Star Wars: Rebels Season 3 (2016) Review

With the 2nd season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch coming to Disney+ next week, I decided that it was finally time to finish my review of their previous animated show Star Wars Rebels and here is my review for the third season. The premise of the show sees after the traumatic experiences of the previous season's finale, the crew of the Ghost attempt to continue to build a rebellion. But the introduction of a new Imperial leader makes their lives more difficult then ever. 

Main Character

Ezra Bridger is once again the main character voiced by Taylor Gray and this is a strong performance. You see the issues that he has been going through since the events of Malachor and it actually feels pretty natural. His character comes across similar to how I feel about Luke Skywalker is A New Hope, he is a bit whiny and annoying at times but you do end up rooting for him and wanting to see him succeed. For a show heavily aimed at children, this is a pretty mature and complex character. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a huge cast so I will probably just mention my favourite ones. Freddie Prinze Jnr voices Kanan Jarrus and he is fantastic. After being blinded by Maul, his character has to go through plenty of development to really gain an understanding in how to be a full Jedi and this is handled in an appropriate way. Sabine Wren voiced by Tiya Sircar is given way more to do this season, the whole Mandalorian storyline is expanded this season and her character is tied very closely too it. Focusing on this supporting character for a few episodes could have been dull but it ended up being some of the best episodes of the show. The rest of the Ghost crew, Zeb, Chopper, Hera & Rex are given time to shine to and it is just really nice seeing a show focus on a group of characters that are just so likeable. Maul is back for a storyline voiced by the excellent Sam Witwer, his presence is hanging over the whole season and even though he isn't the main threat I really liked how he is used with some of the biggest moments of the show. But the addition to the show that really shined was the addition of Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, his chilling voice and overall demeanour is superb. The way he is presented makes him one of the best villains in the Star Wars universe, everything from his tactical mind to score make him a major threat and easily my favourite part of this show. 

Story 

The story is better here, it focuses on some major plot points that focus on the characters and the building of the Rebellion. Maul's story, the Mandalore plot and Thrawns hunt for the Rebels are easily the best and thus give this season way more intrigue and care then previous plot lines. But there is still some filler here, it's not as bad as the previous season but I wish there was a few less episodes and the focus was even more on Thrawn and how his mind works. 

Script 

Though this show is meant to be for kids, I feel like season 3 was more mature and the writing was improved. The majority of the characters grow and are developed, there are some legitimately dark moments and even though the humour is still a bit childish it works overall. 

Style 

The show has its unique style but there has been a clear improvement from Season 1 to Season 3. The set pieces are bigger, the action is more exciting and the characters just look sleeker. The shorter length of episodes make this an easier binge which considering some of the episodes was required. But as I mentioned above, there is a bit too much filler for me. I don't know why this season felt like it needed 22 episodes as it does hold it back a bit. 

Overall

Overall, The third season of Star Wars Rebels is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. It is fun and shows the Rebellion being built in a more interesting and worthwhile manner. 

Rating - 8/10

Andor Season 1 (2022) Review

I am a huge Star Wars fan but I can't deny that I didn't have huge expectations when it was announced that their would be a prequel show surrounding the character Cassian Andor. But I have now finished the first season of the show and here is my review for it. The premise of the show is set in the early days of the Empire, it documents the rise of a Rebellion and one of its heroes in Cassian Andor. 

Main Character

We were introduced to Cassian Andor in Rogue One, Diego Luna is back in the role and he is really good in this show. Cassian is one of the more interesting characters in Star Wars currently and this show does a really effective job in showing this characters motivations and developments even though we know where he ends up. Luna sells it well, he really grows across the season and by the end it feels like we are closer to the character that we meet in the film. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a huge cast so I will only have a chance to mention some of them starting with possibly my favourite character Luthen played by the fantastic Stellan Skarsgard. He is the most mysterious character and Skarsgard delivers a brilliant performance to add to this, we see his motivations and the way it links to the other characters is great to see. Genevieve O'Reilly reprises her role as Mon Mothma and this is easily the most development the character has ever seen. We see her struggle in the Imperial Senate and how she is trying to help build this Rebellion while keeping her cover, its a really strong performance and character. Denise Gough plays Dedra Meero and this is another interesting character, she is a head officer in the ISB, basically the intelligence of The Empire. She is great and allows us as the audience to see their side of the war and come to see the way they operate. Fiona Shaw plays Andor's mother and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them, she is clearly having fun and enjoying her role. Also seeing Andy Serkis play Kino Loy for a few episodes was a real highlight and his acting is nothing short of spectacular. 

