There have been several large beasties front and center, and at least two "leads" that have been cg, as well as lots of ships, some sets, etc.

I don't know what story there is so far. It's pretty basic, which isn't bad necessarily, but I don't know how much character development has been established to this point.

I feel the lead seems maybe slightly diminutive. His walk doesn't seem terribly tough/masculine. Mind you, I'm not looking for something akin to the Rock, or well....Linda Hamilton, but he seems a bit slight for a physical dude. His voice feels slightly not aggressive enough either, it's somewhat soft. Again, if things were pronounced more in the other direction, it might be more offputting.

I do agree the effects are more buffering, than anything, but the show definitely couldn't exist without cg work or the Star Wars brand.....so far.

I'm assuming it's cg. Dunno.

I don't like their design really at all. Weight distribution looks awkward, like they'd topple tits over ass, kinda thing.

Tough to connect to a stranger when there's a mask constantly present. The weird plastic visor seems to reflect a good bit.

The Sandcrawler sequence was pretty decent, but I think establishing that he's a neophyte would help, give him more leeway for making errors while attacking them.

It definitely is watchable, but sure isn't reinventing anything, just replicating. Lots of cash to produce it too.

They already did the childhood flashbacks though. Too late!

Man, I still haven't made it through Stallone Dredd after all these years. Karl Urban though, man what a movie! But not taking his helmet off was fine, that movie seemed to take place in a short timeframe, from what I recall.

I don't necessarily want his mask off, but it's tough to connect and emote with the mask. Teumera Morrison was fantastic at both! Though sadly him as Jango seemed so overwhelmingly cg.....at least this feels more like a human walking around, thank god!

I'm not saying I hate him in the role, or love him in it. Like I said, having a buffed Arnie type would be incredibly awkward, but he does seem slight and not terribly masculine.

And Eastwood has a gangly, well had, effeminate build himself, now that you mention it. And besides, Leone's "best" western didn't have Clint in it. Which might possibly be one aspect of it being his best. Eastwood is marvelous in that trilogy, but he's not at all subtle. He was never the best at understated, environmental acting, letting a scene develop emotionally. From what I recall anyway.

Speaking of Dredd..!

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1196097915942387712?s=09

I haven't seen Narcos, saw there's a game coming out that looks cool! And I'd been meaning to watch Urban in the Boys.

Why wouldn't I say that? Bronson and Fonda alone are marvelously brilliant in their respective roles. Yet alone the score, supporting cast, grandiose sprawl of the story.

Once Upon a Time in America is also phenomenal.

And come on, I wasn't dissing those films, just stating Eastwood is a pretty hammy, over the top performer. It's also not like I said I enjoyed "Duck You Sucker!" more than any other Leone film.

Tarantino produces a good amount of self indulgent torture on his own, frankly. Similar experience for me with Inglorious Bastards in the theater. Fell asleep for the second half, never wanted to revisit it, even via freebie stream.

Not sure why so many people hate the Prequels, as they're the only "pure" vision by the creator of the series, and arguably feature the three most fantastic performances/character portrayals by Neeson, McGregor, and McDiarmid. Ford was fairly neutered mid Empire, and Luke felt a bit confused mid Empire, well conflicted. Vader sadly never had the stage in the OT, not enough anyway, to validate either his villainy or badassery.

Did anyone else read some blurb stating Disney+ won't feature any work above a certain rating, I guess no R rated material? The lack of any color of blood from that beastie in the second episode, or jawas limbs staying intact, kinda lend to that. Really odd that death, and with the beast very wanton and empty, being depicted is fine for Disney content wise, but a limb removal or blood being lost, that's a big no no.

It feels a little disingenuous, to give no credit at all to Lucas, doesn't it..?

Funny, as I was just watching a documentary last week, where maybe it was Bill Moyers, stating how Joseph Campbell felt Lucas was his best student, but I guess Campbell was shammed out by Lucas' lack of talent, also? Never sure why people seem to loathe the creator of the largescale vision that they admire so much. Lucas may not directly be Stan Lee or Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, etc., but arguably his end product, has as great and meaningful a legacy as any of those comic giants.

