Marvel Rankings

So, I’ve never ranked Star Wars movies because, well, it’s Star Wars and I love them all. It’s like ranking your children. Yes, there are some I like slightly better than others, but I don’t want to hurt their feelings by ranking them in writing, lol. I love them all, and I’m sticking to that.

Marvel, on the other hand, is a different story. I fell in love with Marvel last summer, when I decided to catch up on them all when Loki came out. And there are definitely some I love more than others, and I don’t feel particularly bad ranking them. I just haven’t up until now because there’s so many of them, lol, and I hadn’t really thought about it. But I’ve been inspired by other people’s rankings, and thought I might as well add my own to the roster. And it was kind of fun figuring it out; I had to dig a little bit to find out why I liked one more than the other, at least in my own mind. I kept my comments to one line each, trying to make my assessments succinct, and to keep this post from being super long.

Anyway, here’s the list: (first to last)

Top 10: (Superb; always on the rewatch list)

Loki. Duh, it’s Loki. And every episode is excellent; the story and writing is tight.
Shang Chi. Absolutely beautiful movie, and a wonderful story of a broken family.
Eternals. I can’t help it, I love this movie. Weird and wonderful with interesting characters.
Spiderman: No Way Home. Fabulous third Tom Holland outing; nostalgic, heartbreaking.
Dr. Strange. My favorite origin story, and favorite character besides Loki. He’s just cool.
Infinity War. Thanos’ shenanigans are riveting and our heroes’ response is inspiring. Tragic.
Endgame. Our heroes save the universe but at a cost. Epic.
What If. Surprisingly wonderful foray into alternate realities, and just plain fun.
Thor Ragnarok. Hilarious, fun, a complete joy ride. And Led Zeppelin.
Guardians of the Galaxy. Also super fun, and a wonderful soundtrack (I’m old, lol).

Next 10: (Very good; I’ll probably watch again)

Avengers. Our heroes come together for the first time, and Loki is so good at being bad.
Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman as T’Challah is perfect. Empowering and entertaining.
Thor: The Dark World. Loki being bad, then being good. Then being bad again. Love it!
Thor. This origin story for Thor and Loki is great. The Loki and Odin scene alone is worth it.
Wandavision. Wacky, weird, and wonderful. Wanda is one powerful witch.
Hawkeye. A little uneven, but I love Hawkeye, so there. Good transition to Kate.
Spiderman: Far From Home. Tom Holland as Spidey is just fun to watch.
Spiderman: Homecoming. Same as above, I just liked FFH a little better.
Ironman. Good, solid origin story for Tony, our fearless and snarky leader.
Black Widow. I didn’t expect to like this one so much, but I did. Red Guardian!

Next 10: (Goes from “Good, I may watch again; to “Not great, I probably won’t watch again)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Not as good as Vol. 1, but the music is still great.
Captain America: The First Avenger. Good origin story for our Captain.
Ant Man. Something about Paul Rudd is irresistible. And Scott Lang is just a nice guy.
Ant Man and Wasp. Same as above, but still not a great movie. Not bad, but not great.
Captain America: Civil War. Painful to see our heroes against each other.
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Ultron was kind of weird. At least we get Wanda and Vision.
Captain Marvel. This movie was fine. I just didn’t really care. Alien cat was the best part.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I love these characters, but this was just boring.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Very boring. Don’t even remember what it was about.
Iron Man 3. Again, boring. At least we got Trevor Slattery, aka The Mandarin.

Least favorite of all time: Iron Man 2. Over two hours of Tony being an a**hole.

So that’s it. This being a very subjective exercise, you may not agree with me on any part of this list, lol. But I am interested in what you think. What are your top 5 or 10? Give me a whole list, if you want. Or top of the list and bottom of the barrel. Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Finding My Inner Jedi

While scrolling through a Star Wars fan group on Facebook one day, I saw some one had posted an ad for this super awesome Star Wars journal called Inner Jedi, and I knew I had to have it! I received it the other day, and it’s beautiful, geeky, surprisingly thoughtful, and I love it.

It has my favorite Star Wars symbol on it.

The journal is meant to be your guide throughout 52 weeks of reflection, meditation, and “daily acts of peace and selflessness” to help you find your inner Jedi. There are pages for every week in a year (no specific dates; just start whenever you want to), words of wisdom, quotes, and even coloring pages to help you along your journey.

A weekly page for keeping track of your selfless acts.

Some added pages for more in-depth soul-searching.

Coloring! Crafts! Yoda! What’s not to love?

As a list lover, this kind of page hits the spot with me.

