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Star Wars: The Mandalorian


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Star Wars: The Mandalorian
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Matsu
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2020-11-27, 16:24

I caught up after a quasi binge of season one. It’s a nicely crafted episodic Star Wars. Each serial episode well contained, not too complicated, but not dumbed down. I’m no Star Wars expert, so I’m surely missing many of the little cues, but it feels like they’re there, layered enough so I can watch it with seven and nine year old boys and it holds everyone’s attention.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-27, 16:54

I think that's very true. The bulk of my SW knowledge/interest lies in the OT. I'm familiar with the prequels, I despise the sequels and I've barely scratched the surface with the animated stuff. I never read the EU comics or novels, aside from those two Zahn ones, never played any of the video games, etc. So I'm really not aware/up on every little thing about the property/franchise. If it wasn't part of episodes 4-6, my interest (or knowledges) tapers off sharply.

So even a casual+ fan like me can enjoy this show, even when it leans on the animated or EU stuff. I know just enough to recognize important names, etc.

I'm sure the truly diehardcore fans love all the little references and Easter eggs that sail over my head.

It's digestible and fun. And, sometimes, that's all that's required. We see what happens when they try to make SW "serious" and grandiose (the prequels, with entire plots centering around taxation, trade routes, senate politics, etc.) or laboriously Woke™ and completely brainless/rudderless (the sequels). I have no use for either, and this show just happens to edge closer, in tone and approach, to the OT in terms of not boring you to tears or preaching/lecturing at every step. It's fun. Yes, perhaps even one-dimensional or "mindless" at times...but guess what? So were huge parts of the OT (we've only elevated them to perfection/high art through decades of love and fond memories; but they could be quite silly and light if you're honest and set nostalgia/warm fuzzies aside for a bit).

So I don't mind it a bit. It's entertaining, which, to me, Star Wars hasn't truly been in quite some time.

In 2020, I'll take fun, silly and light over just about anything else. Because real life, these past 7-8 months, is providing all the "serious, deep drama" I need, frankly. A little one-dimensional escapism never hurt anyone.

PS - I'm realizing I actually quite like the use of different directors/approaches. Last week was a fun "on a mission"/Oceans 11 type of thing (breaking into a place, causing some trouble, etc.), with quite a bit of humor (Greef and Mythrol bantering, The Child being a mechanic and stealing cookies, etc.). This latest one is a spaghetti western/samurai movie with a more serious, somber tone that opens up the entire series and provides much-desired backstory/info. Other episodes have been more tech/hardware-heavy, while some are set in more rural, deserted environs and low-tech buildings, vehicles, etc. Some are heavy on the humor, others are more action-oriented, some get quite somber and grim.

It's...genre-fluid.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-11-27 at 19:28.
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Matsu
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2020-11-28, 08:33

Must be 2020, I misread that twice over as gender fluid.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-28, 10:19

That's why I wrote it. I love a good pun or word-play/twist on things.

Thinking a bit further about this show - this season, in particular - I think I've come to accept/see these big cameos and guest spots as just that...one-off appearances meant to convey something or drive the plot along. Because while this show certainly engages in fan service/nostalgia, it occurs to me that it's of the more reasonable, matter-of-fact and grounded variety (vs. the sequel trilogy or about 2/3 of those MCU releases, which are just...well, full-on idiotic in their effort to elicit neckbeard jizzing).

If J.J. Abrams or Kevin Feige were heading up this show, then yeah...in the season finale, Boba Fett, Bo Katan and Ahsoka Tano would indeed all show up in the exact location as Mando and Grogu (and Cara Dune and Greef) to take on all the established baddies. I just do not see that happening. I think Ahsoka is on her world, doing her thing. And the only reason Mando came into contact with her was because of Bo Katan putting him on that trail. So I think that aspect of the show is the more realistic one to expect, going forward. Those three Mandalorians, to show up on that ship, and then again on the dock, shows that they're tracking Mando or interested in his doings. I would expect to see more Bo Katan than Ahsoka Tano in future episodes/seasons, only because the former seems to have a legitimate reason to exist or connect to the lead character.

I don't know if any of these three big appearances/reveals this seasons are little test balloons to gauge audience reaction to any sort of spin-off, or further appearances on this show, but I just don't see things panning out the way I might've 2-3 weeks ago. Ahsoka seemed content to say goodbye to Mando and Grogu and walk away with a slight smile. She seems to want nothing to do with The Child, so, unless she gets over her past trauma/memories (and that's probably a tall order), she has no reason to show up out of nowhere in episode 7-8 to "save the day". That kid probably, deep down, terrifies her and she's not going to want to be involved. She blatantly told Mando to go to that site and set the kid in a place where he will decide his fate (reaching out with the Force to properly be trained, or just decided to ride around with his adopted Daddy and eat all day).

But she doesn't want to factor in to any of it, from all I see. So, in my gut, I think we saw all of her we're going to. At least on this show. Plot-wise it hangs together, otherwise a) she would've taken on his training, or b) she would've taken him herself to that place. She said twice in the episode that she won't/can't train him, and why (and it was a very good reason why). I just don't see her changing her mind for some last-episode "rah rah" moment. That seems a little far-fetched and wishful thinking, IMO.