Story  

The story is really interesting, this is Star Wars without any Jedi or Sith and to make that compelling shows the strength of the storytelling. As I mentioned, the characters are all really well written and their stories add plenty to the show and the world. But my one criticism is that there is so much rammed into this show, it is all interesting but sometimes things just aren't quite given the time to grow. It does feel like this show could have had a different name as there are much bigger things in play then just Cassian Andor. 

Script

The script is really well written, I think this might be the most human and real world that Star Wars has ever been and it adds to the grittiness of this show. It has a bit of humour but is pretty serious, that works for the show so I think it was the right call. 

Style 

The show was filmed all on location, which is a different method then the other Star Wars Disney+ shows but I think it really worked here. It feels like it is in the same universe as Rogue One and feels grimy and gritty. The action scenes are fantastic, they are visually impressive and feel more aggressive then other elements of Star Wars. 

Overall

Overall, Andor is a fantastic show that sees Star Wars at its most interesting. If you are a fan of the franchise then you have to watch it and if not I think this could be a way in. 

Rating - 9/10

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) Review

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the future of the Black Panther franchise was up in the air but now we have Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees after the death of T'challa, Wakanda is at the mercy of other countries and a force which has chosen now to rise up. 

Main Character

Letitia Wright gets more of the centre stage as Shuri and her character has changed a plenty. Gone is the fun and charming teenager and in her place is this dark and brooding young woman who is clearly angry at the world. Considering the story the film is trying to tell it works and Wright does a really good job in her role and you clearly see a journey that she goes on in the film. 

Supporting Characters

Danai Gurira reprises her role as Okoye and she is really good, she is a really talented actress and her character gets some development here. She is good in the action sequences too with her filling this role as a warrior really well. Angela Basset gets a pretty substantial role as Queen Ramonda and this is the performance that most people have been talking about. She is fantastic in her role, you see the pain that comes from her after the events of the previous films and she does a great job in this royal role. Tenoch Huerta makes his debut as Namor and he is fantastic, even though he is technically the antagonist in this film his character is so well written and realised by Huerta that you can't help but kind of see his point of view on things and that is great to see. Dominique Thorne also makes her first appearance as Riri Williams, she is a lot of fun and her performance reminds me of what Shuri was like in the first Black Panther film and I think that was on purpose. 

Story 

The story is incredibly heavy and emotional, it just feels real. The first act in particular feels like a true tribute to Chadwick Boseman and the character of T'Challa. But it also plays into the story and takes this group of broken people and makes them face this threat from a group of people who are also suffering. This is when the film is at its best, but it does have some issues. There is one part of the story that feels really out of place featuring a returning character that just feels shoehorned in. Also the last act had a few things that didn't quite sit well with me and let the film down a bit from a storytelling point of view. 

Script 

The script is incredibly dramatic, this isn't your typical Marvel film and deals with the true consequences of grief and trauma. The jokes are alright but that isn't why we are here, the characters are well written and proper time is given for us to care. 

Style 

The style of the film is a bit of a mixed bag. The soundtrack and overall sound design is really awesome and Ludwig Goransson continues his great streak of awesome music in film & TV. The film looks beautiful too, Wakanda & Talocan (Where Namor lives) are both very vibrant and nice to look out. But I don't know if it was just me who found the majority of the action scenes a bit jarring to watch, especially at the beginning of the film. There is plenty of shaky cam and it doesn't allow these performers to deliver as well as I think they can. Also the film does drag a bit, it is over 2 Hours & 30 Mins and I think a good 10/15 mins could have been cut off and the film would have been better. 

Overall

Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a great film that feels like a real classy tribute to Chadwick Boseman but also tells its own story that resonated for me and I think it will any fan of this franchise. 

Overall - 8/10

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Season 1 (2022) Review

I feel like Star Wars animation has been pretty consistent over the last few years but Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi kind of snuck under the radar and I managed to watch the season yesterday and here is my review for the first season. The premise of the show documents two stories, it shows how Count Dooku became estranged from the Jedi Order and how Ahsoka Tano rose up and survived the events of Order 66. 

Main Character

The great Corey Burton once again voices Count Dooku and he does a tremendous job in this role. This is easily my favourite depiction of the character and seeing him in his role as a Jedi is really interesting. It further enhances his character in the films and does a wonderful job in showing his motivations and makes him a way more interesting character. Ashley Eckstein reprises her role as Ahsoka and she is great of course, her character doesn't get the intrigue and depth that Dooku does but Eckstein could play this role in her sleep and do well and that provides a fun performance here. 