I haven’t started writing in it yet (not sure when I will, maybe at the beginning of next month), but I’m looking forward to filling this gorgeous notebook with my inner Jedi self. It’s the kind of thing I need right now, to calm and center myself in this crazy world and these crazy times. Just breathe, focus, and find the good. The fact that it’s Star Wars is the cherry on top. I might even share some posts inspired by the writing I do in here for something different once in a while.

This notebook cost about $20 and is available on Amazon or Insight Editions.

Do you have any cool Star Wars-related notebooks or journals? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello and happy weekend, my friends!

Honestly, I haven’t done much reading this past week. I finished The Fallen Star (you can check out my review here) and I’m just waiting for Midnight Horizon to come out Feb. 1st. I’ve read a few chapters of Race to Crashpoint Tower, but I can’t seem to get into right now. I’ll finish it eventually, lol.

The Book of Boba Fett episode 5 review: "Launches The Mandalorian season 3" | GamesRadar+ — Me watching Episode 5 of “Return of the Mandalorian.”

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5, “Return of the Mandalorian” was fantastic, with Din Djarin returning and showing us what he’s been up to since he said goodbye to Grogu. You can check out my thoughts on the episode here.

I noticed on Disney+ there were a few new shorts from Marvel called “Marvel One Shots.” I think mostly they’re just little DVD extras from the movies over the years, but I hadn’t seen most of them. The Thor ones were the best, just hilarious, lol. Or the Daryl ones, I should say, because the one with the Grand Master was pretty funny, too. Jeff Goldblum is just weird and wonderful.

Jean Luc and his new crew (besides the hot Romulan).

Most of my interest this week has been taken up by watching season one of Star Trek Picard. I haven’t visited this franchise for a long while now, and I had an absolute blast catching up with Jean Luc Picard and his cohorts. It’s a wonderful show, completely unlike any Star Trek show I’ve ever watched (and I’ve watched them all, lol, except the new one, Discovery–that’s next, probably). Instead of a starship captain and his crew going on weekly adventures in space, this show focuses on a particular story, a mystery that Jean Luc feels compelled to unravel, propelling him out of retirement on his vineyard (retirement has never set well with Jean Luc anyway, lol). We meet interesting new characters, and get a few familiar faces, too, that warmed my heart. I just loved this show, and have so much to say about it, I’ll probably write its own post sometime soon.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5 Review

(Please be aware that there are spoilers for this episode in this post.)

“Return of the Mandalorian“

The Book Of Boba Fett' Episode 5 Review: The Mandalorian Makes This Show So Much Better — He’s back!

So, yeah, we knew Mando was going to be making an appearance in the BoBF, but a whole darn episode?! I was both thrilled and a little puzzled about this, but let’s go on.

We finally get to see what Din Djarin has been up to since Grogu left with Luke Skywalker. Apparently he’s gone back to bounty hunting, but this particular bounty we see at the beginning of the episode is for information rather than money. He’s looking for his people, ie, the Armorer and anyone else left of his old crew. He’s given directions, and finds them on this cool-looking space station.

He and the Armorer talk about the Dark Saber, its history, The Night of a Thousand Tears, Bo-Katan Kryze; she makes a little something for Grogu from the beskar spear Din got from Ahsoka; and she trains him a bit in lightsaber battle. The blade becomes heavy for Din to wield, and the Armorer says that’s because he’s fighting the blade, not his opponent. Then the only other Mandalorian there challenges him for the Dark Saber (he’s an ancestor of Tar and Pre Viszla, and feels he should be the one wielding it). Din wins the battle–though not necessarily with the blade–but then the Armorer asks if he’s ever taken his helmet off in front of others, and he’s busted.

Easter Eggs You May Have Missed In The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 5 — Maybe Luke can give him some lightsaber training when he visits Grogu.

The Armorer casts him out, and Din goes to Mos Eisley in search of Peli. She’s been apparently working on finding him another ship, and she’s got a Naboo starfighter. It’s from the time of the Republic and has definitely seen better days, but she convinces him to help her fix it up. And it turns out kind of great. (I can just see Grogu’s cute little head poking up in that astromech bubble, can’t you?) He takes it for a spin and he warms to the fast little ship. When he gets back, Fennec Shand shows up and asks him to help Boba, who’s in need of some muscle. Din agrees, and says he’ll do it for free. But first, he’s got someone he’s gotta check in with.

That’s basically the episode, and it was fantastic. I think we’re all just missing Mando big time, and it was wonderful to see him again. He’s clearly missing Grogu, and is directionless without him. Grogu was his moral compass, and now that the little guy’s gone, he went right back into bounty hunting. He doesn’t quite know what to do with the Dark Saber, and can barely wield it. It’s obvious he’s reluctant to take on the responsibility of the blade.