Oh, and Herzog weeps.

https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/werner-herzog-on-baby-yoda-in-star-wars-the-mandalorian.html?utm_source=undefined&utm_medium=undefined&utm_campaign=feed-part

And where Lucas lacked viability for Maul and Boba, he gave pretty deep significance to both Jango and Dooku, both somewhat insignificant, significant characters, and both pretty neato.

I know I did, but does "Callback: The Show" make a good substitute for solid material? I groaned when I heard the Life Day reference in the first episode. Saw some article talking about Favreau considering a Life Day special. Didn't hit the link....

I didn't quite understand why he'd be so direct with the Jawas, other than to illustrate he's a neophyte/newb to the guilds, which isn't detailed yet.

And him getting hit by a rhino three times, falling 100 feet from a Sandcrawler, and just goofily dusting himself off, well....I wasn't about to start questioning any of those logistical elements at that point. Plus his armor was clearly damaged with the first hit, they made a point to show that, yet two more hits, he's still alive. Yet one tiny knife blade into a massive fur beast, ten times his size, and it drops lack a sack of furturds.

I'm not really here to discuss the logic issues. There'd be too many, for sure.

For me surviving on the brand largely, is most disappointing, my biggest issue, at this point anyway. It's akin to the "Princess Belda" argument in gaming. If you remove the brand, name recognition, how does it stand? This, not so well. Baby Yoda looks amazing, but it's akin to adorable green cleavage. Little substance, all surface level attention getting. In other words, a cheap, repeating, empty thrill. Cute for sure, but empty.

Contrarily, I rewatched the first episode of Cowboy Bebop last night, after showing my friend the second episode of Mandalorian. Bebop does an exemplary job at setting tone, character motives, world aesthetics, sound atmosphere, etc. Always felt like one of the greatest first episodes of a show, for me.

Lordy, I haven't ever approached his memoir, haha! If I did, along with Kinski's notorious one, I think my head would explode.

Herzog has always been a sensationalist circus rung announcer of sorts. How else does one get in cahoots for multiple projects with Kinski? I'm sure you've seen this clip from the documentary on Fitzcarraldo, Burden of Dreams.

And I love Herzog, don't get me wrong. He's just an outright, winking at the camera, madman. It's his schtick, god bless him!

Episode release schedule, by the way.

https://www.cnet.com/news/when-is-episode-3-of-the-mandalorian-released-on-disney-plus/

Most are Friday's.

Disney will always find a way to create more $$$ regardless of a creator's intent. That's about the only thing they seem good at, frankly. And often do so in the face of creating genuine substance of any kind.

5:35 in. This interview always feels haunting to watch. It's like Kennedy is just staring through and past George as he talks as if he's air to her.

Little did he know, she was the real Palpatine in the end....

Shocking..!

https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/11/21/baby-yoda-merchandise-from-the-mandalorian

Also.

https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/11/22/star-wars-jj-abrams-responds-to-george-lucas-criticism-of-the-force-awakens?amp=1

https://twitter.com/wyzworld/status/1198434370522173440?s=09

MEME2019-11-23-09-50-46 (resized).jpg

I was kinda jaw dropped when in the first few minutes it was clear where this was headed.

Not only have a half dozen shows and movies aped The Seven Samurai, but Filioni's own Clone Wars did in the first season! One of the few episodes I watched of that show, and it was about as ho-hum as well.

Plus um....why doesn't Mando place the detonators on the AT ST when they FIRST enter that hideout area, and are undetected??!?!?! Really, what the fuck?

Also, Gina Carano is like a fucking oak tree. Not entirely unlikable, but also not the best actress to place across a main character that has NO face. It's like a forest in here. Yeesh!

I swear Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica, and maybe even the A Team, among many other serial action shows from the 60's and up, Wild Wild West even, had more inventive writing. It would have been a great idea, if he'd actually decided to stay there for a decade or so of peace, then see an older Yoda baby, not much different visually but maybe more Force savy, then have Mando need to dust his skills off, and get back out there for some reason....

Speaking of, who doesn't whup on him??? He seems really average in fights. I get him slaughtering people wouldn't be endlessly engaging, but this dude doesn't seem very skilled.

$100,000,000 to produce adequate retreaded mediocrity isn't really a high level of expectations to be met.