Does she wind up with her own show, or do they keep Ms. Dawson on some sort of retainer to appear here and there on future episodes, or even other Disney+ spin-offs or SW series? Maybe. Maybe not. I'd like to think they do because she was fun to watch, and seems to handle the role as everyone was hoping.

I hate to think that such a popular character, and done so well, was a "one and done", but it would fit with the tone/pattern of this show, if you think about it. Think back on all previous 13 episodes, and how many cool, interesting one-off guest shots there have been. I'm kinda thinking Ahsoka was merely the latest. More popular, and anticipated, than all the others, to be sure. But still just another in a long line.

I'll probably be proven horrifically wrong in about 2-3 weeks, I realize. But the above is just my honest, gut take on things. The easy, obvious thing would be to do the full-on fan service orgy of Boba Fett, Bo Katan and Ahsoka Tano all magically showing up and kicking ass with Mando, but I just don't get that level of desperation or eager-to-please from Favreau/Filoni. Their approach to fan service has been a bit more restrained and "realistic" (as much as that word can apply to such a show). Every time I've assumed "okay, this is what we're gonna get", things head off in another way entirely. Every time I zig, this show zags...content to leave cool cameos/guest roles as one-off, single episode appearances.

But we'll see.
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709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2020-11-29, 10:06

Here's a deep dive into Ahsoka's story for those who haven't watched the animated Clone Wars or Rebels series. Massive spoilers, obviously.


But holy shit, that last episode! Dawson couldn't have been any better; amazing performance. Some nice gunplay, a great duel between Ahsoka and the baddie (made even better by half of it just being heard outside the wall), and even got a name for the kid! Probably my favorite episode so far.

That whole chase scene with the death droids and goons getting picked off by Ahsoka reminded me a lot of the shipping container/dock scene in Batman Begins, where the screams of those being killed out-of-sight makes the bad guys increasingly nervous and frantic, and our hero popping up out of nowhere behind them. Just great.

So it goes.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-29, 10:48

Exactly. That was fun to watch. Even that one POV scene at the start of the episode of Ahsoka running up on that guy, seeing it from her perspective, was very "horror movie"-ish. And as soon as her sabers went off, she just "disappeared". Those guys had every reason to be freaking out...this "ghost" popping out of nowhere to slice-and-dice. She was unstoppable.

Yeah, they did a great job in the casting of this character. It just never occurs to you that Dawson isn't an older, wiser Ahsoka Tano. I hope we see more of her.

And and how did I not know that was Michael Biehn? Mr. Genre himself, for crying out loud. He's changed/aged quite a bit since I last saw him, but the entire time I was watching Friday morning it was driving me crazy..."I know that voice!". But when you're in Terminator, Aliens and Tombstone - and awesome/cool in all of them - then it's only right you show up in a SW property at some point, carrying a gun and being a hard-case. I even like how his comment to Mando echoed that to Doc Holliday in Tombstone..."I got not quarrel with you, Mandalorian" is pretty much a direct lift of "my fight's not with you, Holliday." I would've died to death had Mando said "I beg to differ" and "say when" (then proceeded to talk about daisies, huckleberries, etc.).

This show totally delivers with its guest stars...Biehn, Bill Burr, Clancy Brown, Timothy Olyphant, Ming-Na Wen, Brian Posehn, Werner Herzog, Mark Boone Junior, Titus Welliver, John Leguizamo and probably another dozen or more that I didn't even recognize or know, or hidden under makeup or a helmet. There's no telling what cool actor randomly pops up, and that makes watching the remaining three episodes - and a new season next year - fun. At least once an episode I'm like "hey, that's...".

With its popularity and cred-bolstering status, you gotta figure a lot of actors are probably hounding Favreau and Filoni for a bit part and a chance to play in the Star Wars sandbox. In fact, I'll go ahead and wager that Sigourney Weaver pops up at some point before the series ends, even if it's a bit down the road. That would just be too cool of a "get" to pass up, assuming she'd be up for it. She's sci-fi/action/nerd royalty at this point (if all she ever did was the Alien and Ghostbusters stuff, her reputation is cemented) with solid chops, as much as anyone above, and it would be nice to see her dipping her toe into this property at some point. Even if she were heavily made-up or concealed, that would be okay too. She's probably a bit more high-profile than the character actor types above, so they may opt to stay away from full-on "famous"/A-list types so clearly on display. But there are certainly ways around that. I didn't recognize John Leguizamo or Horatio Sanz.

And Tilda Swinton could certainly fit in. Hell, she already looks alien/not-from-this-planet as is, they probably wouldn't have to do much other than just put a costume on her. (that's no slam, BTW...I dig her immensely, but she scares the hell out of me sometimes).

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-11-29 at 11:14.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-29, 11:15

Oh, and on a somewhat-related, Star Wars note...