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5 – What Did You Think?! — The Night of a Thousand Tears has a Terminator vibe.

He wants to go to Grogu and make sure he’s all right (in his conversation with the Armorer, she says that in the Jedi creed, they must let go of all attachments; Din points out that this is the opposite of the Mandalorian creed, which is one of loyalty. I’m curious to see how this will work out for Grogu, who is clearly attached to Mando).

I’m not holding my breath that we will actually see Grogu or Luke in any future episode of the BoBF, and we probably shouldn’t. We need to get back to Boba, especially with only two episodes left; the fact that Din got his own whole episode is another head-scratcher. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. But this is Boba’s show, not The Mandalorian 2.5. Or maybe it is, I don’t know. But I can’t help but feel that The Book of Boba Fett suffers in comparison to anything Mando; it’s inevitable. It’s kind of not fair, lol. But it’s clear that these shows are linked, as I’m sure the Ahsoka show will further link in, so maybe it’s not a big deal.

Star Wars' Fans Blow Up the Internet, "1% Boba Fett...This Is the Way" - Inside the Magic — Someone’s got a new ride.

It’s also interesting to note that these two very different men, who wear Mandalorian armor (but were not born on Mandalore in the way that Bo-Katan was) are trying to find their true identities. Boba is well on his way to redefining himself, but Din, now that he’s broken his creed for the sake of Grogu (who’s now gone) and has been cast out, is floundering and must find his way again. Maybe Boba can give him a few tips, lol.

At any rate, I’m eager to see the next two episodes of the BoBF and how Din will play a part in Boba’s quest to rule Tatooine.

What did you think of the episode? Do you think it hurt or enhanced The Book of Boba Fett? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Wednesday: The Fallen Star Review

(There may be some spoilers for The Fallen Star in this post).

by Claudia Gray, PRINT ISBN: 9780593355398 E-TEXT ISBN: 9780593355404

The Fallen Star, by Claudia Gray, is the third adult book in Phase One of The High Republic series, and it does a great job of wrapping up the “beginning of the end” of the the Jedi and The Republic at their very best.

This trilogy has shown the rise of the Nihil, a group of anarchist mauraders who take what they want, when they want, without regard to the lives of others. In Light of the Jedi, the Nihil cause the Great Disaster; in The Rising Storm, they attack the Republic Fair on Valo; and in this book, they insidiously attack the star of Chancellor Lina Soh’s Great Works, Starlight Beacon. Meant to be a light in the darkness of space across the Outer Rim, the state-of-the-art space station is home to a Jedi contingent, an advanced medical bay, and a place of refuge for people who need help.

Once again, the Republic and the Jedi believe the Nihil threat is nearly over, but they are wrong. They have no idea the Eye of the Nihil, their leader, is Marchion Ro, who has worked in the shadows, and who has sent a secret group of followers to the station to incapacitate it. They’ve also smuggled a creature onboard that somehow affects a Jedi’s connection to the Force. So when things start to go wrong, the Jedi are weakened.

Padawan Burryaga helps during the crisis.

Jedi Master Stellan Gios has stepped in as Marshall while Avar Kriss is on a mission to find Lourna Dee, who the Jedi believe is the Nihil leader. Elzar Mann, his good friend and fellow Jedi Master, has joined following a sabbatical after struggling with the dark side in the previous book. Elzar is accompanied by Orla Jareni, a Jedi who has become a Wayseeker, or one who explores the Force on their own, outside of the Order. Also on the station are Jedi Master Nib Assek and her Padawan, the Wookiee Burryaga, Jedi Master Indeera Stokes and her Padawan Bell Zettifar (along with his charhound, Ember, of course), and a Jedi we haven’t seen yet, Regald Coll (who happens to think he’s hilarious).

Also on board are pilots Affie Hollow, Leox Gyasi, and Geode from the Vessel (all were in Gray’s YA book Into the Dark); Nihil collaborators Chancey Yarrow and Nan, who were brought on board as prisoners; as well as several other pilots who happened to be on the station when things start to go wrong.

The Nihil saboteurs manage to sneak on board, cut communications, disable the escape pods and just about everything else; then blow up part of the station which causes them to move into the pull of the planet Eiram’s gravity (the station had been on a mission to help the planet after a devastating storm). So basically Starlight will eventually fall into the planet’s atmosphere and plummet to the surface, presumably killing all on board and a good portion of a coastal city on Eiram.

Orla Jareni and her white double lightsaber.

