s Dracula’s own fault for turning into a human was a nice hubris, even if the joke of him being normal didn’t quite land due to the best jokes being in the trailers. Now that I think about it, a big point is made about the rest of the usual crew also transforming but they are such minor characters that it felt like a distraction.

One of my favorite parts of the second film was this group of friends interacting, and it felt like a waste not to have them spend time in the human world. Yes, the plot is about Johnny and Drac bonding, but we’ve kind of already explored that in each film so far. Why not use this gimmick to its fullest extent as they play off of each other, or further explore new dynamics. Frankenstein’s transformation turned him into an ego-obsessed guy. It makes him the perfect contrast to Drac’s middle-aged look as a human. Hell, we don’t even spend a lot of time with Kathryn Hahn‘s Ericka Van Helsing, whose newly minted relationship with Dracula has never really explored There’s a lot of potential here, but it feels like it’s trying too hard to be like the previous films.

That’s kind of the issue I have overall with the film. Hotel Transylvania‘s filmography certainly isn’t a masterpiece, but there was a lot of heart that surprised me and made me really enjoy these films. Sadly, it felt like a pale imitation of the original. It’s still impressive what they were able to do with the animation and the voice cast gives a good performance, but something feels off throughout the film. It’s just missing that zing that made you fall in love with the originals, and if it’s the last in the franchise, it didn’t end on a high note.

January 19, 2022
Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 14: Reviewing ‘Peacemaker’

Anthony Canton III

The first three episodes of Peacemaker are an energetic whirlwind of wild. James Gunn’s fingerprints are all over this in the best way possible. From the opening scene to the can’t skip opening credits, it’s a tour de force of fun. John Cena was born to play this role, and Danielle Brooks is a revelation as Adebayo. Having the intricate knowledge of The Suicide Squad makes this show already feel lived in, but you can totally watch it fresh. I’m anticipating episode 4 already to see what’s next from this wonderful cast and crew. P and V!

Charles Murphy

Peacemaker’s first 3 episodes were a ride! This is the role John Cena was born to play. While he’s otherwise never really stood out to me in any of his other projects, Cena’s work as Peacemaker has been fantastic. And while’s he’s still pretty much just an asshole who works well as the punchline of pretty much every joke, if you’re paying attention you’re seeing something more from Cena in these episodes. James Gunn’s strengths as a writer and director are magnified here with more time to spend on the interpersonal dynamics that he always manages so magnificently and the members of the core team are all doing great work both fitting in and getting their chances to shine. Gunn’s also done a great job taking characters that nobody has given a shit about for decades and making them fun. Vigilante has been hilarious to date and Judomaster’s fight scene was a riot. Robert Patrick has caused a lot of feelings in his limited time as Peacemaker’s piece of shit father and it’s clear he’s got a bigger role to play yet. To be fully honest, I don’t even care to learn more about Project Butterfly or who is behind it. I’d be fine just watching these people go through their day.

Mary Maerz

Peacemaker delivers on its promise to be a parody-like take on the more traditional superhero genre. It’s funny, it’s raunchy, and it confuses the boundaries of hero and anti-hero more than most takes on anti-heroes. John Cena really is perfect as Peacemaker–without that, Peacemaker might have been a non-starter–and the casting overall is phenomenal. Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante is the best part of the whole series, though. I thought the first three episodes had some pacing issues and didn’t quite capitalize on its strongest elements, so to me they felt a bit more flat than I would have liked. But they consistently improved as they went along, and I am pretty confident the series is going to keep getting stronger.

Joao Pinto

Even though Peacemaker debuted to mostly wonderful reviews across the board it didn’t quite grab me in the same way. Even so, I absolutely understand how it being R-rated helps to take such a show to a new level, making it feel, at times, a bit more real and not as squeaky clean, to a fault, as many others. Especially because that angle fits so very well with the bonkers worldbuilding set up in The Suicide Squad by James Gunn. The episodic format does allow us to spend more time in said world, and it’s perhaps the repetitiveness and the double downing on many jokes that comes with that extra runtime, making them the norm and not the exception, that makes them feel a bit odd. As such, the humor has been sort of hit-and-miss but I don’t hold that against the series as its best moments still seem to overshadow its lowest. With just three episodes out so far it’s expected that the best is still yet to come as the script matures alongside the characters in it.
The highlights have been, without a doubt, John Cena and Danielle Brooks’ performances. While Cena seems to have been born to play this role and shines in every chance he gets, Brooks exudes such humanity in every single line spoken that you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
Above all, it’s palpable how everybody involved had a great time making this show. Even if it might turn out not to be my favorite thing ever, there isn’t much more one can ask for from such a talented cast and crew.