David Prowse, who wore the Vader armor in the OT, has died at 85.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-29, 18:48

New drinking game...when watching this show, every time someone says "go to the planet [fill in the blank], there you will find [fill in the blank]..." you'll die of alcohol poisoning halfway into the season. It does get a bit "quest-y", doesn't it?

They're getting their money's worth out of that circular, immersive LED screen tech...pretty much a different planet with each episode. Urban, rural, desert, forest, ocean, snow, sunny, overcast, rocky, night skies, weird atmospheric colors, etc.

Which, BTW, bodes well for any future shows looking as good as this one does. I'm sure production will be staggered/scheduled so that every live-action Disney SW show (this one, the Kenobi one and any others that come) will use the tech (and possibly this exact stage/setup, if they don't want to build another).

If you've not seen that little behind-the-scenes doc on YouTube, be sure to check it out. Someone in the video makes a comment about how it's quite expensive on the front-end to set up and get going, but that once it was...

Which, to me, sounds like "we're gonna use/exploit the crap out of this thing as much as we can; we didn't build this for just one show that last eight weeks a year...". I'd like to think not! This show has served as a nice testing ground for that tech, so you know it's going to look good for any "Obi-Wan in the desert" scenes a year or so from now. No more schlepping crew and gear to Tunisia or Morocco or wherever it was they keep going to for Tatooine and other locations. Use those budget savings to hire the best writers, technicians and artists out there, quality guest cast, righteous catering/craft services, etc.

"They got all the Doritos!"
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-11-30, 00:55

OK.

FWIW: I have not read any comments since my last post, so I am typing this with only my first impressions and with no influence from all you nerds.

1) Ahsoka rocks! Right out of the gates, and they didn't even make us wait for more than a full minute! Just BLAM! White sabers and rolling heads. That's the Ahsoka Tano that I love!

2) While I enjoyed the character's live-action debut, I had a hard time with the voice. Ashley Eckstein has voiced the character from day one, and grew into the roll beautifully. Tano's voice changed with age, grew more mature, became a beautiful and recognizable part of the Star Wars universe, and then … Rosario Dawson. Didn't work for me, but then what are you gonna do? Just has to grow on me. Something I wasn't prepared for.

3) I think Dawson didn't spend enough time in choreography to really bring the character to life, but I have to remind myself that Tano has always only been animated, and the real-world Jedi doesn't bounce around quite like the animated characters do. Still, I think the character was played well, the sabers were perfect, and bring it on!

4) On that note, I loved that Dawson seems to have studied the character well enough to have brought Tano's fighting form and style to live action, up to and including the way that Tano consistently crossed her sabers across her own body in a very recognizable form. I loved the effort.

5) The duel between Tano and Morgan Elsbeth was a bit blah. I felt like the producers didn't feel either actress was up to the task, and cut a lot to hide their lack of preparation.

6) I loved that Tano doesn't feel she is worthy to train Baby Yoda (aka Grodu). Tano has grown wise and knows the dangers.

7) Thank you to Disney for aging Ahsoka well, keeping her in the fight, and not making her a sad, tired, old Jedi-in-hiding.

That said, Tano was very clearly a one-and-done in The Mandalorian (more on this in a minute).

She was well-executed, if not a bit under-rehearsed, and looked/acted the part in a manner I would call acceptable, if not just a bit underwhelming. I believe more could have been done to prepare Dawson for the physicality that Ahsoka Tano portrayed. And yes, I get the age factor and blah, blah, blah, but I think this is a matter of preparation rather than style.

In short, I loved it and was engaged and on the edge of my seat, ready to see where I would be taken.

Which brings me to …




Did Disney just drop the Thrawn bomb?

Uh, yes, they did!

So, my first take is that Ahsoka Tano (and Rosario Dawson) are going to have their own series in the coming minutes/weeks/years (oh please, oh please) because it is now very clear that Ahsoka is hunting Grand Admiral Thrawn for some reason, and there ain't no way in hell that Disney side-loaded that bit unless there is very clearly a plan going forward. Methinks that Rosario Dawson signed up for the very long haul and there will be either A) A Star Wars Story movie in the near future, or B) Another Mandalorian-style Disney+ series following Ahsoka Tano as she hunts the elusive Admiral Thrawn. I am guessing it will be written in such a way that Thrawn had some impact on the Togruta (of which species Tano is a member) or something of that nature. There is clearly some bad blood there. (If there is some link to Star Wars: Rebels then I haven't made it that far into the series yet).

Either way, this show is The Mandalorian, not The Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, aka Her Awesomeness. Thus, she sent Mando off on yet another adventure in which she is not included, and made it abundantly clear that she has other work to do, and work to which the allusion suggests that Disney is cooking Dawson up for some serious Ahsoka Tano bad-assery, and I hope they get her into the choreography gym with Ewan McGregor to teach her how to saber!

Because me wants it!

That's it for now. I'll read all the comments and have more to say later.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-11-30, 01:10

You can thank the fighting style, crossed sabers and all, to her fight coordinator and of course the showrunner. But she did it quite well, yes.