The Jedi begin a problem-solving mission, but their efforts are sabotaged by the mysterious creature that is roaming the station–one that instills crippling fear and paralysis in any Jedi who comes near, blocks their access to the Force, and that will literally suck the life out of them, reducing them to dry husks if they don’t get away. Several Jedi fall prey to this creature, whose description is deliberately vague, from the disoriented and terrified Jedi’s point of view.

The entire story takes place on the station (except for the few brief scenes with Marchion Ro on his ship), which leads to a kind of claustrophobic feeling, a feeling of urgency and anxiety.

The most interesting character arc in the book for me is Stellan’s–Stellan is a picture-perfect Jedi, the poster boy for the Jedi Order and the face of the Jedi for the Republic. Now, he’s cut off not only from the Order but from the Force itself, and Stellan is having an identity crisis. He doesn’t know who he is outside of the Order or without his connection to the Force, and it seriously affects his confidence. The very name of the book, in my opinion, not only refers to Starlight Beacon, but to Stellan himself. His friends, Elzar and Avar, had always referred to him as their “polestar,” a moral compass for them both. But now Stellan barely knows which way is up, lol.

Elzar, too, struggles in this story. When he is on retreat with Orla, he comes to realize his descent into dark-side emotions is a result of his denial of his feelings for Avar. Interestingly, I think Elzar is a foil to Anakin. Anakin struggles with similar emotions, and I think he would have done much better during the High Republic. First of all, when Elzar recognizes the dark side in his emotions and actions, he goes straight to his friends, confident that they will help him. And they do. He gets support, love, tears and hugs, special retreats. He’s taught to deal with these emotions, not bury them, not deny them. It’s a different situation, but I can’t help but think of Anakin’s mishandling when I read about Elzar.

Anyway, Elzar has decided to back off from the Force for awhile until he feels confident he’s dealt with these things properly, and as a result, doesn’t initially feel the disorientation the other Jedi feel on the station. This forces him to step up and become a leader when Stellan is out of commission, something he’s never felt comfortable with, and does a fine job. But Elzar isn’t completely out of the dark side woods yet.

I wish Avar were more a part of this story, but she’s been featured mostly in the comics, so even though she arrives on the station at some point, her part in this story is told in a comic. This frustrates me a bit–I want more of her, and of other characters that have been exclusively in the comics, like Keeve Trennis and Skkeer, but I can barely keep up with the books, never mind the comics (financially anyway, lol). I’m hoping for an omnibus of the High Republic comics soon, so I can get it all in one place, at once.

But that’s a minor complaint. It’s an excellent book, and ends this phase in a dramatic and foreboding way. I’m sad that we won’t see these characters again for awhile, as Phase Two is going even further back in time, to 150 years before this story. I’m disappointed about that, but have faith that the writers know what they’re doing. At least the next book in this wave is a YA book called Midnight Horizon by Daniel Jose Older, and focuses on Jedi I got to know in Gray’s Into the Dark, Master Cohmac Vitus and Padawan Reath Silas.

I would give The Fallen Star 4.5 out of 5 lightsabers.

Have you read The Fallen Star? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Eternal Relationships

There are spoilers for Eternals in this post, so beware.

You can check out my fairly non-spoilery review of Eternals here.

I can’t stop thinking about Eternals, both the movie and the individual characters who make up the Eternals, and I have some thoughts that spill over into this post. What thoughts, you ask? Is it about the Celestials and who they are and where they come from? Is it how the Eternals change the face of the MCU going forward? Is it Thanos and whether he was actually a good guy? Easter eggs?

Nah. It’s all about the ships. No, not this ship:

Exploring Marvel's Eternals' Meteor Dust Spaceship - IGN — That’s the Domo, by the way.

I’m a little obsessed about the Eternals relationships, romantic (“ships”) or otherwise. There’s just so many of them, and they’re a big, loving, dysfunctional family; there are relationships between them (and a few humans) that are just fun and fascinating to think about and speculate on. I’m just gonna dive in:

Thena and Gilgamesh. These two have the deepest, most poignant bond in the film. They are both warriors, and respect each other as such, and usually work as a team as they battle the Devients. They’re the closest of friends, and while I have no idea if it goes beyond that, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Gilgamesh is willing to risk his life to watch over Thena when they find out she has “Madweary,” a malady that can strike an Eternal after centuries. It’s literally their mind falling apart under the weight of their memories. Gilgamesh tenderly watches over her, protects her from herself, and cooks wonderful meals for her. Because that’s what you do for someone you love.

Ikarus and Sersi. Icarus and Sersi, over the course of a few centuries, fall in love and have the kind of long-term relationship we can barely fathom, lol. They actually take part in the first (fairly tame, but even so) sex scene in the MCU. Their love seems sweet and idyllic, although the fact that Ikarus learns about the people they’re helping only so he can get closer to her is troubling. Sersi truly loves human beings, while to Ikarus we’re just part of the mission, and that’s a bit of foreshadowing for the rest of the film.