Supporting Characters

The show focuses on the two main characters mostly but littered throughout are iconic Star Wars characters such as Mace Windu, Qui Gon Jinn & Yaddle who get plenty to do. Bryce Dallas Howard voices Yaddle and it was interesting to see this character get more to do and I liked how she was depicted. Seeing Anakin & Rex back for Ahsoka's story is good too and it is done well enough. 

Story 

The story of Dooku's story is fantastic, genuinely one of the best Star Wars stories I have seen in recent memory. Seeing this respected Jedi become more discontent with the ways of the Jedi & Senate and it actually making sense was really great to see. But the Ahsoka stuff just wasn't that great and felt a bit tacked on, I kind of wish the show had just focused on Dooku as I felt the Ahsoka stuff didn't deliver much extra depth to her character. 

Script 

The script is really good, this is a pretty serious and sombre show but it really works. I appreciate that even though it is an animated show it doesn't treat us as children and delves into really serious themes and situations. 

Style 

The animation looks great and there are some fun action sequences. The fact that there is only 6 episodes which are really short makes it a really easy watch too. But again the layout was slightly weird and the Ahsoka episodes felt shorter and a bit less grandiose. 

Overall

Overall, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi season 1 is a great show that follows on from the solid work of the Clone Wars. The Dooku stuff is amazing and the Ahsoka stuff is okay, it is an easy watch for any Star Wars fan and I would easily give it your time. 

Rating - 8/10

Black Adam (2022) Review

After what feels like forever Black Adam has finally made its way to cinemas and I managed to find the time to watch it today and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees an individual with the power of a god released in order to provide justice to his land. 

Main Character

Dwayne Johnson has been set to play Black Adam for years and finally he has been given the chance and I thought he was really good in this film. He provides more then his generic performance that he has become known for, he is intimidating as Adam and adds plenty of depth to this character. He still has those elements of charm there but it doesn't overshadow the nuance of the character. 

Supporting Characters

Pierce Brosnan plays Dr Fate and I thought he was really good. He actually seems to care about the character and the role, Fate is a really interesting character in the comics and though he doesn't get enough screen time to truly flesh him out it does enough here. Aldis Hodge plays Hawkman and he was decent in the role, he plays the hero well and though the character is barely fleshed out but he uses his natural charisma to get him by. But the rest of the cast don't fare as well. Noah Centineo plays Atom Smasher & Quintessa Swindell plays Cyclone, these two feel like they are in a different movie and it doesn't work. They come across as annoying and like they are in a Marvel film while the rest of the film is pretty serious. The villain is one of the weaker ones that are seen in a DC film, he is clearly an afterthought and is really bland. There are a few generic human characters and they didn't offer anything particularly interesting either. 

Story 

When Teth Adam's backstory is explored in this film it was interesting to see and see this protagonist who is really brutal and does some things that wouldn't be seen by a traditional superhero. The issue with the story is that the rest of the film is really generic, with how many super hero films that have come out I feel like I have seen this final act done better in other films for sure. 

Script 

This film is at its best when it focuses on the dark side of the story. But it has some awkward use of comedy and not all the drama hits, the humans aren't interesting and their annoying exposition doesn't help rise it up. 

Style 

The film has some pretty impressive action sequences and it is paced pretty well throughout. A big issue is that my favourite action scene was probably the first one which is never good for a super hero film. Also again the final act CGI fights don't really stand out, there is one in particular that rips off specific action scenes from another comic book film. Also there is one instance of truly terrible CGI which you will notice straight away. 

Overall

Overall, Black Adam is an above average super hero film. It is entertaining but falls way short of living up to the hype, if you want to entertain yourself for a few hours then maybe give it a go but I wouldn't rush to see it. 

Rating - 6/10

House of the Dragon Season 1 (2022) Review

After the somewhat disappointing ending to Game Of Thrones, we have waited a long time for the spinoff show House of the Dragon. The first season of the show has just finished and here is my review for it. The premise of the show is set almost 200 years before Game Of Thrones and sees the House of Targaryen in charge of the 7 kingdoms and having to deal with all the conflict that comes with that. 