So cool to see an animated character come to life, like Boba Fett who set the precedent so long ago.

It was a fun episode, and the revelations and future hints were interesting, but I was not as overwhelmed by the episode as some folks.

The worst part about this season is how quickly it's passing.


...
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-30, 03:18

Eight episodes, at ~40 minutes a pop, goes quickly. I do wish this was a 12-16 episodes-a-season show, for sure. About the time it truly revs up, gets going and hits its stride...it’s over. With only three episodes remaining, we know there’s no way they’re going to fully resolve/address all they’ve laid out and teased so far, so yeah...it goes by like a rocket, eight episodes.

My one legitimate gripe about the show.

As for Ahsoka, sadly I have no true longtime knowledge of/investment in the character, so I don’t have as much to go on, comparing her live-action, mature version to all her youthful animated appearances. I just liked what I saw, making allowances for age/maturity and the differences between stylized animation and slightly more grounded(?) live-action presentation. She was still quite spry and agile...that tree limb leap, while tied up, was quite a move! She is unstoppable, for sure. But it totally works...she’s had training, experience, failures and missteps that have all led to it. Fully able to buy this character being so awesome/capable in a way I, and many others, couldn’t with another. One is earned/believable, the other...wasn’t.

As for the episode itself, frankly I was happy to just get such a meaty, info-heavy installment. That’s the main reason I enjoyed it, all the backstory, references, hole-filling and revelations. Not every episode is like this, so the ones that are stand out for me. I like the ones that let you know “yes, this is Star Wars, the one you’ve known and loved for most of your life” (43 of 51 years, in my case). That was this episode, along with a handful of others.

When that little snippet of Yoda’s theme hit, you can’t fake the genuine, unexpected catch in my throat that hit me. I couldn’t have avoided/resisted it if I’d tried. It’s those little things, handled well, that I love. Those are earned, and carry true, decades-long weight.

If the property can’t/won’t deliver in large-scale, on the multiplex screen, I’m completely happy with it doing so in small-screen, episodic form.

As I said way upthread, this medium/format may very well prove to be the future of the franchise...it’s ultimately more sprawling, more time/space to tell a full story and I have to believe is a leaner, tighter and more budget-friendly undertaking than a feature film production. Whatever it costs to produce two seasons/16 episodes of this show has to be but a sliver of what it took to make a trilogy most don’t even talk about or really seem to remember/love. If they never make another big-screen SW movie again, fine...so be it. This show, and the animated one I’m currently working my way through, clearly shows that the property is well-suited for episodic, serialized TV production and can be just as fun and well-made as a nine-episode cinematic saga - of which only two installments were ever truly great and still fully deliver, 40+ years later.

The property hasn’t been this watchable/enjoyable in ages, going back to 1999, IMO.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-11-30 at 04:23.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-30, 04:40

BTW, I want to know what Grogu “said” to Ahsoka when he and Mando walked up the ramp to the ship at the end of the episode.

It was Ahsoka’s first real smile, followed by a nod (agreement or understanding, I took it). He either said something unbelievably adorable, or sweet, to cause that reaction from her.

Or did the little player ask for them digits?

“Hot you are, hmmm?”

For those who watch with subtitles/captions, was there anything shown/revealed at that moment?
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-11-30, 06:54

He said "You should see the trouble this doofus gets me into"



...
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-30, 06:58

Probably.

“Call space child services, lady! I’m constantly being endangered.”

I can’t imagine, on this planet, a bounty hunter being allowed to do his job with an infant at his side. Space rules must be different, and a bit more relaxed.

On a related note, knowing now what we do about Grogu’s past: at some point down the road, when Mando is in trouble/danger, his life is truly on the line and it seems all hope is lost because he’s up against too many foes at once...does Grogu produce a little green or blue lightsaber and get to work?

Because I’m telling you right now....there’s no way this series ends without that happening. At least once. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. The memes that will generate...

If he was a youngling undergoing training at the Jedi temple on Coruscant, Episode III clearly shows us that little kids get sabers in their hands at an early age. I realize they’re not of the student’s own creation, so they must be training devices checked out of the rec room. Maybe they’re slightly underpowered or have some sort of limiter/guard in place so little kids aren’t accidentally cutting their own head and limbs off?

But all that silliness aside, we’ve seen on quite a few occasions - with shifter knob, frogs, eggs, cookies - that little kid a) has no impulse control, and b) is drawn to/obsessed with objects, especially ones he isn’t supposed to have (or eat).

You know damn well the willful little goon swiped, and smuggled out, a training saber and probably has it tucked away in his little robe somewhere. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

They’re dropping all these clues right in front of our faces...he will do anything to get what he wants, including using the Force to help make it happen. Are we somehow supposed to believe he wasn’t enchanted by/obsessed with a glowing blue/green “toy” and did whatever it took to get his hands on one for himself?!



Remember...you heard it here first.

No Jedi-related character in SW - youngling, padawan, master - fails to wield a lightsaber at some point. It just doesn’t happen.