Ikarus and Sersi are a whole lot of beautiful.

Sersi and Dane. In the present, Sersi is involved with Dane Whitman. He doesn’t have a lot of screentime, but their few moments together in the film shows that he loves her. He wants her to move in with him, but she keeps putting him off. Sprite tells him that Sersi’s not quite over her ex (Ikarus), and that’s probably true. By the end of the movie, though, she’s definitely worked through that, and seems ready to go on with him, but she’s taken by Arishem to who knows where. Now it looks like Dane is ready to take up the Ebony Blade and become the Black Knight, though I’m not sure how that will help him get Sersi back. We’ll see.

Druig and Makkari. This is probably the sweetest pairing in the movie, and my favorite, mostly because it’s subtle and surprising. You can tell they’re good friends from the beginning, and like to tease each other, and then by the middle of the movie you can see something’s shifted and you’re just as surprised as the rest of the team. Putting the broody, laconic guy with the vibrant, feisty gal is always a satisfying move. I love how Druig is a different person when he’s around Makkari, lighter and a bit happier. She is his “beautiful, beautiful” Makkari. Awwww.

Kingo and Karun. Karun is Kingo’s “valet,” which basically boils down to a personal assistant and cameraman. But also a close friend. Karun has been with Kingo for fifty years (he thought Kingo was a vampire, at first) and knows about the Eternals and Kingo’s role in protecting humanity. Karun is the stand-in for us; he’s the human who looks upon the Eternals with awe and admiration, and has unshakable faith in them. When Kingo disagrees with his fellow Eternals and decides to absent himself from the coming battle, Karun follows him home, even though he doesn’t really want to. He wants to stay and fight. But he’s a loyal friend, and sometimes I think Kingo doesn’t deserve him, lol.

It’s like Alfred from Batman. But funnier.

Phastos and Ben. Poor Phastos is broken-hearted after Hiroshima, and blames himself for giving humans technology that helped them ultimately create such a terrible weapon. He told Ajak that humans were not worth saving. So imagine our surprise when we find him happily living with another man and their adopted son. First of all, I think it’s great that the MCU finally created an openly gay superhero–it’s long past due. Secondly, I love how Phastos and Ben show that, yeah, in the aggregate, humans suck; but on a smaller, family level, we’re capable of so much love. Phastos is willing to fight the Emergence for the love he has for his son’s future, and that’s a beautiful thing.

The 10 Best Duos In Eternals | Screen Rant — Love redeemed.

Ajak and Ikarus. They’re not romantically involved, of course; Ajak is like the den-mother to the Eternals. But Ikarus is the unofficial second-in-command, and Ajak shares the truth of their mission with him after Babylon. So they share a secret. Ikarus is devoted to that mission, and to Arishem, apparently more than he is to Ajak or the Eternals or humans. He can’t believe that Ajak changes her mind about earth, and so he….kills her. He kills her! This is unforgivable, and yet is there something to be admired in his loyalty to Arishem? In his willingness to sacrifice a planet for the billions to come? Nope. Captain America said it himself: “We don’t trade lives.” The fact that Ikarus killed someone he loved for an idea is rather horrible. And he did love her–you can see that when he brings her body back to her house in South Dakota. But the deed is done and sets the rest of the story in motion.

We have to save the humans, right Ikarus? Right?

Sprite and Ikarus. Let me be clear, I do NOT ship these two for obvious reasons. But Sprite does love Ikarus, and therein lies the tragedy: she’s a woman trapped in a child’s body. And that, to me, is pretty awful. She’s thousands of years old, and has the body of a 12-year old. WTF Arishem? When she plaintively asks Kingo, “Why did Arishem make me this way?” it strikes a chord in a lot of people who don’t understand why they are the way they are and shake their fists at the heavens. And there’s no answer. That’s why she’s so willing to follow Ikarus, even after his betrayal; not only does she love him, but she wants to end her frustrating existence here on earth and start over somewhere else. I’m so happy Sersi was able to make her human, so she can grow up. And grow old and die, but she’s ready for that, just to have a chance to live a full life. She’s definitely like Tinkerbell, as Kingo suggests, but she’s also Pinocchio, who finally becomes a real person. Good for her. I even forgive her for stabbing Sersi, lol.

Whew! Those are all I can think of right now. Did I miss anyone? Who’s your favorite Eternal or relationship? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello and happy weekend, my friends!