Most 80's dingdong action shows, like Magnum P.I., A-Team, Knight Rider, Voyagers, Quantum Leap and the like...had as much writing depth, or more, than this show has had so far. Remove the effects, the brand, and a baby puppet, and there's barely anything here of note. Not for the rave nature and amount of press and viewings this show has received so far.

If people serve you a high priced turd sandwich, telling them to at least spend less on said turd sandwich, is a positive trend.

This is very competent, but it's also a very spiritless, fan service oriented product so far.

If.....?

Oddly, this crap so far feels entirely rushed and cobbled together. How halfass is Disney now, that they can't even market toys and goods effectively and timely?

https://www.shopdisney.com/franchises/star-wars/?prefn1=characters&srule=default-sorting-rule&sz=24&start=0&prefv1=The%20Child&LSID=7060520|11502922|b04782bb-8e3b-4aa1-9036-ad07284b3598&CMP=AFL-AffLSGen&CID=1583972&att=LSGenAffl&EFC=224510

I agree with both of you.

I think the weird brief episodes, with lead in's, that logo intro, and a really long end credits sequence, most of these episodes are 30 minutes long. And that's just not enough time to develop scenes, intensity drama, and allow more time for the comic relief stuff to feel less at the forefront. They need the old 44 minute standard from years ago, when we had three major networks in the US.

I kept watching this thinking, "oh god...we're really going there. ...seeing this?!?!" Then I'd feel it was neat to revisit those things for a moment. Then I'd feel awful at how manipulative, and nostalgia fueled this show seems to be.

My biggest issue with Star Wars, is there seems to be NO real attempt at anything other than nostalgia dips. How many more times can we ooooh at the Falcon, or recognize that in this episode alone they almosy aped shot after shot from a New Hope and The Phantom Menace for the first ten minutes?

You didn't appreciate the wacky combo of Ellen Ripley meets Richard Simmons via the masterful comedic stylings of Amy Sedaris?

RichardSimmonsSept2011 (resized).jpg

And two months after release, it'll be widely available, and at msrp.

Disney is the master at making money on empty junk.

I'm guessing the second season won't be available till next year this time?

Yeah, Bill Burr seemed a bit too wacky, out of place, and that Twilek lady might have well been out of Natural Born Killers. The Devilguy was at least Clancy Brown, but otherwise could they write anymore stereotype goofy characters? Richard Ayoade was nice casting though for sure!

Who was the grey hairded old fat dude? Seemed like he came straight from a Ribfest Rock Fest somewhere. Was he a gueststar too?

This seems like a modern Love Boat. All guest stars, and all appetizing, but nutrition free gunk.

Another fine episode, but also fairly forgettable. Seems to be the name of this show, really.

I have a box set of all four seasons of the Wild, Wild West. Probably could watch that, and get more creativity out of it.

People seem to give this show a bit, well a lot, of a free pass. For the budget, the lore, and all of the creative talent out there, this might as well be Magnum P.I. (The original of course!)
Minus the killer mustache and style.

It's incredibly okay, but man...for the pedigree and cash, it's entirely not....okay.

That would be "fine" as the plot trajectory, if they actually showed him for the first few episodes, or at all, as a lethal, heartless killer. He kinda hasn't really been that all that much.

You're suggesting they shouldn't ram their plot intentions down the audiences throat, thus treating them like adults, but they could also maybe allow character development to occur over a season or so, and actually show brutality as brutality. The bounty hunter with a smile, in his voice anyway, and no blood inside his potential victims, it seems.

This show made a super quick turnaround for what we assume his character to be. That's not exactly treating an audience, or your main character, with respect. This dude has developed into a sweetheart almost within the time it takes for a commercial break during a football game. Really less, like the time it took for a baby to giggle.

Side point, why does he never call his Mando buddies? Do they text, send audio files, flash gang signs via the stars? Not much unity in that group, for all the circle jerking chants they got into.

My favorite thing about Mando?

Baby Yoda digs him...

Seriously, that's not a compliment. This character has had about 3.5 hours of screentime, maybe more than Luke even, and he's a DULL, BLANK, slate. Weeee.....

Just like last week's episode, this episode was boring. Why? Because it was safe and predictable, again. Were any of us surprised he survived this double cross? No.