If they’ll put one in, of all people, Han Solo’s hands for 10-15 seconds, having this kid swinging one at some point down the road isn’t any crazier of an idea or development.

PS - I think it was that old lady librarian who smuggled Grogu out, and, eventually, we’ll get the full details on all that. While a Jedi herself, maybe she, knowing all she did about things, was able to escape with the kid (secret passageways or tunnels, etc.). Being in her position, she would’ve been the one to know all these kinds of things.. Or it might’ve been Bail Organa, under one of those capes of his. He was present during Palpatine’s “a new Galactic Empire!” speech and likely saw what was coming, he knew his way around the building and he was close with/trusted by both Yoda and Obi-Wan (they allowed him to take one of Anakin’s kids) and would’ve done anything they asked. The Jedi themselves were targets at that time, so it could’ve been a friendly non-Jedi who removed/hid Grogu during all that upheaval and chaos.

There must be something about that species that everyone in-universe knows is rare/special? The Empire wants him, the Jedi made sure he was removed/hidden away. I suppose we’ll come to learn all these things at some point.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-11-30 at 10:16.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-11-30, 12:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I would gladly watch a series centered around Cara Dune, Bo Katan and/or Ahsoka Tano, written/performed as they have been on this particular show. And I suspect 95%+ of fans/viewers would as well. In fact, I'm kinda hoping some of these cameos/apperances are springboards to that very thing? Maybe that's what's being slowly set up, and, a year or two from now, in addition to the upcoming Kenobi series, we get these characters heading up their own adventures as well? I'm all for it.
I am genuinely happy to see you excited about this show. After the sequel mess, I was wondering if you were ever going to get back on board. The Mandalorian has been a gold mine, and it's great to read your thoughts, again.

And glad you've taken to Ahsoka. She is a brilliantly written and conceived character.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-11-30, 13:22

I'd still fix a few things, or tweak a bit re: some of the rumored plans (I have zero interest in a standalone Boba Fett show, and I think the idea is a bit silly). But, overall, yes...it's all enjoyable and non-idiotic to me once again, so...

Believe me, for four-plus years now, I've been sad at the idea of never liking Star Wars again (beyond the OT, of course, which will never go away or be anything other than enjoyable for me). But anything new, since then, I've just not taken to (the prequels and the sequels, and, while I enjoyed parts of both Rogue One and Solo, they didn't mean much to me, big picture...that's asking a lot, frankly; I think I might've responded better to both had they taken more of a Mandalorian type of approach and delved into new characters or situations that weren't so closely, directly tied to what we knew was to come. Does that make sense?

While this show certainly references and ties to things, it's on its own path enough that I'm not asked to buy someone else as Harrison Ford, or to be entertained by a movie where I know everyone I'm supposed to root for is going to wind up dead before the credits roll. I can buy that sort of thing from other properties or filmmakers, but not Star Wars. I found Rogue One far too glum and morose to truly enjoy. It had some nice visuals, but the longer it went I knew "well, don't like her too much; don't think he's too cool; don't get too fond of that funny droid...". If I want to see that kind of thing, I'll pop in Saving Private Ryan or whatever.

My only real concern, now, is that they don't overplay their hand, and base entire shows around characters that may not warrant it. I honestly don't know if Cara Dune or Bo Katan, on their own, could carry one. But as parts/co-stars of something else, bigger? Absolutely. I just don't want them pulling out every minor character and trying to force a show around. In addition to the sheer awfulness of the sequels, there was something also to be said at that ridiculous pace Disney was releasing stuff. Maybe some franchises can support yearly releases (those Fast & Furious things or whatever, I don't know), but to have five Star Wars feature films all hit within a five-year period was...a bit much. It doesn't give people, even the biggest fans who think they may want such a release pattern, time to soak it in, live with it and, most of all, miss it. They should've done the sequels on the same "every three years" pattern as the OT and prequels.

They bit off more than they needed, more than anyone was asking for. I remember talking here about that very thing, years ago..."it's just too much, there's no way the quality can be upheld at that release pace and such varying types of projects. People will OD on it, guaranteed." And now, look...Disney has pretty much put the brakes on everything except a TV show, and maybe 1-2 in early stages of discussion. There's no new trilogy on the horizon. There's no new "Star Wars stories" entries slated. They overplayed their hand, put out some real less-than fare and they suffered for it. I don't want that to happen again, on the small screen. So it's a genuine risk/concern to anyone there truly paying attention and concerned about quality and longevity.

Because too much of anything can be too much, so they need to be mindful of how they space/stagger things so viewers can breathe and enjoy, and not feel like "good grief, it's every damn week with a new one...and most aren't that good", because then that puts them right back to 2015-2019 territory.

People don't realize they want to miss/long for things, but I think that's how we're wired. Things mean more to us when we have to anticipate and wait, I believe. And having stuff - less than stuff - hitting every year just doesn't allow for that. So I hope they don't let the success/popularity of this one show go to their heads and cause them to think "we need Star Wars shows year-round, even if nobody's asking for it and it makes no sense!"