Joseph Aberl

Peacemaker is peak James Gunn, as you see him truly embrace the wackiness of a post-The Suicide Squad world. Not only do we get some good comedy to ease us into understanding these characters quite easily, but they also build up a rather intriguing mystery surrounding its main antagonists. We’re put into Peacemaker’s shoes as we try to find out what exactly he is going up against, as it slowly unravels throughout the episodes. What sells the show are the performances by Freddie Stroma and John Cena, whose attitude completely counteracts the more serious nature of what they are going up against. Cena is also all-in with the wackiness and quite a raunchy continuation of his character, which fits perfectly into the R-rated and brutal world we were introduced to.

Hunter Radesi

Peacemaker is a wonderful, mixed bag. The show simultaneously feels like something born out of the early 2000s and something that could never have existed before now. It is a glorious celebration of the weirdness of comic books while also tearing their self-righteousness apart at the seams. It’s not a show for everyone, but it was never advertised that way. John Cena is a surprisingly capable leading man, the action is great, and when the humor lands, it really lands. It’s James Gunn tapping into his Super days, with a much larger budget. It may not be the most nuanced comic adaptation we’ve ever gotten, but if you’re looking for a good, raunchy time, it doesn’t get much better. I dig it.

John Sabato

Peacemaker has been everything I’ve wanted it to be and more. John Cena shines brighter than his helmet in this series. He’s really acting his ass off here and is becoming such a phenomenal actor. His supporting cast is just as good with Harcourt, Economos, Murn, Vigilante, and Adebayo each bringing something special to the show and just working so well with each other. Of course this wouldn’t be a thing without the maestro himself, James Gunn, who continues to create of the best comic book media in the genre. The way he’s able to bring such emotional weight to the silliest and most outlandish ideas is something to behold. Gunn just knows what he is doing here; he’s a giant nerd in the best way possible and makes some really deep cuts and provides some fantastic world building in the series. There’s some seriously great character work here with Christopher Smith, peeling back those layers yet still letting him be the douchebag we all got to know in The Suicide Squad. I truly hope Gunn continues to build on his corner of the DCEU because this stuff is GOLD.

January 16, 2022
REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Episode 3 – The Streets of Mos Espa

After spending most of the time with the Tusken Raiders in the initial episodes, the third chapter titled “The Streets of Mos Espa” remains mostly focused on the present-day storyline. It feels like the story is starting to pick up the pace, as we find out what other dark secrets the town of Mos Espa has hiding, as well as continue to humanize the man behind the helmet, as Boba Fett remains a much kinder character than one might initially expect. Can the former bounty hunter finally set his foot as ruler of Tatooine?

The core of this episode continues to highlight Fett’s character. While he is now the Daimyo, he stays true to his beliefs. These are strongly reinforced by the Bacta flashbacks, and this episode feels like the first time it is truly coming together. He’s shown quite a lot of mercy, which you wouldn’t expect from a man who worked as a bounty hunter. If it weren’t for the Raiders, we might have a very different man leading this show and it knows that. That development makes the poignant moment of this week’s episode hit even harder, as reality sadly is much harsher. In a way, it parallels what he’s trying to accomplish with his more kind take on ruling, as when violence was used it only ended in violence in his past.

Disney+’s latest Star Wars series offers many dramatic moments, but as highlighted in last week’s episode is also not ashamed of having some fun. The fact that he faced off against a literal desert alien biker gang in the last episode and the arrival of Tatooine’s youth with their shiny rides feels somehow bizarre yet fitting for the franchise. It’s that combination of fun world-building based on familiar elements that always made this franchise stand out among its intergalactic peers.

One of my favorite moments in this episode is when Krrsantan just dragged Fett out of his Bacta tank. Right after a dramatic revelation on Fett’s past before he regained his armor, we are ripped out of the memory by the newly introduced Wookie, who wipes the floor with our favorite bounty hunter. It was a great moment of tension, as it ripped Fett of all his armor and gimmicks to force his hand. The fact that the only effective weapon he had was the gaffi stick at the time was a nice touch even if he went down a little faster than you’d hope. He does end up getting helped out by his allies and it is the badass Ming-Na Wen‘s Fennec Shand that manages to win.