I’ve finished reading The Fallen Star, by Claudia Gray, and I was not disappointed in this third adult novel in the High Republic series, and the last in Phase One. I’ve enjoyed all of Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels, and she does a great job telling this story of Starlight Beacon, symbol of the Jedi and the Republic, being destroyed by the Nihil, or more specifically, orchestrated by Marchion Ro, their mysterious leader. The Jedi, led by Stellan Gios and Elzar Mann, don’t even know what they’re up against, as something mysterious is affecting the Jedi’s connection to the Force as the incapacitated station plummets toward destruction. I’m going to post a review of the book on Wednesday (my High Republic post day), so stay tuned for that.

Since finishing that book, I’d like to get back to Race to Crashpoint Tower, the middle grade book from Wave 2 of the High Republic, before Midnight Horizon comes out on February 1st. I shouldn’t have a problem finishing the relatively small book in a week or so, and I’ll write up a review of it.

The wonderfully-named Padawans Lula Talisola and Ram Jamoram

I enjoyed the latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett (Episode 4) called “The Gathering Storm.” Again, some good things, some wince-inducing things, but the most exciting thing about it came at the end when we hear Mando’s theme, suggesting Din Djarin will be making an appearance, hopefully next week! For my full review of the episode, you can go here.

In Marvel, I caught the Moon Knight trailer, and man, does that look trippy and weird, and I’m so ready for it! I haven’t seen Dune yet, and so missed Isaac Oscar’s performance in that film, so I can’t wait to see him in this new Marvel series that premieres March 30th. I’m new to Marvel, having caught up with the Avengers and company in the past 6 or so months, and I have no idea who any of these new superheroes and villains are, but I’m just going along for the ride and I’m loving it!

Oscar Isaac looks to be having a spot of trouble in Moon Knight.

Case in point, I’m on my third viewing of Eternals (and have another post on them coming soon, probably Monday; if you want to read my review of the movie you can do so here); and I’ve also watched Shang Chi about three times so far. Just fabulous movie-making. Marvel is really hitting the mark for me right now!

But I’ve also been thinking about another franchise I haven’t visited for awhile: Star Trek. When I heard about the new series Picard, I knew I wanted to watch it, but I wasn’t keen on paying for another streaming service to do so. But now I can watch it on Youtube for about $2 an episode. I can swing that. I loved The Next Generation back in the day, much more than the original Star Trek (although it’s still cool in a campy way), and Picard, Riker, Worf, and Data are a part of my beloved sci-fi memories. So I’ll probably be watching that show during the Disney vacuum once The Book of Boba Fett ends, and I’ll be talking about it here. Can’t wait to see what Jean-Luc has been up to!

I will boldly go wherever this man goes next.

That’s it for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Book of Boba Fett: Episode 4 Review

(Please be advised that this post contains spoilers for Episode 4 of The Book of Boba Fett.)

Episode 4, “The Gathering Storm,” is another example of how much I like this series despite it not being perfect. At all, lol. There are aspects of every episode that I love, and aspects that make me wince a little.

Is there a doctor in the house? Okay, he’ll do.

So Ep 4 consists mostly of a flashback, showing Boba scouting out Jabba’s palace and then finding Fennec Shand near death after she’d been shot by that newbie bounty hunter from The Mandalorian. He takes her to a “mod shop” near Mos Eisley, and she gets patched up with some droid implants. This scene is kind of cool but also too long, and it really just beggars belief. That man is clearly not a doctor, Fennec is near death and he just puts a bunch of pistons in her belly, it’s clearly not a sterile environment, there’s no blood anywhere even though her gut is eviscerated, and she recovers fully in less than a day. But I’m quite attached to my willing suspension of disbelief, especially when it comes to Star Wars, so I’ll just shrug and say, cool!

Anyway, Fennec agrees to help him recover his ship from Jabba’s palace in return for saving her life. They sneak through a side door and end up in the kitchen where a couple of droids are preparing food. The chef droid is awesome in a General Grievous kind of way, wielding his butcher knives like lightsabers. The ensuing battle with the droids is another scene that goes on a bit too long, but we finally get to the ship (Slave 1? Firespray? Idk) and they battle Jabba’s guards to get it out of the hangar. Once that’s done, there are scores to settle. He asks Fennec where to drop her off, but she decides to hang out with him a little longer.

TV Review - "Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett" Fills in More Gaps with Episode 4 - "The Gathering Storm" - LaughingPlace.com — Back in the saddle again.

Boba finds the biker gang that he thinks killed the Tuskens and shoots them down with the ship’s weapons; although Fennec has suggested that a mere biker gang like that isn’t enough to take down a Tusken tribe. I’m guessing that the Pykes, of course, have something to do with it, and will lead to a very personal showdown between Boba and the spicers later.