Because that will blow up in their face, guaranteed.

Quality vs. quantity. Any morons can make a TV show, that's proven 365 days a year, on every channel in existence.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-12-01, 12:36

I just saw an interview with Ms. Dawson. Holy smokes...she’s so pretty it hurts. While I question her choice in men, I guess I’d call myself Spartacus too if that’s who I got to lie beside every night.

Lucky bastard...

I honestly don’t know why she isn’t a bigger star? I look at people like Jennifer Lawrence, and her inexplicable fame/celebrity-dom, and I just scratch my head. I’ve seen many (most?) of her movies and there was one, maybe two, that I actually believed her in or thought “okay, she’s doing a nice job here.” But the rest? What gives?

Is it role choices? Or maybe you have to run in the right crowd/circles? Is it your agent and “people” you surround yourself with? If you win a big award, especially earlier on, does that automatically grant you a bit of a pass and a period to “coast”/tread water (Halle Berry also comes to mind). Lawrence has stepped into the genre waters a good bit as well, as has Dawson, but I’ve seen Dawson act circles around her over the years, in quite a few things.

Politically, Dawson appears to be on the “correct” side of things, so she hasn’t Selleck’ed herself or limited her options by being conservative or Right-wing in a town/industry that isn’t. Has she made enemies somewhere, denying her opportunities others may have gotten?

I’ve just always thought, for 10+ years now, that she’d be a much bigger “star” (I hate that word, but you know what I mean). All the elements seem to be in place.

It’s always interesting how things like that play out. It’s like music, I guess. I spent a year living in Nashville in 1997-1998 and the singers and musicians I’d see playing in some shitty tavern or tourist trap blew away anything you’d hear on the radio. That was an eye-opening period for me, and when it kinda hit me that “fame” and “talent” don’t automatically go hand-in-hand.

So, obviously, talent is but a small, single factor (and, sometimes, maybe not even a factor at all). Because I see people in movies and TV, or on the music charts, and all I can think is “their skills/talents obviously reside in other areas besides acting or musical ability.”

Please don’t make me draw a picture...this is a family forum.

Sorry for the SW detour, but that interview - funny, articulate, gorgeous, sweet - just made me think “how is she not a full-on A-lister at this point?!”

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-12-01 at 13:08.
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-12-01, 13:19

For those of you unfamiliar with Lone Wolf and Cub, I highly recommend that you lay your hands on an anthology, as it's (a) really good and (b) the model upon which much of Mandalorian is built upon.


...
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2020-12-01, 14:08

In an effort to avoid spoilers early on for this season I missed the news that Dawson was playing a role in it. I think I recall somewhere that she was being cast, but I didn't look into what role she was being cast for. I completely enjoyed seeing he as a Jedi though. Having watched her play the "sidekick" in the Netflix Marvel Universe I was hoping it would be something much bigger, and it was.

I do agree with you on that one, she should be a much bigger star IMO.

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Visit our archived Minecraft world! | Maybe someday I'll proof read, until then deal with it.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-12-01, 18:47

Yeah, it's just funny how that status falls on some and not on others, even when you'd think all the ingredients are in place. I always think stuff like that is interesting.

She's staying tight-lipped, of course, about any further involvement. But I'd expect that; she's not allowed to let those kinds of cats out of the bag.

I have no idea what this coming Friday's episode is about, but I'll eat my shoe if he actually makes it to that planet he was told to go to. I smell a side-adventure episode! But you never know. This show appears to be mostly leak/spoiler-free. I don't go seeking anything out, but sometimes you just hear things. But I've yet to on this show, so every episode has been me going in completely cold and unaware of any details. A million things could happen Friday...they're gonna want to start teeing up that season finale and the requisite cliffhanger/"oh crap!" moment(s). No TV show in current day ever ends its season on a resolved, wrapped-up and clean note, with everyone happy and content. It just doesn't happen.

I have my theories/guesses, but we'll see how the next episode or two plays out.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-12-01, 19:21

I'm smelling a side episode as well. And this whole "Find a Jedi" thing leaves a giant, smoking hole in my predict-o-meter. Luke? Ghost Yoda? Ghost-somebody? Mace Windu with a walker?

The neat thing about this timeline is that there is a lot going on in terms of available characters.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-12-01, 20:06

The funny thing is, with the timeline/ages involved and knowing what we now know about Grogu's past, and where he spent time, that everyone has spent over a year calling him "baby Yoda" might prove to be more accurate that we realized.

Think about it.

He came from somewhere.

50 years ago, Yoda might've had a drunken one-nighter with Yaddle.

Don't laugh...crazier things have happened.

Maybe the reason he was hidden away is because the involved parties (librarian lady, Bail Organa, Obi-Wan, Yoda himself, etc.?) knew his lineage/capabilities and realized he could not fall into enemy hands. "Away from here, get this child, you must!"

Ahsoka said herself she'd only ever seen another being like this, mentioning Yoda by name.