Rather, he should have been trapped, turned into carbonite, then cliffhanger till next week. Then new friends, or old, could have rescued him, or other things.

Having never seen Rick and Morty prior to a week or so ago, man that show has more playful twists in one episode than this has had in six. The biggest twist they had was a baby puppet, that they milk and milk. Well, not literally....thankfully.

Never said once it was shitty. Just....fine.

It's not a bad thing to be critical, as well as praising, and I think my criticisms are valid, no? If you feel differently, by all means, that's the point of posting on here.

Disney has finally done something entirely okay with the property. People are watching due to the property, and most times in spite of Disney. Like my ass this Thursday. I'm going to get it over with, would rather see the dumbness firsthand versus read about it all over the net, and see this series limp off dead. This series, anyhow.

Even that, due to Disney, was a last minute decision a few weeks ago. I wasn't getting tickets the second they came up, like most of the prior films, and the prequels, standing in line. I literally got the last two seats together, in the very front row, on the end, for a 5PM viewing. Ugh.....

Yeah, pretty sure he said F those rules, a few times already. Like almost every minute of every episode so far. Plus, they can probably just rewrite those stupid rules whenever they want to, as in Disney, I mean.

Criticism isn't bad. And most people love what they've done with Marvel. I also disdain xmas, and all that jazz. It's okay for people to like these things, and dislike them. Doesn't invalidate my opinion or theirs, because of like or dislike.

For me, that also is competent, but actually far worse than this. Those movies are awful. I'm even tired of GOTG, at this point. And kill and let Spidey stay dead, please....

Supposedly this was initially a film project, which seems entirely why there are random filler episodes like the Seven Samurai homage.

This last episode was one of the first to really use the momentum the show had built very slowly to a dramatic effect! And also doing so with almost no "hey, it's Star Wars!!!" cameos or cues. Awesome!!

Man, I wish Favreau had worked on the Witcher. That show is a nightmare mess, storyline, timeline, character motive, CG renders, etc.

Really impressed with the cohesive, logical, and fun choices they made on this show!

Did you read any of the books/games?

The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny are the first two, the short story books. Definitely start there. Good, quick reads.

The Witcher 3 is the game of this generation for me. Bought it on PS4, PC and Switch. Fabulously immersive, immense game, and balances the characters from all the nations very, very smoothly.

First two for sure! Like captainadam_21 mentioned, the last books are composed of a larger story. I'd try The Last Wish, and move forward if you dig it.

I'd also make a point of giving Witcher 3 a go. I have a feeling CDPR used the kernel of the Witcher better than Sapkowski himself, as well as Lauren Hisrich.

Sure, but also confused. How many times can you see a dead character resurrected, and in different timelines within one large battle?

They could have used the same story procedure, and used captions to detail where and when things were occurring. This isn't exactly Inception or Irreversible, two movies which played timelines to their strength, as a core of how the film worked, versus incidentally or just poor planning ala the Witcher.

Back to the Mandalorian...

That Krystina is a genuinely gross, and fairly apparent, racist.

https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/01/22/newly-announced-star-wars-the-high-republic-host-krystina-arielle-calls-all-white-people-are-racist/

Carano is a moron. Disney is a hypocrite. They hire a person who used to beat faces in, to play the same character, in a show about killing people who disagree with other people, and are evil/whatever ya wanna frame it.

They are fine with pushing a show about murder focused entertainment, meanwhile they fire an idiot for having outlandish private views.

They are all in the same pile of stupid asshat, all of the three mentioned entities/people.

When I first saw that, I thought it was a gag....

It's a fun 'What if?" idea, but as much as I love Temuera Morrison, (Just watched Island of Dr. Morreau, and was surprised he was in it! Brando version/debacle.) it just doesn't seem like an idea with legs.

I felt he and his pal overstayed just a bit, and Dawson just under. I'm not too thrilled to see either extended past what they were. But hey, it's modern "tv", AND Disney, milk it till it's dust!

Please don't, I mean please DO...forget him as Max Lord in WW84. That entire thing was heinous, but after enjoying him for what his role was, (sans seeing his face a time or two too often in Mandalorian) I actually ended up disliking him as an actor because of this role.