Next on his list is the Sarlaac pit that almost killed him. He’s looking for his armor; it’s understandable that he can’t quite remember that he was wearing it when he got out and that the Jawas stole it. They get a little too close for comfort and the beaky thing attacks them, almost pulling the ship into its maw. Luckily they get a seismic charge to drop in there and kill the thing; Boba then goes right into it to look for the armor, but of course, it’s not there.

The Book of Boba Fett episode 4 cast: 'The Gathering Storm' — Boba’s wrath.

Boba invites Fennec to join him in his quest to become a crime syndicate leader (she calls it a “gotra,” a word that’s only familiar to me from a Star Wars book called Most Wanted, about young Han and Q’ira, and the mention of a “Droid Gotra;” it comes from Hindu and means a clan, family, or tribe) and she doesn’t understand it.

Boba tells her that he’s tired of risking his life for morons (basically), and that she should be, too, since they were both left for dead on Tatooine. He wants to build something better, something that relies on loyalty. If she joins him, he would protect her life, and she’d share in the spoils. She’s not completely convinced, and tells him that life with the Tuskens made him “soft.” He disagrees, saying it made him stronger.

What I think he means here is that he’s found a different, and better, way to live in this difficult galaxy: working together for the common good of the group, rather than cut-throat ruthlessness. If Boba was a Force-wielder, I’d say he’d gone from the dark side to the light side. And I like that. Some fans would agree with Fennec–they want badass Boba Fett, the one that they remember and love. And while I get it, that’s not what this show is about. It’s one long character arc for this man, who’s been reborn and has learned, grown, and evolved. He’s turned over a new leaf, has made new, better goals for himself (if a crime lord can be considered a good thing, lol), and is constantly learning about himself and what he’s capable of. That story has a lot more depth and satisfaction than a guy in a mask going around shooting stuff up. To me, anyway.

Turns out he’s a mean drunk.

So once he’s out of the bacta tank, he’s told that he’s completely healed of his wounds, and no longer needs it. Fennec comes up and says his outer wounds are healed, but perhaps not the inner wounds. She’s a perceptive gal. They go to the Sanctuary and witness Black Krrsantan beating up some Trandoshans. Garsa tries to talk him down, but it doesn’t work–he rips one of their arms off anyway. Boba then offers him a job (which I figured was coming), and increases his little “family.”

Then there’s that meeting with the heads of the other “families” of Mos Espa, and tries to convince them to join him against the Pykes. They’re not too keen, but after a little rancor scare beneath the dinner table, he simply asks they not join the Pykes against him, and they agree.

Boba Fett Episode 4 Review – But Why Tho? A Geek Community — Boba makes them an offer they kind of refuse.

Off they go, and Fennec says they need more people to fill their ranks. Boba says he’s got money to pay others, and Fennec informs him that you can always buy allies if you know where to look. Cue Mando’s theme, and we’re all suddenly very excited for where this show may be going.

Will Din Djarin show up in future episodes? It seems certain, and that’s awesome. I’ve missed that guy, lol. And now I think that this show is, apart from Boba’s personal journey, a bridge between Mando Seasons 2 and 3. What’s he been up to since Grogu’s been gone? I’m thinking he’ll help Boba with the Pykes if, in return, Boba helps him with Mandalore. Or whatever it is he wants to do. Very exciting, at any rate.

So what did you think of Episode 4? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Wednesday–Padawan Bell Zettifar

(There are some High Republic novel spoilers here, so beware).

Bell Zettifar is one of the many interesting Padawans in the High Republic universe, and one of the most prominent (at least in the novels), so I thought I’d profile him next.

Bell trained with his master, Loden Greatstorm, at the Jedi Temple Outpost on the Outer Rim planet Elphrona, along with Masters Indeera Stokes and Porter Engle. Bell is a likable young man who has a great respect and love for his master, who pushes him to grow and learn about his Force abilities. Bell, like a lot of Jedi in the High Republic, sees the Force in a unique way–he sees it as fire or flames. Fittingly, Bell has become fast friends with a charhound from Elphrona he named Ember, who can breathe flames. The Jedi from Elphrona don’t chastise Bell for taking on a pet (an “attachment”), but others raise an eyebrow now and then (particularly Stellan Gios, who’s a stickler for rules; but everyone loves Ember anyway).