I think there's more to Grogu than we know, and things will slowly spill out in episodes (or seasons?) to come.

If they try to drag Luke into this show, they've got their work cut out for them because Mark Hamill looks like the side of a post-hurricane tool shed, or the south end of a mule walking north. God help them. There's only so much CGI in the world, people. But, as I've mentioned before, blue, grainy/scan-lined flickering translucency (hologram) can hide a multitude of sins. So that, along with a strategically placed hood/shadows, perhaps some obscuring facial hair and a bit CGI de-aging work could give us a few seconds of Luke Skywalker, circa 9 ABY? They gave him the Chuck Norris hair/beard look, trying to make him appear younger, for a few scenes in The Last Jedi, so they've already gone down that road with the character already (trying to present a Luke Skywalker as he appeared in the time between ROTJ and TFA/TLJ.

*shrug*

But, I could actually buy Force ghost Obi-Wan - Ewan McGregor - a bit easier. At one point I would've said they'd have to age him to Alec Guinness levels for it to make sense, but, as Lucas' tweaked OT shows, Force ghosts don't always appear as you'd expect. Originally we saw British actor Sebastian Shaw appearing as a Force ghost next to Obi-Wan and Yoda on Endor. Then Lucas decided hippie-haired, pervy-uncle-leering Hayden Christensen somehow made more sense. So that certainly paves the way for Obi-Wan's Force ghost to inexplicably appear as his younger, studlier Ewan McGregor self in current continuity.

None of this shit has to make sense...that's been established long ago (thanks, George).

You can't discount anything at this point.

As for Mace Windu, I realize (as with Boba Fett) we never "saw the body"...but damn. That was a pretty high window he was thrown out of.

I suppose I could buy Samuel L. Jackson showing up as a Force ghost, as with McGregor/Obi-Wan above, a bit easier than I could the idea of him still being alive after Palpatine "unlimited power'ed" him out that window.

Mando could set Grogu on that Seeing Stone(?) and the "path" he chooses could very well be to stay with Mando? If Grogu abandons/walks away from the Jefi/Force life, that opens up some interesting things. Or, as with Ahsoka, Luke, Obi-Wan, Mace or whoever senses him might get some creepy vibes and all refuse to take the kid in, knowing he could easily be Anakin 2.0? Mando just might have a little sidekick longer than he planned. Get him a little suit of Beskar armor and have him be the Starsky to your Hutch, the Luke to your Bo, the Bear to your BJ.
  quote
kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-12-02, 12:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post



the Bear to your BJ.


I bet there are three people on planet Earth who get that reference.

It's super sad that I'm one of them.

And you makes two.

And I'll bet half a chest of Glowstone that 709 is the third.



And, yes, Baby Yoda is … uhm … Baby Yoda. And probably the Librarian was involved. Somehow.

Oh, dear.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-12-02, 13:30

Haha...I didn't consider the cross-species angle!

Yoda likes them brainy chicks. And, honestly...who among us hasn't had the "hot librarian" fantasy?

Penthouse Forum, Coruscant Edition:

Quote:
"Made up this sounds, but there was I, working late in the temple and everyone gone for the day, they were. Slowly walked into the room, she did...".
Fellas, you've not unhooked a bra until you've done so using the Force.



But seriously, the more I've thought about it, the more I can't help but wonder if there's something to that. Had they never brought up the whole "he was trained at the Jedi temple on Coruscant", and if his age didn't fit into the timeline so neatly, I never would've thought about it. I was content to assume he was just a random member of that particular species...no ties to the Jedi, no training, never been to Coruscant. But they, the show, planted that seed of time/location/history that makes you at least have to consider the possibility that "baby Yoda" is just that, and has a really well-known pops. Why would they, via Ahsoka, provide that backstory/info if it didn't mean something, eventually?

Isn't that one of the "rules" of screenwriting/storytelling? That things aren't shared with the audience to be just random filler? That's there's usually a reason a character says/does something that has some sort of payoff somewhere down the line?

And even if that's not what comes to be, it's still obvious Grogu is "important" in some way for The Client, Gideon and the Empire to be so hell-bent on finding him. So he's clearly a big part of things, and what continues to drive the show, if his "M count" is high enough to be the reason his blood is coveted by the bad guys to fuel their shady schemes. Yoda-related or not, he's a big deal.

That seems like the sort of thing some Jedi - Force ghost or otherwise - might see fit to lay on viewers in the final 11 seconds of episode 8 in about three weeks. Then everyone can freak out/speculate for the next 9-10 months. Oh, the memes that would surely sprout...

It's already established/accepted that everyone in Star Wars knows/is related to everyone else, after all. This just plays into that whole thing, doesn't it? But it's almost too obvious/easy, which is why it probably won't be the case. This is probably the misdirection/distraction part of it, making viewers (and idiots like me) think they've got it all figured out.

Surely we don't. Just seems a little too easy/obvious.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-12-02 at 13:58.
  quote
kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-12-02, 14:53

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Haha...I didn't consider the cross-species angle!

