I put off watching the two most recent Star Wars shows, Skeleton Crew and Andor: Season 2, for a long time. Not because I wasn’t intrigued (I was), but because I felt burned out by Star Wars in general.
Yes, I admit that is a somewhat surprising (and off-brand) confession for me. All my friends, family, and co-workers know that Star Wars has long been my favorite franchise. My house is filled with Star Wars collectibles, I often wear Star Wars T-shirts, and I once spent a lot of my hard-earned money to attend a Star Wars convention.
However, some of the recent offerings have felt more mediocre than inspiring, at least for me. The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Mandalorian: Season 3 had some good moments, but overall they left me a little disappointed. They weren’t bad, per se; they just fell short of their potential. I’ve also grown increasingly frustrated by Lucasfilm’s habit of announcing new Star Wars film projects that never see the light of day. (I’m still waiting for that promised Rey movie, and I’ve been burned too many times to get my hopes too high for that Ryan Gosling Star Wars film.)
Despite all that, I am very happy to report that Skeleton Crew was absolutely delightful. It’s a series I can see myself returning to again and again, and I’m looking forward to watching it with my kids someday.
Skeleton Crew is a thoroughly charming, standalone tale about a group of kids leaving their sheltered planet, going on an adventure, and fighting space pirates. It was exactly the sort of swashbuckling palate cleanser I needed to get me invested in the Star Wars franchise again.
The child actors have great camaraderie, and Jude Law was perfect as a mysterious, possibly Force-sensitive figure who serves as a tour guide on the children’s adventures.
This was a wonderful, nostalgia-tinged watch, and it was packed with fun and imagination. I’ve only just started watching the second season of Andor, but I’ve been hearing lots of praise for the new season.
Allons-y, Again!
Ncuti Gatwa’s fresh take on the Doctor
I feel like each actor who has stepped into the Doctor’s shoes has brought something special and unique to the role. While David Tennant will probably always be “my Doctor,” I’ve loved each of the actors occupying the TARDIS during the “New Who” era. Ncuti Gatwa brings this wonderful childlike energy and enthusiasm to his portrayal; I can feel the joy radiating off him whenever he’s on screen.
Overall, I found the episodes this season to be pretty enjoyable. It has been interesting to have a companion, Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), who’s more of a reluctant passenger on the TARDIS and is more focused on returning home than seeking out adventures. The show has featured some very cool storytelling concepts, from a Time Hotel allowing visitors to pop in on different historical periods; a malevolent cartoon character come to life; and an intergalactic song contest riffing on Eurovision. I’m only slightly disappointed that we didn’t get to hear more sci-fi pop songs in the latter episode. 😉
I would say my favorite episode so far has been “The Well,” hearkening back to the 2008 episode “Midnight.” It perfectly captures the saying that “what you don’t see is scarier than what you do.” This episode was creepy and suspenseful, and had me glued to the screen.
So far my Doctor Who fandom has focused on the show’s revival from 2005 onwards, although watching more Classic Who episodes is an item on my geeky bucket list. While I’ve picked up on the fact this recent season of Doctor Who is referencing the show’s earlier episodes, I am unfortunately not familiar with the source material. I am curious to see how this all ties together in the finale, and what the showrunners have planned for the series going forward.
Mission Accepted
Thoughts on Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
The latest and (probably? maybe?) final chapter in the long-running spy franchise is finally here. Clocking in at nearly 3 hours long, it is, perhaps, a little bloated and over-indulgent. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this summer blockbuster, and its salute to Tom Cruise’s commitment to doing his own stunts.
I started getting more invested in the Mission: Impossible franchise with 2011’s Ghost Protocol – the one featuring Ethan Hunt nearly falling off the towering Burj Khalifa (I may or may not have screamed out loud in the theater during this scene). I love a good, old-fashioned spy thriller with practical stunts and set pieces, and Mission: Impossible has continued to deliver over the years.
The Final Reckoning features a number of great action sequences, from Ethan Hunt infiltrating a Russian submarine trapped deep beneath the ocean, to a biplane chase that activated both my intense fear of heights and of flying.
However, this movie isn’t all pedal to the metal; it also takes a few moments to slow down and reflect on Hunt’s relationship with some of the other long-running characters in the franchise, including Ving Rhames’ Luther and Simon Pegg’s Benji.
As for whether The Final Reckoning is actually the final movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise? When it comes to Hollywood, no franchise lies dormant for long. However, when they do inevitably bring it back, I hope they take a fresh approach. I know that period pieces can be risky at the box office, but I would love a Mission: Impossible story set in the 1960s.
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