In Light of the Jedi, Loden Greatstorm is presumed killed by the Nihil, but Bell has a difficult time letting him go. Many Jedi, including his new master, Indeera Stokes, advise him on his grief; they tell him it’s okay to grieve, but urge him to let go. But it’s hard for Bell to move on. Before he disappeared, Loden told Bell he was ready to become a Jedi Knight. After, however, Bell couldn’t bring himself to ascend to Jedi Knight without his beloved Master. In The Rising Storm, Bell discovers Loden was not killed by the Nihil but had been taken prisoner by Marchion Ro and tormented for his own nefarious purposes. He and Bell were briefly reunited, but Loden was indeed ultimately killed by an awful Nihil weapon, and Bell had to grieve all over again.

In The Fallen Star, which I’m almost done with, Bell plays a prominent part in trying to save Starlight Beacon, and has become good friends with another Padawan, Burryaga the Wookiee.

You can’t talk about Bell without Ember, who is his constant companion, the best girl, so here are a few renditions of the pair:

High Republic Adventures Annual 2021 variant cover by Jon Lam.

The only artist info I could find on this was “bel on Twitter.”

I just love the idea of a Jedi having an animal companion. Ember is more than a pet; she’s a comrade who’s saved Bell’s life on several occasions, she’s part of the Jedi family, and she’s a good friend.

For light and life! Thanks for reading.

Eternals Review

I watched Eternals this past week on Disney+, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it.

Going in, I wasn’t sure I was ready for another group of Marvel superheroes, but it turns out I was wrong. It took me a couple of viewings to absorb their cosmology and the nuances between all the characters, but I’m so on board for team Eternal.

Basically, the Eternals were created (by Celestials, specifically Arishem) to protect mankind from the Devients, a group of scary-looking predators, and to help them progress and evolve over time. They wiped out the last Devients about 500 years ago (they’ve been around since 5000 BC), and are just waiting to get the word from Arishem to go home (a planet named Olympia).

But in the present, the Devients come back, and the individuals that make up the Eternals must come back together to defeat them. But they find their leader, Ajak, dead, and the new leader, Sersi, finds out the true nature of their mission here on earth. And they’re not happy about it.

The plot of the movie is entertaining and it’s their very reason for being, but it’s the characters themselves and their relationships that I fell in love with.

Ajak, their leader, can heal herself and others; Icarus can fly and can shoot laser beams from his eyes; Sersi can change matter into something else (rock into water, for instance); Kingo has laser beams that come out of his hands; Sprite can form illusions; Thena is a great warrior, as is Gilgamesh; Druig can do mind control; Makkari is super-fast; and Phastos can create sophisticated tools and contraptions.

So here’s the relationship rundown: Icarus and Sersi fell in love and were together for 5000 years, until a few hundred years ago, when he mysteriously left her; in the present, Sersi is in a relationship with the human Dane. Thena and Gilgamesh are a fighting team and great friends (I’m not sure if it goes beyond that, but their bond is deep and strong). Sprite is secretly in love with Icarus, but she’s in the form of a child and cannot take her feelings very far (and he’s with Sersi, so yeah). Druig and Makkari seem like an unlikely pair, but they share a sweet friendship and flirtation over the centuries that becomes more apparent in the present. Phastos gives up on humankind after Hiroshima, but then finds love with another man in the present and they adopt a son. And Kingo, well, he becomes a Bollywood star and has a human valet named Karun who knows all about the Eternals.

The movie has an overall theme of evolution: of humankind over the centuries, but also of the Eternals themselves. On an individual level, Sersi learns that she is capable of more than she thought: formerly she could only transform one simple element into something else, but in a battle with a Devient she turns the creature into a tree, without knowing how she did it. On a collective level, the Eternals themselves grow beyond their original mission to saving the people of earth. Oh, and I can’t forget one particular Devient who evolves into a sentient creature who can speak and think. Yikes!

And if you want to get real meta, my opinion of some of the Eternals evolved over the course of the movie, too. At first, I agreed with Kingo when he said, “Druig sucks.” At first, Druig seemed aloof and righteous and just annoying. But by the end of the film, I loved him. Turns out he’s just intense (and he’s truly a different person when he’s around Makkari). Icarus, also, waxed and waned in my judgment. As the unofficial second in command, he’s super handsome and super strong and just all around super super-heroish. But then he commits an unforgivable act, and I hate him. Then at the end I feel sorry for him. I was all over the map with these people, all in one movie, lol.

There’s some Marvel humor laced throughout and the casting is perfect (and casting a deaf actor to portray Makkari is awesome),

In the end, this was a fun, weird, exciting, satisfying movie, and I’m ready for a sequel right now, lol. One of the end credits sets us up for a sequel, while the other sets up another possible branch for Marvel with Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harington, as the Black Knight (I have no idea who that is, but I’m game).

Have you seen Eternals? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!