Yoda likes them brainy chicks. And, honestly...who among us hasn't had the "hot librarian" fantasy?

Penthouse Forum, Coruscant Edition:



Fellas, you've not unhooked a bra until you've done so using the Force.


  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-12-03, 18:04

Well, here we are...another week, another episode nearing. 6 of 8 (14 of 16 in the full scope), with only two remaining after this one.

Filler? Perhaps.

We're coming off three pretty good, strong installments..."The Heiress" with Bo Katan, "The Siege" with all the fun 1977-like action (and the cloning(?) initiative involving the little electrician/cookie-snatcher) and last week's "The Jedi". They couldn't be faulted for laying back a little this week, I guess, and maybe doing something in the final moments to tee up the last two episodes of the season.

I'm honestly not expecting much, but that just means I'll be pleasantly surprised if it should wind up being a barn-burner episode.

There's been no build-up or hype this week that I've caught wind of - we knew what was coming last week since we knew what character he was traveling to meet, and how the writer/director of that episode made it pretty obvious she would be appearing. But that's not the case this week. I don't know the writer/director, the episode title (you never really do until it appears on screen). I truly have no idea what's going to happen, where he'll go or who he'll encounter. And I like it.

But I'll bet you a dollar he gets side-tracked on the way to that planet Ahsoka told him about! And fights some people. And some stuff blows up. And we get a good bit of pew-pew-pew action. I'm really going out on a limb here, huh?
  quote
709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2020-12-03, 18:29

Remember that Moff Gideon has secured a tracker on Mando's ship - I'm betting we see the baddies meet/ambush Mando on whatever planet Ahsoka sent him to next.

So it goes.
  quote
kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-12-03, 18:47

Hey, bring on the pew pew pew! I'm all for it.

Jon Favreau is writing, again, and I'm just fine with that. No reason why a good thing can't keep being good. The only non-Favreau episode this season has been Filoni, and a good thing, too. Otherwise, it's been the same writing crew for 6 episodes (another departure next week with Rick Famuyiwa who has written and directed a few episodes).

This crew has it together and I have no reason not to trust the direction going forward (at least this season, anyway).

I also suspect another filler (I think the Jedi reveal will be chapter 16, rather than Boba Fett). Boba may just be a side-teaser until they figure out how to bring him in without a flood of neck-beard fluids swamping downtown Hollywood. This week Mando will get carried away on some other "help me and I'll tell you [fill in the blank]" adventure in which Baby Yoda (yes I know he has a name, but I ain't using it, yet ) either A) eats somebody's kids, or B) force chokes a wamp rat. Either way, it will induce a smile that won't go away, and no less than 14million individual meme's.

And, yeah, I forgot about that tracker thingy. That should make for lots of dead Storm Troopers.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2020-12-03, 19:24

I assume I wasn't the only one who experienced a slight "oh, holy crap..." moment last week when, after Ahsoka handed Mando the Beskar spear and asked where his little friend was, and he said "I'll go get him", that he'd go back to the ship and Grogu would've been gone? Abducted by the bad guys?

I would've wagered everything I had on that being the case, and Mando running back to plead with Ahsoka to join him to help find the child (using their Force connection to help track/"see" where he was). I was all primed to see her sitting in the co-pilot seat next to Mando, eyes closed and looking all serious/concerned as the credits kicked in.

So I was shocked when he walked into the ship and Grogu was snoozing in the hammock, all safe and sound. Because I was braced for the complete opposite!

That was a "gotcha!" twist.

The way this show likes to unfold things or provide an unexpected angle to something, I can almost imagine Mando somehow discovering the tracker aboard his ship, disabling/destroying it, only to look out the window and see some huge Empire cruiser staring him down (he was too late in discovering/disabling the tracker; you think he's going to be able to render it useless, and in the time he's doing so, while we're happy he found it, the Empire shows up anyway).

There have been a few sequences like that, I've noticed...a set-up, you think you know what's going to occur, they juke a little and the unexpected actually happens.


Re: Jon Favreau...you wouldn't have been blamed, 20+ years ago, for thinking, between him and Vince Vaughn, who would wind up being more popular or having the biggest showbiz impact, certainly in the nerd/genre arena. The easy bet was the glib, good-looking guy, but it turned out to be the other. Between his MCU involvement and now this show, he's geek royalty at this point. Funny how things work.

Which, of course, means we surely get treated to a fast-talking, Midwestern-accented Stormtrooper in some future episode. I assume they're still buddies?

"YeahIreallydon'tlikewearingthishelmetican'tseeall thatgoodandthisblasterisalittleheavierthantheoneIh adlastyear..." - Commander VV, Desert Squadron

For all we know, Vaughn has already appeared in some helmeted role and we'd probably never even know/hear about it.

"Just a fun favor to my pal...he's always wanted to dress up and be in Star Wars."

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-12-03 at 19:41.
  quote
kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-12-03, 19:41

Funny. I just googled him and thought, "No way in hell!"

Did a double-take.

Nope. Not that goof nugget.

Triple-take.

Seriously? That guy?




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