The action has been great, but its titular character only got a single moment to truly shine and that was part of a flashback. In the modern-day, he seemingly is over-reliant on those around him, which makes me wonder if his continued visit to the Bacta tank is a hint that something is wrong. He might have much deeper scars than we anticipated, which may become a key factor later down the line. Here’s hoping that he gets a moment like in The Mandalorian in the latter half of this series.

The Hutts also make their return this episode, but it seems they have decided to save some money on their budget due to them already leaving the story. A bigger conspiracy is woven, as they were the obvious ones to pin the assassinations on, but this episode may have finally set the stage for the main antagonists, as the present and past are coming together with the Pykes. There might still be more to this story, but it feels like the slow pacing is coming to a payoff soon.

Speaking off, my reviews of earlier episodes might’ve been a bit harsher than need-be, as the show isn’t restricted to forcing a fast-paced action set. It’s what one would expect from a show featuring THE Boba Fett, but the more time I spend with Temuera Morrison, the more I understand what they are doing. He’s a true leading man and gets actual time to shine outside of the mask. His interaction with the incredible cameo by Danny Trejo and a very special gift that I cannot wait to see develop in future episodes were stand-out moments. We get this hint at kindness and giddiness that makes the character stand out even more than the myths we’ve weaved around him in the past. It makes me hope we have many more stories to tell with this incarnation of the character.

January 12, 2022
REVIEW: ‘The Witcher’ 2×2, ‘Kaer Morhen’

The first episode of The Witcher Season 2 set the story off to a bit of a slower start, picking up right where Season 1 ended. Before making their way to Kaer Morhen, Geralt and Ciri head towards an old friend of Geralt’s to wait out a violent blizzard. The two meet a now cursed Nivellen, who appears as a hybrid of a bear and a pig, Geralt is instantly on edge at what stands before him. The episode ends with Geralt freeing Nivellen of his curse, but learning about what bound him to it in the first place.

The episode begins with Geralt and Ciri arriving at Kaer Morhen, something that’s been built up since Season 1. This is where Ciri can finally begin her training, learn to hone her abilities, the ones that would randomly pop up throughout the first season. This episode, while it’s a bit fast, feels a whole lot like the first episode, which is really just a lot of sitting around until the end when the monster reveals itself and Geralt springs into action and leaves Ciri behind to “protect her.”

Arriving at Kaer Morhen, the series introduces many characters that should be familiar to fans of both The Witcher games and books like Vesemir, Eskel, Lambert, and Coën. and while the series gets most of these characters right or at least pretty accurate, Eskel is only the character in the name, an absolutely massive departure from who the character truly is.

First of all, these are people Geralt grew up with and trained alongside on the path to becoming Witchers. While, for the most part, you can feel those years together in Geralt’s interactions with them, Eskel is the weakest link. Eskel is supposed to be like Geralt, calm and collected, as well as one of Geralt’s closest friends and basically a brother. Eskel is stripped of all that and made to be the black sheep of the family who acts as the rebellious teen, a complete douche essentially. This is furthered by him hiding his Leshy infection that’s slowly turning him into a tree monster, quickly succumbing to it and attacking the castle.

Perhaps the best part of the episode is when we’re able to see Geralt and Vesemir work together as protege and master, father and son. The fight scene that ensues is quite well done, but the series tries to make you feel sympathy for Geralt in this situation in which he’s pitted against Eskel. This is someone whose supposed to be quite close with Geralt, and when he’s eventually forced to kill Eskel, there’s just no emotional weight attached to that moment.

The absolute weakest part of this episode, and so far this season, is whatever path they’ve set Yennefer on because it honestly feels like they’ve got no idea what to do with her. This is probably because, in the story they are attempting to adapt, Yennefer really does not play a part. She is still presumed dead by Geralt, who moved on to watch over and train Ciri, but her entire arc feels like it has no end goal right now, she spends a majority of this episode caught in a dream-like state with a forest witch. It again feels like it has sent her nowhere, especially as she finishes out this episode screaming in the woods.

The Witcher Season 2 seems to have finally found a bit of its footing with Geralt and Ciri arriving at Kar Morhen and I hope to see some solid development for the two of them. The season still teeters on the edge with it not knowing what to do with Yennefer, though. After a fantastic first season arc for the character, she deserves more than what she’s being given.

January 7, 2022