Main Character 

Milly Alcock & Emma D'Arcy play the young and older version of Rhaenyra Targaryen and they are both fantastic. Alcok creates this really interesting young character and she is just enigmatic on screen and I don't know why but she was one of the best parts of the show. When D'Arcy took over the role she did a great job on building on the hard work that Alcok did and feel like an older version of this character. She is just really charismatic on screen and even though I wasn't a huge fan of the time jump she did a great job. 

Supporting Characters 

This is one of the biggest supporting characters that you will ever see, so I definitely won't mention everybody but everybody is fantastic in this show and delivers really strong performances. Matt Smith plays Daemon Targaryen and he is probably the best part of the show, he is so charismatic and he owns the screen in every scene that he is in. The character has so much development and intrigue of the show that seems to have earnt him much praise and love from the fandom. Rhys Ifans plays Otto Hightower and he is certainly one of the more manipulative and conniving members of the cast. This character reminds me the most of the best characters from GOT and seeing him try and manipulate the situation is interesting to watch. Paddy Considine plays King Viserys Targaryen and he is fantastic, you see this man try and control this whole situation that he is put in and Considine nails it, especially throughout the time jump where he has to give very different performances. 

Story 

The story of the show is interesting. It documents some of the events that we were told about in GOT and seeing this rich lore come to life, the plotting and scheming is there and when it really gets into it, it really hits the high notes. The issue is mainly about the amount of content that is attempted here, the infamous time jumps have been an issue for me and made it sometimes hard to care about these characters. Also the finale didn't feel as high stakes as I think it should have done, which is a bit disappointing. 

Script

The script is really good. The writing is strong and the characters are much better written here. It is a very serious show with only a few sprinkles of humour but it feels appropriate and I am just happy to see these people fleshed out. 

Style 

The show looks amazing, the CGI is out of this world and the budget is definitely a big plus. When the action takes place, it is handled really well and in pretty brutal fashion. But the pacing of the show is a bit off, first the time jumps really don't help with getting us established with these characters and their actors. Also some of the episodes do feel a little slow at times with not much actually happening which is a shame. 

Overall

Overall, House of The Dragon Season 1 is a Great start for this new spinoff series. It continues good work from Game Of Thrones and with a few refinements it can live up to the epic heights. 

Rating - 8/10

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Season 1 (2022) Review 

After a long break, I will hopefully be back reviewing on a consistent basis. I have finally forced myself to finish the first season of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and here is my review for it. The premise of the show, sees after an accident turns her into a Hulk, Jennifer Walters must balance her new parts of her life and her life as a Lawyer. 

Main Character

Tatiana Maslany plays Jennifer Walters and she is easily the best part of this show. You can tell she really cares about making this character fun and interesting, her comedic timing and delivery is really good. She carries this show on her back and especially when she is Jen I really liked her. 

Supporting Characters

The best part of the supporting cast are the ones who aren't really in the show that much but are the most recognisable. Mark Ruffalo is back as Bruce Banner/Hulk and the dynamic between Bruce and Jennifer is one of the better elements of the show and his character is developed a bit here, but he isn't here enough which is a shame. Tim Roth is back as Emil Blomsky/Abomination and though I wasn't a huge fan of the direction they took his character, I can't deny that Roth is fun to watch and that drags through some of the episodes. Finally Charlie Cox is back as Matt Murdoch/Daredevil and I am so happy that he is back and he is handled really well. He is a bit more humorous but the character from the Netflix show still remains intact and that is fantastic to see. But it was the new cast that failed to me, Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki, Jameela Jamil as Titania and Josh Segarra as Pug are examples of pretty annoying new characters that get nothing real to do, Segarra is disappointing in particular because he is a really talented actor.  

Story 

The story is a complete mess and the show even addresses that multiple times. It really tries to do way too much and it ends up making the audience not really care about any of it. Just because you have a character that breaks the fourth wall, that isn't an excuse for poor storytelling which is highlighted by the season finale which just doesn't work. 

Script 

The script doesn't take itself too seriously, the humour for the most part made me laugh so that is a step in the right direction. But the show never hits the note on its drama and sometimes comes across as annoying and like it has its own agenda. Plus as I have mentioned above the story is written so poorly. 

Style 

The style of the show also is a big failure. The CGI is probably the worst in the MCU history, when your main character spends a good portion of their time in CGI and it sucks that isn't good. The pacing is also atrocious, there are so many filler episodes that they have to rush the ending and by then I just did not care. 

Overall

Overall, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a below average show that is a bit of a black eye on the MCU. It has its funny moments, good cameos and likeable lead but that is it and is definitely not worth the time that is required to watch it. 

Rating - 4/10